Catastrophe in Caseville

Michigan Chillers #16

by Johnathan Rand

When Shelby McConnell and her family travel from Toledo, Ohio to Caseville, Michigan, for the annual cheeseburger festival, she is going to have a great time. But this year, something is about to go horribly wrong when a mysterious, giant cheeseburger is set out to destroy the festival and the entire town. Who will stop the gigantic monstrosity? Or can the sinister sandwich be stopped at all?

204 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Christopher Wright is the author of dozens of horror fiction books for children and young adults. He writes under the pseudonyms Johnathan Rand and Christopher Knight. Almost all of Wright's books (save American Chillers) take place in his home state of Michigan.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

By book sixteen, Michigan Chillers had become a more professional product than in its early days. Eccentric punctuation, as well as frequent spelling and usage errors, were things of the past. Here we are in Caseville, Michigan, which would be just another tiny Midwestern city if not for the annual Cheeseburger in Caseville festival. Among the tourists in this book who travel to the event are Shelby McConnell from Toledo, Ohio, and Trent Walker from Kansas City, Missouri, the main kids in the story. The McConnell and Walker families coincidentally end up at adjacent campsites for the ten-day festival, and Shelby and Trent hit it off as friends right away. They cruise the city on their bikes as Caseville prepares for its signature event, but only one man knows the disaster headed their way.

Thaddeus P. Bunmaker stews in his high-tech basement, hating the people of Caseville like some parody of the Grinch. He moved to the city years ago with dreams of founding a restaurant that would make the finest cheeseburgers anywhere, but his culinary skills were no match for his hubris. The restaurant a failure, Bunmaker retreated from the public eye and was forgotten, but he hadn't left town as assumed. He was biding his time while building a gargantuan cheeseburger robot, and now he's ready to use it. The cheeseburger stalks through Caseville demolishing cars on the street and hurling projectiles at spectators, including Shelby and Trent. It fires cannons of ketchup, mustard, and relish, every action remotely controlled by Thaddeus P. Bunmaker in his basement. Perhaps the robot can't be stopped from destroying the Cheeseburger in Caseville celebration, but Shelby believes she knows who's behind it. There's a distinctive odor to the rampaging sandwich, one she smelled yesterday outside the house of a grouchy, secretive old man she and Trent exchanged words with. Could he be directing the cheeseburger's acts of violence? Confronting the man at his isolated home is risky, but if Shelby's suspicion is correct and she and Trent can stop him, they might save the city.

Not every element of Catastrophe in Caseville works, but I'm glad Johnathan Rand tried a few experiments in his storytelling. Having some chapters be told from the third-person perspective of the villain is an innovation for the Michigan Chillers series, even if it inhibits any sense of mystery. Thaddeus P. Bunmaker's inconsistent intelligence and ethical boundaries keep us from getting a real feel for him as a character, but Catastrophe in Caseville has fun moments regardless, and I'd rate it one and a half stars. Fans of the series should give it a read; you might like what you find.

[Max Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so scary, it made me shit my pants. The writer really knows his stuff. I had to stay up late with a flashlight because I could just not put it down. My parents don't like me to read scary books like this because shit is stinky but accidents happen. They don't want me to have another episode like when I read the book Attack of the Giant Carrot. By the time I got to the third act, it was already too late. My room now spells like shrek's swamp.

[Marina Fuga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hear me out. I started this book in between finishing an and waiting for a new book to arrive and it was honestly such an easily digestible read. I also really appreciate the few moments where you think something really crazy happened and it’s just like oh JK everyone’s all good and happy. Lol. I think that the narration could be improved a little bit in that the “I said” “he said” was a little distracting, but overall great book and great author.

[Jacob Brausa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michigan Chillers Catastrophe in Caseville was an amazing book as soon as I put it down I want to pick it back up again!

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for children to start them into the mystery themes. The author has several MICHIGAN CITIES that he writes about. Cute themes for
r the vacationing adolescents.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book ever to be made by man

[Jenn Puggini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun read, even for an adult!

[Adelynn Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

i hated this book.

[virginia]

I see the appeal for young readers!

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book because it is filled with great text and has some very great plot twists.

[Edy Gies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although not perfectly accurate, Catastrophe in Caseville was a fun story free of blood and gore. The author doesn't let the story be lame though. Michigan People, these are fun books to be sure!