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Evil Eye
Jake knew that a field trip to the cemetery would lead to bad things. Bad things like an angry class bully. Bad things like a mysterious tombstone. Bad things like a scratched eyeball. Most scratched eyeballs heal up in no time. They don't pop out of their sockets or float in the air or help you cheat on your math test. And they almost never go off in search of revenge. Now Jake's eyeball has a mind of its own, and it's up to Jake to find out what it's after and why. Whatever it is, it's something ancient. Something evil.
- GenresMiddle Grade
192 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2012
About the author
Jeff Szpirglas
35 books11 followersJeff Szpirglas has had a varied career. He's shoveled manure, worked in a steelyard (he hails from Hamilton, after all), and even frolicked in the offices at CTV Television and Chirp, chickaDEE, and OWL magazines, where he was the kids' page editor. His manure-shoveling days long behind him, Jeff currently teaches children by day and writes books/fights supervillains by night.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 21, 2014
I was so thrilled to have gotten a free review copy of this book because I loved the idea of a floating disembodied eyeball and its adventures.
I read the entire book in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down. I don't want to give too much away, but the book went in directions I wasn't expecting and this is an unusual occurrence in books of this genre. (When I was a kid I used to get disappointed because the majority of the time I could guess the ending or at least part of it.) This is a book that will appeal to readers of all ages, provided they can handle the idea of an eyeball moving independently from its host body. :-)
If you're jumpy, don't read it at night. This book likely would have given me nightmares as a kid, but I was a sensitive child. There are the typical issues of middle school -- bullying, the fact that friends make life bearable at times, math anxiety. The kind of things I don't miss!
Jake is a better man than I would have been as far as his reaction to some of the things his eye did, particularly with regards to the bully. The characters are well developed and there were plenty of unexpected twists to keep it interesting. I guarantee any kid (or kid at heart!) with a love for the weird will be enthralled by the story -- how can you go wrong with an eyeball that has a mind of its own?
I read the entire book in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down. I don't want to give too much away, but the book went in directions I wasn't expecting and this is an unusual occurrence in books of this genre. (When I was a kid I used to get disappointed because the majority of the time I could guess the ending or at least part of it.) This is a book that will appeal to readers of all ages, provided they can handle the idea of an eyeball moving independently from its host body. :-)
If you're jumpy, don't read it at night. This book likely would have given me nightmares as a kid, but I was a sensitive child. There are the typical issues of middle school -- bullying, the fact that friends make life bearable at times, math anxiety. The kind of things I don't miss!
Jake is a better man than I would have been as far as his reaction to some of the things his eye did, particularly with regards to the bully. The characters are well developed and there were plenty of unexpected twists to keep it interesting. I guarantee any kid (or kid at heart!) with a love for the weird will be enthralled by the story -- how can you go wrong with an eyeball that has a mind of its own?
January 31, 2015
Jake is a nice guy... maybe too nice for his own good and following his best friend Jonathan around does not help keep him out of trouble. In fact, with Jonathan’s propensity for wandering off on school trips their latest outing to the local cemetery is just another ‘good excuse’ for him to get his ‘curiosity’ on. The problem is, what they find there is more than just a few bruises and scrapes... even more than a wedgie from the school bully – it’s enough to make your eyes pop out... or at least one.
As an adult reading this book what I loved about Evil Eye is how well it explains why kids go from relatively normal or average, nice little humans and suddenly when they get to that age (pre-teen/early teens) things start going haywire... like they’re suddenly not the same kid anymore. Szpirglas had me flipping one page after the other toward the end of the book trying to figure out how he could possibly end the story with so few pages of words left. In all actuality I was disappointed at first but then, I realized why a big chunk of the action was missing and I had to applaud him for the added suspense. Evil Eye ends in such a way that it could either stand alone or be the first in a trilogy, which is great for young readers.
My favourite part of the book is actually a very teacherly moment (as that’s an aspect of our background that both Jeff and I share) when Jake’s hand is out of his control and gives a finger... the wrong finger... to his teacher! Jake’s mortification battles his inability to explain and he actually learns a lot about his ability to roll with the punches. In fact, Jake’s growth as a young human is masterfully revealed through Szpirglas’ ability to toss the incredible at this kid and see just how we’re able to deal with the worst and still manage to survive.
The only reason I haven’t given Evil Eye top marks is for personal reasons – it was a great book but it didn’t “wow” me as a reader. Without a doubt though, middle grade male readers who like a good scare should definitely read this book.
As an adult reading this book what I loved about Evil Eye is how well it explains why kids go from relatively normal or average, nice little humans and suddenly when they get to that age (pre-teen/early teens) things start going haywire... like they’re suddenly not the same kid anymore. Szpirglas had me flipping one page after the other toward the end of the book trying to figure out how he could possibly end the story with so few pages of words left. In all actuality I was disappointed at first but then, I realized why a big chunk of the action was missing and I had to applaud him for the added suspense. Evil Eye ends in such a way that it could either stand alone or be the first in a trilogy, which is great for young readers.
My favourite part of the book is actually a very teacherly moment (as that’s an aspect of our background that both Jeff and I share) when Jake’s hand is out of his control and gives a finger... the wrong finger... to his teacher! Jake’s mortification battles his inability to explain and he actually learns a lot about his ability to roll with the punches. In fact, Jake’s growth as a young human is masterfully revealed through Szpirglas’ ability to toss the incredible at this kid and see just how we’re able to deal with the worst and still manage to survive.
The only reason I haven’t given Evil Eye top marks is for personal reasons – it was a great book but it didn’t “wow” me as a reader. Without a doubt though, middle grade male readers who like a good scare should definitely read this book.
August 27, 2014
The book is about what you'd expect with a flying eyeball on the cover. If you enjoyed Tales from the Cryptkeeper, Goosebumps, and Are you Afraid of the Dark? you should enjoy this story.
[I won a copy from Goodreads First reads Giveaways.]
[I won a copy from Goodreads First reads Giveaways.]
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews