Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go by Dale E. Basye

Milton and Marlo are brother and sister and total opposites. Marlo is a bad girl (even though she's only 13) and her younger brother Milton is...not. Actually, he seems kind of boring. There is a bit of a marshmallow malfunction and they both die and end up in Heck. It's a horrible, horrible place and they, obviously, do not like it there.

All right, so when I picked this book up I was super excited about it. The illustrations on the front are amazing and the title makes me very happy. I started reading it and enjoyed Basye's language use and his humor. For example, the town where Milton and Marlo live is named Generica, Kansas. Perfect! The writing continues to be funny throughout the book. Once they get to Heck, some of the bad kids have been "Hooked on Phonics" and are trying to go through a drying out period. Milton's name and some other aspects in the book are obviously homages to other stories about hell (although I'm pretty sure that the intended age group probably wouldn't pick up on that).

Those are the good things. However, the components never meld with the plot. It's very light and kind of seems like it's mostly there to set up the sequel, as the plot just seems like a very long build up to the ending. I would also say that it's hard to feel invested with Milton and Marlo. They are fine characters but even though Basye tries to make them relatable, I never quite believed in them. Milton is too milquetoast-y. Marlo is more believable.

The book has so much potential but never quite delivers for me. If I had to grade it, I'd probably give it a low B. So to sum it up, there are some funny parts and good language use, but I was disappointed in the plotting and characterization. It also reads kind of like an introduction for a series (which makes sense, since there is at least a sequel).

The next book in the series is coming out in July and I'll pick it up. I have high expectations for it, since the characters are already introduced. Hopefully it lives up to all that I was looking for in this book. I would probably suggest this book to kids looking for funny fantasy type things, but with a list of others books as well. It's probably best for ages 8-12.