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Go Big or Go Home

3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 · rating details · 460 ratings · 107 reviews

A meteorite is hurtling toward the Black Hills of South Dakota. . . .

Brady Steele watches in awe as a fireball comes crashing through the roof of his house. Brady immediately calls up his cousin, Quinn. They both love all things extreme, and this is the most extreme thing ever!

Fred, as Brady names his space rock, turns out to be one of the rarest meteorites ever found. Pro...more

Hardcover, 192 pages

Published February 19th 2008 by HarperCollins

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Mar 21, 2008 Jean rated it 2 of 5 stars

Brady's life is changed by a meteroite - that crashes through the roof and lands on his bed. From that improbable beginning comes a story of Brady and his cousin Quinn and their constant quests for excitement. Brady gets a little more than he bargained for this time. The plot moves along nicely, but the writing was a little too plodding and the ending too pat. Lots of good information about the area around the Crazy Horse National Monument,but that's just what it felt like - an author giving us...more

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Jan 22, 2009 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 22, 2009 Carter rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was about a teen boy who was watching a meteorite shower one night and one crashed through his roof! He names it Fred. His cousin Quin and him both love extreame things and the meteorite is the most extreme thing that they have encountered yet! I loved this book. I was VERY action packed. I would recommend this book to boys and girls of anyage (even adults) who love action books but not violent action.

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Jul 12, 2008 Ruth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brady Steele watches in awe as a meteorite crashes through the roof of his bedroom. Brady immediately calls up his cousin, Quinn. They both love all things extreme, and this is the most extreme thing ever! The meteorite is one of the rarest meteorite ever found. Professor Rip Ripley wants to study a sliver of it in search of extraterrestrial bacteria. With each new day, Brady discovers that he's able to do strange and wonderful feats. At the same time, he's developing some frightening symptoms....more

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Feb 22, 2013 Alex added it

Have you ever seen a meteorite or more specific a meteorite that is one of the rarest of all kinds? Go Big or Go Home is a science fiction book because it has to do with a meteorite and cause Brady throughout the book get powers. The book takes place in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Two of the main Characters are Brady and his cousin Quinn they both love extreme things so when the meteorite crashed through Brady’ s house they were so excited. So in the book Brady and Quinn have the meteorite...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Holdin Muniz added it

“Go BIG or Go Home”

Brady Steele was a simple boy who lived in Hill City, South Dakota. He lived with his dad who worked at Crazy Horse on the monument, his mom who stayed at home and his two little sisters Jodi and Rae. His family wasn’t poor but they were only an average family. Brady’s mom and sisters were in Iowa for the last few weeks of the summer with their grandparents but Brady didn’t go with them anymore cause of his asthma was so bad and they lived on a farm plus they had dogs and cats...more “Go BIG or Go Home”

Brady Steele was a simple boy who lived in Hill City, South Dakota. He lived with his dad who worked at Crazy Horse on the monument, his mom who stayed at home and his two little sisters Jodi and Rae. His family wasn’t poor but they were only an average family. Brady’s mom and sisters were in Iowa for the last few weeks of the summer with their grandparents but Brady didn’t go with them anymore cause of his asthma was so bad and they lived on a farm plus they had dogs and cats and it was just to much for to be there. Brady’s dad didn’t get much time off so he also stayed home when the rest Brady’s family left for their vacation. Most of the times they were gone it had been ok because his cousin Quinn came from Lead and stayed with Brady for a few weeks or longer. This year it wasn’t the same cause Quinn’s dad had been laid off from the mine he worked at. They didn’t have hardly any money at all so Quinn was working to help out his dad. Quinn’s mom had died when he was only 3. His summer was so boring this year he played a lot of video games and rode bikes on Sunday with his dad. He tried to practice basketball because he wanted to be on the JV team when school started. Both Brady and Quinn were good enough to be on the JV teams.

The night the Perseid meteor shower happened Brady was sitting on his roof watching the rocks fall into space from Mars sense July almost every night. Tonight was different for Brady because this would be the only time in a couple 100 years again. He watched for awhile then just when he decided he was going to go to bed, he heard a big loud boom, in just a second everything changed the sky went from black to glowing blue. It scared Brady. He heard 2 booms again that shook his bedroom and then he heard a roar and seen a fireball coming right at him. He went into his bedroom and seen junk everywhere in his room. He looked at his bed and saw it had been burned right where he would have been sleeping. He looked at his bed and then up to the ceiling and back at his bed there was a hole burned in it and he saw something shiny on the floor. He thought wow could it be a meteorite. He dug into his bed and picked it up, it was shiny, but with pits and rough edges but it sparkled and it was almost to hot to hold.

Brady called Quinn right away and when he answered Brady told him he had seen the meteor shower. He told him he had a piece of the meteor that it came through his bedroom roof and hit the bed. Quinn told him he was lucky he wasn’t in bed and he used his 2 favorite words at one time, extreme and insane. Brady asked if he could come see it and Quinn answered that he would talk his dad into and be there the next day. Quinn even quit his job, to go stay with Brady for the rest of the summer. He waited for his dad to get home to tell him but his dad was tired that he wasn’t as excited as Brady wanted him to be. All he said was good thing you weren’t in bed and they would fix the hole in the roof in the morning. When his dad went to bed Brady told him he called Quinn to ask him to come visit and all his dad said was just don’t count on it. The next morning Brady asked his dad what he thought Quinn’s dad was going to do about work and he told Brady that he had been to Wyoming to look at jobs and even put a payment on a trailor, and he told Brady not to count on them coming because they might already be on their way there. He decided to wait outside and play basketball and he felt a vibration run through his body. The phone rang and he thought it might be Quinn but it was his mom. She was checking on him and wanted to make sure the neighbors dog Attila wasn’t still coming into their yard and stealing the rocks from her flowers. There were 3 boys Cal and he had twin brothers Max and Buzz and they weren’t very nice. Their dad was a coroner and Brady had a dream all the time that he tried to do a autopsy on him when he was still alive. He had that dream that night before and woke up drooling all over his rock, he didn’t want Quinn to know that. After Brady hung up the phone he went outside to get his rock and the dog had it in his mouth. He thought if he stood still he could get the dog to drop it but instead Attila took off running. He chased him right into the Carver’s yard and jumped on him he got the rock back he didn’t know how he did that cause of his asthma but he did feel that tingle all in his body right before but then the Carver boys showed up and asked if he was crazy their dog could have killed him. Then the dog hit Brady’s hand and he dropped the rock the dog picked it up and ran away with it. He told the boys it was a rock from his moms flowerbed and he wanted it back.

When he got home he washed the rock and he heard a truck coming. He ran outside and it was Quinn he showed him his space rock. Quinn’s dad started to take his things out of the truck and then told them he was going to go to Sturgis on his Harley. They were excited to see each other. They decided to play basketball and Brady had never beat Quinn in anything. It surprised both of them but it nice to beat at least 1 time. They decided they would go on a bike ride. They stopped at Crystals mom’s coffee shop to get a sandwich and smoothies. When they were leaving she told Quinn that his dad had stopped there on his way to Sturgis and flittered with her mom Maggie. They ate and took off on their bikes and Brady felt that electrical feeling again and he didn’t think about it and took off he left Quinn behind and even passed up 3 bikers that were pros. When they stopped Brady told Quinn he felt this power and it made him stronger. They talked about Quinn moving and decided he could live with them for the school year. Brady told him he named the space rock Fred and it meant Far Roaming Earth Diver. On their way home they stopped and talked to Crystal again.
The next day they decided to take another bike ride and when they were ridding they stopped to watch the visitors take pictures of the buffalo and they warned one guy that he shouldn’t get to close, just then the buffalo turned to go after the guy. He ran to his car and we turned around just to see a little 4 year old boy doing the same thing and the buffalo was getting ready to attack him. Next thing they knew Brady ran and grabbed the boy out of the buffalos way. He realized the buffalo was coming after him now he stood still but then took off running and jumped over the buffalo, after that the buffalo left him alone. It happened so fast the next thing Brady knew a guy was offering him $100.00 dollars for saving his son and everyone was asking to take pictures with him. There were even 2 girls who asked him to sign his shirt and give it to them. Brady told Quinn he wanted to leave. They took off to see the professor at the museum to see about Fred. They asked for the meteor professor and this crazy looking guy said that was him. His name was Dr. Ripley Ripley but they could call him Dr. Rip. At first he didn’t really want to be bothered but when they told him they had Fred he was excited. He was upset when they asked how much he was worth and he treated them like they didn’t know anything but then Brady told him Quinn knew everything about space after testing him he believed them. He told them that the rock was basaltic shergotties and was from Mars. There were only 34 Mars rocks on the Earth that they knew of. The doctor cut a piece of Fred off to look at and told them to come back the next day. They decided they would go fishing for the night and be back just in time the next day. They knew they needed a tent and poles sense they were going to ride to the lake to catch a big trout. They bought a 2 man raft and to poles that folded up, they found the perfect ones called the Eliminators.

They got home and packed everything and took off. They finally found a camp spot and decided to sleep on top of their tent instead. They wanted to fish early but in the middle of the night a huge storm came and they put up their tent but the wind blew it around. That morning they headed out to the middle of the lake but realized they couldn’t use their lures cause the boat wasn’t moving so Brady paddled why Quinn fished. Nothing happened and the raft was starting to fill up with water. They decided to go to shore and empty the water out paddled to shore and a man named Curly came up to them and gave them chicken, pop, and salad. He told them they needed to fish with worms on the bottom and he helped dig some worms for them and put them in a empty chicken box. He fixed the poles with sinkers and worms and they headed back out. When they were fishing Quinn got a big bite a trout he hooked it and just then the Carver boys showed up on their boat to watch they told us it was probably a Pactola Lake record. It was the biggest trout any of them had ever seen. Brady decided to call him Stan and Quinn said whatever just don’t lose him. We didn’t have a net to get him so Brady decided to use his hands to get it in the raft but after a lot of tries it ended up breaking the line and got away. Brady felt so bad and he knew Quinn was upset. The Carver boys told them they better look at their raft it had a hole in it and the water was coming in fast. The Carvers offered to help take them back to shore they got Quinn on the boat and Brady went to hand them his backpack and it slipped out of Max’s hand and started sinking to the bottom. Brady jumped in and tried to grab it he went so far down and still couldn’t reach it. He came to the top and was so upset because he knew Fred was in there and was lost forever. He told the Carver’s it was his inhaler.

When they got to land they rode their bikes to the museum even though they didn’t want to they figured they might as well see what Dr. Rip said about Fred. He told them that the rock was alive that it had been asleep for millions and millions of years but when it hit Earth it woke up. They looked at Fred in the microscope and it looked like worms moving around. After they listened to the doctor tell them about how Fred woke up when he spit on him they decided not to tell him they lost him. When they got home they both were upset they lost something important to both of them, Brady lost Fred and Quinn lost his monster trout. Brady decided to go to bed and Quinn watched tv for awhile. That night Brady had the same dream of being alive and Dr. Carver doing an autopsy on him but this time he felt paralyzed and couldn’t move. The next thing he knew it was morning and Quinn asked him if he always moved around like that. Brady didn’t want him to know how scared he was so he didn’t answer him but he decided to ask Quinn if he wanted to go explore the cave they found last summer and were to scared to go in. They decided they would but they need lights and water. They rode to Walmart and Attila followed them. Brady tried to make him go home but he wouldn’t leave his side. After they did their shopping they took off again to the cave they named it Halls of the Dead. It was damp and cold inside so they put on rain gear and lamps on their helmets. They crawled through the first part and Attila followed them. They didn’t know why he stayed so close to Brady cause he didn’t like anyone. They went into the cave a found a new part of it. It made them hold their breath they couldn’t believe it cause it was pretty and exciting. They looked around and seen lots of limestone that formed to the roof and in the middle of the cave was a slab of limestone it looked like a bed. They went over and sat down on it to eat their lunch and Brady even gave one of his sandwiches to the dog. They decide to name this part of the cave Palace of the Dead King cause it looked like a tomb. After they ate they started to go into the cave more. It was narrow and very dark. When they were walking Quinn stopped and told Brady to be careful that there was only room for him to stand right next to him. When Brady got there he looked over a cliff that was like a black bottom. Quinn decided they could go farther they just had to be careful he went first and made to the next opening. Brady started behind him and he slipped he was holding on as hard as he could but was starting to lose his grip. Quinn yelled for him to hold on and started coming back he knew wouldn’t make in time and so did Brady. Then he seen Attila coming over to him he grabbed his collar and told the dog to hold on but he knew he was slipping and he almost pulled Attila over the cliff with him. When he looked the dog he saw that the dog was looking at him and all of a sudden Attila had so much strength he pulled him and Brady right back on the cliff it scared them so bad and when they were sitting there resting they decided to name the hole and cliff Abyss of Hades. They left right after that and Quinn asked why Brady didn’t use his strength. Finally Brady told him about his dream and how he was going numb now and paralyzed. He made Quinn promise to not let Dr. Carver do a autopsy on him no matter what cause he would be alive just like in his dream. After begging Quinn to promise he felt better he knew Quinn wouldn’t ever break a promise.

