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The Nine Circles of Heck #3
Blimpo: The Third Circle of Heck
With more clever, dark humor and zany silliness, Dale E. Basye sends Milton and Marlo Fauster back for thirds in another laugh-out-loud installment of the popular series Heck.
After his second escape from Bea "Elsa" Bubb, the Principal of Darkness, Milton Fauster makes his way to Blimpo—the circle of the otherworldly reform school, Heck, where he's sure his friend Virgil is sentenced. Virgil's only crime is being, well, plump . Milton has to wonder if that's really enough to justify eternal darnation. And what Milton finds in Blimpo horrifies him. The overweight dead kids spend most of their time running on giant human hamster wheels called DREADmills that detect and exploit their deepest fears. The rest they spend eating Hambone Hank's barbecue—mystery meat that is delicious, but suspiciously (to Milton, anyway) haunting . Every classroom has a huge TV screen showing happy thin people who taunt Blimpo residents with a perfection they will never attain.
Meanwhile, at her new job in the devil's Infernship program, Milton's sister, Marlo, knows all about trying to achieve perfection. And failing miserably. Can Milton get himself and Virgil out of Blimpo in time to rescue Marlo, too? Or is Fauster the next delicacy on Bea "Elsa" Bubb's menu?
After his second escape from Bea "Elsa" Bubb, the Principal of Darkness, Milton Fauster makes his way to Blimpo—the circle of the otherworldly reform school, Heck, where he's sure his friend Virgil is sentenced. Virgil's only crime is being, well, plump . Milton has to wonder if that's really enough to justify eternal darnation. And what Milton finds in Blimpo horrifies him. The overweight dead kids spend most of their time running on giant human hamster wheels called DREADmills that detect and exploit their deepest fears. The rest they spend eating Hambone Hank's barbecue—mystery meat that is delicious, but suspiciously (to Milton, anyway) haunting . Every classroom has a huge TV screen showing happy thin people who taunt Blimpo residents with a perfection they will never attain.
Meanwhile, at her new job in the devil's Infernship program, Milton's sister, Marlo, knows all about trying to achieve perfection. And failing miserably. Can Milton get himself and Virgil out of Blimpo in time to rescue Marlo, too? Or is Fauster the next delicacy on Bea "Elsa" Bubb's menu?
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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344 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 27, 2011
It's a little disingenous of me to write a review of this book since I didn't actually complete it. I did have to mention that this was the book that caused me to abandon the series entirely. While the initial book in the series was inventive, interesting, and funny, this both Rapacia and Blimpo were a struggle for me. The format and puns went from being inventive and clever to being tired and forced.
I'm giving up on the Circles of Heck series, and this is the book that finally pushed me there.
I'm giving up on the Circles of Heck series, and this is the book that finally pushed me there.
March 25, 2019
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would! I kind of wanted to see more of Marlo's job but the ending does it justice. I'm really glad Virgil got a confidence boost! I'm also VERY interested to see how Heaven gets worked into the storyline!
July 10, 2019
Clever as expected for the series, though not quite achieving the spark of a 5-star book. A lot of cultural jokes that kids wouldn't get, but enjoyable for well-read adults.
June 4, 2021
Better than 2, but not quite as good as 1. I thought I would get tired of mainly following Milton’s plot over Marlo’s, but they were equally interesting. I also loved that we finally get to see a little bit about what real Hell looks like in this universe (an airport, apparently). I liked Virgil’s character development, and of course the world building is insanely creative. Consider me hooked!
October 22, 2021
Milton is determined to find his friend and so he looks in Blimpo, where um the chubby kids go. He continues on looking for his sisters. Beware there is some dark humor in these books (which of course I live) and may go over some children heads. I’m now looking forward to the fourth book.
June 28, 2021
Clever word play and enjoyable characters continue throughout. Looking forward to more in the series.
October 24, 2022
Although I liked Blimpo, it was not as good as the two previous books in my opinion. The story mainly followed Milton and I had been hoping for Marlo to have more of a storyline. Especially in regard to her new job post memory loss. I was happy to see that Virgil made a reappearance and hope we see more of him in the later books. Altogether Blimpo felt too lengthyand wordy to me and If it was shortened I think I would have enjoyed it more. A lot of the content seemed unnecessary and some of the imagery was hard for me to conceptualize. Even though it was not my favorite book so far, I am still looking forward to reading the rest of the series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2023
Ew h-e-double hockey sticks is fatphobic. At least, the punishments of Blimpo are presented as an unholy terror fat kids are subjected to. And gluttony isn’t even that big of a sin. This is still a good Heck book, when the Fauster kids get an idea about the plan they should have. And the realm of Heck still feels, not lived in, but died in.
