Precocia: The Sixth Circle of Heck

The Nine Circles of Heck #6

by Dale E. Basye, Bob Dob (Illustrations)

Dale E. Basye sends Milton and Marlo to Precocia, the circle reserved for kids who grow up too fast, for their latest hilarious escapade in Heck.

When Bea "Elsa" Bubb, the Principal of Darkness, tells Milton and Marlo Fauster they've gotten too big for their britches, she sends them to Precocia, the circle of Heck for smartypants kids who grow up too fast. There, the children learn adult jobs. William the Kid teaches bill collection. Mozart teaches commercial jingles. And all the students are forced to act, dress, and talk like little adults. Soon, the Fausters realize that Precocia's vice principals Napoleon and Cleopatra want more than to hasten adulthood--they seem to want to eliminate childhood altogether. Can Milton and Marlo figure out their plan in time to stop it?

Heck is a school in the afterlife where bad kids go for all eternity, or until they turn eighteen, whichever comes first. As in Dante's Inferno, there are nine circles of Heck, based on kids' various vices. 

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Juvenile, Humor, Adventure

432 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Kelsey Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Wow, this one took me a long time. ADHD sucks.)
Not my favorite of the series, but I still thought the world building was insanely creative. And, my god, the puns in this one are KILLER. 👍

[Raynee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally the time travel trope would automatically put me off, but this was executed in such a creative way, it worked really well with the plotline! Great book.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I go on, I want to let everyone know that I am, in fact, a KID. Thirteen years old, to be exact. And, odd as it may be-- not to mention extremely rare-- I understood all the puns, Biblical references, mythical references, cultural references, and general not-from-the-twenty-first-century-puns/knowledge/background information jokes. This is because not only did both my parents spend time telling and showing me movies, stories, and pop culture references from " back in their day", I also read constantly and pick up background information from other books. To most kids my age, the AWESOME Heck books would be confusing and possibly boring, unfortunatly. However, I love these books because of that!! Before, I used to ask my mom why she made me watch I Love Lucy and made me listen to Jesus Christ Superstar, and she would say," So you can talk to adults". And even though I love adults and all (sadly I communicate with them more proficiantly than with my own friends sometimes) whenever she told me that I used to think, Why THE HECK DO I CARE AGAIN?? But now I'm glad she did that because I can enjoy these books while my friends go, Huh? What the crap is that?-- amd there's something satisfyingly halarious about that. Sorry, friends. I'm not gonna lie.;) I love these books- in fact, these are my favorite books! At times Precocia was a bit confusing-- what with the constant reality switches on Milton's side of the equasion-- but other then that, it was another wonderful book in a wonderful series. Hopefully this will continue to be the result in books to come- and I have no doubt it will! Lipptor-- now ' Wise Acres'- sounds really exciting! Also I'm hoping Zane will come back; its been two books with no sign of him. In conclusion, it was an awesome book and I'm glad a bought it. Oh, by the way, my favorite book in the series was Rapicia, although Heck and Fibble were close competitors. Hopefully Wise Acres will be my new favorite- who knows? :):):D

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I was of two minds as I read this entry in the Heck series as the author really went out on a limb and played out a plot involving alternate realities. It made a good story in and of itself but I kept wondering what the heck (heehee) this had to do with the overall plot of the series and why we weren't in Heck anymore. But Dale E. Basye manages to seamlessly bring it all together at the end; he had his fun with a wild plot and in the grand scheme it makes sense and takes the reader on a great adventure keeping the series fresh and exciting. Remember this is the author who inserted *himself* into two of the books brilliantly! Not anybody could pull that off and I've come to respect Basye as an author who knows how to write a series that the reader never knows what is going to happen next. I love the title of the next book, "Wise Acres', and am thrilled to see it will be published at the end of this year (2013). Yeah!

[Hannah Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series is losing steam. It's running out of plots, the historical figures are making less sense (what exactly did Marie Curie do to merit eternal darnation?), and it's not clear who the intended audience is. The references would be lost on most children, the plots are a little too juvenile for adults...

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5)
A great rebound from the ho-hum Snivel.

[Edie Creamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a mind f**k but wow the plot was so clever and out there. At times the time travel / alternate universe had me confused - I’m not really into sci-fi - but it was entertaining! Precocia was unlike any book we’ve seen in the series so far. This would be the book I would choose to re read in the series. I think a re read would make the time travel/ alternate universe plot more comprehensible. But that’s just me, I tend to speed read ! I also loved that Virgil made an appearance , I missed him :-) I’m excited to see where the plot goes next.


Also, Dale If you see this, please please finish the series. The loyal fans need to know how it ends.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, the time travel parts were good if confusing, and the author’s writing still appeals to me. However, the book was just a bit too scary for me, because this series is better at humor than horror. Why was it scary? It was due to my personal circumstances.

The book is set in Precocia, the circle of Heck for kids who grow up too fast. Besides the fact that precociousness is not a sin, it’s the place I would get send to if Heck existed and I died right after reading the book. There was some existential horror for me in that premise, as well as the villains’ plot to get rid of childhood. Or maybe that plot was wish fulfillment. Another thing about Precocia is that the sin might be… another form of precociousness. Which is only a sin if it wasn’t caused by abuse.

The ending was a bit of a cop-out, but still good, when the Fausters erase the existence of Precocia and change the name of the seventh circle of Heck from Lippitor to Wise Acres. I got the feeling the author only made it that way because “Wise Acres” is a better name for a circle dedicated to the sin of talking back than Lippitor. And that was the last Heck book I read. Not because I gave up, but because that was the last book published when I read the series. All in all, reading them was a good experience that might have shaped my early teens for the worse.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a twilight-zone-ish epsiode. Satan is put on trial, but the twins testimony leads to an unusual verdict. Afterward they are sent to Precocia, which is way too close to time pools and quantum forces for the good comfort of the universes connected to it, given the Precocia is run by a frustrated Napoleon, Cleopatra, and Kali. Milton spends most of the book in an alternate universe simulated experience in which the rotten VPs of Precocia have taken over the Earth and have made childhood and happiness punishable crimes. He needs to defeat them inside and then make sure it never happens. Meantime Elsa Bubb has sent an assassin after Milton into Precocia, while Michael the Archangel starts rearranging the underworld. This one's a page turner!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dale Basye is probably one of the cleverest authors I've ever encountered. If you are the parent, relative, or friend of an intelligent youth, do them a favor and start them on the Heck series. If you are an intelligent adult, do yourself a favor and enjoy this witty and mentally stimulating series!!! I can't emphasize enough how Basye manages to so flawlessly combine the funniest and silliest of potty humor with the sharpest, Wilde-like wordplay. And with every new addition to the series, the stories only get wackier and more entertaining. Even after six volumes, Basye keeps the series fresh.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continues to be outrageous, pun-filled fun, barreling to a conclusion in the next book, I believe (which makes sense - then the series is the seven circles of Heck. Dante is rolling in grave somewhere...)In spite of my love for this series, I've got to say that it's definitely a tough sell. It would take a very unique kid to fully appreciate the humor here, not to mention the half-baked philosophy - & also not be turned off by the fact that it's billed as a kid's book (I'm picturing someone almost certain to be old enough to find that offensive). Still, it's perfect fun for those of us who refuse to accept our status as adults as barring us from reading books ostensibly meant for kids.

[Kim Heimbuch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Milton and Marlo are still up to no good and this time it lands them at Precocia, the circle of Heck where they send kids, just like them, who have grown up too fast. In Precocia, they are expected to dress, talk, and act like little grown-ups ... Read the full review HERE

[Drucilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars. I think this rating comes mostly from the fact that the author goes back to the series' roots with this book. The story is focused on Marlo and Milton and the strange goings on in Precocia. It doesn't try to do too much with random subplots. The time travel plot did get a little complicated, but I guess it worked out well. This book restored my faith in the series.