When they got home there was a message on the phone it was Max and Buzz they told him they found his backpack and that ownership was 9 10ths of the law. They offered them a chance to get Fred back but they had to come to their house right then. When they got to the Carver’s house all the boys were sitting by their catapult and after telling them the history and how they made it they decided to show them how it worked. As they were waiting Attila laid by Brady which confused the boys but they started their demostration of the Destructo, that’s what they had named it. They shot their first boulder and they told Brady and Quinn that was all they could see until the opening show where everyone was invited but had to pay $5.00 dollars. Brady and Quinn talked them into throwing one toilet they watched it shoot through the air and land. That was the most awesome thing any of the boys had seen. Brady looked down at Attila and realized he was staying by Brady because he had the same thing happening to him. He had the space rock in his mouth and had spit combined with Fred to give him powers. When they started to leave the Carvers asked them if they wanted their space rock back with all the excitement they had forgot about Fred. When they told them yes they explained would be a contest to see who owned it. They decided they would shoot it into the woods and whoever got to it first won. Max and Buzz were on one side and Brady and Quinn on the other, Brady told Quinn just run for it cause he wasn’t going to be able to he felt the numbness coming back. Just then they all took off running including Attila. Brady felt weak and all numb all he could remember after that was falling to the ground. When he woke up he couldn’t move he looked around and seen a white ceiling and bright lights he thought he was in a hospital. Next thing he knew both Max and Buzz were leaning over him and looked sad they were talking about Brady as if he couldn’t hear them, they even looked sad. Then he heard his cousin and Quinn told them about Brady’s dream and told him he wasn’t dead he was dormant and the promise he made. The boys knew their dad was coming to do the autopsy and Brady couldn’t scream or move. The boys went outside the door and Brady couldn’t really hear them but then all of a sudden he seen the doctor sit next to him and had his tools in his hand. This is when he usually woke up but he didn’t and just when Dr. Carver pulled the sheet down the boys ran in and told him someone had found Attila. Their dad said the autopsy could wait till tomorrow good thing he loved his dog. He told the boys he was going to go get him. When he left the Brady heard the boys come back in and they put him on a stretcher and left. They stuffed him into the trunk of Cal’s car and took off. Brady knew that Quinn would keep his promise but he didn’t know where they were going until he heard Quinn tell them to stop and they had to walk the rest of the way. Max and Buzz carried him why Quinn headed them towards the cave. When they got there they seen that Attila was lying on the floor of the Palace of the Dead with Fred right next to him. They laid Brady on the slab and decided they were going to go get Dr. Rip. When they got back they all came into the cave and over to Brady the doctor looked at him and told him he hoped he had the antidote not only for him but himself cause he was starting to feel the same. When he pulled out the bottle it was in a nose spray but he told them all that it was Acetic acid just plain vinegar. He squirted it up Brady’s nose and then his own. He told Brady he hoped it would cure him. The Carver boys were talking and decided sense Attila found the rock it was theirs cause he was a Caver and they picked it up to take it home. Dr. Rip explained how dangerous that would be cause of how fast it could spread and kill millions people at one time including them. After talking about it Cal said the doctor was right, Brady could hear them talking and then he heard Quinn say I have the perfect place for Fred and they all followed him. They decided the Abyss of Hades would be Fred’s last resting place. They dropped him off the cliff and watched him fall until they didn’t see him anymore. When they started coming back Brady felt all tingly and started to move, he sat up and waited for them to get there. They were surprised to see Brady sitting there, and Quinn yelled Brady your alive. They all were surprised but the doctor was happy to see him and then he squirted the rest of the vinegar up Attila’s nose and he woke up too.

When they got home they seen Quinn’s dads truck in their yard and it had all of Quinn things in it. His dad told him he was moving to Wyoming but that Quinn was going to be able to live with Brady for the school year. Brady was so happy but Quinn didn’t say anything then he told his dad no they were a family and he was going with him no matter where it was. Brady looked at Quinn and they both knew it was the right thing, after all they went through it was best just to be together and alive. They left the next day and Brady’s mom and sisters came home summer was over. Brady missed Quinn already and wished he would have stayed. That night Brady went to watch the Carver’s opening show and Crystal sat next to him.

Brady was sitting on his porch watching the sunset when he seen Quinn’s dads truck coming. He ran to see what was going on and Quinn jumped out he explained that his dad and him didn’t like Wyoming and that they belong in the Black Hills. They decided to move to town and his dad could do odd jobs to pay the rent. Quinn told Brady he knew his dad and Maggie liked each other. Quinn knew Brady liked her and he told him he better ask her out before Buzz did. The next day the started school and they both made the JV team as freshmen. After practice that day Brady asked Crystal to go to homecoming and she said yes.

Fred or what had happened that summer but they all knew it was a summer they would never forget. One night when Brady and Quinn were practicing basketball Quinn asked Brady if he missed the powers that Fred gave him and if he wished he was still that strong even though he was trying to kill him. Brady answered him and said he did miss Fred sometimes but he was glad to be alive and he was just going to have to make it on his own merits instead of Fred’s. The next day Dr. Rip told Brady good bye he was going back to England but he decided every summer from now on the Black Hills would be his home. They shook hands and never mentioned Fred just said good bye and to study hard.

Author: Will Hobbs(less)

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Aug 05, 2012 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mg, ya

Life takes on some interesting turns for Brady Steele when during an asteroid shower, he finds a rock flying through his roof and through his bed. The neighbor’s war dog becomes his friend, for one, but more amazing, his asthma not only disappears, but Brady can suddenly outrun, outbike, outplay his best friend/cousin/idol Quinn. When Quinn and Brady take the rock to a local, visiting geologist, they find the rock is extremely unique, and perhaps proof of life on nearby planets. But their luck c...more

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Feb 13, 2011 Ian B rated it 2 of 5 stars

The book I read was "Go big or go home" this book was a science fiction book. Here's a brief summary of the book. There is a boy named Brady and his cousin Quinn is coming into town because they haven't seen each other in a while. The night before Quinn came in to see Brady, there was a meteor shower and one of the meteor rocks fell into Brady's bed. The very next day a dog named Attilia takes the rock and runs back to his house. The owners of Attilia are boys who Brady doesn't like. The big que...more

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Jan 27, 2009 West Region, added it

Shelves: adventure, middleschool, sciencefiction

Go Big or Go Home, by Will Hobbs

Brady lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota and enjoys high adventure and sports; basketball, mountain biking, fishing, exploring caves. He also enjoys watching the night sky and one evening he remembers that there will be a meteor shower and he steps outside to enjoy the show. All of a sudden a meteorite slams through his roof and rips through his mattress, leaving little doubt that Brady would be no longer Brady if he had been asleep.

Brady names the space roc...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Michele rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-chapter

I'm really having a hard time deciding what rating to give this book.

There are some things I really liked about it. The writing style is a breezy, slang-filled kidspeak. It definitely feels like a young teenage boy experience. I felt right there with the main character, Brady. Additionally, the relationships between the Brady and his cousin, as well as with his neighbors, seem perfect. The dialogue has just the right balance between caring and slamming.

It also has an interesting topic: unusual m...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Chadron Lane rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've recently read the story Go Bigor Go Home this book is a science fiction and sport book. At first Quinn wakes up an leaves his room shortly after he hears a huge bang! As he walked in to his room he looked at his bed and there was a rock actually a meteor right then he told his best friend Brady to come over as soon as possible. His friend said ill be over tomarrow the next day he and his dad patched the hole in the roof and his dad asked him to go on a bike ride like they did every Sunday b...more I've recently read the story Go Bigor Go Home this book is a science fiction and sport book. At first Quinn wakes up an leaves his room shortly after he hears a huge bang! As he walked in to his room he looked at his bed and there was a rock actually a meteor right then he told his best friend Brady to come over as soon as possible. His friend said ill be over tomarrow the next day he and his dad patched the hole in the roof and his dad asked him to go on a bike ride like they did every Sunday but today he passed because he knew Brady would be there soon. While waiting the neibors akida took the meteorite and began to walk back on to the private propery where he would be fined for trespassing so he had stopped him before he got there after he got it back Brady showed he showed him the rock and they talked for a while Brady and Quinn where huge bike riders. They desided to ride a trail that leaded all the way aroun the Black Hills of South Dakota they road into Keystone and Quinn was far afraid of Brady but usually Quinn was much slower then Brady but out of Keystone there was a huge hill that led into Custer State park. Quinn thought he would run out of steam but he never did he just kept going and he finished the whole trail for the first time after that he felt like they had super powers. After that they took it to an extratrestrial professional this turned out to be a bacteria from face. For a whole week Quinn felt great he was immortal but like I said before it was a bacteria and a week after the meteor hit earth Quinn started to feel sick and weird and he decided it was linked to the meteor. They decided to take it to a cave nearby and ditch it they walked nearly to the end where visibility was at its minimal and dropped there. A few days after Quinn's symtoms sub sided and he was much better.
This book was a good if you are either into Sienese fiction or if you are the out doorsy type which is popular in Wyoming I believe this book hit home because I'm from Wyoming wich was also mentioned in this book and also I knew where this took place because I went to the Black Hills this summer and I went to Mount Rushmore and keystone I also drove through Custer state park and they also mentioned stugis the biggest the biggest motor cycle rally in the world so this was a really local and heat book.(less)

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Jun 05, 2011 Karen Ball rated it 3 of 5 stars

Brady Steele lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and loves to go camping and for extreme mountain bike rides with his cousin, Quinn. One night during summer vacation, Brady climbs out onto his roof to watch the Perseid meteor shower, as his house is far out of town and there are no lights to clutter his view of the stars. The sky suddenly turns a bright blue, and a fireball comes crashing right through his roof -- and right through the bed where normally he would have been sleeping! Fred,...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Erika Wirth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: usa-list

*South Dakota*
This was a quick read, more of a boy book, probably middle school or early high school aged kids. I liked that this book was pretty current, focusing somewhat on America's economic problems. There is even mention of Michigan auto workers moving to Wyoming for work. Also, the building of the Crazy Horse memorial was mentioned frequently. I think the author paints a good picture of the state by including landmarks, like Mt. Rushmore and discussing things that the boys do; such as fis...more *South Dakota*
This was a quick read, more of a boy book, probably middle school or early high school aged kids. I liked that this book was pretty current, focusing somewhat on America's economic problems. There is even mention of Michigan auto workers moving to Wyoming for work. Also, the building of the Crazy Horse memorial was mentioned frequently. I think the author paints a good picture of the state by including landmarks, like Mt. Rushmore and discussing things that the boys do; such as fishing, mountain biking, and camping. Being from Michigan, some of the outdoorsy stuff was similar and I really enjoyed the authors description of what fishing is like, I thought it was pretty accurate. I also liked the campground description, I could picture it.
So those were the things I liked about the novel, but they story line was not the best. The dialogue was not so great either. Brady and Quinn are cousins that are the same age that live in South Dakota and they really love it there, taking advantage of bike paths, fishing, and anything they consider extreme. One night, a meteorite falls from the sky crashing through Brady's room. Quinn comes to stay with Brady for a while the next day. The boys have a normal day with basketball and bike rides. Brady is extremely athletic and quick, which is unusual because he normally has asthma. He even saves a child from a buffalo about to stampede. The boys take the meteorite to Dr. Ripley, a visiting professor who is working at the museum. Dr. Ripley tells the boys that this meteor is from Mars and it has bacteria on it. The bacteria eventually makes Brady weaker and he becomes dormant. Quinn and Brady's next door neighbors save him from an autopsy and Dr. Ripley discovers an antidote (vinegar) for the alien bacteria. Brady is saved from his dormant state and Quinn is able to start high school with him instead of moving to Wyoming with his Dad.
I thought the plot was ok, maybe a little too simplistic but I think it would be a good read for a boy around the same age as Brady.(less)

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Nov 06, 2012 Noah Charest rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the story a meteorite from Mars crashes into the home of a boy named Brady. Soon Brady and his cousin, Quinn, discover that the meteorite is rare and do everything in there power to protect it.The characters in this book seem very realistic to me. The main characters are Brady and Quinn. They are very adventurous and love to explore. They have two neighbors, the Carver twins, that are always tying to give them a hard time with everything, especially the meteorite. The story kept me on the edg...more

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May 25, 2009 B rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: j-adventure, j-boy, y-boy

I was surprised at how much I liked this book. That's the sign of a good writer! A 14 year old in South Dakota is affected adversely by a meteorite that has fallen through his house. First he becomes super strong and agile, easily beating his stronger cousin in any contest, basketball, mountain biking, etc. but then he begins to lose feeling in his limbs. The outcome is not realistic but I enjoyed everything else..the extreme sports stuff, the Black Hills/Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse stuff, and t...more

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Oct 05, 2010 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, this does have a meteor crashing through the roof, and subsequent superhuman powers--but it's not really a science fiction book.

It's much more a buddy story about Brady and his cousin Quinn, as they fish, ride bikes and spelunk--all extreme adventures in the Black Hills of South Dakota--almost a character here. Dealings with their devious neighbors (and their "Turkish war dog" Attila)and the catapult they've built only adds to the fun.

Give this to kids who like Gary Paulsen and outdoor l...more

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Jun 12, 2010 Deb rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-books-read, middle-school-kids-ya-books

Will Hobbs is one of my favorite authors, and I had the chance to meet him once too. Our 6th grade used to use his book Far North when we studied Canada and one year, we invited him to speak to our kids. My husband and I picked him up from the airport and hosted him at our home for dinner. He was a charming conversationalist, and our students really enjoyed his presentation.

Go Big or Go Home introduces us to Brady and Quinn, cousins who enjoy extreme adventure. Brady narrowly misses being hit by...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

This speedy read combines science fiction with extreme sports, telling of a boy who discovers that he has enhanced physical abilities after drooling on a space rock that crashed through his bedroom ceiling. The sci-fi element exists almost exclusively to support the sports element, so hardcore sci-fi fans might not find much to like in it, but viewed independently of the sci-fi genre, it's not too bad a read. Many of my students enjoyed reading it over the summer.

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Jul 26, 2011 Michelle added it

Fun read, the guy students at my school will like this book. I was a little disappointed in the ending; it felt rushed and predictable, plus I had to suspend reality too much for my taste.

I had never read a Will Hobbs book, but had heard his books were great. I was hoping that he would be as good as Sonnenblick, Korman & Crutcher, but I didn't think that this book was as good as any of the 3 authors I listed.

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Nov 15, 2010 Martha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Given the cover and the title I thought this book would be more about sports. Bike riding plays into the story as much of the adventure begins with a bike ride. I liked the science and the idea of a meteorite. I love Attila! The tough kids act tough and mean but they reveal different thoughts when the time arises which appeals to me. I could definitely book talk this book with freshmen or juniors and seniors.

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Aug 04, 2010 Sandra Stiles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grades, science-fiction

Brady Steele is home alone the night a meteorite comes crashing through his roof and goes through his bed. He can’t wait to tell his cousin all about it. The name the meteorite Fred, short for Far Roaming Earth Diver. What Brady and his cousin Quinn didn’t realize is that this meteorite is the rarest kind. They also didn’t realize that it would work wonders in Brady’s life for a day and then start working against him. The question is can Brady convince his cousin that he isn’t losing his mind? I...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Julie Cotton rated it 2 of 5 stars

Time: 2010 - Place: Black Hills, SD - 185 pages
Love the idea of getting superhuman abilities from a meteorite strike. This is a great read for short attention span types. It's a simple, quick read. Kind of funny in how the boys are like Bill and Ted. But it was way too shaved down, over-edited, with no emotion for a reader like me. Kind of shallow and a rushed ending.
Great word: Whipsawed

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Oct 12, 2010 Nancy Keller rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 20, 2009 Sherrie rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is the 14th of 15 books I've read for the SSYRA books (6th to 8th grade). I rated it as two stars, while it was a very quick read it was also quite forgettable. The book was a mix of realistic fiction and science fiction, but it really didn't succeed in either genre. I've spoken with teen boys who have enjoyed the book, but I found it to be formulamatic and not very enjoyable to read.

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Jul 03, 2009 Sue Black rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a great book in which the reader learns about the Black Hills plus learns about meteorites. It is fun to read about the adventures of Brady and his cousin Quinn who are independent teenagers exploring the Black Hills. After a rare meteorite crashes through his roof and lands in his bed, Brady experiences some strange things as a result of exposure to the meteorite.

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Apr 13, 2012 Errin Tucker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-literature

The genre of this book is Fantasy and Science Fiction and written for more Advanced readers in late elementary school to middle school.

In this story a meteorite is coming towards the Black Hills of South Dakota. Afterwards crazy things start to happen.

The story is a great book for children in middle school. They will enjoy the action of the story and it would peak their imaginations.

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Jan 29, 2011 Angie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, children-s-fiction, mark-twain-nominees, website

Definitely a book that the boys will enjoy more than the girls. The plot was a bit rushed, especially the ending, and the resolution was definitely a little hard to believe...well really the whole plot was a little hard to believe. But I am sure the kids will like it. This is a 2010-11 Missouri Mark Twain Award Nominee - not sure I agree with that decision though.

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Dec 21, 2010 Rayda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens_lit, fantasy, reading_bowl

The boys at school (4th and 5th graders) like this book a lot . . . it has bicycling, rough-housing, and really strange happenings. I didn't like it so much. Too much deadly peril to the boys. Too much playing close to the edge where they could get hurt in a real-world setting. I guess it just didn't set well with me as a teacher. Humpfh. Bah, humbug. :)

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Jan 25, 2010 Louise Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars

In Go Big or Go Home, Will Hobbs introduces us to teenage boys who like adventure. The book never slows down - the boys may be exploring a cave, bicycling up and down hills to other locations, or fishing in the middle of a lake. However, a twist in the story has a meteorite landing in the middle of a boy's bedroom and radically changing his life.

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May 16, 2012 Mark Barnes rated it 3 of 5 stars

A fun story about a boy who is endowed with strange new powers, after being exposed to a meteorite. He and his cousin have fun testing the powers, until they realize there is more to this "gift" than meets the eye. The conflict is a little thin, but a creative ending makes up for it.

Not nearly as good as Hobbs' Far North, but a solid read.

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About Will Hobbs

WILL HOBBS is the author of seventeen novels for upper elementary, middle school and young adult readers, as well as two picture book stories. Seven of his novels, Bearstone, Downriver, The Big Wander, Beardance, Far North, The Maze, and Jason's Gold, were named Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association. ALA also named Far North and Downriver to their list of the 100 Best You...more

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