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The King and The Kid #1
The King and The Kid
Champions come in all shapes and sizes...sometimes with six fingers. Fans that enjoy John Flanagan's Ranger Apprentice or James Dashner's The Maze Runner will certainly enjoy KONNRAD's THE KING AND THE KID. When fourteen-year old Vince sets his sights on saving a kidnapped girl, he's stunned to find out who's behind the heinous crime - the very man he must partner with to save all he holds dear. Even with the help from his best friend, a Goth girl that has a huge crush on him, and a little black dog, will it be enough to stave off villainous scientist, Bile Overbeater, and his deadly biological weapon? THE KING AND THE KID is an exciting tale of adventure, misadventure, mystery, romance, and sport for "The Kid" in all of us.
- GenresYoung Adult
334 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2013
3 people are currently reading
458 people want to read
About the author
Konnrad
4 books3 followersRaised in Texas, Konnrad now lives in the Coastal Carolinas with his family. He has two young children that, thankfully, love to read.
In his spare time, Konnrad loves to read, play golf, and of course, write. His first novel, The King and The Kid, published in 2013, depicts the adventures of Vince James. With the help of a little black dog and his peculiar friends, they set off to rescue a kidnapped girl. They’re stunned by what they find! Konnrad’s second novel, Thunderstorm, published in 2014, continues with Vince’s adventures. Everyone thinks brilliant scientist, Bile Overbeater, is a hero. He seems to be the only one who can stop the horrific storms that are wreaking havoc around the globe. Vince believes he’s a murderer. With his quirky friends in tow, they search for evidence to solve the mystery. What they discover is mind-boggling. Swarm, soon to published, is the third thrilling book in The King and The Kid series. Overbeater is out for revenge. Vince can’t make a move without a swarm of insects attacking him.
In his spare time, Konnrad loves to read, play golf, and of course, write. His first novel, The King and The Kid, published in 2013, depicts the adventures of Vince James. With the help of a little black dog and his peculiar friends, they set off to rescue a kidnapped girl. They’re stunned by what they find! Konnrad’s second novel, Thunderstorm, published in 2014, continues with Vince’s adventures. Everyone thinks brilliant scientist, Bile Overbeater, is a hero. He seems to be the only one who can stop the horrific storms that are wreaking havoc around the globe. Vince believes he’s a murderer. With his quirky friends in tow, they search for evidence to solve the mystery. What they discover is mind-boggling. Swarm, soon to published, is the third thrilling book in The King and The Kid series. Overbeater is out for revenge. Vince can’t make a move without a swarm of insects attacking him.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 12, 2016
A great book! I could hardly even find the will to put it down to make some food. Awesome book!!!
February 6, 2015
Writing quality young adult fiction seems to me that it would be a very difficult task. Developing believable characters and an interesting plot, and then finding the right tone, one that will engage young readers yet still challenge them, is key. The tone can be serious, as in The Hunger Games or the Divergent trilogy, or it can be humorous, like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. It can even be designed to get young readers thinking about serious life issues, as in The Giver.
I am honestly not 100% sure which way the author was trying to go in this book. It contains a serious plot involving kidnappings, both attempted and thwarted, and very real questions about a family dealing with the loss the mother's death, the father's subsequent breakdown, and the potential loss of their home. Add to the mix the everyday trials of teenagers trying to deal with school, relationships, and generally growing up, and there are all the elements for a really good young adult novel.
However, the author here has chosen to develop characters that are almost cartoonish in nature. The hero of the book, a boy named Vince, has an extra finger that supposedly gives him incredible strength in his right hand. Not only can he save his sister from being kidnapped with just one punch to a much larger man, he can also drive a golf ball like a seasoned professional golfer. The antagonist, a mad scientist named Bile Overbeater, is making deals with a stereotypical Middle Eastern bad guy; one of his lackeys is a dim-witted, overweight thug named Bubba. Really? Could we possibly paint with broader strokes than that?
I believe that this book was written with tweens, rather than teens, in mind. Even acknowledging that, I think that most kids in middle school will find much of this book silly, but not funny; serious but not seriously done; and a fun read, but not enough to recommend to their friends. Readers, young and old alike, cared about Katniss Everdeen, and wanted to know what would happen to her in Catching Fire. The same was true with Tris and Four in Divergent. I don't envision anyone anxiously awaiting the next book in this series to see what happens next for Vince.
I am honestly not 100% sure which way the author was trying to go in this book. It contains a serious plot involving kidnappings, both attempted and thwarted, and very real questions about a family dealing with the loss the mother's death, the father's subsequent breakdown, and the potential loss of their home. Add to the mix the everyday trials of teenagers trying to deal with school, relationships, and generally growing up, and there are all the elements for a really good young adult novel.
However, the author here has chosen to develop characters that are almost cartoonish in nature. The hero of the book, a boy named Vince, has an extra finger that supposedly gives him incredible strength in his right hand. Not only can he save his sister from being kidnapped with just one punch to a much larger man, he can also drive a golf ball like a seasoned professional golfer. The antagonist, a mad scientist named Bile Overbeater, is making deals with a stereotypical Middle Eastern bad guy; one of his lackeys is a dim-witted, overweight thug named Bubba. Really? Could we possibly paint with broader strokes than that?
I believe that this book was written with tweens, rather than teens, in mind. Even acknowledging that, I think that most kids in middle school will find much of this book silly, but not funny; serious but not seriously done; and a fun read, but not enough to recommend to their friends. Readers, young and old alike, cared about Katniss Everdeen, and wanted to know what would happen to her in Catching Fire. The same was true with Tris and Four in Divergent. I don't envision anyone anxiously awaiting the next book in this series to see what happens next for Vince.
May 7, 2015
I received this in a giveaway
A good story line with cool characters. The title immediately gives you ideas as to what the book is about, but it is in fact not as it seems. Never expected golf to be incorporated into the book at all.
Even though there were some grammatical errors, i thoroughly enjoyed it.
A good story line with cool characters. The title immediately gives you ideas as to what the book is about, but it is in fact not as it seems. Never expected golf to be incorporated into the book at all.
Even though there were some grammatical errors, i thoroughly enjoyed it.
February 20, 2014
The King and the Kid is an exciting tale reminiscent of many folk tales I grew up hearing before reading to my children. The characters were well-fleshed out and the action kept me turning the page. While geared to middle grades readers, I was quickly invested in the hero and rooted for him and his friends every step of the way. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment.
April 22, 2014
Gooreads first reads giveaway winner - This book was very unfocused. There are really two main storyline in this book which I find confusing. I would still say this book is a fine read for any teenager.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews