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The Undertaker's Gone Bananas
Front Cover: Did Mr. Hulka really kill his wife and hide her head in the television set? Supersleuth Bobby Perkins is determined to find out...
Back Cover: Bobby Perkins knew the minute he saw Mr. Hulka that the man was evil. One day, when spying on the new neighbor, he actually sees Mr. Hulka kill his wife! Naturally, no one believes Bobby. Not even Lauri, his best friend. She agrees Mr. Hulka is strange—but a maniacal murderer? Convinced this is one of Bobby's undercover pranks, she goes along for the ride. But then Bobby and Lauri discover more than they bargained for. Murdering Mrs. Hulka was one thing. But they're next on the list...
153 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1978
About the author
Paul Zindel
85 books301 followersPaul Zindel was an American author, playwright and educator.
In 1964, he wrote The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, his first and most successful play. The play ran off-Broadway in 1970, and on Broadway in 1971. It won the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was also made into a 1972 movie by 20th Century Fox. Charlotte Zolotow, then a vice-president at Harper & Row (now Harper-Collins) contacted him to writing for her book label. Zindel wrote 39 books, all of them aimed at children or young adults. Many of these were set in his home town of Staten Island, New York. They tended to be semi-autobiographical, focusing on teenage misfits with abusive or neglectful parents. Despite the often dark subject matter of his books, which deal with loneliness, loss, and the effects of abuse, they are also filled with humor. Many of his novels have wacky titles, such as My Darling, My Hamburger, or Confessions of A Teenage Baboon.
The Pigman, first published in 1968, is widely taught in American schools, and also made it on to the list of most frequently banned books in America in the 1990s, because of what some deem offensive language.
In 1964, he wrote The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, his first and most successful play. The play ran off-Broadway in 1970, and on Broadway in 1971. It won the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was also made into a 1972 movie by 20th Century Fox. Charlotte Zolotow, then a vice-president at Harper & Row (now Harper-Collins) contacted him to writing for her book label. Zindel wrote 39 books, all of them aimed at children or young adults. Many of these were set in his home town of Staten Island, New York. They tended to be semi-autobiographical, focusing on teenage misfits with abusive or neglectful parents. Despite the often dark subject matter of his books, which deal with loneliness, loss, and the effects of abuse, they are also filled with humor. Many of his novels have wacky titles, such as My Darling, My Hamburger, or Confessions of A Teenage Baboon.
The Pigman, first published in 1968, is widely taught in American schools, and also made it on to the list of most frequently banned books in America in the 1990s, because of what some deem offensive language.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 26, 2017
Much to my father's dismay I was always drawn to murder mysteries. Although I had many girly interests like Barbies, puppies and kitties, and dreams of being a Princess...I also had a morbid side at a young age -nothing scary for the average parent but as a psychiatrists daughter I was always under a microscope. Is it normal for a girl of 12 to discuss that the perfect murder weapon would be an icicle?... or appropriate that as a young teen I brought up that the ideal time to kill someone would be right after a natural disaster? Probably not, but I always found such things fascinating. After reading THE UNDERTAKER'S GONE BANANAS I added...Wouldn't being an undertaker be a wonderful job for a murderer? It would be veeeeeeeery easy to get rid of the body.
Bobby Perkins lives in the Century Towers on the 24th floor with his parents. His best friend Laurie is waaaaaaay down on the 3rd. Being a fairly new building there are a lot of vacancies and not much to amuse the teens on their summer break. When the Hulka's move into 24G- Bobby is quite excited, but excitement turns to fear when one morning, while his parents are on vacation, Bobbie thinks he may have just witnessed Mr Hulka killing his wife. What is even more frightening is that he can't seem to convince anyone but Laurie that he did.
THE UNDERTAKER'S GONE BANANAS is my favorite book from my early teens. I have read it numerous times, and always go back to it even as an adult. Luckily for me, my family, and those around me, I never turned to the dark side...but I still always enjoy reading about those who have.
Bobby Perkins lives in the Century Towers on the 24th floor with his parents. His best friend Laurie is waaaaaaay down on the 3rd. Being a fairly new building there are a lot of vacancies and not much to amuse the teens on their summer break. When the Hulka's move into 24G- Bobby is quite excited, but excitement turns to fear when one morning, while his parents are on vacation, Bobbie thinks he may have just witnessed Mr Hulka killing his wife. What is even more frightening is that he can't seem to convince anyone but Laurie that he did.
THE UNDERTAKER'S GONE BANANAS is my favorite book from my early teens. I have read it numerous times, and always go back to it even as an adult. Luckily for me, my family, and those around me, I never turned to the dark side...but I still always enjoy reading about those who have.
May 13, 2014
What a cool, dark, funny, odd little book.
They just don't write 'em like this anymore, nooooo sir.
I feel like this is a book best read twice: once when you're a surly, snarky teenager, and again when you're about 35 and old enough to really appreciate how surly and snarky you really were as a teenager. Of course I missed the boat the first time around. I did thoroughly enjoy reading this book now, at age 35. I mean I really dug it, man.
This book is just cool. It's 70's. The kids hang out at McDonald's and it's cool. There aren't any cell phones, forensic scientists, or vampire love affairs. It's an era when two teenagers can say, "Mom, we're going to do a welcome-wagon on the neighbors" and Mom says, "Okay honey, here's a cassata cake". NOT "Hold on, honey, let me do a Google search to see if the new neighbors are pedophiles". It's YA before there even was such a genre. Two kids can legitimacy run around town and find themselves hiding in a showroom coffin and have a few laughs before the day is done.
I really liked the writing. It was just loose and cool and a bit dark and witty. Here's a little sampling:
Lauri and Bobby live in the same high rise and Laurie's window looks out over the pool. Here's a bit of the description of the view:
"They would see adults rubbing lotions on their various extremities and posing this way and that and clutching sun reflectors. A lot of desperate secretaries seemed to be around in bikinis throwing whammies to attract whatever unmarried men there were. There was one woman who was so fat that when she got in the pool she displaced about four tons of water. And there were lots of mean little kids running around shoving each other- brats trying to think of all sorts of new ways to be aquatically cruel to each other".
Here's Bobby's take on his education:
"I say only about 25% of those teachers know what they're doing. I'm going to write a book and tell them how to really run a school so that you don't kill off the way a kid learns. Of course, I don't really know about other schools, but Fort Lee High as far as I'm concerned is a gigantic monument to man's attempt to educate kids and his failure to do so".
Mama knows best:
"You know, perhaps I should have offered the Hulkas some coffee", she said. "I mean, they didn't formally introduce themselves to us, but I mean if someone has run through your apartment and jumped around your terrace partition, I guess you know them well enough to offer them a little beverage."
There are so many really, really good lines and passages in this book. I could really go on all day. But here's one more. This is from one of Lauri's mental letters to Bobby:
"I want our hopes and dreams to collide together, to become one as though two great planets met in the galaxies. I want to be so close to you, anything God or Nature sends against us will never destroy us, only test us. I believe there are electrons flying around the outside of our bodies which are combining, linking, making us more and more into one. I know this may be my own selfish fantasy, but I can't keep it to myself any longer".
This book was just so cool. A little trip back in time. By the end I was pretty convinced that Woody Allen got a hold of this book before writing Manhattan Murder Mystery and thought it was obscure enough that no one would notice and he pretty much borrowed the entire plot. That's okay, Woody. I love that movie, and I probably would have done the same thing if I had the funds and the pull. I won't tell anyone. So if you find this little out-of-print book in a used book store, spend the dollar. It's such a good find.
They just don't write 'em like this anymore, nooooo sir.
I feel like this is a book best read twice: once when you're a surly, snarky teenager, and again when you're about 35 and old enough to really appreciate how surly and snarky you really were as a teenager. Of course I missed the boat the first time around. I did thoroughly enjoy reading this book now, at age 35. I mean I really dug it, man.
This book is just cool. It's 70's. The kids hang out at McDonald's and it's cool. There aren't any cell phones, forensic scientists, or vampire love affairs. It's an era when two teenagers can say, "Mom, we're going to do a welcome-wagon on the neighbors" and Mom says, "Okay honey, here's a cassata cake". NOT "Hold on, honey, let me do a Google search to see if the new neighbors are pedophiles". It's YA before there even was such a genre. Two kids can legitimacy run around town and find themselves hiding in a showroom coffin and have a few laughs before the day is done.
I really liked the writing. It was just loose and cool and a bit dark and witty. Here's a little sampling:
Lauri and Bobby live in the same high rise and Laurie's window looks out over the pool. Here's a bit of the description of the view:
"They would see adults rubbing lotions on their various extremities and posing this way and that and clutching sun reflectors. A lot of desperate secretaries seemed to be around in bikinis throwing whammies to attract whatever unmarried men there were. There was one woman who was so fat that when she got in the pool she displaced about four tons of water. And there were lots of mean little kids running around shoving each other- brats trying to think of all sorts of new ways to be aquatically cruel to each other".
Here's Bobby's take on his education:
"I say only about 25% of those teachers know what they're doing. I'm going to write a book and tell them how to really run a school so that you don't kill off the way a kid learns. Of course, I don't really know about other schools, but Fort Lee High as far as I'm concerned is a gigantic monument to man's attempt to educate kids and his failure to do so".
Mama knows best:
"You know, perhaps I should have offered the Hulkas some coffee", she said. "I mean, they didn't formally introduce themselves to us, but I mean if someone has run through your apartment and jumped around your terrace partition, I guess you know them well enough to offer them a little beverage."
There are so many really, really good lines and passages in this book. I could really go on all day. But here's one more. This is from one of Lauri's mental letters to Bobby:
"I want our hopes and dreams to collide together, to become one as though two great planets met in the galaxies. I want to be so close to you, anything God or Nature sends against us will never destroy us, only test us. I believe there are electrons flying around the outside of our bodies which are combining, linking, making us more and more into one. I know this may be my own selfish fantasy, but I can't keep it to myself any longer".
This book was just so cool. A little trip back in time. By the end I was pretty convinced that Woody Allen got a hold of this book before writing Manhattan Murder Mystery and thought it was obscure enough that no one would notice and he pretty much borrowed the entire plot. That's okay, Woody. I love that movie, and I probably would have done the same thing if I had the funds and the pull. I won't tell anyone. So if you find this little out-of-print book in a used book store, spend the dollar. It's such a good find.
April 13, 2009
This is what teenagers should be reading instead of Twilight.
January 17, 2008
It's really hard being a teenager. Paul Zindel understood that better than almost any other writer I've ever read. He could capture the burning sense of not fitting in and not knowing how to live with your changing body and emotions. This book is great...funny and strange and suspenseful. The kids struggle with typical teenage problems while trying to figure out what the crazy undertaker is doing.
February 16, 2017
A short book which, once it gets going, has a breakneck pace and a slapstick black-humour slant. It is a little slow to begin with, there being a lot of info-dumping about the teenage protagonists, Bobby and Lauri. Both are misfits at school and best friends, with Lauri wanting the relationship to develop into romance. But once they arrange a 'Welcome Wagon' for the new couple who have moved into the apartment next door to Bobby, the fun is underway.
Mr Hulka seems slightly strange, an impression strengthened when the two teens gain access to the Hulka home, using the 'Welcome Wagon' ploy: bringing food and drink to welcome the residents, and satisfying their curiosity into the bargain. The Hulkas have dolls houses complete with figures and miniature furniture, apparently carved by Mr Hulka, and a lot of beautifully made wooden boxes that turn out to be antique dissection kits. To complete the impression, he explains that he is an undertaker.
Bobby's parents go away for a couple of weeks, leaving him at home. Not something that would be allowed these days, even for a 15-year old, but there's a big degree of trust between him and his parents, and he isn't interested in joining them on their climbing holiday. For the story's purposes they have to be got out of the way because as soon as he's alone he hears a violent argument next door and sees, from where the two apartments have an adjoining terrace, Mr Hulka apparently killing his wife.
He calls the police but Mrs Hulka arrives home from a shopping trip unscathed. Bobby and Lauri have often indulged in harmless pranks - wearing ape masks or dressing up as a nun and a monk to stroll around the cathedral grounds - and this has marked them out as troublemakers with the local police. The police view this as another prank, so when the argument next door appears to be re-staged later the same day, the police won't believe Bobby and threaten to lock him up while they call his parents back. And so begins the whistle-stop investigation and chase as he and Lauri try to get evidence and are drawn increasingly into danger.
The two teenage characters are well-drawn with Bobby's 100-miles-an-hour single-minded energy and Lauri's painful recovery from the trauma of witnessing the fatal fire which trapped and killed her neighbours at her previous address. Bobby is solicitous of her constant fear of death and she is slowly getting better, but the constant exposure to coffins, bodies and the idea of murder as they pursue Hulka become a kill-or-cure therapy. Hulka is a nicely over-the-top psycho, especially as the story escalates. The only flaw is that the final scene ends a bit too abruptly.
The book is of its time (1978) - no mobile phones to get the protagonists out of a fix, for example. They are both fans of TV: no internet etc then. However, it comes across as slightly more modern than the previous Zindel novel I've read (The Pigman), as a branch of Macdonalds makes a few appearances, and there are references to Star Trek which must be to the original series but could easily be to the modern reboots, whereas the earlier novel had details such as typewriters and a malt shop/soda shop, which would seem prehistoric to today's teens and young adults. The story can still be enjoyed as a gory crime romp.
Mr Hulka seems slightly strange, an impression strengthened when the two teens gain access to the Hulka home, using the 'Welcome Wagon' ploy: bringing food and drink to welcome the residents, and satisfying their curiosity into the bargain. The Hulkas have dolls houses complete with figures and miniature furniture, apparently carved by Mr Hulka, and a lot of beautifully made wooden boxes that turn out to be antique dissection kits. To complete the impression, he explains that he is an undertaker.
Bobby's parents go away for a couple of weeks, leaving him at home. Not something that would be allowed these days, even for a 15-year old, but there's a big degree of trust between him and his parents, and he isn't interested in joining them on their climbing holiday. For the story's purposes they have to be got out of the way because as soon as he's alone he hears a violent argument next door and sees, from where the two apartments have an adjoining terrace, Mr Hulka apparently killing his wife.
He calls the police but Mrs Hulka arrives home from a shopping trip unscathed. Bobby and Lauri have often indulged in harmless pranks - wearing ape masks or dressing up as a nun and a monk to stroll around the cathedral grounds - and this has marked them out as troublemakers with the local police. The police view this as another prank, so when the argument next door appears to be re-staged later the same day, the police won't believe Bobby and threaten to lock him up while they call his parents back. And so begins the whistle-stop investigation and chase as he and Lauri try to get evidence and are drawn increasingly into danger.
The two teenage characters are well-drawn with Bobby's 100-miles-an-hour single-minded energy and Lauri's painful recovery from the trauma of witnessing the fatal fire which trapped and killed her neighbours at her previous address. Bobby is solicitous of her constant fear of death and she is slowly getting better, but the constant exposure to coffins, bodies and the idea of murder as they pursue Hulka become a kill-or-cure therapy. Hulka is a nicely over-the-top psycho, especially as the story escalates. The only flaw is that the final scene ends a bit too abruptly.
The book is of its time (1978) - no mobile phones to get the protagonists out of a fix, for example. They are both fans of TV: no internet etc then. However, it comes across as slightly more modern than the previous Zindel novel I've read (The Pigman), as a branch of Macdonalds makes a few appearances, and there are references to Star Trek which must be to the original series but could easily be to the modern reboots, whereas the earlier novel had details such as typewriters and a malt shop/soda shop, which would seem prehistoric to today's teens and young adults. The story can still be enjoyed as a gory crime romp.
October 8, 2012
This was my favorite book as a child. I read it 4 times in a row, and kept revisiting it after that. His other books (and plays) are amazing as well, but this was the first thing of his I read, and it will always seem like the best to me.
February 21, 2016
My favourite Paul Zindel book.
The Undertaker is much lighter than his other books and funny: less teenage angst more teenage adventure.
And the scene with the television ... amazing!
The Undertaker is much lighter than his other books and funny: less teenage angst more teenage adventure.
And the scene with the television ... amazing!
October 31, 2024
This book is bananas! I found it at my local shopping centre and thought to myself: "Huh, this looks camp. Let's take it home with me". And I am glad that I did.
Only 153 pages long, The Undertaker's Gone Bananas is an exhilarating story about two kids trying to figure out what their new neighbour (who is an undertaker) has done to his wife.
It was incredibly funny, but it was also quite scary at times. I think the author did a great job at building up tension and releasing it in the right way. It was impossible to guess what was going on and you started to doubt yourself throughout the story. The reveal was very good!
I liked Bobby's dynamic with his friend Lauri. The author created a lovely friendship in which they truly helped each other. Even when it came down to dealing with harder things such as phobias. Lauri's phobia of death was incredibly fitting for the story. Of course, this lovely friendship eventually turns into something romantic... It's unnecessary if you ask me, but it was to be expected, I think.
There's also a great paragraph on death which I would like to share. For context, the characters are inside the funeral home and see all these different kinds of caskets. "They were made of all sorts of materials, deep dark mahogany, with bronze metal hooks and handles; some were all metallic and looked like the hoods of medium-priced cars; and one startling expensive coffin looked like it was made of pure silver, glistening on the highest pedal. It was the Rolls-Royce of caskets, Bobby thought. Not only would worms have a hard time getting in, but it would really make it hard for *dust to dust* to have much meaning." This really spoke to me. By locking ourselves up in these metallic/wooden coffins, we're once again postponing death in some sort of way even though we've already died. The *Dust to dust* saying is something we do not really act upon? We don't seem to want the body to decay. But it is inevitable. This made me think once again about how I wish to be buried. I would like to be returned to the earth and not be closed off in a box. Maybe in a basket or in pretty shrouds? Food for thought.
I'm just really glad that I took this book home with me because this is definitely a hidden treasure which I wouldn't have stumbled upon otherwise! If anyone wants to borrow it, let me know ✨ It's an old book so it smells amazing.
Only 153 pages long, The Undertaker's Gone Bananas is an exhilarating story about two kids trying to figure out what their new neighbour (who is an undertaker) has done to his wife.
It was incredibly funny, but it was also quite scary at times. I think the author did a great job at building up tension and releasing it in the right way. It was impossible to guess what was going on and you started to doubt yourself throughout the story. The reveal was very good!
I liked Bobby's dynamic with his friend Lauri. The author created a lovely friendship in which they truly helped each other. Even when it came down to dealing with harder things such as phobias. Lauri's phobia of death was incredibly fitting for the story. Of course, this lovely friendship eventually turns into something romantic... It's unnecessary if you ask me, but it was to be expected, I think.
There's also a great paragraph on death which I would like to share. For context, the characters are inside the funeral home and see all these different kinds of caskets. "They were made of all sorts of materials, deep dark mahogany, with bronze metal hooks and handles; some were all metallic and looked like the hoods of medium-priced cars; and one startling expensive coffin looked like it was made of pure silver, glistening on the highest pedal. It was the Rolls-Royce of caskets, Bobby thought. Not only would worms have a hard time getting in, but it would really make it hard for *dust to dust* to have much meaning." This really spoke to me. By locking ourselves up in these metallic/wooden coffins, we're once again postponing death in some sort of way even though we've already died. The *Dust to dust* saying is something we do not really act upon? We don't seem to want the body to decay. But it is inevitable. This made me think once again about how I wish to be buried. I would like to be returned to the earth and not be closed off in a box. Maybe in a basket or in pretty shrouds? Food for thought.
I'm just really glad that I took this book home with me because this is definitely a hidden treasure which I wouldn't have stumbled upon otherwise! If anyone wants to borrow it, let me know ✨ It's an old book so it smells amazing.
March 23, 2018
In The Undertaker’s Gone Bananas by Paul Zindel, Laurie and Bobby’s relationship began as two acquaintances with the only thing in common being the apartment building where they live. Laurie admired Bobby from afar while he was constantly getting into trouble and picking fights with kids. One day when law enforcement was involved during one of Bobby’s shenanigans, Laurie happened to be a witness and testified that Bobby was innocent. Ever since then, Laurie and Bobby have been the closest of friends. One hot summer day, the teenagers observed as a new couple moved in next door to Bobby’s apartment. Their names were Mr. and Mrs. Hulka. Bobby chose to spy on his new neighbor’s through their balcony window after getting strange vibes from the couple. He saw peculiar items in the Hulkas apartment and decided that him and Laurie needed to investigate. After they brought a casserole as a welcoming gift to the Hulkas, their seemingly friendly neighbors became not so innocent. Bobby began hearing lots of fighting between the Hulkas and then a few loud thuds. Bobby and Laurie began to suspect that Mr. Hulka murdered his wife. Through adventures of spying on Mr. Hulka and trying to get the police to believe their story, Bobby and Laurie discover the dark secret to the strange noises that came from the Hulkas apartment.
The Undertaker’s Gone Bananas is a well written novel for the overall short length of the book. The characters were described vividly and it really felt as though they were real people. The feelings between Laurie and Bobby were different from the regular fictional romance. There was not a magically happy ever after, instead their relationship was closer to reality. Like it most likely would have been in the real world, Laurie was too nervous to speak her feelings and Bobby was too immature to see the signs. So overall, Bobby and Laurie remained friends. The two protagonists definitely seemed realistic compared to the other details of the story. As well as characters, the plot was fun to uncover. The Undertaker’s Gone Bananas has a very exciting climax. After Bobby and Laurie snuck into the Hulka’s apartment for the final time, things got heated. The events that happened in the last one hundred pages were blood curdling. The truth about Mr. Hulka that was revealed was shocking. Although the climax was interesting, the beginning of the novel started slow. For example, when the Hulka’s daily routines were described it was quite boring. Although the details were probably necessary, the information could have been displayed quicker. Another advantage that the novel had was the smoothness of the reading. This book did not have many difficult words and the sentences were pretty simple. Although this shows that the intended audience is for younger children, the novel is still entertaining for older ages. Overall, The Undertaker’s Gone Bananas deserves a seven point five out of ten as a rating for its simplicity, success of characters, and exciting climax. Really anyone who enjoys unadvanced murder mysteries should read this novel.
The Undertaker’s Gone Bananas is a well written novel for the overall short length of the book. The characters were described vividly and it really felt as though they were real people. The feelings between Laurie and Bobby were different from the regular fictional romance. There was not a magically happy ever after, instead their relationship was closer to reality. Like it most likely would have been in the real world, Laurie was too nervous to speak her feelings and Bobby was too immature to see the signs. So overall, Bobby and Laurie remained friends. The two protagonists definitely seemed realistic compared to the other details of the story. As well as characters, the plot was fun to uncover. The Undertaker’s Gone Bananas has a very exciting climax. After Bobby and Laurie snuck into the Hulka’s apartment for the final time, things got heated. The events that happened in the last one hundred pages were blood curdling. The truth about Mr. Hulka that was revealed was shocking. Although the climax was interesting, the beginning of the novel started slow. For example, when the Hulka’s daily routines were described it was quite boring. Although the details were probably necessary, the information could have been displayed quicker. Another advantage that the novel had was the smoothness of the reading. This book did not have many difficult words and the sentences were pretty simple. Although this shows that the intended audience is for younger children, the novel is still entertaining for older ages. Overall, The Undertaker’s Gone Bananas deserves a seven point five out of ten as a rating for its simplicity, success of characters, and exciting climax. Really anyone who enjoys unadvanced murder mysteries should read this novel.
May 6, 2016
An adorable romp! All is told on the paperback cover, BUT the fun is in the details I guess. Bobby & Laurie were careful not to hurt each other, and to beware of the crazy adults, and not to trust their own parents, etc. I thought they'd NEVER get together, but of course they did. In the meantime, there were some looonnnggg paragraphs to struggle through even for an adult, much less for a young adult / preteen. Not for the faint-hearted reader, because of the paragraph length, and the gruesome details.
June 14, 2010
This story is about two kids (Bobby Perkins, and Laurie). They are witnesses to a violent crime that they thing Mr. Hulka committed. Mr. Hulka, who is an undertaker, is Bobby's neighbor. They tried telling pople that they suspect Mr. Hulka as a murderer but no one will believe them because they always joke around and tell false stories. So it's their job to try to find the evidence they need to prove to the people that Mr. Hulka is a murderer.
February 28, 2014
I knew there was something different with me when I read this book as a pre-teen. It had the slap stick humor that I craved . Somewhat like the movie, Bringing Up Baby or Arsenic and Old Lace. Much like the adult book, john Dies at the End. You either are uptight and don't want to like it. Or, you haven't learned those adult misgivings yet, and you are a pre-teen who sees the humor in the hero and heroine chasing down a murderer.
Read
September 14, 2007Funny story: picked this book up from the library when I was too young to know what an undertaker was...I thought it was someone who took care of horses...I read the whole book thinking there was sure to be a horse in it somewhere only to discover it was a tween horror novel! Blood dripping from the ceiling and all that...certainly opened my eyes to a whole new genre...
February 12, 2010
I picked this up from a book swap restaurant in CT because The Pig Man by Zindel is one of my favorite books. Same style of writing, although the story was a bit different. I thought it ended abruptly, but the characters were still very rich and was a good read.
March 9, 2012
This was the first Zindel book I ever read and really liked it. I found it on the library shelf in school WAY back in the day and read it in just a few hours. I literally couldn't put it down. I'm guessing on the date, but that's close.
June 27, 2013
I liked this book a lot better than The Pigman. This is a fun murder mystery, and I liked the main characters. Zindel did beat the butane torch clue over the head though. He needs to trust his reader a little more.
May 12, 2018
the best part of this book is the characters of bobby and lauri. although mr hulka is a character that the novel has a lot of scenes about, it's lauri and bobby's thoughts and experiences that really make this book great.
March 15, 2008
This book is cleverly written, Paul Zindel is hard to predict.
Read
October 23, 2008I haven't read this since I was 12, but I've never been able to forget the title. It's kind of morbid, though. Just a warning.
April 21, 2012
This is a great book if you like mystery and action. it is about Bobby and Laurie who are trying to unravel a complicated mystery of their next door neighbor Mr. Hulka. read it!!!
October 1, 2012
Book i used to like in my childhood. did not enjoy the quirkiness of characters
September 30, 2012
Really clever book will buy this for my child...
January 21, 2014
One of my favorites when I was a kid.
March 6, 2016
Full of adventure. I loved it, i sat in the tree and read it for an hour......
Still a little sore though.
Still a little sore though.
January 23, 2024
Bobby is sure that his new neighbor, Mr. Hulka, has killed his wife but no one will believe him.
I read this book as a teenager and it completely freaked me out. Paul Zindel had a way of slowly racheting tighter and tighter the screws of fear with long paragraphs that swept you along until the oh my god parts. Rereading this as an adult, I didn't wade through all the teenage angst though Bobby and his friend Lauri are definitely not your stereotypical teens. There are three distinctive moments from this book that I remembered very clearly forty years later and there are not many books that have made that much of an impression. Those oh my god parts - yep, they still work.
I read this book as a teenager and it completely freaked me out. Paul Zindel had a way of slowly racheting tighter and tighter the screws of fear with long paragraphs that swept you along until the oh my god parts. Rereading this as an adult, I didn't wade through all the teenage angst though Bobby and his friend Lauri are definitely not your stereotypical teens. There are three distinctive moments from this book that I remembered very clearly forty years later and there are not many books that have made that much of an impression. Those oh my god parts - yep, they still work.
August 23, 2019
I LOVED Paul Zindel's books as a kid. He seemed to know how kids really feel about things, despite being an adult. The trope of a teen suspecting a creepy neighbor of doing something dastardly isn't that fresh these days, but Zindel nailed it in this book.
April 18, 2025
really odd and great. one of the best mystery’s i’ve read because it isn’t similar to the others, the others have a very textbook way of writing, same with romance. but here the characters are developed and there’s a small romance element which is super cute, and the adventure is really whimsical.
May 4, 2020
Great story.
September 9, 2020
Fun and suspenseful book by a favorite author of mine. Takes me back to my youth when adventurous reading such as this took hold.
July 3, 2021
What a outstanding story.
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