WHEN MILTON AND Marlo Fauster die in a marshmallow bear explosion, they get sent straight to Heck, an otherworldly reform school. Milton can unders...
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Jan 14, 2008
Dale
rated it: 
I had a lot of fun writing this book. It was very cathartic. I read the Advanced Reader Copy while I was immersed in the second book, and I was surprised that I still enjoyed it. Sure, there are things I would change now, but this experience—writing my first book—made me realize that one could very well spend their life writing and rewriting one book. Sometimes you just have to let it go. Actually, make that, all of the time.
What I like best about Heck (and what my spanking new agen More...
What I like best about Heck (and what my spanking new agen More...
Aug 19, 2008
Alex
rated it: 
When Milton and Marlo Faust die in a tragic marshmallow related explosion, their souls wind up in Heck, one of the outer reaches of H-e-double hockey sticks. Their tormentor is Bea "Elsa" Bubb, a sadistic demon with bad gas. Milton, Marlo and their friend Virgil plan an elaborate escape.
It started off really funny, but some of the jokes are so subtle I wondered if this was a read aloud book. I am not sure most younger readers would get the references but the jokey aspects More...
It started off really funny, but some of the jokes are so subtle I wondered if this was a read aloud book. I am not sure most younger readers would get the references but the jokey aspects More...
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Dec 08, 2008
Jennifer
rated it: 
Grades 5-7
When Milton and his juvenile delinquent sister Marlo are killed by an exploding marshmellow mall sculpture/fountain, they are sent to Heck. Heck is a kind of limbo where bad kids go before descending into one of the nine layers of hell. The trouble is, Milton is good--the only “bad” thing he has ever done is get blamed for his sister’s petty thievery. Heck is an awful place, full of demons, teachers like Lizzie Borden and Nixon, a giant purple dinosaur that sings, and liver i More...
When Milton and his juvenile delinquent sister Marlo are killed by an exploding marshmellow mall sculpture/fountain, they are sent to Heck. Heck is a kind of limbo where bad kids go before descending into one of the nine layers of hell. The trouble is, Milton is good--the only “bad” thing he has ever done is get blamed for his sister’s petty thievery. Heck is an awful place, full of demons, teachers like Lizzie Borden and Nixon, a giant purple dinosaur that sings, and liver i More...
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Oct 10, 2009
Susan
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Brother & sister (Milton & Marlo Fauster) die in a freak accident and are condemed to eternal "darnation" as punishement for their earthly sins...a place tailor made for the sins of youth.
I liked this book initially, for the imagniative writing and scaled-down paralells to Dante, but I came to think that much of the message went over the head of the intended audience. Few kids can make the connection between Bea "Elsa" Bubb and the devil, and fewer still, I suspe More...
I liked this book initially, for the imagniative writing and scaled-down paralells to Dante, but I came to think that much of the message went over the head of the intended audience. Few kids can make the connection between Bea "Elsa" Bubb and the devil, and fewer still, I suspe More...
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Dec 30, 2008
Hannah
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I loved the book. I can not wait 'till the squeal. I forget what it is called, but when I remember I will post it. All I know is that it is coming out in June.
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Aug 29, 2008
Angela
rated it:
There were some neat things about this book---the spoofs/puns on names and things was funny (example : Upchucky Cheez and the principal named Bea "Elsa" Bubb). But there was so much literal potty humor (many scenes of crawling through sewers)and a real non-ending that put me off. The ending and a preview note at the end indicate that this will be a series---using a Dantian nine rings of Heck motif. I doubt that I will follow the series. By the way, Heck is like a juvie Hell where you
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Aug 04, 2008
Hollie
rated it: 
This is a great book for young teens, especially boys. I would recommend this book for reluctant readers, especially those who think that escaping through sewage is funny. It was "clean", as far as language, sex, violence, and certainly an original idea. (Two kids-brother and sister team-get trapped in Heck, the place where bad children go after death until they are 18 years old and can be placed in hell or reformed.) This book also had quite a bit of humor, lots of play on words and
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Nov 23, 2011
Janis
rated it:
Taking on the idea of the circles of Hell from Dante's Inferno, this children's book humorously shares Heck, where the bad kids go. It's a way station until their souls are 18 and they go to either Heaven or Hell.
The premise is clever, much of the storyline is cute. The author is a bit out of touch with children, however. The teachers (yes, kids, there's still school after death) include Lizzie Borden and Richard Nixon (the former president teaches Ethics)--adults would see the humor More...
The premise is clever, much of the storyline is cute. The author is a bit out of touch with children, however. The teachers (yes, kids, there's still school after death) include Lizzie Borden and Richard Nixon (the former president teaches Ethics)--adults would see the humor More...
Jun 05, 2011
Karen
rated it:
Lots of fun for Halloween! Milton Fauster is a good kid... especially when you compare him to his sister Marlo (shoplifter, troublemaker, school failure, you name it). When they are both killed in a freak giant marshmallow explosion at the mall, Milton isn't surprised to find out Marlo's not going to heaven. But neither is he! They both end up in Heck, the junior version of "H-E-double-hockey-sticks," according to Bea Elsa Bubb, principal of the place where the bad kids go. It's
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Feb 25, 2011
Shikamaru
rated it:
so my mom wanted me to read this book seeing how i have a good intrest in hell. apperently, this was the first thing she saw about hell, my bad, heck. now this book was ok. not god awful like some books i read, but ok. one reason i think this is because it was meant for a younger audience. another thing was all the cameos by dead people, and yet they missed the most obvious one! Ozzy Osbourne as the music teacher. The fact that he's still alive makes it even more hilarious. now sometimes cameos
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Sep 24, 2010
Maicie
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Jan 27, 2010
Kristen
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Sep 18, 2009
Alexia561
rated it:
I really enjoyed following Milton and his older sister Marlo's adventures as they do their best to escape Limbo before being permanently assigned to one of the deeper circles. Turns out that there are 9 circles in Heck: Limbo, Rapacia, Blimpo, Fibble, Snivel, Precocia, Lipptor, Sadia, and Dupli-city. Don't know if that means that there will be 9 books in the series, but it should be fun!
This book is supposed to be geared for the 9-12 age group, but I don't know if they will get some More...
This book is supposed to be geared for the 9-12 age group, but I don't know if they will get some More...
May 07, 2009
Brooke
rated it:
After a giant marshmallow explosion Milton and Marlow Fauster find themselves in "Heck", a place where bad kids end up before they are sent to, well, a worse or better place. Milton knows why his sister is there, she's a kleptomaniac! Milton on the other hand is a good student and kid. According to the "Principal of Darkness", Bea "Elsa" Bubb, Milton committed one crime right before he passed over, he shoplifted (thanks to Marlow). Milton and Marlow are subjected to
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Apr 23, 2009
Lisa
rated it:
I saw this book sitting on a display at the local public library and just had to pick it up. This has got to be one of the most eye-catching titles I have ever seen!
The book focuses on straight-laced Milton and his less well behaved older sister Marlo. Through a freak marshmallow accident Milton and Marlo end up in Heck where they will spend their eternal "darnation". The head of this other world reform school type place is Principal Bea "Elsa" Bubb. The children More...
The book focuses on straight-laced Milton and his less well behaved older sister Marlo. Through a freak marshmallow accident Milton and Marlo end up in Heck where they will spend their eternal "darnation". The head of this other world reform school type place is Principal Bea "Elsa" Bubb. The children More...
Feb 10, 2011
foo4luv
rated it:
This is the story of twins, Milton and Marlo, who die while committing a crime and consequently get sent to Heck (Hell for children). There they have to attend school (the principal is a demon named B. Elsa Bubb) and try to mend their wicked ways before the day they turn 18 and receive the final verdict on where their souls will be sent for all eternity. The brother doesn’t really belong there. He was tricked into the crime by his sister and has led an otherwise exemplary life. They, of cour
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Oct 31, 2011
This book caught my eye at the library and I remembered seeing it mentioned on Goodreads, but couldn't remember why I didn't add it to my shelf. I'm still not sure why that was, probably something I read in the reviews, but here's why I abandoned it:
It was way too gimicky. Every name was some play on the mythology of hell and evil. Probably this would appeal to the target audience (middle school), but for me, it was annoying.
The main characters were completely one-sided, More...
It was way too gimicky. Every name was some play on the mythology of hell and evil. Probably this would appeal to the target audience (middle school), but for me, it was annoying.
The main characters were completely one-sided, More...
Sep 24, 2010
Tracey
rated it:
Children's fiction; humor. This book was aimed at the tween audience but largely missed the mark. Basye tried too hard to be clever, making a pun or semi-witty remark every other sentence or so--the references to historical villains such as Nixon and Lizzie Borden will also be lost on the younger audience; unfortunately, it's not clever enough to entertain the older audiences either. I very quickly got tired of it and eventually quit reading.
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Dec 07, 2008
April
rated it:
Siblings Milton and Marlo find themselves in Heck after a marshmallow/bomb incident at the local mall. Milton's good, Marlo's bad, and both of them want to get back to the Surface.
While this is a great YA book and kids will love it, there's a lot of humor that can only be appreciated by well-read adults. Lots of allusions to Marlowe, Dante, and Milton that the average 14-year-old just hasn't accessed yet.
The writing is addressed to the juvenile mind, but the author had More...
While this is a great YA book and kids will love it, there's a lot of humor that can only be appreciated by well-read adults. Lots of allusions to Marlowe, Dante, and Milton that the average 14-year-old just hasn't accessed yet.
The writing is addressed to the juvenile mind, but the author had More...
Jan 29, 2010
your neighborhood librarian
rated it:
This book tempted me for months. Sitting on the New Books rack with its glowing colors and intricate goth-y cover illustration of two cool kids. And finally I succumbed, took it home, began reading it, a chapter at a time, to my kids at bedtime.
As the dark, twisted details and plot points added up - shoplifting and vandalism, a giant marshmallow bear, thrift-store black dresses - I kept waiting for the story to gel. But beyond the premise: that there is a junior league Hell called He More...
As the dark, twisted details and plot points added up - shoplifting and vandalism, a giant marshmallow bear, thrift-store black dresses - I kept waiting for the story to gel. But beyond the premise: that there is a junior league Hell called He More...
Dec 07, 2011
Erin
rated it:
Heck, Where the Bad Kids Go
by Dale E. Bayse & Bob Dob
The best thing about this book is the title. In fact, the only thing going for the book is the clever names as far as I'm concerned. Milton and Marlo, a brother and sister pair, are literally blown to bits while committing a mall prank/crime and end up in “Heck.” Heck is, apparently, where children go because they aren't bad enough to go to Hell until they are 18. Heck is sort of a warm-up for Hell. The author has fun using litera More...
by Dale E. Bayse & Bob Dob
The best thing about this book is the title. In fact, the only thing going for the book is the clever names as far as I'm concerned. Milton and Marlo, a brother and sister pair, are literally blown to bits while committing a mall prank/crime and end up in “Heck.” Heck is, apparently, where children go because they aren't bad enough to go to Hell until they are 18. Heck is sort of a warm-up for Hell. The author has fun using litera More...
Feb 20, 2009
Caris
rated it:
Blah.
The premise was cool: a place that's not quite Hell where bad kids spend a large portion of eternity, filled with appropriate punishment and redundancy. It sucked, though. It really did. And I don't like to say that. I like to say that I must not have understood it. But I understood this one all too well.
First off, who is supposed to read this? No eleven year old is going to understand all of the references. What's more, there's so much in here that simply isn't app More...
The premise was cool: a place that's not quite Hell where bad kids spend a large portion of eternity, filled with appropriate punishment and redundancy. It sucked, though. It really did. And I don't like to say that. I like to say that I must not have understood it. But I understood this one all too well.
First off, who is supposed to read this? No eleven year old is going to understand all of the references. What's more, there's so much in here that simply isn't app More...
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Jan 30, 2010
Mary
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I loved this book. It is a 6th grade reading level. I thought the humor was adult. With references to Nixon and other greats as being sent to Heck. I ordered this book for my library. It was recommended by a 5th grade boy at Dodson.
WHEN MILTON AND Marlo Fauster die in a marshmallow bear explosion, they get sent straight to Heck, an otherworldly reform school. Milton can understand why his kleptomaniac sister is here, but Milton is—or was—a model citizen. Has a mistake been made? Not accord More...
WHEN MILTON AND Marlo Fauster die in a marshmallow bear explosion, they get sent straight to Heck, an otherworldly reform school. Milton can understand why his kleptomaniac sister is here, but Milton is—or was—a model citizen. Has a mistake been made? Not accord More...
May 15, 2009
Jill
rated it:
If you like stories that a little off-beat, then this is the book for you--"Heck: Where the Bad Kids go" by Dale E. Basye. In it, good kid Milton Fauster and his petty thief of a sister, Marlo are killed in a freak marshmallow explosion. Subsequently, they go to Heck, a kind of limbo where bad kids go before descending into one of the nine layers of hell, it is an awful place, full of demons, teachers like Lizzie Borden and Nixon, a giant purple dinosaur that sings, and liver and other
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Dec 12, 2008
Cathy
rated it:
Just because you're under eighteen doesn't mean you'll die young and stay pretty! This hilarious book by co-Portlandier and adman Basye uses the marketer's silver tongue to pun and play it's way through h-e--double toothpick. When siblings Marlo and Milton Fauster die smothered in goo in the Mall of Generica after a giant marshmallow bear explodes,they end up in Heck. Heck is like school gone really rotten:lots of crying babies, a Limbo where you not only wait, you have to do the dance,and a Caf
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Sep 04, 2008
Lauren
rated it:
I really liked the premise of this book--when you die and are a kid, rather than going straight to Hell, you get a chance in Heck--but it just didn't deliver. I really wasn't routing for the kids, not even the "good one" who seemed to get stuck in Heck by mistake. They just weren't that likeable. And the action dragged on quite a bit. A little disappointing.
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Nov 02, 2008
Barbara
rated it:
This was a clever idea but it tried way too hard. I had to force myself to finish it. There will be kids who will like it and certainly the title will intrigue them. The author spent way too much time on adjectives and adverbs. Nevertheless, it will have an audience - good triumphs ever evil with a sense of humor.
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Oct 06, 2011
Johanna
rated it:
Read enough books and a person is bound to come across a few that seemed promising at the outset but then failed to live up to its potential or are sometimes just plain disappointing. So it was with Heck:Where the Bad Kids Go and the sequel Rapacia: Second level of Heck. When these books first arrived at the library, I chuckled at how clever the title and cover art was. I’d ordered the books thinking they’d be a fun, humorous addition to our library and would be a good fit for those students
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Feb 09, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
I read this book because a friend of mine asked if I had because he likes the artist who did the coverart. The premise was something I would totally be into, two kids get stuck in Heck to spend eternity after they die so I figured I would check it out.
Overall, this book was ehhhh.... I wanted to like it a whole lot more than I actually did. I wanted the characters to be wittier and funnier. My co-worker commented that it might be that I am an adult reading a book intended for children and More...
Overall, this book was ehhhh.... I wanted to like it a whole lot more than I actually did. I wanted the characters to be wittier and funnier. My co-worker commented that it might be that I am an adult reading a book intended for children and More...
Aug 11, 2009
Elizabeth
rated it:
When Marlo and Milton die in a marshmallow bear explosion they find themselves in Heck, the place for children 'not quite bad - or old - enough for h -e - double hockey sticks.'
This is a very clever book, quite rightly called both funny and sadistic online. The siblings are determined to escape Heck, although for different reasons. While in Marlo's case her escape will be just one more in a long line of her crimes, Milton truly doesn't deserve to be there but the Principal, Beah, "Els More...
This is a very clever book, quite rightly called both funny and sadistic online. The siblings are determined to escape Heck, although for different reasons. While in Marlo's case her escape will be just one more in a long line of her crimes, Milton truly doesn't deserve to be there but the Principal, Beah, "Els More...
