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Mojo
All Dylan wants is mojo. What is mojo? It's power. The ability to command respect. It's everything Dylan doesn't have. He gets no respect at school, and when he finds the dead body of a classmate, even the police push him around. All the thanks he gets for trying to help the investigation with his crime drama skills is a new nickname at school: Body Bag. So when Dylan hears about a missing rich girl from the other side of town, he jumps at the chance to dive into this mystery. Surely if he cracks a case involving a girl this beautiful and this rich, he'll get not only a hefty cash reward, but the mojo he's looking for.
His investigation takes him into the world of an elite private high school and an underground club called Gangland. As Dylan—along with his loyal friends Audrey and Randy—falls down the rabbit hole, lured by the power of privilege, he begins to lose himself. And the stakes of the game keep getting higher.
His investigation takes him into the world of an elite private high school and an underground club called Gangland. As Dylan—along with his loyal friends Audrey and Randy—falls down the rabbit hole, lured by the power of privilege, he begins to lose himself. And the stakes of the game keep getting higher.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
19 people are currently reading
474 people want to read
About the author
Tim Tharp
10 books341 followersTim Tharp lives in Oklahoma where he writes novels and teaches in the Humanities Department at Rose State College. In addition to earning a B.A. from the University of Oklahoma and an M.F.A. from Brown University, Tim Tharp has been a factory hand, construction laborer, psychiatric aid, long-distance hitchhiker, and record store clerk. His first novel, Falling Dark (Milkweed Press), was awarded the Milkweed National Fiction Prize. Knights of the Hill Country (Knopf Books for Young Readers) is his first novel for young adults and was named to the American Library Association's Best Books of 2007 list. Tim's new YA novel, The Spectacular Now, (Knopf Books, Nov. 2008) was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
January 23, 2023
Tim Tharp was one of my favorite authors when I was in high school. The book Spectacular Now helped get me into reading in the first place, even if I never fell in love with it. Tharp can write an entertaining story, though he tends to make his characters a bit obnoxious and I'm not a big fan of his writing style. In Mojo we have a juvenile detective/murder mystery story that entertains but is far from believable and is quite often ridiculous. The PG13 high school murder mystery angle was admirable, and I do think there is room for YA novels in this genre (more adult than the Hardy Boys but less intense than a James Patterson novel) but Mojo is mediocre at best.
July 11, 2017
I didn't review this ? Well, I'll just say one simple thing : READ IT.
This and Spectacular now, read them now. Pronto. Chop chop.
Easily his funniest.
May 20, 2013
Dylan is a high school student desperately searching for “mojo,” that certain something that will give him power and respect. After fleeing from bullies, ending up in a dumpster with a dead classmate, being threatened by the police, and earning him the nickname “body bag,” Dylan decides something drastic needs to be done. He hears about a missing girl from an upscale high school and decides that he is going to be the one to find her, making him the savior of a beautiful, grateful girl – and the huge reward doesn’t hurt either. But as he dons his porkpie hat and dives into the world of an investigative journalist, he discovers that the elite prep school world may not be as great as he had thought, and that some people may have reasons to keep him from investigating too closely.
Dylan isn’t a rare kind of high school student. He’s not very popular, he’s a little overweight, and he is absolutely desperate to command respect to get bullies off his back. He determines that what he needs is “mojo,” and this will make his life better. But how does a person simply get “mojo”? Dylan thinks that finding Ashton Browning, a missing high school students from a very rich and exclusive popular school, will solve all of his problems. Up to this point, he hasn’t taken his job on the school newspaper very seriously, but he decides that it’s time to become a real investigative reporter, tracking down leads and questioning potential suspects. Obviously, this does not make him popular with everyone, but some of Ashton’s classmates seem very appreciative of his efforts to find their lost friend, and invite him into their exclusive club, Gangland. For Dylan, this is the ultimate experience – beautiful girls, popular friends, and everything radiates wealth.
The problem is that the reader can clearly see that not all is as it seems. Typically, elite high schoolers do not suddenly become best friends with a middle class, unpopular, nosy kid they just met. It’s Dylan’s desperation that made the book less enjoyable for me. It’s off-putting to read about someone so anxious to fit in with the “right people” that he’ll essentially humiliate himself to be a cool kid. He ignores red flags, and his suspect list isn’t comprised of people who may have done it, but of people he doesn’t like at that moment. If someone is a jerk, they go on the suspect list. It’s possible that high school is too far behind me to remember it all clearly, but I don’t recall being this anxious to fit in with the right people, especially considering Dylan already has a couple of really good friends.
Unfortunately, I can’t recommend this book. Dylan is simply not a likeable character. I didn’t like the writing style - instead of saying, “I said, ‘lalala,’ and she responded, ‘lalala’” the author writes, “I was like, ‘lalala.’ and she was like ‘lalala.’” This may be how people talk in real life, but it is so noticeable in the book that it distracts the reader. It also seems that the author wanted to make sure no one could guess the end of the book, considering it is a mystery, but this made the plot and eventual reveal unsatisfying and confusing. By the end of the book, I suppose Dylan did find his mojo, but by that point, I didn’t really care.
Dylan isn’t a rare kind of high school student. He’s not very popular, he’s a little overweight, and he is absolutely desperate to command respect to get bullies off his back. He determines that what he needs is “mojo,” and this will make his life better. But how does a person simply get “mojo”? Dylan thinks that finding Ashton Browning, a missing high school students from a very rich and exclusive popular school, will solve all of his problems. Up to this point, he hasn’t taken his job on the school newspaper very seriously, but he decides that it’s time to become a real investigative reporter, tracking down leads and questioning potential suspects. Obviously, this does not make him popular with everyone, but some of Ashton’s classmates seem very appreciative of his efforts to find their lost friend, and invite him into their exclusive club, Gangland. For Dylan, this is the ultimate experience – beautiful girls, popular friends, and everything radiates wealth.
The problem is that the reader can clearly see that not all is as it seems. Typically, elite high schoolers do not suddenly become best friends with a middle class, unpopular, nosy kid they just met. It’s Dylan’s desperation that made the book less enjoyable for me. It’s off-putting to read about someone so anxious to fit in with the “right people” that he’ll essentially humiliate himself to be a cool kid. He ignores red flags, and his suspect list isn’t comprised of people who may have done it, but of people he doesn’t like at that moment. If someone is a jerk, they go on the suspect list. It’s possible that high school is too far behind me to remember it all clearly, but I don’t recall being this anxious to fit in with the right people, especially considering Dylan already has a couple of really good friends.
Unfortunately, I can’t recommend this book. Dylan is simply not a likeable character. I didn’t like the writing style - instead of saying, “I said, ‘lalala,’ and she responded, ‘lalala’” the author writes, “I was like, ‘lalala.’ and she was like ‘lalala.’” This may be how people talk in real life, but it is so noticeable in the book that it distracts the reader. It also seems that the author wanted to make sure no one could guess the end of the book, considering it is a mystery, but this made the plot and eventual reveal unsatisfying and confusing. By the end of the book, I suppose Dylan did find his mojo, but by that point, I didn’t really care.
December 13, 2018
I was really looking forward to this being something more than what it was. The main character Dylan is trying to get his “mojo,” which since this book is clearly trying to appeal to teens (like me) the author should’ve realized no one uses that word seriously. Anyways, so much of the drama was far-fetched and even silly at times. The “bad guys” aka the cops and most of the rich people were so awfully one-dimensionally bad. Dylan could be annoying at times. Randy was easily the most annoying character and I could’ve done without him. Also, the idea that Dylan managed to actually get anywhere while basing his detective work off of a sci-fi mystery show is laughable. Audrey and Trix were one of the best parts of the book and the gay aspects about them were actually surprisingly well presented. I did like the part where the rich Hollister kids were speeding very dangerously on a highway racing each other. If you’ve grown up knowing you could come out of any fine or insurance debacle without a scratch you would probably not be the most cautious of drivers.
March 15, 2013
Seen At Scott Reads It
1-1.5 Stars
Thanks to Random House for providing me with an ARC of Mojo in exchange for a honest review. When I was chosen to be an Ambuzzador for Mojo on Random Buzzers, I was pretty ecstatic. Random Buzzers is an online community devoted to spreading the word about Random House titles for children and teens. Mojo was the first book I have read by National Book Award Finalist.
It's hard to enjoy a book when you have a distaste for the protagonist. I found Dylan to be an extremely irritating and selfish character. When a girl named Ashton goes missing, Dylan immediately takes it upon himself to find her. You would think "Oh, he's so courageous and kind!" but then you would be wrong. Dylan doesn't want to find Ashton because it is the moral and benevolent thing to do.
All Dylan cares about is getting Mojo, he doesn't just want to be another face in the crowd. I can identify with the urge to feel important and to be somebody but I feel like Dylan had the wrong approach. It seemed to me like Dylan didn't care about finding Ashton at all and all he cared about was the fame that came with it. Later on in the novel, Dylan hears rumors about his best-friend and her girlfriend. Instead of discussing the rumors, Dylan immediately makes false accusations about his friends. Dylan was extremely gullible and he seemed to believe every single thing that he heard. The way he treated his friend Audrey was simply inexcusable and just downright disgusting.
Audrey is Dylan's lesbian best friend and she was one of my favorite characters in Mojo. Audrey was pretty darn awesome and I wasn't sure why she hung out with Dylan. Dylan treated Audrey like a piece of garbage and yet she didn't give up on him. Her loyalty to Dylan despite his maltreatment was pretty noteworthy and really demonstrated her loyalty. I wish there was a more focus on Audrey than on Dylan because I liked Audrey far better.
Mojo isn't written well and I feel like Tim Tharp's writing style was a bit choppy. The sentences didn't seem to flow well and were awkwardly written . In Mojo I felt like Tharp overused metaphors and it seemed to me that every chapter started with a metaphor. I don't know about you, but the people I don't speak in metaphors every five seconds. It was also kind of odd that Dylan kept on using complex metaphors constantly but he lacked any common sense. One metaphor really bugged me while reading, Dylan compares himself to an arm less person because his bestfriend hasn't spoken to him in a day. Someone is definitely over dramatic I especially didn't like the way, Tharp set up the dialogue in Mojo. Whenever a character spoke in Mojo, the dialogue was set up very awkwardly. Here's a mock conversation that I'll model off of Mojo.
Audrey was like "Dylan, you have to stop thinking you're a detective."
I was like "I'm the best detective ever, you don't know what you're talking about"
Does anyone else the problem here? When Tharp wanted to quote a character he used the word "like". The way Tharp set up dialogue irritated me and I didn't understand why Tharp didn't used the word replied or said instead of like.
Plotwise, Mojo moves at a slow pace and it takes a while for the mystery to kick in. There was a couple scenes where Dylan wants the police and other people to take him serious. Maybe instead of complaining, you should do something about! Talking about a ridiculous TV Show and acting very unprofessional doesn't really help your case. I wanted Dylan to do something rather just sit around, a true detective doesn't just let events unfold by themselves.
The mystery moved along at a ridiculously slow pace and I know I would have enjoyed Mojo if the plot moved at a faster pace. Despite the fact that the mystery takes extremely long to develop, the mystery is well-thought out. I loved how a bunch of things that seemed rather insignificant turned out to be rather important. By the time the mystery fully kicked in, I had lost most of my interest. The mystery took an unexpected turn that I didn't see coming but I felt apathetic. It all goes back to the pacing, the mystery and conclusion are pretty good but the reader will lose interest due to a slow plot.
Mojo had such a promising mystery but the plot is watered down by a slow pace and an extremely irritating protagonist. Besides the slow pace and irritating protagonist, the writing didn't feel cohesive and I feel like it didn't flow well. Even though I didn't enjoy this novel, I would definitely consider giving Mr.Tharp another chance by picking up one of his other books.
1-1.5 Stars
Thanks to Random House for providing me with an ARC of Mojo in exchange for a honest review. When I was chosen to be an Ambuzzador for Mojo on Random Buzzers, I was pretty ecstatic. Random Buzzers is an online community devoted to spreading the word about Random House titles for children and teens. Mojo was the first book I have read by National Book Award Finalist.
It's hard to enjoy a book when you have a distaste for the protagonist. I found Dylan to be an extremely irritating and selfish character. When a girl named Ashton goes missing, Dylan immediately takes it upon himself to find her. You would think "Oh, he's so courageous and kind!" but then you would be wrong. Dylan doesn't want to find Ashton because it is the moral and benevolent thing to do.
All Dylan cares about is getting Mojo, he doesn't just want to be another face in the crowd. I can identify with the urge to feel important and to be somebody but I feel like Dylan had the wrong approach. It seemed to me like Dylan didn't care about finding Ashton at all and all he cared about was the fame that came with it. Later on in the novel, Dylan hears rumors about his best-friend and her girlfriend. Instead of discussing the rumors, Dylan immediately makes false accusations about his friends. Dylan was extremely gullible and he seemed to believe every single thing that he heard. The way he treated his friend Audrey was simply inexcusable and just downright disgusting.
Audrey is Dylan's lesbian best friend and she was one of my favorite characters in Mojo. Audrey was pretty darn awesome and I wasn't sure why she hung out with Dylan. Dylan treated Audrey like a piece of garbage and yet she didn't give up on him. Her loyalty to Dylan despite his maltreatment was pretty noteworthy and really demonstrated her loyalty. I wish there was a more focus on Audrey than on Dylan because I liked Audrey far better.
Mojo isn't written well and I feel like Tim Tharp's writing style was a bit choppy. The sentences didn't seem to flow well and were awkwardly written . In Mojo I felt like Tharp overused metaphors and it seemed to me that every chapter started with a metaphor. I don't know about you, but the people I don't speak in metaphors every five seconds. It was also kind of odd that Dylan kept on using complex metaphors constantly but he lacked any common sense. One metaphor really bugged me while reading, Dylan compares himself to an arm less person because his bestfriend hasn't spoken to him in a day. Someone is definitely over dramatic I especially didn't like the way, Tharp set up the dialogue in Mojo. Whenever a character spoke in Mojo, the dialogue was set up very awkwardly. Here's a mock conversation that I'll model off of Mojo.
Audrey was like "Dylan, you have to stop thinking you're a detective."
I was like "I'm the best detective ever, you don't know what you're talking about"
Does anyone else the problem here? When Tharp wanted to quote a character he used the word "like". The way Tharp set up dialogue irritated me and I didn't understand why Tharp didn't used the word replied or said instead of like.
Plotwise, Mojo moves at a slow pace and it takes a while for the mystery to kick in. There was a couple scenes where Dylan wants the police and other people to take him serious. Maybe instead of complaining, you should do something about! Talking about a ridiculous TV Show and acting very unprofessional doesn't really help your case. I wanted Dylan to do something rather just sit around, a true detective doesn't just let events unfold by themselves.
The mystery moved along at a ridiculously slow pace and I know I would have enjoyed Mojo if the plot moved at a faster pace. Despite the fact that the mystery takes extremely long to develop, the mystery is well-thought out. I loved how a bunch of things that seemed rather insignificant turned out to be rather important. By the time the mystery fully kicked in, I had lost most of my interest. The mystery took an unexpected turn that I didn't see coming but I felt apathetic. It all goes back to the pacing, the mystery and conclusion are pretty good but the reader will lose interest due to a slow plot.
Mojo had such a promising mystery but the plot is watered down by a slow pace and an extremely irritating protagonist. Besides the slow pace and irritating protagonist, the writing didn't feel cohesive and I feel like it didn't flow well. Even though I didn't enjoy this novel, I would definitely consider giving Mr.Tharp another chance by picking up one of his other books.
April 18, 2013
I had applied a while back for the Ambuzzador Program through RandomBuzzers, a division of Random House, not expecting anything and not even knowing what book would be coming if I was selected. So when Mojo showed up in my mailbox, I had to do some serious backtracking to figure out where it had come from.
I really had no idea what to expect when I read the book. It didn't seem like my usual kind of book, but I entered into it with a very open mind. I had a few false starts, having started reading the book when I first got it, and then setting it aside for some books with more pressing deadlines. I picked the book up again a few days ago and read through it completely. It was nothing like what I expected and yet, completely and totally blew me away.
I am giving it four stars only because there were a few scenes that are just a little too far fetched for me. I mean, realistically, what would you do if you landed in a dumpster next to a dead body? Would you be able to remain calm and stay there trying to hide from the dudes chasing you? Because let me tell you, I would have completely crapped my pants and screamed like the girl I am.
The characters, though, for the most part were believable and well rounded, fitting in with the story line well. With one notable exception. Randy really bugged me and I am not sure why. Something about him just seemed. Irritating and annoying. Maybe I have a bias against characters who serve no purpose other than to run their mouths and cause drama. Maybe that is my issue and I should not take it out on authors. But lets be honest, if we have a character in a book that bugs us, it is going to affect how we feel about the book, right? I am not alone in this, am I?
But the storyline was awesome. The rich kids versus the "wrong side of the tracks" concept? I could totally see it going down like that. Fair warning to those faint of heart, however, is that this book does get a bit violent. There is death and drugs and illegal activity, and if your sensibilities are offended by such things, you should not read this book.
Amazon bills this book as suitable for 12 and up, but I am not sure I agree with that. I would not feel comfortable recommending this one to someone under 15 unless they had a very solid maturity level and were able to clearly and securely separate fiction from reality, but that is just my "mom" point of view on that one.
I really had no idea what to expect when I read the book. It didn't seem like my usual kind of book, but I entered into it with a very open mind. I had a few false starts, having started reading the book when I first got it, and then setting it aside for some books with more pressing deadlines. I picked the book up again a few days ago and read through it completely. It was nothing like what I expected and yet, completely and totally blew me away.
I am giving it four stars only because there were a few scenes that are just a little too far fetched for me. I mean, realistically, what would you do if you landed in a dumpster next to a dead body? Would you be able to remain calm and stay there trying to hide from the dudes chasing you? Because let me tell you, I would have completely crapped my pants and screamed like the girl I am.
The characters, though, for the most part were believable and well rounded, fitting in with the story line well. With one notable exception. Randy really bugged me and I am not sure why. Something about him just seemed. Irritating and annoying. Maybe I have a bias against characters who serve no purpose other than to run their mouths and cause drama. Maybe that is my issue and I should not take it out on authors. But lets be honest, if we have a character in a book that bugs us, it is going to affect how we feel about the book, right? I am not alone in this, am I?
But the storyline was awesome. The rich kids versus the "wrong side of the tracks" concept? I could totally see it going down like that. Fair warning to those faint of heart, however, is that this book does get a bit violent. There is death and drugs and illegal activity, and if your sensibilities are offended by such things, you should not read this book.
Amazon bills this book as suitable for 12 and up, but I am not sure I agree with that. I would not feel comfortable recommending this one to someone under 15 unless they had a very solid maturity level and were able to clearly and securely separate fiction from reality, but that is just my "mom" point of view on that one.
March 3, 2023
I picked up this novel in my school library for an Independent reading assignment. The overview caught my interest and I am glad to say that it didn’t disappoint. Although the book isn’t terrible and unnecessarily unenjoyable, I would recommend this book for younger audiences.
Tim Tharp’s novel, Mojo, has you follow the point of Dylan, a high schooler who is 16. Dylan and his friend Randy are running from Two men and they decide to split up. Dylan decided to hide in the dumpster but felt someone else was in there with him. At first Dylan thought it was Randy but realized it was a body. When he got out the dumpster and looked back in he realized it was the body of a fellow classmate Hector Maldonado. Dylan gets almost little to no respect but after finding the body things got worse. The police began pushing him around and classmates began to call him names and ask him many stupid questions about the body. After awhile Dyland and his best friend Audrey heard about the disappearance of a rich girl on the other side of town, Dylan takes his chance to go investigate. Dylan thinks if he's able to solve the disappearance of a beautiful rich girl such as Ashton Browning then he will be rewarded and gain respect. This investigation will lead them into discovering things about a prestigious private high school and an underground club called gangland. Discovering and solving these mysteries is what the novel is all about.
I wrote that the book should be geared for younger audiences and although the plot may seem a bit mature the book itself has a few issues. First off the main character Dylan starts slowly becoming obnoxious as the story progressive. He is a Highschooler who isn’t really popular and he himself mentions that he;s overweight and doesn’t have much mojo. Mojo is a term used throughout this book for “Clout”, popularity or respect. Due to this obsession with wanting to be popular he becomes very selfish and greedy. Even though he tries so hard to find Ashton all he can think about the whole time is getting “Mojo” and becoming a cool kid. He does a lot of outlandish and very ignorant actions that get him and his friends in terrible situations and eventually leads him to being targeted. He starts to come off as a horrible selfish person which makes it hard to enjoy due to the fact that I can’t even like the main Protagonist. It’s also really strange that he is more obsessed with the fact he will get clout rather than just do a good deed because it's good. Although there are people like that in this world it just makes the story feel very odd. The second issue with this story is the pacing. Each chapter is only about 3-4 pages and although the book itself is very short the pacing is horrifically slow. The pacing is slow and yet the character development seems very rushed. Dylan's quick mindset change was almost very random and the story began feeling like it was being very dragged out. Along with this the dialogue was very strange and it was almost as if the Author was trying too hard to sound like a teenager. This book seemed very unrealistic which is why I think it would go so well with younger audiences. As a highschool student, reading through the dialogue made me think that I was reading a story about middle schoolers. The way the characters talked was not terrible but very odd. I give this story 2 stars due to the slowness,dialogue, and the overall story and characters. There is not much to this book other than the short summary you read about inside the cover which is disappointing.
I think this book could go well with younger audiences who don’t pay as much attention to small little details as more grown people tend to do. I think the plot kind of went to waste but if you have nothing else to read and want a quick mystery book then this book is for you.
Tim Tharp’s novel, Mojo, has you follow the point of Dylan, a high schooler who is 16. Dylan and his friend Randy are running from Two men and they decide to split up. Dylan decided to hide in the dumpster but felt someone else was in there with him. At first Dylan thought it was Randy but realized it was a body. When he got out the dumpster and looked back in he realized it was the body of a fellow classmate Hector Maldonado. Dylan gets almost little to no respect but after finding the body things got worse. The police began pushing him around and classmates began to call him names and ask him many stupid questions about the body. After awhile Dyland and his best friend Audrey heard about the disappearance of a rich girl on the other side of town, Dylan takes his chance to go investigate. Dylan thinks if he's able to solve the disappearance of a beautiful rich girl such as Ashton Browning then he will be rewarded and gain respect. This investigation will lead them into discovering things about a prestigious private high school and an underground club called gangland. Discovering and solving these mysteries is what the novel is all about.
I wrote that the book should be geared for younger audiences and although the plot may seem a bit mature the book itself has a few issues. First off the main character Dylan starts slowly becoming obnoxious as the story progressive. He is a Highschooler who isn’t really popular and he himself mentions that he;s overweight and doesn’t have much mojo. Mojo is a term used throughout this book for “Clout”, popularity or respect. Due to this obsession with wanting to be popular he becomes very selfish and greedy. Even though he tries so hard to find Ashton all he can think about the whole time is getting “Mojo” and becoming a cool kid. He does a lot of outlandish and very ignorant actions that get him and his friends in terrible situations and eventually leads him to being targeted. He starts to come off as a horrible selfish person which makes it hard to enjoy due to the fact that I can’t even like the main Protagonist. It’s also really strange that he is more obsessed with the fact he will get clout rather than just do a good deed because it's good. Although there are people like that in this world it just makes the story feel very odd. The second issue with this story is the pacing. Each chapter is only about 3-4 pages and although the book itself is very short the pacing is horrifically slow. The pacing is slow and yet the character development seems very rushed. Dylan's quick mindset change was almost very random and the story began feeling like it was being very dragged out. Along with this the dialogue was very strange and it was almost as if the Author was trying too hard to sound like a teenager. This book seemed very unrealistic which is why I think it would go so well with younger audiences. As a highschool student, reading through the dialogue made me think that I was reading a story about middle schoolers. The way the characters talked was not terrible but very odd. I give this story 2 stars due to the slowness,dialogue, and the overall story and characters. There is not much to this book other than the short summary you read about inside the cover which is disappointing.
I think this book could go well with younger audiences who don’t pay as much attention to small little details as more grown people tend to do. I think the plot kind of went to waste but if you have nothing else to read and want a quick mystery book then this book is for you.
Read
October 11, 2021This book intrigued me from the very beginning and did not let me go. Usually in the past I haven't had the patience or time to read books but this book hooked me in and overall made me want to read more and more. Mojo by Tim Tharp is about a not so popular boy at a school wanting to get a little more publicity and style. It starts off with him and his friend Randy running away from this gang to where they then find a man named Hector who used to go to their school, sadly dead in a dumpster. After being questioned by the police and being called names at school, Dylan and his team of Randy and Audrey began to plot a new plan to find a beautiful girl that went by the name Ashton Browning who went missing a while back.
Dylan went on a bunch of adventures around his town and others partly to have a story for his newspaper articles but mainly to restore or gain his Mojo that he kept talking about. Dylan and his team went on a bunch of adventures such as a meeting called Gangland, to the organization Ashton used to work at 3 times a week. They met many people along their journey such as some nice old lady's named the Ockles, Oscar, Trix, and Nash and Rowan who were members of the Gangland. Dylan eventually begins a theory stating that the Hector case might have something to do with Ashton Browning, to which he then begins to question his safety as well.
As I said before, this book really hooked me in and didn't let me go and overall I would probably give it a 4 star rating. I often lose track of a plot or am too impatient to continue reading but this book solved those problems for me by giving me a lot of details and keeping me interested. Throughout the book there are more characters being introduced and tons of adventures the characters go on, making me curious to what will happen next. This meant a lot to me because it kept my attention and kinda forced me to continue to read. There was great analysis and information that had me on the edge of my seat everytime I read it.
My favorite quote from the book comes pretty early in the story and really sets off everything that happens throughout the story. As Dylan sits in his favorite diner he says ¨ My problem is that I don't have any Mojo. That's what I need, I need to get some Mojo.¨ This quote stood out to me because it sounded strange to me at first but overall made a specific tone for how the rest of the book played out. It just showed me how serious he was and what kind of person he was because he was willing to go so far for this one girl who disappeared.
No matter what happened in the book, Dylan showed a lot of determination and commitment towards the case and I believe that, that plays in with the theme of it all. If you really break it down this was just a few high schoolers who did all of these things for one classmate and in the end I think that the overall theme of this book would be to never give up and to not stop trying. At the start, Dylan was getting a lot of backlash and it just showed me how to handle things in the long run which opened me up as well. This kid went from having his whole school weighing down on him, to setting off on unbelievable adventures and in the end whether it was real or not, I learned a lot from it.
Dylan went on a bunch of adventures around his town and others partly to have a story for his newspaper articles but mainly to restore or gain his Mojo that he kept talking about. Dylan and his team went on a bunch of adventures such as a meeting called Gangland, to the organization Ashton used to work at 3 times a week. They met many people along their journey such as some nice old lady's named the Ockles, Oscar, Trix, and Nash and Rowan who were members of the Gangland. Dylan eventually begins a theory stating that the Hector case might have something to do with Ashton Browning, to which he then begins to question his safety as well.
As I said before, this book really hooked me in and didn't let me go and overall I would probably give it a 4 star rating. I often lose track of a plot or am too impatient to continue reading but this book solved those problems for me by giving me a lot of details and keeping me interested. Throughout the book there are more characters being introduced and tons of adventures the characters go on, making me curious to what will happen next. This meant a lot to me because it kept my attention and kinda forced me to continue to read. There was great analysis and information that had me on the edge of my seat everytime I read it.
My favorite quote from the book comes pretty early in the story and really sets off everything that happens throughout the story. As Dylan sits in his favorite diner he says ¨ My problem is that I don't have any Mojo. That's what I need, I need to get some Mojo.¨ This quote stood out to me because it sounded strange to me at first but overall made a specific tone for how the rest of the book played out. It just showed me how serious he was and what kind of person he was because he was willing to go so far for this one girl who disappeared.
No matter what happened in the book, Dylan showed a lot of determination and commitment towards the case and I believe that, that plays in with the theme of it all. If you really break it down this was just a few high schoolers who did all of these things for one classmate and in the end I think that the overall theme of this book would be to never give up and to not stop trying. At the start, Dylan was getting a lot of backlash and it just showed me how to handle things in the long run which opened me up as well. This kid went from having his whole school weighing down on him, to setting off on unbelievable adventures and in the end whether it was real or not, I learned a lot from it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2023
3-3.5 star. Why was this book so much better than I thought it'd be?? It's so far from my usual type of read but I was pleasantly surprised. Personally, I think the characters were actually really interesting. They made mistakes time and time again and sometimes they learned and sometimes they didn't. The way the act can come off as extremely annoying at times but when all was said and done I was entertained by them. Dylan is the better version of one of those small-town-girl-with-big-ideas. His motives were understandable, even if wholly unpleasant. I also really liked the voice in the writing, and I hate saying that because all writing has voice, but this one is so distinct and it feels like my friend is sitting me down to tell me all about their latest shennanigans. Now asides from that, I do have my gripes. Mainly the theme and dialogue. It's extremely cheesy at times. Especially towards the end whem things finally get revealed. The culprit has an extremely unneeded infodump on how and why they did everything. This eventually bites them in the back when their confession is used against them. It just seemed too comical? Another thing is a lot of line revolving Dylan and his discovery that he doesn't need 'mojo' to get by. He sounds like a bad kids show by the end of the book telling off his bully.
September 13, 2020
The narrative style can be hit or miss, with clunky dialogue and weird syntax, but I'm willing to give it a pass because it did sound like the somewhat ego-centric, naive, fumbling narration of a high school boy with a federa (technically a pork pie in this case) who genuinely believed he was the main character of his life.
The story was good, if a bit on the nose with the "damn rich people" vibe, and it seemed to be equal parts enjoyable and frustrating (mostly because the main character was kind of a gullible doofus who managed to change his thoughts very quickly)
The story was good, if a bit on the nose with the "damn rich people" vibe, and it seemed to be equal parts enjoyable and frustrating (mostly because the main character was kind of a gullible doofus who managed to change his thoughts very quickly)
April 20, 2024
Really amazing coming of age novel!!!! Tim Thrap is one of my favorite authors. I have read all of his teen books and even though they're branded for teens, I am 27 and I feel like his books have such important messages for anyone of any age. Mojo is a coming of age mystery novel, which made it more unique. It had a lot of twist and turns as well as impactful messages about embracing yourself, which I found amazing. This is probably my second favorite book of his after the spectacular now really good and relatable for me.
August 8, 2017
For about 3/4ths of this book, everything was moving very slowly and I was even considering abandoning it. But, I'm glad I stuck with it and toiled on because the ending was worth it. The ending was very unexpected.
July 6, 2019
Dylan is what he himself views as an average person, lost in the middleness of life when he decides to seek out his fortune investigating the disappearance of a rich girl. There were aspects of this story that I did enjoy like the twist and the ending however I found myself bored for a lot of it.
June 1, 2023
i give it like a 3.5, it was okay and pretty straightforward. a unexpected plot twist towards the end that surprised me but other than that it was pretty unexciting. the ending was cute though! probably wont reread but dont regret reading it
December 12, 2019
i loved this book, its perfect for people who like mystery and detective movies. it is very interesting and realistic. it had a great twist and the end and takes place in a highschool.
Read
December 22, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Murder
Gun violence
Poisoning
Murder
Gun violence
Poisoning
December 20, 2022
Meh-
Tbh i found the main characters personality very annoying, but that's just me.
Tbh i found the main characters personality very annoying, but that's just me.
February 10, 2024
was good as hell in middle school but re-reading it as an adult was...something.
March 10, 2013
Mojo by Tim Tharp is an amazing story. I loved it. I have to admit though that before I began it I wasn’t all that intrigued, I thought it would be one of those mysteries where you could guess the ending, but with Mojo you couldn’t.
Tim jumps right into the plot. He writes very detailed descriptions but not with ones you don’t care about. They are the ones that ultimately lead to the outcome or ones that make it so we can feel sympathy or animosity towards the separate characters.
He also, right from the beginning explains where the title came from. Dylan is tired of being called “Body Bag” and tells Audrey that he needs mojo or power and then he will get the respect he deserves. Then he comes up with a plan to get mojo with Audrey’s help.
The whole novel is weaved together with care. Shocking discoveries are made at the right moments. Even Dylan gets shocked by the outcomes of his search. We, along with Dylan are mislead as to who the culprit is. His search leads him to many rash conclusions and decisions. Along the way he learns that he is not only solving one mystery but two and that they are interconnected. We are lead to believe that innocent people are guilty of heinous crimes and the wrong people are perceived to be the good ones. This is what leads to the shocking conclusion.
His characters are complex and believable. They are people that I know. Randy and Dylan set the whole story into motion. Randy is a smart mouthed person. He’s not afraid of anyone or anything and that gets them into trouble with two big guys and when they run away from them. Dylan jumps into a dumpster and finds a dead body. Dylan is the opposite of Randy, he cares what people think and doesn’t like to get into trouble. He is a calculating character who chooses his words carefully. This burger loving, crime show watching character doesn’t like to be put in danger.
Audrey, Dylan’s best friend is sweet and loving.. She doesn’t care what people think and she sticks up for the people she cares about and for what she believes in.
Then there are the Hollisterites, the rich kids that Dylan befriends. Ashton went to school with them and Dylan thinks that they my be able to help him solve the mystery. Nash and Brett are nice to Dylan at first but we quickly learn that they aren’t as nice as they’d want you ti believe. They think that anybody that they believe to be beneath them, they can control. Rowan who is one of the main suspects seems flamboyant and idiosyncratic but he’s really just trying to keep up appearences.
Then there’s Trix, Audrey’s newfound lve and although she attends Hollister, shes nothing like the reat of the kids that og there. She’s the one that remains loyal and honest to Dylan and she even helps in his investigation. Shes an intelligent girl, only there for those that she cares for.
Tres and Ashton are siblings. We know right away that Tres is up to something. Ashton is missing and he doesn’t seem to care enough. We are lead to believe that Ashton is a person who went from being stuck up to sweet when she really didn’t. these two characters perform some evil actions that I wont go into because it would give away the whole story.
The dialouge is realistic and each character has their own unique voice. They speak and act like real teenagers that live in the conditions that they placed in.
I think that one of the major themes is friendship and trust. Also theres bulling involved and a persons true personality.
If I were to put Mojo on a scale of 1 t 10 it would be a nine, 10 is reserved for my very favorite books and Mojo would have to be my favorite mystery book and pretty close to the rest. I recommend this book for all those ya mystery fans and even for those that like ya in general and are willing to go out of their comfort zones because I don’t generally like mysteries too much but I did this one.
Tim jumps right into the plot. He writes very detailed descriptions but not with ones you don’t care about. They are the ones that ultimately lead to the outcome or ones that make it so we can feel sympathy or animosity towards the separate characters.
He also, right from the beginning explains where the title came from. Dylan is tired of being called “Body Bag” and tells Audrey that he needs mojo or power and then he will get the respect he deserves. Then he comes up with a plan to get mojo with Audrey’s help.
The whole novel is weaved together with care. Shocking discoveries are made at the right moments. Even Dylan gets shocked by the outcomes of his search. We, along with Dylan are mislead as to who the culprit is. His search leads him to many rash conclusions and decisions. Along the way he learns that he is not only solving one mystery but two and that they are interconnected. We are lead to believe that innocent people are guilty of heinous crimes and the wrong people are perceived to be the good ones. This is what leads to the shocking conclusion.
His characters are complex and believable. They are people that I know. Randy and Dylan set the whole story into motion. Randy is a smart mouthed person. He’s not afraid of anyone or anything and that gets them into trouble with two big guys and when they run away from them. Dylan jumps into a dumpster and finds a dead body. Dylan is the opposite of Randy, he cares what people think and doesn’t like to get into trouble. He is a calculating character who chooses his words carefully. This burger loving, crime show watching character doesn’t like to be put in danger.
Audrey, Dylan’s best friend is sweet and loving.. She doesn’t care what people think and she sticks up for the people she cares about and for what she believes in.
Then there are the Hollisterites, the rich kids that Dylan befriends. Ashton went to school with them and Dylan thinks that they my be able to help him solve the mystery. Nash and Brett are nice to Dylan at first but we quickly learn that they aren’t as nice as they’d want you ti believe. They think that anybody that they believe to be beneath them, they can control. Rowan who is one of the main suspects seems flamboyant and idiosyncratic but he’s really just trying to keep up appearences.
Then there’s Trix, Audrey’s newfound lve and although she attends Hollister, shes nothing like the reat of the kids that og there. She’s the one that remains loyal and honest to Dylan and she even helps in his investigation. Shes an intelligent girl, only there for those that she cares for.
Tres and Ashton are siblings. We know right away that Tres is up to something. Ashton is missing and he doesn’t seem to care enough. We are lead to believe that Ashton is a person who went from being stuck up to sweet when she really didn’t. these two characters perform some evil actions that I wont go into because it would give away the whole story.
The dialouge is realistic and each character has their own unique voice. They speak and act like real teenagers that live in the conditions that they placed in.
I think that one of the major themes is friendship and trust. Also theres bulling involved and a persons true personality.
If I were to put Mojo on a scale of 1 t 10 it would be a nine, 10 is reserved for my very favorite books and Mojo would have to be my favorite mystery book and pretty close to the rest. I recommend this book for all those ya mystery fans and even for those that like ya in general and are willing to go out of their comfort zones because I don’t generally like mysteries too much but I did this one.
Read
November 21, 2014Mojo by Tim Tharp is about a high school student named Dylan searching for mojo something that will give him respect and popularity. After escaping from some thugs chasing him and his friend randy he ends up in a dumpster with a dead person who turns out to be his classmate then being threatened by the police, and bullied by the kids at school that got him the name “body bag,” Dylan decides on something he has never done before. He hears about a missing girl from a rich high school and decides that he is going to find her making him the savior of a rich girl and the reward money in his pockets would be great. But as he enters into the world of an investigators he finds that the rich school world is not as great as he had thought and that some people have reasons to keep him from finding out the truth about this girl.
There are somethings that i didn't like about the book. One thing for example would be how short the chapters are majority of the chapters are 3 pages sometimes even 2. the book started off very nicely it was interesting and it was a page turner but as i continued to read the book it got slower and more boring. Also there were to many side stories for my liking some of the people that received side stories did not stay the length of the book so that was a waste of time. Also i feel as the the author tried to hard to talk like a teenager it made the book seem childish to me. Also the ending was not really a twist as i was reading i just thought about it and i figured out who kidnapped the girl.So The twist that was supposed to be at the end was a complete let down.
Despite the faults of the book i would recommended it to a younger audience that has not read to many mystery books but is still looking for a small twist. People who want to really analyze books and enjoy reading bad books just to rip on them. I wouldnt read the next book in this serious.
There are somethings that i didn't like about the book. One thing for example would be how short the chapters are majority of the chapters are 3 pages sometimes even 2. the book started off very nicely it was interesting and it was a page turner but as i continued to read the book it got slower and more boring. Also there were to many side stories for my liking some of the people that received side stories did not stay the length of the book so that was a waste of time. Also i feel as the the author tried to hard to talk like a teenager it made the book seem childish to me. Also the ending was not really a twist as i was reading i just thought about it and i figured out who kidnapped the girl.So The twist that was supposed to be at the end was a complete let down.
Despite the faults of the book i would recommended it to a younger audience that has not read to many mystery books but is still looking for a small twist. People who want to really analyze books and enjoy reading bad books just to rip on them. I wouldnt read the next book in this serious.
February 20, 2016
Mojo by Tim Tharp is a realistic-fiction novel about these two juniors who are close friends, named Dylan and Randy, who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. First they are chased and end up where they wouldn't want to be. They ran through the school parking lot and split up. Randy ran in the school and Dylan decided to run in an alley. He had nowhere else to go so and his only option left was to go in the dumpster. The guys they were running from find Dylan and see the body. Immediately they run off. Dylan can finally see and sees the dead body. It turns out he is another student that attends his school. His name is Hector Maldonado. Once cops got all they evidence the boys were already main suspects and after that the two were determined to get their names cleared. So the Dylan, Randy, and they gay friend Audrey. The three start to get a lot of clues built up even on a another murder similar to Hector's death. They found out the murderer of Hector and Ashton Browning, who was the same guy. The boys end up getting their names cleared.
There are several things I like about this book. The suspense and action while all three friends are out looking for clues to murders of Hector and Ashton. It is very exciting throughout the whole entire book. Also the best thing about the book is that it keeps the reader wanting for more. It is very hard to stop reading or especially before the chapter is over. The only thing I disliked was that things were very coincidencentally happening. An example is that it only took a couple clues for three to connect Hector's and Ashton"s murder.
I would highly recommend this book. It is a very interesting book. It is filled with action and suspense. It is really a thriller. The book really kept me wanting for more and more. I really could not stop reading, especially in between chapters. If you are really into things like mysteries and suspenseful things I would really recommend this book to you.
There are several things I like about this book. The suspense and action while all three friends are out looking for clues to murders of Hector and Ashton. It is very exciting throughout the whole entire book. Also the best thing about the book is that it keeps the reader wanting for more. It is very hard to stop reading or especially before the chapter is over. The only thing I disliked was that things were very coincidencentally happening. An example is that it only took a couple clues for three to connect Hector's and Ashton"s murder.
I would highly recommend this book. It is a very interesting book. It is filled with action and suspense. It is really a thriller. The book really kept me wanting for more and more. I really could not stop reading, especially in between chapters. If you are really into things like mysteries and suspenseful things I would really recommend this book to you.
November 12, 2013
I didn't really enjoy Mojo very much. I felt it was contrived and unrealistic.
I'm going to give you the Amazon.com summary:
All Dylan wants is mojo. What is mojo? It's power. The ability to command respect. It's everything Dylan doesn't have. He gets no respect at school, and when he finds the dead body of a classmate, even the police push him around. All the thanks he gets for trying to help the investigation with his crime drama skills is a new nickname at school: Body Bag. So when Dylan hears about a missing rich girl from the other side of town, he jumps at the chance to dive into this mystery. Surely if he cracks a case involving a girl this beautiful and this rich, he'll get not only a hefty cash reward, but the mojo he's looking for.
His investigation takes him into the world of an elite private high school and an underground club called Gangland. As Dylan—along with his loyal friends Audrey and Randy—falls down the rabbit hole, lured by the power of privilege, he begins to lose himself. And the stakes of the game keep getting higher.
My review:
I thought Dylan made some really bad decisions. He was extremely naive, and this allowed him to end up in some really strange situations that to me seemed overly dramatic. The private school kids were very stereotypical and also unbelievable. The parents were almost non-existent.
I thought the premise was interesting, and the ending did have a bit of tension, but again, I just didn't believe any of it. My favorite character was the homeless person, Rockin' Rhonda. She was entertaining. I thought the friendship between Dylan and Audrey was genuine. So, there was some good stuff, but mostly Mojo was a disappointment. I didn't really like The Spectacular Now either (yes, I know, finalist for the National Book Award), so maybe Tharp just isn't the writer for me.
I'm going to give you the Amazon.com summary:
All Dylan wants is mojo. What is mojo? It's power. The ability to command respect. It's everything Dylan doesn't have. He gets no respect at school, and when he finds the dead body of a classmate, even the police push him around. All the thanks he gets for trying to help the investigation with his crime drama skills is a new nickname at school: Body Bag. So when Dylan hears about a missing rich girl from the other side of town, he jumps at the chance to dive into this mystery. Surely if he cracks a case involving a girl this beautiful and this rich, he'll get not only a hefty cash reward, but the mojo he's looking for.
His investigation takes him into the world of an elite private high school and an underground club called Gangland. As Dylan—along with his loyal friends Audrey and Randy—falls down the rabbit hole, lured by the power of privilege, he begins to lose himself. And the stakes of the game keep getting higher.
My review:
I thought Dylan made some really bad decisions. He was extremely naive, and this allowed him to end up in some really strange situations that to me seemed overly dramatic. The private school kids were very stereotypical and also unbelievable. The parents were almost non-existent.
I thought the premise was interesting, and the ending did have a bit of tension, but again, I just didn't believe any of it. My favorite character was the homeless person, Rockin' Rhonda. She was entertaining. I thought the friendship between Dylan and Audrey was genuine. So, there was some good stuff, but mostly Mojo was a disappointment. I didn't really like The Spectacular Now either (yes, I know, finalist for the National Book Award), so maybe Tharp just isn't the writer for me.
September 10, 2015
Mojo by Tim Tharp takes place in Oklahoma City, and is about a boy named Dylan who wants nothing more in life than some "mojo" which will give him power and respect because as of the beginning of the story, he has neither of those things. He ends up finding the dead body of a classmate inside of a dumpster and gets stuck with the nickname "bodybag" which lowers his respect level even more. Soon after that, Dylan finds out about a rich girl from a private school across town who has gone missing, Ashton Browning. He starts investigating immediately in search of the girl and the "mojo" he needs. As him and his two best friends Audrey and Randy continue to investigate, they realize this case is a whole lot deeper than anybody thought, as they cross paths with crooks, criminals, and gangs along to way to finding Ashton. Not to mention snooty rich kids with more than a few tricks up their sleeves. An important quote from the book is " 'Go for it' Rhonda said cheerfully. 'I'm gonna come at you like a cross-fire hurricane' ". I chose this quote because it was said by "Rockin' Rhonda", a seemlingly unimportant character who ended up playing a big role in the story. I rate this book a 5/5. The storyline was very interesting and i found it extremely hard to put down because of how much it reeled me in. There is one major plot twist that you will never see coming. As I read the book, I thought up my own theories about what happened to Ashton, but all of them were proven wrong by the end of the book. I never could've predicted it. Mojo was very well written, and had a good balance of humor, action, and mystery. I 100% recommend this book to everyone.
October 11, 2021
Ugh! What a stinker of a book. Dylan is a bullied kid who stumbles upon a body in a dumpster while evading bullies. Moronic, unrealistic drama ensues and it seems like Dylan wants so badly to be liked that he is blinded to the obvious hypocrisy of his so-called new friends.
When another person disappears, Dylan turns amateur sleuth to find the missing girl and a possible connection to the body in the dumpster. When he comes dangerously close to solving the mystery, he finds himself the next target in a sinister game.
This book is an epic fail of unrealistic plot lines, bad usage of the English language, the same old "parents are clueless" baloney and some very bad language, in general. I get that the target audience are teens but the novel tries too hard to be liked in employing all these overused cliches.
Tharp uses the phrases, "So I'm like" and "he goes" when he means to say " he said or " I said". We know many people use this bad grammar on a daily basis but it is really distracting here. The foul language is over the top. Ironically, he uses the word "crap" instead of "sh**", but doesn't bother to find another word for calling someone the male member. It didn't make the book any more interesting.
The young people are depicted in this novel as shallow and depraved. I haven't encountered any teenagers like these and hope never to. Dylan calls his parents clueless yet he is the most clueless as he can't even tell when someone is being sincere.
The whole book just came off far-fetched and left an unsettling feeling in my stomach.
When another person disappears, Dylan turns amateur sleuth to find the missing girl and a possible connection to the body in the dumpster. When he comes dangerously close to solving the mystery, he finds himself the next target in a sinister game.
This book is an epic fail of unrealistic plot lines, bad usage of the English language, the same old "parents are clueless" baloney and some very bad language, in general. I get that the target audience are teens but the novel tries too hard to be liked in employing all these overused cliches.
Tharp uses the phrases, "So I'm like" and "he goes" when he means to say " he said or " I said". We know many people use this bad grammar on a daily basis but it is really distracting here. The foul language is over the top. Ironically, he uses the word "crap" instead of "sh**", but doesn't bother to find another word for calling someone the male member. It didn't make the book any more interesting.
The young people are depicted in this novel as shallow and depraved. I haven't encountered any teenagers like these and hope never to. Dylan calls his parents clueless yet he is the most clueless as he can't even tell when someone is being sincere.
The whole book just came off far-fetched and left an unsettling feeling in my stomach.
May 8, 2013
The only person who can keep a secret forever is a dead one, so knowing more leaves a person more susceptible to danger. Nonetheless, Dylan still seeks knowledge, because he believes knowledge comes with power, or mojo. Dylan’s high school life is not entirely pleasing and worsens after the incident of discovering the body of a school mate, Hector Maldonado in a dumpster. Dylan is referred to as “Body Bag” ever since. When a local girl, Ashton Browning, from another high school goes missing, Dylan suspects there is a correlation between the two recent cases, so Dylan and his friend Audrey get drawn to investigate. The story takes on many unusual turns from the investigation on as Dylan and Audrey grasp privilege and mojo closer to themselves as well as attracting unpredictable danger. “When a beautiful girl goes missing, don’t go look for her; mojo (mo-jo), noun, 1. a magic spell, 2. a charm meant to carry a spell, 3. magnetism.”
July 23, 2015
I wasn't really sure if I was going to like this book. I've been on a teen fiction kick, mostly in an attempt to squeeze them all in before I no longer qualify as a teen, so I thought I'd give the book a chance. Also the cover is kinda cool.
The main surprise of this book is that the main character was likable. He wasn't a complete idiot (for the most part). And the parts where he seemed to not be the brightest, it was believable because he was a young, naive teenager.
The only thing that prevents me from giving the book 5 stars is how the author demonizes rich people. Sure there's bad rich people, but there's bad poor people too, as well as bad middle class people and everyone in between. But for some reason all the wealthy people in this story are either psychopaths or named Trix. Maybe the author had a sour run-in with some rich folks.
All in all good mystery, but the characters are pretty solidly split between good and evil, or at least good and not-capable-of-human-feelings.
The main surprise of this book is that the main character was likable. He wasn't a complete idiot (for the most part). And the parts where he seemed to not be the brightest, it was believable because he was a young, naive teenager.
The only thing that prevents me from giving the book 5 stars is how the author demonizes rich people. Sure there's bad rich people, but there's bad poor people too, as well as bad middle class people and everyone in between. But for some reason all the wealthy people in this story are either psychopaths or named Trix. Maybe the author had a sour run-in with some rich folks.
All in all good mystery, but the characters are pretty solidly split between good and evil, or at least good and not-capable-of-human-feelings.
May 30, 2013
Mojo means power! It commands respect. What every teenager desires in that phase of life where he is discovering himself and facing lot of challenges and fears while going through the tumultuous phase
Tim Thorpe has really weaved a good story line.
Dylan a highschooler who is bullied at school and considers himself at the lowest rung of the social ladder and dreams of acheiving the MOJO status. He gets involved in a murder mystery, as he finds the body of Hector M in the garbage can where he hides himself from bullies. He dreams of becoming a investigative reporter and watches a lot of mystery serials, so he is curious how Hector died. He goes to the boy's funeral and meets his family and is asked questions which makes him curious
Another highschooler from an upscale school goes missing and Dylan along with his friends Audrey and Randy get involved in solving the mysterty
Tim Thorpe has really weaved a good story line.
Dylan a highschooler who is bullied at school and considers himself at the lowest rung of the social ladder and dreams of acheiving the MOJO status. He gets involved in a murder mystery, as he finds the body of Hector M in the garbage can where he hides himself from bullies. He dreams of becoming a investigative reporter and watches a lot of mystery serials, so he is curious how Hector died. He goes to the boy's funeral and meets his family and is asked questions which makes him curious
Another highschooler from an upscale school goes missing and Dylan along with his friends Audrey and Randy get involved in solving the mysterty
July 27, 2015
Mojo was a book I wanted to like, but I just couldn't. The story had a lot of problems, starting with the main character. He was supposed to be an average guy, looking for some respect, and that, theoretically, should make him seem human and connectable to readers. Was he human? Without a doubt; he was fleshed out relatively well. Connectable? Not so much. I think it had a lot to do with the choices he made; he was blindly trusting and wound up buried in some serious shit that was just impossible to believe. Sure, parents have let their kids get away with drugs, drinking, and sex, but the kids from "Gangland" took it all to impossibly stupid new levels.
The novel just took you to very unexpected and unbelievable places, but not in a good way; it felt more like, "God, what was this guy on when he wrote this?" as you got further and further into the book.
The novel just took you to very unexpected and unbelievable places, but not in a good way; it felt more like, "God, what was this guy on when he wrote this?" as you got further and further into the book.
July 23, 2016
I did not like this book. I think my main problem was that I really didn't like any of the main characters. In fact I hated them. What I did like was the whole Hollister element in this story. I loved Brett and Nash and Ashton and Aisling and Gangland. I just love rich, beautiful, dark, and dangerous people. I would have liked this story a lot more if it was situated completely within the Hollister world and with the Hollister crowd. Audrey wasn't that bad I guess, but I just wasn't interested in anything that was going on with her. Randy was godawful and I just wanted him to disappear. And Dylan...for a main character especially, he was entirely unappealing and I was not rooting for him at all. I was very much on the Hollister crowd's side so it was disappointing that they went down in the end. Obviously, I would not recommend this book.
April 27, 2013
I was expecting a completely different book. I really enjoyed it. I think the thing that appealed to me the most was the main character. Dylan isn't the most popular kid. He is just your average teen trying to make it through high school intact. He isn't spoiled and has parents that pay attention to him. Even if he thinks they are lame. It's a real coming of age story. Through the mystery, he learns who is true friends are and what is really important in life. Mojo isn't all it's cracked up to be.
I will say that I kind of had parts of the mystery figured out before the reveal, there were still a couple of surprises. The other characters in the book were great as well. I also found some great LOL moments in the book. It's a fun book and definitely one you shouldn't miss!
I will say that I kind of had parts of the mystery figured out before the reveal, there were still a couple of surprises. The other characters in the book were great as well. I also found some great LOL moments in the book. It's a fun book and definitely one you shouldn't miss!
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