June 7, 2020
I think it starts falling apart at this point I know I haven't finished the series but at a certain point I get bored with a plot that seems endless and goes nowhere is definitely entertaining.
August 7, 2013
In this sequel to
Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go
and
Rapacia: The Second Circle of Heck
, twice-dead teen Milton Foster heroically dons a fat suit (sort of) and infiltrates the part of the 18-and-under Afterlife set aside for fat kids. His mission: to rescue his chubby friend Virgil, who has been darned for what may be only a sin of weakness. On the flip side of body-image darnation is Milton's sister Marlo, who has scored an "infernship" in the Girl Friday the Thirteenth program. Her boss, the editor of a fashion magazine devoted to tormenting the unpretty with images of physical perfection, gives a catty new dimension to the type of character Meryl Streep played in The Devil Wears Prada. For Madame Pompadour is not just the queen of glamor, vanity, and setting her minions impossible chores; she also has a way to use girls' cosmetic challenges to enhance her own beauty. Sort of like a vampire who sucks skin tone instead of blood.
But even that isn't the most dastardly plot Milton and his friends go up against in this third circle of Heck. The assistant principals of Blimpo have figured out a way to use the fat kids' fears and insecurities to generate power, which they can then sell and re-invest in their own ambition and lust for power. Here a health-food nut forces the Blimpo boys to spend more and more time running on DREADmills—think giant hamster wheels with a direct link to your worst nightmares. Meanwhile, the Lose-Your-Lunch Room's inedible fare has been replaced with a delicious barbecue recipe that cancels out the slimming effects of all their exercise. And though most of the Blimpo kids don't care as long as the "soul food" keeps coming, Milton smells a rat. For one thing, there's something haunting about the barbecue. For another, he realizes that if the fat kids don't lose enough weight before they turn 18, they will go straight from Heck to h-e-double-hockey-sticks.
So once again, Milton bucks the system. In spite of the discomfort of being squeezed inside the skin of a creature that is slowly digesting him (some disguise!), and the inconvenience of being resented for escaping from Limbo and leaving Virgil behind (though he did come back!), Milton persuades the Blimpo kids to declare, "We're mad as Heck, and we're not going to take it anymore!" Then, with a little help from Elvis, Jack Kerouac, and the dog-headed Egyptian god Annubis (sic), he embarks on his second mission—to rescue his sister, who has graduated from her infernship to become deceptionist to the Big Guy Downstairs. This time things won't go so smoothly, since (among other reasons) Marlo has forgotten who Milton is. And in the end, the Fauster siblings' situation is as confusing and dire as ever. For further developments, see Fibble: The Fourth Circle of Heck.
So far I haven't even mentioned what happens to Milton's pet ferret Lucky, who has unluckily fallen into the clutches of a kooky cult; the bully Damian Ruffino, who has returned to the land of the living with some sick plans of his own; or even half of the hilariously weird characters in this book. It's an impishly irreverent piece of entertainment, loaded with groan-aloud puns and daft caricatures of angels, fallen and otherwise. To get the most out of this book, it may help to have a strong background in Christian religious instruction—though some Christian readers may squirm at certain theologically fishy gags, such as the idea that GOD is the acronym for "Galactic Order Department" (although there is also a Big Guy Upstairs). Those who have read at least an abridged version of the works of Dante's Inferno will appreciate the humor even better. But I reckon that such bent cultural references as "Nyah Nyah Narcissisterhood" and "Chef Boyareyoukrazee" will get their point across, regardless.
Author Dale E. Basye, who claims to live inside a rapidly rotating loaf of fiberglass bread, has already published (as of this writing) seven books in a series that I'm guessing will go up to nine. Books 5 through 7 feature the circles of Heck named Snivel, Precocia, and Wise Acres. I'll be watching for more of these titles, and reading them as my time and the local library's collection allow.
But even that isn't the most dastardly plot Milton and his friends go up against in this third circle of Heck. The assistant principals of Blimpo have figured out a way to use the fat kids' fears and insecurities to generate power, which they can then sell and re-invest in their own ambition and lust for power. Here a health-food nut forces the Blimpo boys to spend more and more time running on DREADmills—think giant hamster wheels with a direct link to your worst nightmares. Meanwhile, the Lose-Your-Lunch Room's inedible fare has been replaced with a delicious barbecue recipe that cancels out the slimming effects of all their exercise. And though most of the Blimpo kids don't care as long as the "soul food" keeps coming, Milton smells a rat. For one thing, there's something haunting about the barbecue. For another, he realizes that if the fat kids don't lose enough weight before they turn 18, they will go straight from Heck to h-e-double-hockey-sticks.
So once again, Milton bucks the system. In spite of the discomfort of being squeezed inside the skin of a creature that is slowly digesting him (some disguise!), and the inconvenience of being resented for escaping from Limbo and leaving Virgil behind (though he did come back!), Milton persuades the Blimpo kids to declare, "We're mad as Heck, and we're not going to take it anymore!" Then, with a little help from Elvis, Jack Kerouac, and the dog-headed Egyptian god Annubis (sic), he embarks on his second mission—to rescue his sister, who has graduated from her infernship to become deceptionist to the Big Guy Downstairs. This time things won't go so smoothly, since (among other reasons) Marlo has forgotten who Milton is. And in the end, the Fauster siblings' situation is as confusing and dire as ever. For further developments, see Fibble: The Fourth Circle of Heck.
So far I haven't even mentioned what happens to Milton's pet ferret Lucky, who has unluckily fallen into the clutches of a kooky cult; the bully Damian Ruffino, who has returned to the land of the living with some sick plans of his own; or even half of the hilariously weird characters in this book. It's an impishly irreverent piece of entertainment, loaded with groan-aloud puns and daft caricatures of angels, fallen and otherwise. To get the most out of this book, it may help to have a strong background in Christian religious instruction—though some Christian readers may squirm at certain theologically fishy gags, such as the idea that GOD is the acronym for "Galactic Order Department" (although there is also a Big Guy Upstairs). Those who have read at least an abridged version of the works of Dante's Inferno will appreciate the humor even better. But I reckon that such bent cultural references as "Nyah Nyah Narcissisterhood" and "Chef Boyareyoukrazee" will get their point across, regardless.
Author Dale E. Basye, who claims to live inside a rapidly rotating loaf of fiberglass bread, has already published (as of this writing) seven books in a series that I'm guessing will go up to nine. Books 5 through 7 feature the circles of Heck named Snivel, Precocia, and Wise Acres. I'll be watching for more of these titles, and reading them as my time and the local library's collection allow.
October 13, 2010
Reason for Reading: Next in the series.
I read this series for the pure fun of it and for Basye the third time is the charm. Blimpo is the best book yet of this series. As anyone reading the series knows, when we were told at the end of book two that the next volume would be called Blimpo, my eyes lit up knowing we would be returning to the character Virgil from book one. Virgil, who became Milton's best friend in the first book, is the central figure in this volume earning him the position of hero.
Milton and Marlo are right where we left them at the end of Rapacia. Marlo is her usual opinionated, aggressive self and getting herself in trouble while at the same time finding out things she shouldn't know; putting herself in a dangerous position when Milton finally comes to rescue her as promised in book 2. Milton is simply trying to keep away from Principal Bubb and hide. His first choice of friends include Jack Kerouac and a blind Viking who can see, both of whom are absolutely hilarious. But when Milton comes upon Blimpo, he puts on a fat suit and goes undercover to rescue Virgil. Little does he know of the nefarious plot going down between the vice principals to become make Blimpo much more powerful in the whole realm of Heck. The fun teachers in Blimpo are King Tantalus, complete with portable pool of water and peach tree, and the chubby Elvis.
The humour level was right where expected, funny and silly, worthy of a smile. This volume does bring back the toilet humour of book one but it isn't overly done and fits well when used. The storyline is becoming more involved. While each book has its own individual open and shut plot, this book introduces some elements that will be ongoing and adds a deeper, overall story arc to the series. While not exactly ending with a cliff hanger, as foreshadowing is used to let us know where things are headed, the book does end with certain characters in situations that leave the reader anxious for the next volume. The only negative remark I have about Blimpo is the size. At well over 400 pages it is the largest of the series, with the others being 300-odd pages each. I am not a fan of authors who seemingly think that every book in a series needs to get larger and larger until the reader is stuck with unwieldy door stoppers by the end of the series. If Blimpo is larger because of the topic matter, then I see that as an extension of the author's humour and can appreciate it, but I certainly hope to see the next volume back down to around the size of Book 2 (362 pgs).
I read this series for the pure fun of it and for Basye the third time is the charm. Blimpo is the best book yet of this series. As anyone reading the series knows, when we were told at the end of book two that the next volume would be called Blimpo, my eyes lit up knowing we would be returning to the character Virgil from book one. Virgil, who became Milton's best friend in the first book, is the central figure in this volume earning him the position of hero.
Milton and Marlo are right where we left them at the end of Rapacia. Marlo is her usual opinionated, aggressive self and getting herself in trouble while at the same time finding out things she shouldn't know; putting herself in a dangerous position when Milton finally comes to rescue her as promised in book 2. Milton is simply trying to keep away from Principal Bubb and hide. His first choice of friends include Jack Kerouac and a blind Viking who can see, both of whom are absolutely hilarious. But when Milton comes upon Blimpo, he puts on a fat suit and goes undercover to rescue Virgil. Little does he know of the nefarious plot going down between the vice principals to become make Blimpo much more powerful in the whole realm of Heck. The fun teachers in Blimpo are King Tantalus, complete with portable pool of water and peach tree, and the chubby Elvis.
The humour level was right where expected, funny and silly, worthy of a smile. This volume does bring back the toilet humour of book one but it isn't overly done and fits well when used. The storyline is becoming more involved. While each book has its own individual open and shut plot, this book introduces some elements that will be ongoing and adds a deeper, overall story arc to the series. While not exactly ending with a cliff hanger, as foreshadowing is used to let us know where things are headed, the book does end with certain characters in situations that leave the reader anxious for the next volume. The only negative remark I have about Blimpo is the size. At well over 400 pages it is the largest of the series, with the others being 300-odd pages each. I am not a fan of authors who seemingly think that every book in a series needs to get larger and larger until the reader is stuck with unwieldy door stoppers by the end of the series. If Blimpo is larger because of the topic matter, then I see that as an extension of the author's humour and can appreciate it, but I certainly hope to see the next volume back down to around the size of Book 2 (362 pgs).
October 14, 2012
Again 1/3 longer than it's predecessor the third book in the Heck series revolves, aptly, around Blimpo, the circle of heck where the gluttonous kids are sent. Virgil Farrow, Milton's friend from the first book, of course, has been sent there and is soon joined by Milton.
As Virgil finds a hidden talent and gains weight in the self-esteem department Milton hatches a plan to rescue his delinquent sister Marlo from her infernal infernship. All plans go to the dogs however when Hambone Hank starts serving up his Soul Food (with real soul). It seems that another scheme has hatched in the minds of Heck's guardians and it's up to Milton, Virgil and Marlo to figure out how to escape the ever vengeful Principal Bubb.
Full of rather disgusting imagery, that may turn unwary readers off their Hot Dogs, daring exploits and sprinkled with Basye's odd puns, nods to other books, and hellish imagery, the book is more than meets the eye.
I especially liked the reference to the Phantom Tollbooth.
Though if the books continue to grow at the rate of Blimpo's crowd ala Harry Potter...I'm not sure if I'll go on the ride.
As Virgil finds a hidden talent and gains weight in the self-esteem department Milton hatches a plan to rescue his delinquent sister Marlo from her infernal infernship. All plans go to the dogs however when Hambone Hank starts serving up his Soul Food (with real soul). It seems that another scheme has hatched in the minds of Heck's guardians and it's up to Milton, Virgil and Marlo to figure out how to escape the ever vengeful Principal Bubb.
Full of rather disgusting imagery, that may turn unwary readers off their Hot Dogs, daring exploits and sprinkled with Basye's odd puns, nods to other books, and hellish imagery, the book is more than meets the eye.
I especially liked the reference to the Phantom Tollbooth.
Though if the books continue to grow at the rate of Blimpo's crowd ala Harry Potter...I'm not sure if I'll go on the ride.
July 14, 2010
You can say lots of things about the Heck Saga: you could say that its almost too bizarre to follow, you could say that the puns are far too overused, you could say that the plot doesn't seem to be structured very well or even know where the heck it wants to go. You could say that the characters are kind of flat, you could say that some of the plot points don't really make sense, and you could say that, with a concept such as "Heck" one could have done a bit more with the concept than was done here, so that the book was clever as opposed to, at the very best and for lack of a better word/phrase, whimsical in a ridiculous and occasionally mean-spirited way.
But what I also think simply must be said about the Heck saga is that, even with all the flaws, it is vastly entertaining. Maybe not worth rereading very frequently, but vastly entertaining.
But what I also think simply must be said about the Heck saga is that, even with all the flaws, it is vastly entertaining. Maybe not worth rereading very frequently, but vastly entertaining.
June 17, 2016
Even though this is a YA book, this series author Dale Basye, keeps some inside jokes that older adults will get (pop culture references and plays on words, etc.). Marlo and Milton are still in Heck, with Milton still trying to escape, and have now ended up in Blimpo. Hambone Hank's mystery meat BBQ is what all the kids are eating to stay big. However, this harkens back to Soylent Green in a way, another reference that someone like me will get, but the majority age reading this book will not. Marlo ends up as a "summer" infern to the VP and in the process loses her mind which leads to a twist ending that while making want to read more, I think I'll take a break for a bit.
These types of books are nice quick reads usually that take my mind of the serious things I read elsewhere (like an 1100 page GoT book)...gotta have some fluff in there...
These types of books are nice quick reads usually that take my mind of the serious things I read elsewhere (like an 1100 page GoT book)...gotta have some fluff in there...
July 26, 2012
As an adult, I can appreciate all the puns and references to literature about hell. (Milton and Marlo Fauster. Think about it.) I think these books are well-written, with vocabulary expanding prose written for kids who can appreciate gross humor. But, the demon imagery, horror-filled descriptions of giant flea-like creatures with massive proboscis' ready to kill, and harsh punishment for seemingly innocent transgressions, it was all just a bit much for my 10 year old. We stopped reading it. Perhaps better suited for the middle school set.
July 13, 2010
I was afraid the by the third book, the device would start to get old. Likewise, I was concerned with the message of linking being overweight to sin. However, Bayse surprised me. He keeps the plot and jokes fresh. I understand his structure of modeling Heck on the 7 dealy sins. And he critically looks at those and thinks about where the sin actually exists. This book ends with a much bigger cliff hanger than the previous two.
October 5, 2011
This book is the story of what happened to Milton's best friend down in heck, Virgil, who is an absoultely gargatuain boy, who is sent down to Blimpo, where glutunos kids go. Meanwhile Marlo is offered an infernship with Madam Popadure, who dispite being sweet on the outside, is f=rotten on the inside, and now Marlo's acting a bit strange, and Milton is trying to save Virgil, and find out what's the secret(and evil) ingredient in Hambone Hank's food. What will become of our trio of outcasts?
December 24, 2010
Another witty, fun, gross, and incredibly silly tale. Dragged in spots and was rushed in others, but I thought Marlo's storyline was great. I would have liked to have spent less time in Blimpo and more digging into Marlo's underworld maneuvering and self discovery (which probably would have required them to change the title). Onward to Fibble!!!
May 20, 2011
This is the third book in the series. I wasn't sure if it would still be fresh material but it was. You see more of the conspiracy towards Milton's situation and also other characters come back that you thought were gone. It's almost too many characters, but for now, it's easy to keep track of them all.
January 4, 2017
Full of puns like the previous two books and a touching moment between Milton and a friend but the poop imagery got to be too much for me. When I got to the chapter "poop d' etat" I had to stop. The thought of reading more about feces was my stopping point. I won't be continuing on with the series. Too bad, it seems like a smart series and has it's funny moments.
March 19, 2011
These books are filled with the most outstanding puns I have ever read. So outstanding, in fact, that I'm not completely sure how many kids in the age range the book is targeted at would actually get it. But for an adult reader, there is much chuckling to be had.
April 19, 2013
Milton returns for Virgil, and the two wreak havok with the evil powers exploiting the plump kids of Blimpo. Meantime Marlo learns more about the same plot during her infernship under Madame Pompadour.
March 13, 2017
READ THE REVIEW AT RRWRITES.COM
September 23, 2011
Obtained from editor to review for curledup.com....
July 28, 2011
I cannot begin to describe how much I <3 this series!
October 5, 2011
Another good book in the series. Milton spends most of the book in disguise and Marlo is trying to survive her internship. There are plots afoot and they must try to save themselves and all of Heck.
August 13, 2013
This book was okay. It was"readable",but it was boring to me at times.This book was also a humorous book
May 18, 2013
Really trying to hard here. The first one was great.
January 27, 2016
Another Shelfari disappearance act......
February 15, 2013
Too convoluted
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews