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Patrick Griffin and the Three Worlds #1
Patrick Griffin's Last Breakfast on Earth
"Part Narnia. Part Home Alone. It wouldn't have shocked me to learn the book had been written by some guy named Lemony Vonnegut." —James Patterson, New York Times bestselling author
When Patrick Griffin passes out after a chemistry experiment gone bad, he wakes up in a strange parallel world, where everyone has huge eyes and tiny ears, and is addicted to smartphones called "binkies." Patrick thinks it's all a weird dream, but he's about to wake up to an adventure beyond his wildest imagination.
Meanwhile, a huge rabbit-like creature named Mr. BunBun is roaming through Patrick's hometown, leaving a trail of chaos behind it. Its mission? To save Earth from imminent doom.
See what happens when the fate of three worlds lies in the hands of one boy and one gigantic bunny in this first book of a hilarious and mind-bending new adventure series.
When Patrick Griffin passes out after a chemistry experiment gone bad, he wakes up in a strange parallel world, where everyone has huge eyes and tiny ears, and is addicted to smartphones called "binkies." Patrick thinks it's all a weird dream, but he's about to wake up to an adventure beyond his wildest imagination.
Meanwhile, a huge rabbit-like creature named Mr. BunBun is roaming through Patrick's hometown, leaving a trail of chaos behind it. Its mission? To save Earth from imminent doom.
See what happens when the fate of three worlds lies in the hands of one boy and one gigantic bunny in this first book of a hilarious and mind-bending new adventure series.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 2016
7 people are currently reading
375 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 25, 2016
When I first picked up this volume, I was just a bit intimidated - 400 pages for an unknown author requires some commitment on any readers part, but for me, it's a potential chore.
Truly, this book was written for me, and if only I could write, my biggest criticism would be that I didn't write it! It is at once snappy, quirky, and fun. Rust goes out of his way to pay loving homage to so many wonderful icons from the last hundred years of pop history - without stealing. This is the best form of graphic novel: One where all of the pictures are in your head. A difficult book to put down, and yet, if your constraint, for example, is time, Rust writes in short yet compelling chapters - perfect for todays fast food society. Unlike most tripe found in the civilization of our own making, however, Rust's words are actually meaningful, carefully and well chosen, say something, and ring true. That's pretty special for a partially unearthly fantasy!
Mr. Rust gives us character development - Patrick Griffin could have been me! - winning personalities (Mr. Bun Bun, for example), accessibility, and real life teen angst and rebellion, parental and societal, and best of all, hardly buried at all within the sense of peril, a terrific blast of fun.
A terrific ride. Highly recommended!
Truly, this book was written for me, and if only I could write, my biggest criticism would be that I didn't write it! It is at once snappy, quirky, and fun. Rust goes out of his way to pay loving homage to so many wonderful icons from the last hundred years of pop history - without stealing. This is the best form of graphic novel: One where all of the pictures are in your head. A difficult book to put down, and yet, if your constraint, for example, is time, Rust writes in short yet compelling chapters - perfect for todays fast food society. Unlike most tripe found in the civilization of our own making, however, Rust's words are actually meaningful, carefully and well chosen, say something, and ring true. That's pretty special for a partially unearthly fantasy!
Mr. Rust gives us character development - Patrick Griffin could have been me! - winning personalities (Mr. Bun Bun, for example), accessibility, and real life teen angst and rebellion, parental and societal, and best of all, hardly buried at all within the sense of peril, a terrific blast of fun.
A terrific ride. Highly recommended!
July 27, 2016
Patrick Griffin is in the middle of a large family, often lost among the attitude of the older siblings and the immediate needs of the younger ones. An accidental morning alone leads to an unexpected trip to an alternate Earth. Swapped to Earth in Patrick's place, a rogue jackalope hits the ground running to save the world from an evil overlord.
This is a slow, often tedious book. It's not terrible, and the pointed humor about human behavior is well taken. Still, well over a third of the way into the book, only one thing had happened: Patrick Griffin landed in Ith (pronounced "eye-th") where everyone has huge eyes, tiny ears, and an appalling addiction to cell phones ("binkies"). It's an intriguing setup, but it misses the needed tension for either adventure or thought-provoking sci-fi. Only the most dedicated readers will push through the overlong writing to get to the real action.
(Read as an ARC via NetGalley.)
This is a slow, often tedious book. It's not terrible, and the pointed humor about human behavior is well taken. Still, well over a third of the way into the book, only one thing had happened: Patrick Griffin landed in Ith (pronounced "eye-th") where everyone has huge eyes, tiny ears, and an appalling addiction to cell phones ("binkies"). It's an intriguing setup, but it misses the needed tension for either adventure or thought-provoking sci-fi. Only the most dedicated readers will push through the overlong writing to get to the real action.
(Read as an ARC via NetGalley.)
March 22, 2016
I loved this book by Ned Rust. Picture John Conner as a normal suburban kid, transported to another planet, like Earth, only to find out the world as you know it is in danger from evil technocrats. Now suppose you find out it is up to you to save it!
I can't wait for volume two
I can't wait for volume two
November 5, 2021
This book was long, but I don’t think anyone would ever say they wished it was shorter. I thought it was awesome and decided on the spot to recommend it specifically to my 13-year-old cousin. The characters were realistic, and while they weren’t perfect, that was what made the storyline interesting. I thought the story moved a little bit slowly looking back, but while I was reading it, I couldn’t get enough! My favorite parts were the parts where they flashed back to Earth to show the reaction of Patrick’s family when he was abducted. I thought it was especially creative how the author was able to let her characters on Ith know some things specific to Earth without making it weird that they knew it. I wished it would’ve concluded a bit better, but I’m crossing my fingers for a sequel!
I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley.
I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley.
October 21, 2016
Patrick Griffin's Last Breakfast on Earth is a fantasy-adventure novel entailing a 12 year old boy's accidental journey to another world. The other world is called "Ith" and has interesting inhabitants as well as literal out of this world technology. Patrick Griffin, who is the main character of this expedition, finds himself in the middle of a controlled society where its human-like civilians do not question the law and government.
I would recommend this book to those entering junior high, as there are great life lessons hidden in between the lines. At first, the story seemed incredibly lighthearted and innocent, but I found a greater meaning behind the pages. The book taught me to not become a mindless robot who doesn't question anything and does what it is told. It seemed to warn against falling into the deceptions of society and look for the true meaning of things. As the story unfolded, the book also taught family values and beautifully illustrated the love that parents have for their children. Patrick has unique siblings with stories of their own, and it is interesting to see how they deal with common issues that children and teens have today. Ned Rust carefully wove these morals into a fun and humorous adventure that made me chuckle at some parts and ponder in others.
In the final analysis, Patrick Griffin's Last Breakfast on Earth is a wonderful book for young, imaginative readers who love modern adventures.
Amanda T., age 14,Greater Los Angeles Area Mensa
I would recommend this book to those entering junior high, as there are great life lessons hidden in between the lines. At first, the story seemed incredibly lighthearted and innocent, but I found a greater meaning behind the pages. The book taught me to not become a mindless robot who doesn't question anything and does what it is told. It seemed to warn against falling into the deceptions of society and look for the true meaning of things. As the story unfolded, the book also taught family values and beautifully illustrated the love that parents have for their children. Patrick has unique siblings with stories of their own, and it is interesting to see how they deal with common issues that children and teens have today. Ned Rust carefully wove these morals into a fun and humorous adventure that made me chuckle at some parts and ponder in others.
In the final analysis, Patrick Griffin's Last Breakfast on Earth is a wonderful book for young, imaginative readers who love modern adventures.
Amanda T., age 14,Greater Los Angeles Area Mensa
February 27, 2016
I know this is supposed to be a kids book, but I enjoyed it so much. It kept me guessing, it's quirky and different. Would be fun read out loud to kids and when my son is a little older I think he will really enjoy it.
Read
July 28, 2016give this to a kid who isn't ready for the social commentary of a book like The Meaning of Smekday, but is looking for a book with an offbeat sense of humor, aliens, and good guy/bad guy adventures
(review from ARC)
(review from ARC)
May 13, 2016
This book is a wacky science fiction adventure. I found the comparison between cell phones and "binkies" hilarious. This is the beginning of a fun new series that YA readers will enjoy.
July 7, 2016
Surprisingly interesting and very silly in a good way, the plot and the humor really mash this up successful and I can't wait for a future book!
September 6, 2016
I really enjoyed how original this book was. I'm hoping there may be another as I would really enjoy getting to know Mr. BunBun more and finding out what happens. Definitly keeps you curious.
August 24, 2016
It's a good sci-fi book. It can be a bit slow at times, but it picks back up in a flash. I'll be looking for the sequel!
August 29, 2016
An absurdist time-travelers take on 1984. Fun, although long-winded in places. The character of Mr BunBun will stay with me for a while.
May 21, 2017
Rust, Ned Patrick Griffin’s Last Breakfast on Earth, 397 pages. Roaring Book Press, 2016. $16.99. Language: PG (2 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG;
Earth is not safe as long as Rex Abraham is on it. He has invented a virus that kills everybody over the age of 3 and has tested it out on the world called Ith. Patrick Griffin has just woken up in this other world and has been told he is to save the people of earth and Ith. But he thinks he is dreaming. It has to be a dream because he is only 12. How is a twelve-year-old going to save the world? Well, according to a real griffin that he meets on Ith, Patrick needs to figure out if it is all a dream or if he really can help the people of Ith and earth by stopping Rex’s evil plan.
This book really was not all that great. It was pretty boring until it got to the end when I felt like I finally actually wanted to read more. It was also confusing trying to keep all of the new vocabulary straight since it was set on another world. Even though I did not like this book, I think there is a teenage boy out there who would like to read it and think it is cool.
MS - OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Candice Woolley.
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
Earth is not safe as long as Rex Abraham is on it. He has invented a virus that kills everybody over the age of 3 and has tested it out on the world called Ith. Patrick Griffin has just woken up in this other world and has been told he is to save the people of earth and Ith. But he thinks he is dreaming. It has to be a dream because he is only 12. How is a twelve-year-old going to save the world? Well, according to a real griffin that he meets on Ith, Patrick needs to figure out if it is all a dream or if he really can help the people of Ith and earth by stopping Rex’s evil plan.
This book really was not all that great. It was pretty boring until it got to the end when I felt like I finally actually wanted to read more. It was also confusing trying to keep all of the new vocabulary straight since it was set on another world. Even though I did not like this book, I think there is a teenage boy out there who would like to read it and think it is cool.
MS - OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Candice Woolley.
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
April 25, 2018
I was impressed with so much in this book - the originality, the world-building of Ith, the almost retro take on big family life (middle-ish kid of seven over here too!) and hope that it finds an appreciative audience in middle-grade kids who aren't scared to wade into deeper waters. There are multiple story lines, multiple settings, lots of acronyms, and lots of pages, but depending on the kid, that's either right up their street or in the wrong neighbourhood entirely.
February 28, 2018
This is a very wacky book but it has a line of seriousness along it to. Very interesting and I need to get the next book.
September 28, 2018
Read this aloud to my 9YO son, who LOVED it. It’s bizarre and entertaining and I enjoyed it, too.
June 9, 2020
The plot is really unique! Each event was well described and made me also feel like I was a part of the adventures the characters had.
Read
March 26, 2021I thought that Ned rust did a really good job writing this book because it was a real page-turner. I thought this book was quite funny and really all had a lot of relatable elements to a teenager.
July 1, 2021
I read this to my granddaughters and we enjoyed it. It's a true vocabulary builder!
September 29, 2016
I received this book as a complimentary copy through goodreads. The book is marketed as a target age from 3rd grade to 8th grade. My daughter is In third grade and she and I have read this book before going to bed. I was open to a nontraditional book-tired of fairies and puppies. However, we read 88 pagers (until the section on the interludes) and although we understood what the book was about, there was not much plot in the first 88 pages. I feel like a book should do more than set up the reader within that time frame, particularly one aimed at the younger reader. We don't plan on finishing the book.
August 6, 2016
Patrick Griffin's breakfast, for being the title of the book, really has no merit at all on the story.
The idea here is that I loved the idea but wasn't too fond of the execution. It's a hefty book that doesn't need to be--You can literally read half of this book and I can sum up what happens in one sentence. Ready? Here: "Patrick ends up in a parallel universe that's similar to ours but different."
Then there's chapter upon chapter about how Kempton, the kid tasked with showing Patrick around, is flabbergasted that Patrick doesn't know the same things he knows, and Patrick is equally befuddled with all the new terminology and colloquialisms of this new world.
It took a great deal of time learning why the villain was a villain, too. The other world was very Big Brother-y with constant video surveillance which is bad, yes..... and then what? It took me a long time to actually feel like I was seeing something that was satisfactorily evil.
It just needs to be thinner. There's a lot of fluff that doesn't need to be there, and the jackelope had a very small part to play (so far) despite having a prominent face on the cover. I'd continue the series, but I'm not over-enthused about it.
The idea here is that I loved the idea but wasn't too fond of the execution. It's a hefty book that doesn't need to be--You can literally read half of this book and I can sum up what happens in one sentence. Ready? Here: "Patrick ends up in a parallel universe that's similar to ours but different."
Then there's chapter upon chapter about how Kempton, the kid tasked with showing Patrick around, is flabbergasted that Patrick doesn't know the same things he knows, and Patrick is equally befuddled with all the new terminology and colloquialisms of this new world.
It took a great deal of time learning why the villain was a villain, too. The other world was very Big Brother-y with constant video surveillance which is bad, yes..... and then what? It took me a long time to actually feel like I was seeing something that was satisfactorily evil.
It just needs to be thinner. There's a lot of fluff that doesn't need to be there, and the jackelope had a very small part to play (so far) despite having a prominent face on the cover. I'd continue the series, but I'm not over-enthused about it.
February 9, 2017
Patrick is the middle child in a family of seven kids. When he finds himself left alone - something that never happens - he decides to make waffles. And then a science experiment. And then something happens and Patrick finds himself in the middle of another world.
Mr. BunBun is a jackalope from Mindth, one of the three worlds. When Patrick leaves his world, Mr. BunBun winds up on Earth, trying to help save both Earth and Mindth.
But on Ith, Patrick's finding out things are definitely weird - and not just because the people of Ith have huge eyes and tiny ears like manga characters - but because the world is definitely under the control of someone who has set his sights on Earth and Mindth to turn them into highly regulated worlds, like Ith.
Mr. BunBun is a jackalope from Mindth, one of the three worlds. When Patrick leaves his world, Mr. BunBun winds up on Earth, trying to help save both Earth and Mindth.
But on Ith, Patrick's finding out things are definitely weird - and not just because the people of Ith have huge eyes and tiny ears like manga characters - but because the world is definitely under the control of someone who has set his sights on Earth and Mindth to turn them into highly regulated worlds, like Ith.
February 7, 2017
This book needed a better editor that should have waded through and deleted all of the excess.
I gave up reading it in Chapter 25 because it wasn't going any where. You keep expecting the story to take off with all of the character building but it just keeps plugging away. The few action-ish areas are quickly covered, like the author is in a rush to get back to the more mundane parts of the story.
If really you desire to read this, skip to at least Chapter 25 and read the following sentence of summary. Patrick, from earth, ends up on an alternate earth (Ith) and a jackalope appears on earth when he leaves; Kempton of Ith shows Patrick around (that's 25 chapters, read a few of the other reviews to get the other non-essential characters).
I gave up reading it in Chapter 25 because it wasn't going any where. You keep expecting the story to take off with all of the character building but it just keeps plugging away. The few action-ish areas are quickly covered, like the author is in a rush to get back to the more mundane parts of the story.
If really you desire to read this, skip to at least Chapter 25 and read the following sentence of summary. Patrick, from earth, ends up on an alternate earth (Ith) and a jackalope appears on earth when he leaves; Kempton of Ith shows Patrick around (that's 25 chapters, read a few of the other reviews to get the other non-essential characters).
March 24, 2016
Reviewed from e-galley (read up to page 33).
children's middlegrade fiction; adventure/fantasy (approx. 6th grade). A boy is left home alone and accidentally opens a portal into an alternate world. Adults will appreciate that the story utilizes some math and physics for lots of problem-solving, but I'm not sure if this will have kid appeal or not. Kids will appreciate the short chapters, but will need to practice their active reading/listening in order to follow the fast-paced story. Maybe for fans of Adam Rex?
children's middlegrade fiction; adventure/fantasy (approx. 6th grade). A boy is left home alone and accidentally opens a portal into an alternate world. Adults will appreciate that the story utilizes some math and physics for lots of problem-solving, but I'm not sure if this will have kid appeal or not. Kids will appreciate the short chapters, but will need to practice their active reading/listening in order to follow the fast-paced story. Maybe for fans of Adam Rex?
January 8, 2016
This book is funny, wild, weird, thought-provoking, confusing, and silly. It definitely has an niche audience - that kid who loves to read (it's about 400 pages long), loves sci-fi, is quirky, likes laughing, and has a vivid imagination.
Also, this book totally does not have an ending, which some kids might find a little frustrating. Guess they'll have to wait for the sequel!
Also, this book totally does not have an ending, which some kids might find a little frustrating. Guess they'll have to wait for the sequel!
Want to read
June 2, 2016I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 8, 2016
Could not finish this one. One of the worst middle grade stories I've read in years.
October 30, 2016
I think this book was a bit too old for Henry but we enjoyed some parts and he's interested in getting the sequel when it comes on in 2017 so.
November 12, 2016
Hard to keep up with at first, but it gets easier. But that cliffhanger ending though....
April 19, 2017
This was super fun and funny! I hope he makes more books like this in the future!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews