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Pretty Freekin Scary #1
You Smell Dead
Freekin just wants to fit in and have a normal life. The good news is that he’s in love with class beauty queen, Lilly. The bad news? He’s dead. Not that Freekin’s going to let a little thing like mortality get in his way. As a matter of fact, he’s going to gather up his courage and ask Lilly out. Now if he can only stop his ears from falling off whenever she’s around (it’s the decay talking), then maybe he’ll be able to hear when she answers him.
176 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2007
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119 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 19, 2018
A dead tween(?) gets a second chance at life . . . though he has to "live" it as a rotting corpse.
There was a promising Lemony Snicket-like start to this one, but it quickly descended into a "will he get the girl" scenario. Absolutely NONE of the questions were answered by the end of the book, but sadly, I don't care enough to continue with the series to find out what's really going on in Freekin's home town.
There was a promising Lemony Snicket-like start to this one, but it quickly descended into a "will he get the girl" scenario. Absolutely NONE of the questions were answered by the end of the book, but sadly, I don't care enough to continue with the series to find out what's really going on in Freekin's home town.
March 23, 2018
A funny and quirky little book. It tells the story of Franklin Ripp, who died too soon. He's been given a second chance on life, but only if he manages to kiss the love of his life within the next year. But when he returns to the town he where all questions are outlawed, he finds that he has nothing but questions and they need to be answered. His quest to kiss his great love is derailed in his quest to solve the mystery of the mystery meat and of the "Snickering" sickness that is suddenly spreading around the world.
May 27, 2018
I liked it. It was humorous in a dark kiddie way. I needed a light easy read after some heavy subject reads and this hit the spot. Didn't like that there's zero resolution at the end of the book and couldn't get right into the second book so that'll have to be for another time. I will be back to visit pretty, freekin and scary though!
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March 7, 2017it is good
August 15, 2016
Pros: Gory and macabre, it's an instant kid draw. Story is easy to follow. Plenty of falling body parts, decay smell, etc., but not graphic or gory enough to be concerning.
Cons: The setup is a bit awkward - town that can't ask questions and a certain mystery meat everyone consumes - these never quite seem to make much sense or fit into place. There are not much in the way of answers at the end of the first book. Even in regards to the mystery disease that's the focus of the second half of this title. Usually a series will resolve some aspect of each title, but this one just hangs which is just frustrating. It entirely depends on the decaying protagonist for all of its momentum which gets a little old after awhile.
But did I mention the certain kid draw? It thankfully does not take the ick factor as far as some books for this audience do. I wouldn't go out of my way to add it to my collection, but it's passable.
Cons: The setup is a bit awkward - town that can't ask questions and a certain mystery meat everyone consumes - these never quite seem to make much sense or fit into place. There are not much in the way of answers at the end of the first book. Even in regards to the mystery disease that's the focus of the second half of this title. Usually a series will resolve some aspect of each title, but this one just hangs which is just frustrating. It entirely depends on the decaying protagonist for all of its momentum which gets a little old after awhile.
But did I mention the certain kid draw? It thankfully does not take the ick factor as far as some books for this audience do. I wouldn't go out of my way to add it to my collection, but it's passable.
November 15, 2008
My friend gave me this book last Halloween and I have to say that I liked it. It's definitely different. This kid dies and is a walking zombie who's flesh is falling off and he's trying to impress this girl but he has this monster little sisterish girl following him around everywhere. They solve little mysteries. I would probably recommend this to any youngish boy who isn't interested in reading or even a tomboyish girl.
December 4, 2011
Just ok for me. Probably won't motivate me to read the other books. I thought the story was ok, not bad for younger kids, "my first zombie boom" sort of thing. But the whole premise of the author trying to get recognized by the international Order of Narrators was kinda lame and pointless to the story. Also, there was a fair amount of repetative word choice that became annoying.
November 15, 2015
I can't believe there are four books in this series. I am trying to figure out where and at what ages this is appropriate for. I thought it would be cute and funny but it concerned me with the dead, rotting and flippant way looking at the world. And when we are trying to model appropriate language with students, Freekin just doesn't seem right for kids.
August 26, 2008
a boy dies and comes back bringing his 2 deamon friends and begins to uncover a very unusual conspiracy
June 22, 2009
This is an adorable series I am looking forward to reading them all.
March 30, 2011
The ending's, kind of incomplete...
March 29, 2012
Read this with my boy! He loved it I didn't think it was all bad myself!
April 19, 2014
This book scared me to death DO NOT READ IT AT NIGHT
February 9, 2017
2/14/11: 4 stars
10/31/16: 4 stars
10/31/16: 4 stars
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews