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Bad #2
Bad Luck
The plot thickens in this New York Times-bestselling sequel to Bad Magic!
Some people have all the luck.
Unfortunately, Clay isn't one of them: He's the only camper at Earth Ranch without a magical talent. As if feeling totally useless isn't enough, Clay has to figure out what to do about Brett, a castaway boy who has just washed ashore and is determined to keep his presence a secret. Even as Clay helps his new friend hide in the remote volcanic island's wilderness, another fiery mystery begins to emerge, with all signs pointing to the impossible idea that dragons once roamed the island... and may still. Can Clay and his friends turn their luck around in time to uncover Price Island's secrets — and save it from a scorching end?
Danger, adventure, mischief, mystery, old foes, new friends, and a delightfully elusive narrator make bestselling author Pseudonymous Bosch's latest novel completely irresistible.
Some people have all the luck.
Unfortunately, Clay isn't one of them: He's the only camper at Earth Ranch without a magical talent. As if feeling totally useless isn't enough, Clay has to figure out what to do about Brett, a castaway boy who has just washed ashore and is determined to keep his presence a secret. Even as Clay helps his new friend hide in the remote volcanic island's wilderness, another fiery mystery begins to emerge, with all signs pointing to the impossible idea that dragons once roamed the island... and may still. Can Clay and his friends turn their luck around in time to uncover Price Island's secrets — and save it from a scorching end?
Danger, adventure, mischief, mystery, old foes, new friends, and a delightfully elusive narrator make bestselling author Pseudonymous Bosch's latest novel completely irresistible.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published February 9, 2016
169 people are currently reading
2064 people want to read
About the author
Pseudonymous Bosch
41 books3,267 followersPseudonymous Bosch is the infamously anonymous author of the New York Times bestselling Secret Series and the Bad Books. Despite rumors to the contrary, his books are not actually written by his pet rabbit, Quiche; the rabbit is merely his typist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
October 19, 2017
I saw this book’s cover across the book store. The words “Bad Luck” caught my eyes. This book made me feel very mysterious and a feeling that’s very hard to explain. Like butterflies in your stomach, but different. I really love how Pseudonymous Bosch (Raphael Simone) refers everything to chocolate, it’s one of my favorite foods. The coolest thing about this book was that there was a dragon! Like all the clues point to the impossible fact that dragons exist! That’s the part which gives me butterflies in my stomach, because it’s so mysterious. This reminds me of me and my friends exploring my compound, looking for secret places, and etc. Anyway, I really recommend this book to who seeks a great adventure-mystery-fantasy book.
February 21, 2022
Just realized I said review to come three months ago for this book and never ended up leaving a review.
This was a fun series. First let me point out that BEAUTIFUL cover. I LOVE Gilbert Fords art.
This one wasn't as good as book one; felt far too short. But it was fun, and a great story overall.
Like I said before, great series (other than the brief LGBTQ+ part in the last book) but not near as good as the Secret Series.
This was a fun series. First let me point out that BEAUTIFUL cover. I LOVE Gilbert Fords art.
This one wasn't as good as book one; felt far too short. But it was fun, and a great story overall.
Like I said before, great series (other than the brief LGBTQ+ part in the last book) but not near as good as the Secret Series.
December 12, 2018
Firstly, I have to talk about the book cover. To be honest, it really caught my eyes when I just first saw it in a glance. The cover illustration is one of the prettiest covers I’ve ever seen!
This book was an ok read for me. I love the characters who do have different and interesting personalities, the dragons and the storylines. How the author wrote about dragons, which is one of my favourite magical creatures of all, made this book more fantasy. It was really simple. The writing was really simple and too bold. Some of the parts really did make me a little bored. But don’t be mad, (for those that love this book), it was actually interesting too. It’s because of the writing style that made me give 3 stars. Other than that, it was outstanding!
I haven’t read the third book yet, but looking forward to read it!
This book was an ok read for me. I love the characters who do have different and interesting personalities, the dragons and the storylines. How the author wrote about dragons, which is one of my favourite magical creatures of all, made this book more fantasy. It was really simple. The writing was really simple and too bold. Some of the parts really did make me a little bored. But don’t be mad, (for those that love this book), it was actually interesting too. It’s because of the writing style that made me give 3 stars. Other than that, it was outstanding!
I haven’t read the third book yet, but looking forward to read it!
July 28, 2018
Please note, this review is for all three Bad books.
Assorted thoughts about the series:
1. I hadn't read any PB books for years, and coming back to his books honestly felt like coming home. Things have changed, there's new aspects about the books, but PB's style stayed the same. And it was a really nice feeling to see old, familiar faces again. I didn't realize how much I missed them until I came back
2. Clay is a rather sympathetic guy, and I quite like him. There's quite the crowd of characters, so some of them I never really got around to caring about. But some of them certainly are interesting.
3. I fucking hate Flint. Absolutely despised him, and I felt like he never got called out on his bullshit. I'm sorry, but the adults should have kicked him to the curb or at the very least had a serious talk to him about the way he treats the younger kids. He's a bully and a jerk and he never learns his lesson. I was seriously waiting for him to change his way and be redeemed, but he remains an asshole to the end. He can go straight to hell. Ugh.
4. Honestly
5. I have mixed feelings about the new path PB decided to take in terms of genre. I love fantasy, and I like the magic and mystery aspects. But I just...I don't know, dragons? I love dragons, but I just don't know how well it matches the tone/writing style of the book.
6. You know, if I had to pick between the Secret Series or the Bad Series, I would of course go with the former purely because of sentimentality. But change is good, new and different things can be good. So all in all, I was pretty satisfied with this series.
Assorted thoughts about the series:
1. I hadn't read any PB books for years, and coming back to his books honestly felt like coming home. Things have changed, there's new aspects about the books, but PB's style stayed the same. And it was a really nice feeling to see old, familiar faces again. I didn't realize how much I missed them until I came back
2. Clay is a rather sympathetic guy, and I quite like him. There's quite the crowd of characters, so some of them I never really got around to caring about. But some of them certainly are interesting.
3. I fucking hate Flint. Absolutely despised him, and I felt like he never got called out on his bullshit. I'm sorry, but the adults should have kicked him to the curb or at the very least had a serious talk to him about the way he treats the younger kids. He's a bully and a jerk and he never learns his lesson. I was seriously waiting for him to change his way and be redeemed, but he remains an asshole to the end. He can go straight to hell. Ugh.
4. Honestly
5. I have mixed feelings about the new path PB decided to take in terms of genre. I love fantasy, and I like the magic and mystery aspects. But I just...I don't know, dragons? I love dragons, but I just don't know how well it matches the tone/writing style of the book.
6. You know, if I had to pick between the Secret Series or the Bad Series, I would of course go with the former purely because of sentimentality. But change is good, new and different things can be good. So all in all, I was pretty satisfied with this series.
March 20, 2021
• Judul : Bad Luck
• Penulis : Pseudonymous Bosch
• Penerjemah : Ine Milasari Hidajat
• Penyunting : Dion Rahman
• Penerbit : Elex Media Komputindo
• Terbit : 28 Mei 2018
• Harga : Rp 72.800,-
• Tebal : 328 halaman
• Ukuran : 14 × 20 cm
• Cover : Softcover
• ISBN : 9786020461069
"𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪 𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘶. 𝘖𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨-𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘬𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘺𝘢 𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘺𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘶𝘩𝘬𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘶𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘺𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘬𝘢." (hal. 80)
Setelah Clay secara tidak sadar telah terlibat dalam pertunjukan "drama" di Peternakan Bumi. Kini ia telah terbiasa dengan para penghuni Peternakan Bumi yang memiliki kemampuan sihir, kecuali dirinya. Namun, Clay sendiri sudah sepakat untuk ikut bergabung bersama mereka. Kini setelah menjadi penyebab kekalahan timnya dalam sebuah permainan Clay memutuskan untuk menjelajahi gunung berapi. Tanpa disangka-sangka Clay malah melihat Flint keluar dari sebuah gua yang ada di sekitar gunung berapi tersebut. Clay yang curiga langsung saja menghampiri gua itu untuk melihat apa yang Flint lakukan di sana sendirian. Ternyata itu adalah sebuah lubang gua yang baru kali ini Clay ketahui keberadaannya. Dan di sana ia menemukan sebuah buku berjudul Rahasia Occulta Draco. Buku tersebut berisi tentang Penjinak Naga dan Naga itu sendiri. Clay yang kebingungan hanya dapat mengira mungkin saja Flint datang ke sini hanya untuk membaca buku ini. Tapi, Clay tetap merasa curiga dengan gelagat Flint dan setelah beberapa saat Clay terasa seperti dibuai hingga terlelap ke dalam alam mimpi.
Terbangun dari tidurnya Clay merasakan sebuah pengalaman yang aneh, tapi nyata akan seekor Naga. Namun, karena takut keberadaannya dicari oleh teman-temannya Clay pun memutuskan untuk segera kembali ke Peternakan Bumi. Akan tetapi, saat di perjalanan pulang Clay malah menemukan sesuatu yang terdampar di tepi pantai. Awalnya Clay kira itu sejenis ikan atau ubur-ubur, tapi ternyata sosok tersebut adalah seorang manusia. Sosok yang terdampar tersebut adalah seorang anak kecil yang kurang lebih umurnya sama dengan Clay. Anak tersebut bernama Brett. Brett bercerita kepada Clay bahwa dirinya telah didorong dari atas kapal pesiar oleh ayahnya hingga jatuh ke dalam laut dan terdampar di Pulau Price. Saat Clay akan melaporkan kejadian ini Brett memohon agar Clay merahasiakannya dari siapa pun. Brett sendiri tidak mau kembali kepada ayahnya. Namun, kapal pesiar yang dimiliki oleh ayah Brett tersebut justru menepi ke Pulau Price dengan dalih mencari Brett. Akan tetapi, Clay tahu ada sebuah rencana besar yang sedang dilakukan ayah Brett sehingga ia sampai tega melenyapkan anaknya sendiri. Bagaimana nasib Brett selanjutnya? Apa yang sebenarnya dicari oleh ayah Brett?
"𝘛𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘩 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘶 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘢 𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘯." (hal. 260)
Melanjutkan buku pertamanya, 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤, 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 kali ini kembali mengajak pembacanya untuk ikut serta ke dalam petualangan Clay dan teman-temannya. Bisa dibilang 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 memiliki komposisi yang lebih matang dan kuat ketimbang buku pertamanya. Di sini Bosch menampilkan jalan cerita yang jauh lebih seru dan berkembang. Apalagi ilustrasi gambar yang disertakan pun juga jauh lebih bagus dan jelas. Kedua faktor ini dapat mengikat pembaca untuk tetap bertahan hingga ke buku ketiganya. Ditambah lagi dengan 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 bukunya sendiri terlihat senada dengan buku sebelumnya sehingga menegaskan jika seri ini memiliki 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 buku yang impresif. Letak judul buku yang di 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 dengan warna yang mencolok akan langsung mengundang netra pembaca untuk melihatnya. Ilustrasi pendukung lainnya pun, seperti Naga, semburan api, lubang gua, dan siluet Clay semakin menegaskan nuansa fantasi di dalamnya. Semua komponennya bersatu padu menciptakan sebuah 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 buku yang tidak hanya menarik, tapi juga impresif.
Setelah di buku pertamanya, 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤, Bosch lebih menyoroti misteri dan rahasia Peternakan Bumi, kali ini 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 mulai mengajak pembaca untuk berkenalan dengan petualangan yang sesungguhnya. Setelah Clay secara tidak sadar telah berkontribusi dalam sebuah pementasan "drama", kali ini Clay mulai beradaptasi dan terbiasa dengan kemampuan sihir para penghuni Peternakan Bumi. Namun, sayangnya Clay sendiri malah tidak memiliki kemampuan sihir apa pun. Di saat Clay sedang menjalani kehidupannya di Peternakan Bumi, Clay malah menemukan Brett yang terdampar di tepi pantai. Brett sendiri didorong dari atas kapal pesiar oleh ayahnya ke dasar laut hingga akhirnya terdampar di Pulau Price. Namun, keberadaan Brett ini justru sebuah awal dari permasalahan yang akan Clay temukan. Jika harus memilih saya lebih menikmati cerita di buku keduanya ini. 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 lebih memberikan sesuatu yang seru dan menyenangkan ketimbang 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤. Petualangannya terlihat lebih jelas dan berdinamika. Apalagi kehadiran seekor makhluk mitos, yaitu Naga menambah kesan fantasi yang lebih kuat lagi.
Hampir semua tokoh di buku sebelumnya masih turut andil dalam 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬, seperti Clay, Leira, Kwan, Pablo, Jonah, Flint, dan sebagian besar penghuni Peternakan Bumi. Hanya saja kali ini pembaca akan berkenalan dengan dua tokoh baru, yaitu Brett dan Mira. Mungkin Mira sendiri memang sudah hadir di 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤, tapi masih misterius keberadaannya. Di sini Mira tampil dengan porsi yang cukup banyak, meskipun nggak terlalu menonjol juga. Mira ini sosok gadis yang selalu ingin tahu dan ingin terlibat dengan apa pun itu. Dan satu hal yang pasti Mira ini adalah rival adu mulut saudarinya sendiri, Leira. Sedangkan untuk tokoh Brett sendiri merupakan tokoh baru yang semakin memeriahkan jalan cerita. Brett adalah sosok bocah laki-laki bertubuh tambun yang sering sekali menjadi korban perundungan. Tidak hanya di sekolah Brett pun kerap kali disindir oleh ayahnya sendiri. Brett ini mempunyai watak yang lucu, tapi agak menyebalkan juga dengan tingkah pongahnya yang sesekali muncul. Selain itu ada pula beberapa tokoh lainnya, seperti Mr. Perry, Amber, hingga Max-Ernest. Hubungan dan interaksi antara Clay dan teman-temannya tetap terasa 𝘧𝘶𝘯 untuk diikuti. Mereka seperti kebanyakan kanak-kanak lainnya selalu memiliki rasa ingin tahu yang tinggi. Solidaritas mereka juga tergambarkan dengan baik. Apalagi kehadiran Brett semakin menambah keintiman dari para tokohnya.
Di sini Bosch juga masih memakai formula yang sama untuk sudut pandangnya, yaitu gabungan antara sudut pandang orang pertama dan ketiga. Untuk sudut pandang orang pertama pembaca akan disajikan dari sisi penulia, sedangkan sudut pandang orang ketiga dari para tokohnya. Bosch seakan-akan ingin turut serta membimbing pembaca untuk memahami 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 yang dia ciptakan. Mungkin awalnya akan terasa aneh, tapi lama-lama pembaca akan terbiasa karena memang dari buku pertama 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 yang diberikan memang sudah seperti ini. Gaya bahasanya 𝘧𝘶𝘯 dan nggak neko-neko sama sekali, tapi kadang kala ada beberapa istilah atau mungkin kebiasaan yang terasa asing, khususnya bagi kita sebagai orang Asia. Tapi, 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭 hasil terjemahannya sangat mumpuni untuk membuat kita betah saat membacanya. Apalagi kehadiran catatan kaki yang sedikit nyeleneh menambah kesan eksentrik yang menggugah. Alur ceritanya berjalan cepat dan nggak banyak detail atau basa-basi yang ditawarkan. Mungkin di satu sisi ini membuat pembaca tidak bosan, tapi di sisi lain juga terasa sedikit dangkal untuk beberapa penjelasan.
𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 menyuguhkan konflik yang lebih intens dan bergejolak jika dibandingkan dengan 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤. Di mana dalam 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 pembaca seakan-akan diajak untuk ikut menyelidiki misteri Peternakan Bumi. Sementara dalam 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 pembaca dibawa berpetualang dengan berbagai aksi yang dilakoni Clay dan teman-temannya. Bagaimana Clay dan teman-temannya harus dihadapkan dengan invansi dari Mr. Perry yang berencana mencari sesuatu di Pulau Price. Di sini Clay memiliki misi untuk melindungi sesuatu itu dari Mr. Perry. Usaha yang harus Clay kerahkan tidaklah mudah. Dia dan teman-temannya harus membuat rencana dadakan yang justru semakin menambah ketegangan dari konfliknya. Ilustrasi yang ditambahkan juga semakin menambah intensitas konfliknya menjadi lebih terasa. Mungkin bukan konflik epik ala-ala 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 yang akan kita temukan, tapi konflik yang jauh lebih sederhana dan mungkin nyeleneh. "Sihir" yang digadang-gadang di sini juga cenderung sedikit dan nggak terlalu ditonjolkan. Justru petualangan Clay dan teman-temannya lah yang membuat konfliknya terasa jauh lebih seru untuk diikuti.
Banyak sekali perkembangan yang saya rasakan dalam 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬. Sebagai buku seri 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 berhasil meningkatkan jalan ceritanya menjadi jauh lebih seru. Mulai dari ilustrasi, karakter, hingga konfliknya terasa jauh lebih intens. Dari segi ilustrasi terlihat lebih matang dan detail. Dibandingkan ilustrasi di buku sebelumnya, 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 memberikan ilustrasi yang jauh lebih bagus. Karakter-karakter para tokohnya pun semakin keluar dan kuat. Bosch bisa menghidupkan para tokohnya dengan lebih baik lagi di sini. Terakhir konfliknya pun terasa lebih fantasi dan mendebarkan. Bosch bisa membuat pembaca ikut kagum dengan aksi yang dilakoni Clay bersama teman-temannya. Apalagi dengan ide-ide nyeleneh mereka. Kekurangan yang saya temukan di sini mungkin hanya terletak di detail yang kurang di beberapa bagian. Bosch seakan ingin 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 dan tidak mau bertele-tele. Mungkin ini bagus karena memang target untuk bukunya sendiri adalah anak-anak. Tapi, alangkah baiknya Bosch sedikit memelankan ritmenya untuk sedikit memberikan penjelasan di beberapa bagian. Secara keseluruhan 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 menjadi sekuel yang menjanjikan baik secara ilustrasi maupun jalan cerita.
"𝘒𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘩𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘩𝘸𝘢 𝘢𝘥𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘭-𝘩𝘢𝘭 𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘬 𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘪." (hal. 309)
• Penulis : Pseudonymous Bosch
• Penerjemah : Ine Milasari Hidajat
• Penyunting : Dion Rahman
• Penerbit : Elex Media Komputindo
• Terbit : 28 Mei 2018
• Harga : Rp 72.800,-
• Tebal : 328 halaman
• Ukuran : 14 × 20 cm
• Cover : Softcover
• ISBN : 9786020461069
"𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪 𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘶. 𝘖𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨-𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘬𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘺𝘢 𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘺𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘶𝘩𝘬𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘶𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘺𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘬𝘢." (hal. 80)
Setelah Clay secara tidak sadar telah terlibat dalam pertunjukan "drama" di Peternakan Bumi. Kini ia telah terbiasa dengan para penghuni Peternakan Bumi yang memiliki kemampuan sihir, kecuali dirinya. Namun, Clay sendiri sudah sepakat untuk ikut bergabung bersama mereka. Kini setelah menjadi penyebab kekalahan timnya dalam sebuah permainan Clay memutuskan untuk menjelajahi gunung berapi. Tanpa disangka-sangka Clay malah melihat Flint keluar dari sebuah gua yang ada di sekitar gunung berapi tersebut. Clay yang curiga langsung saja menghampiri gua itu untuk melihat apa yang Flint lakukan di sana sendirian. Ternyata itu adalah sebuah lubang gua yang baru kali ini Clay ketahui keberadaannya. Dan di sana ia menemukan sebuah buku berjudul Rahasia Occulta Draco. Buku tersebut berisi tentang Penjinak Naga dan Naga itu sendiri. Clay yang kebingungan hanya dapat mengira mungkin saja Flint datang ke sini hanya untuk membaca buku ini. Tapi, Clay tetap merasa curiga dengan gelagat Flint dan setelah beberapa saat Clay terasa seperti dibuai hingga terlelap ke dalam alam mimpi.
Terbangun dari tidurnya Clay merasakan sebuah pengalaman yang aneh, tapi nyata akan seekor Naga. Namun, karena takut keberadaannya dicari oleh teman-temannya Clay pun memutuskan untuk segera kembali ke Peternakan Bumi. Akan tetapi, saat di perjalanan pulang Clay malah menemukan sesuatu yang terdampar di tepi pantai. Awalnya Clay kira itu sejenis ikan atau ubur-ubur, tapi ternyata sosok tersebut adalah seorang manusia. Sosok yang terdampar tersebut adalah seorang anak kecil yang kurang lebih umurnya sama dengan Clay. Anak tersebut bernama Brett. Brett bercerita kepada Clay bahwa dirinya telah didorong dari atas kapal pesiar oleh ayahnya hingga jatuh ke dalam laut dan terdampar di Pulau Price. Saat Clay akan melaporkan kejadian ini Brett memohon agar Clay merahasiakannya dari siapa pun. Brett sendiri tidak mau kembali kepada ayahnya. Namun, kapal pesiar yang dimiliki oleh ayah Brett tersebut justru menepi ke Pulau Price dengan dalih mencari Brett. Akan tetapi, Clay tahu ada sebuah rencana besar yang sedang dilakukan ayah Brett sehingga ia sampai tega melenyapkan anaknya sendiri. Bagaimana nasib Brett selanjutnya? Apa yang sebenarnya dicari oleh ayah Brett?
"𝘛𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘩 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘶 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘢 𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘯." (hal. 260)
Melanjutkan buku pertamanya, 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤, 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 kali ini kembali mengajak pembacanya untuk ikut serta ke dalam petualangan Clay dan teman-temannya. Bisa dibilang 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 memiliki komposisi yang lebih matang dan kuat ketimbang buku pertamanya. Di sini Bosch menampilkan jalan cerita yang jauh lebih seru dan berkembang. Apalagi ilustrasi gambar yang disertakan pun juga jauh lebih bagus dan jelas. Kedua faktor ini dapat mengikat pembaca untuk tetap bertahan hingga ke buku ketiganya. Ditambah lagi dengan 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 bukunya sendiri terlihat senada dengan buku sebelumnya sehingga menegaskan jika seri ini memiliki 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 buku yang impresif. Letak judul buku yang di 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 dengan warna yang mencolok akan langsung mengundang netra pembaca untuk melihatnya. Ilustrasi pendukung lainnya pun, seperti Naga, semburan api, lubang gua, dan siluet Clay semakin menegaskan nuansa fantasi di dalamnya. Semua komponennya bersatu padu menciptakan sebuah 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 buku yang tidak hanya menarik, tapi juga impresif.
Setelah di buku pertamanya, 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤, Bosch lebih menyoroti misteri dan rahasia Peternakan Bumi, kali ini 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 mulai mengajak pembaca untuk berkenalan dengan petualangan yang sesungguhnya. Setelah Clay secara tidak sadar telah berkontribusi dalam sebuah pementasan "drama", kali ini Clay mulai beradaptasi dan terbiasa dengan kemampuan sihir para penghuni Peternakan Bumi. Namun, sayangnya Clay sendiri malah tidak memiliki kemampuan sihir apa pun. Di saat Clay sedang menjalani kehidupannya di Peternakan Bumi, Clay malah menemukan Brett yang terdampar di tepi pantai. Brett sendiri didorong dari atas kapal pesiar oleh ayahnya ke dasar laut hingga akhirnya terdampar di Pulau Price. Namun, keberadaan Brett ini justru sebuah awal dari permasalahan yang akan Clay temukan. Jika harus memilih saya lebih menikmati cerita di buku keduanya ini. 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 lebih memberikan sesuatu yang seru dan menyenangkan ketimbang 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤. Petualangannya terlihat lebih jelas dan berdinamika. Apalagi kehadiran seekor makhluk mitos, yaitu Naga menambah kesan fantasi yang lebih kuat lagi.
Hampir semua tokoh di buku sebelumnya masih turut andil dalam 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬, seperti Clay, Leira, Kwan, Pablo, Jonah, Flint, dan sebagian besar penghuni Peternakan Bumi. Hanya saja kali ini pembaca akan berkenalan dengan dua tokoh baru, yaitu Brett dan Mira. Mungkin Mira sendiri memang sudah hadir di 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤, tapi masih misterius keberadaannya. Di sini Mira tampil dengan porsi yang cukup banyak, meskipun nggak terlalu menonjol juga. Mira ini sosok gadis yang selalu ingin tahu dan ingin terlibat dengan apa pun itu. Dan satu hal yang pasti Mira ini adalah rival adu mulut saudarinya sendiri, Leira. Sedangkan untuk tokoh Brett sendiri merupakan tokoh baru yang semakin memeriahkan jalan cerita. Brett adalah sosok bocah laki-laki bertubuh tambun yang sering sekali menjadi korban perundungan. Tidak hanya di sekolah Brett pun kerap kali disindir oleh ayahnya sendiri. Brett ini mempunyai watak yang lucu, tapi agak menyebalkan juga dengan tingkah pongahnya yang sesekali muncul. Selain itu ada pula beberapa tokoh lainnya, seperti Mr. Perry, Amber, hingga Max-Ernest. Hubungan dan interaksi antara Clay dan teman-temannya tetap terasa 𝘧𝘶𝘯 untuk diikuti. Mereka seperti kebanyakan kanak-kanak lainnya selalu memiliki rasa ingin tahu yang tinggi. Solidaritas mereka juga tergambarkan dengan baik. Apalagi kehadiran Brett semakin menambah keintiman dari para tokohnya.
Di sini Bosch juga masih memakai formula yang sama untuk sudut pandangnya, yaitu gabungan antara sudut pandang orang pertama dan ketiga. Untuk sudut pandang orang pertama pembaca akan disajikan dari sisi penulia, sedangkan sudut pandang orang ketiga dari para tokohnya. Bosch seakan-akan ingin turut serta membimbing pembaca untuk memahami 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 yang dia ciptakan. Mungkin awalnya akan terasa aneh, tapi lama-lama pembaca akan terbiasa karena memang dari buku pertama 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 yang diberikan memang sudah seperti ini. Gaya bahasanya 𝘧𝘶𝘯 dan nggak neko-neko sama sekali, tapi kadang kala ada beberapa istilah atau mungkin kebiasaan yang terasa asing, khususnya bagi kita sebagai orang Asia. Tapi, 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭 hasil terjemahannya sangat mumpuni untuk membuat kita betah saat membacanya. Apalagi kehadiran catatan kaki yang sedikit nyeleneh menambah kesan eksentrik yang menggugah. Alur ceritanya berjalan cepat dan nggak banyak detail atau basa-basi yang ditawarkan. Mungkin di satu sisi ini membuat pembaca tidak bosan, tapi di sisi lain juga terasa sedikit dangkal untuk beberapa penjelasan.
𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 menyuguhkan konflik yang lebih intens dan bergejolak jika dibandingkan dengan 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤. Di mana dalam 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 pembaca seakan-akan diajak untuk ikut menyelidiki misteri Peternakan Bumi. Sementara dalam 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 pembaca dibawa berpetualang dengan berbagai aksi yang dilakoni Clay dan teman-temannya. Bagaimana Clay dan teman-temannya harus dihadapkan dengan invansi dari Mr. Perry yang berencana mencari sesuatu di Pulau Price. Di sini Clay memiliki misi untuk melindungi sesuatu itu dari Mr. Perry. Usaha yang harus Clay kerahkan tidaklah mudah. Dia dan teman-temannya harus membuat rencana dadakan yang justru semakin menambah ketegangan dari konfliknya. Ilustrasi yang ditambahkan juga semakin menambah intensitas konfliknya menjadi lebih terasa. Mungkin bukan konflik epik ala-ala 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 yang akan kita temukan, tapi konflik yang jauh lebih sederhana dan mungkin nyeleneh. "Sihir" yang digadang-gadang di sini juga cenderung sedikit dan nggak terlalu ditonjolkan. Justru petualangan Clay dan teman-temannya lah yang membuat konfliknya terasa jauh lebih seru untuk diikuti.
Banyak sekali perkembangan yang saya rasakan dalam 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬. Sebagai buku seri 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 berhasil meningkatkan jalan ceritanya menjadi jauh lebih seru. Mulai dari ilustrasi, karakter, hingga konfliknya terasa jauh lebih intens. Dari segi ilustrasi terlihat lebih matang dan detail. Dibandingkan ilustrasi di buku sebelumnya, 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 memberikan ilustrasi yang jauh lebih bagus. Karakter-karakter para tokohnya pun semakin keluar dan kuat. Bosch bisa menghidupkan para tokohnya dengan lebih baik lagi di sini. Terakhir konfliknya pun terasa lebih fantasi dan mendebarkan. Bosch bisa membuat pembaca ikut kagum dengan aksi yang dilakoni Clay bersama teman-temannya. Apalagi dengan ide-ide nyeleneh mereka. Kekurangan yang saya temukan di sini mungkin hanya terletak di detail yang kurang di beberapa bagian. Bosch seakan ingin 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 dan tidak mau bertele-tele. Mungkin ini bagus karena memang target untuk bukunya sendiri adalah anak-anak. Tapi, alangkah baiknya Bosch sedikit memelankan ritmenya untuk sedikit memberikan penjelasan di beberapa bagian. Secara keseluruhan 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬 menjadi sekuel yang menjanjikan baik secara ilustrasi maupun jalan cerita.
"𝘒𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘩𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘩𝘸𝘢 𝘢𝘥𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘭-𝘩𝘢𝘭 𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘬 𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘪." (hal. 309)
March 18, 2024
Bad Luck is the second book in the Bad trilogy. You don't need to have read the first book in this series to read this one, but the first is the story of the main characters brother, so does have some impact on this story. This book is set on Price Island, a Volcanic Island that is shrouded in vog (volcanic smog). On the island is Earth Ranch, a camp for kids who have some kind of magical ability. Clay is there, although he's not sure why, he doesn't have any magic. The second setting is a cruise ship, owned by Brett Perry Sr. There is something odd happening on board the ship and when Brett Jr. starts asking questions and sees things he shouldn't, his step-mother, Amber, throws him overboard. He washes up on Price Island and Clay finds him. The next thing you know, there are armed men on the island and the boys are in the middle of an adventure, that finds them in floating teepees, flying over the island and onto the anchored cruise ship.
First, I want to say that the cover is definitely what initially drew my eye. It is amazing and depicts the island well. Clay is a great character. He doesn't have a lot of self-confidence, but gradually finds it as he figures out what his magical powers on. What is Amber and Brett Sr. after on the island? This is a fun story where kids work together to save the people on Price Island and more. The story had danger, adventure, misbehaviour, mystery, friendship and family. A fun read that I think middlegraders will enjoy. I suggest starting with the first book and reading the trilogy, although I have only read this one, it was a lot of fun.
First, I want to say that the cover is definitely what initially drew my eye. It is amazing and depicts the island well. Clay is a great character. He doesn't have a lot of self-confidence, but gradually finds it as he figures out what his magical powers on. What is Amber and Brett Sr. after on the island? This is a fun story where kids work together to save the people on Price Island and more. The story had danger, adventure, misbehaviour, mystery, friendship and family. A fun read that I think middlegraders will enjoy. I suggest starting with the first book and reading the trilogy, although I have only read this one, it was a lot of fun.
March 8, 2017
This is a solid middle grade read that was enjoyable for this girl who has not been in middle school for… well, a very long time. There were bits of middle grade potty humor, but nothing too over the top, just enough to remind me “oh yeah, this is a middle grade book targeted at boys”. I loved the footnotes the author included, filled with humor. I loved the dragon. I loved the excerpts from the book about taming a dragon scattered through the novel. Though it was nothing too complex, I loved the plot.
Read the full review on my blog
www.carolineandrus.com/blog
Read the full review on my blog
www.carolineandrus.com/blog
August 31, 2016
I really enjoyed it! Full review to come!
April 15, 2020
I am amazed about how Raphael Simon (Pseudonymous Bosch) wrote this! He can find every single way to make things funny! Even dragons! (Although, if you've already read the book you would have known that dragons don't have a good sense of humor.) I know some people aren't into funny stuff, but I am, and I think his books are HILARIOUS!!! He is my favorite author by far!
June 14, 2017
"Only when dragons return will magic be restored to our world."
June 11, 2018
draco dormiens nunquam titillandus
October 25, 2021
جادو و دانش در گذشته دو برادر بودن :)
جادو طرد شد... قضاوت شد، گوشه نشین شد...
و حالا آدمای کمی هستن که هنوز جادو رو میشناسن و باور دارن :)
جادو طرد شد... قضاوت شد، گوشه نشین شد...
و حالا آدمای کمی هستن که هنوز جادو رو میشناسن و باور دارن :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2017
Great book. Ending is a cliff-hanger.
September 1, 2024
As I read these books I can’t help thinking how much younger Riley would have loved them. Love a good dragon and magic book.
April 11, 2022
This isn’t my favorite of Pseudonymous Bosch’s books but it was still a very good read!
January 29, 2016
I received this ARC from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.
Something about this cover caught my eye and after reading the description I just had to read it. Upon discovering it was the second in a series I quickly snagged the first book and read that in a couple of hours. I liked this one slightly more!
Bad Luck is a fun, breezy read. Clay is back, still at Earth Ranch with his motley crew of new friends (and his nemesis, Flint) just a couple of weeks after Bad Magic left off.
Disguised as an outdoor survival camp for juvenile delinquents, Earth Ranch was, secretly, a magic camp for young adepts-a camp that depended on its remote location and ever-present vog for protection.
As he learns more about magic and the secret world that operates in it, strange things continue to abound. When a boy around his age-Brett-washes up on the shores of Price Island, things just get stranger and stranger. Since this is a book for young readers and a few might stumble upon my humble blog, I won't betray more of the plot. Just know that the spunky youngsters embark on a fun adventure!
I would like to tell you about the brave exploits that followed. How our heroic friends from Earth Ranch vanquished all their enemies...
I absolutely love the narrator of the series! The completely hilarious way he/she occasionally makes it known that they are a character in the story without betraying an identity is great.
The only question we need to answer now is the perennial one. The question every writer faces. What happens next?
Good question. What will happen next? The resolution of this book is a frustrating cliffhanger of sorts and I look forward to the next installment. Will the Earth Ranch kids and S.O.S. vanquish the more unsavory magicians? Will Clay figure out why Max-Earnest disappeared?
The bad guys had not won. But neither, it must be said, had the good guys. Not yet.
Three stars.
Expected Publication: February 9, 2016
Something about this cover caught my eye and after reading the description I just had to read it. Upon discovering it was the second in a series I quickly snagged the first book and read that in a couple of hours. I liked this one slightly more!
Bad Luck is a fun, breezy read. Clay is back, still at Earth Ranch with his motley crew of new friends (and his nemesis, Flint) just a couple of weeks after Bad Magic left off.
Disguised as an outdoor survival camp for juvenile delinquents, Earth Ranch was, secretly, a magic camp for young adepts-a camp that depended on its remote location and ever-present vog for protection.
As he learns more about magic and the secret world that operates in it, strange things continue to abound. When a boy around his age-Brett-washes up on the shores of Price Island, things just get stranger and stranger. Since this is a book for young readers and a few might stumble upon my humble blog, I won't betray more of the plot. Just know that the spunky youngsters embark on a fun adventure!
I would like to tell you about the brave exploits that followed. How our heroic friends from Earth Ranch vanquished all their enemies...
I absolutely love the narrator of the series! The completely hilarious way he/she occasionally makes it known that they are a character in the story without betraying an identity is great.
The only question we need to answer now is the perennial one. The question every writer faces. What happens next?
Good question. What will happen next? The resolution of this book is a frustrating cliffhanger of sorts and I look forward to the next installment. Will the Earth Ranch kids and S.O.S. vanquish the more unsavory magicians? Will Clay figure out why Max-Earnest disappeared?
The bad guys had not won. But neither, it must be said, had the good guys. Not yet.
Three stars.
Expected Publication: February 9, 2016
October 4, 2016
The author Pseudonymous Bosch delivers yet another astonishing book in the sequel to Bad Magic. The book Bad Luck involves all of the same excitement, adventure and suspense as all of the other outstandingly brilliant books written by Pseudonymous Bosch. With the theme of working together as a team is more beneficial than working on your own, Bad Luck is an enjoyable book to sit and read.
In this sequel to the previous book, Clay can't help but feel like he is not very important, compared to the other campers at Earth Ranch. But when a stranger suddenly washes up on the camp's shore and a cave full of strange paintings with a mysterious dragon taming book is discovered, Clay has to learn to step up to face the hard tasks. However, things do not exactly seem right to Clay. What is the whole purpose of the cave? Is there a specific reason someone suddenly washes up on Earth Ranch's shore out of nowhere? According to the book in the cave, do dragons actually exist? Clay is trying to figure out what the meaning of all of the events occurring are, until an even bigger thing happens that answers all of his suspicions, but starts even bigger issues.
I enjoyed this book by all of the mysteries and adventure that is incorporated in it. The characters' personalities are also are very entertaing to read about, because the characters are very unique compared to other characters in stories. The reason I rated this book three stars, is due to the fact that the plot line of the book moved along too quickly to understand. If the book had been longer, it may have contained more story elements in it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery genre and has liked reading the other books that Pseudonymous Bosch has written. I would recommend this book because of its entertainnig quality and the enjoyable mystery of it, along with humorous and likeable characters. Bad Luck is definitely a novel waiting to be picked up and read by anyone.
In this sequel to the previous book, Clay can't help but feel like he is not very important, compared to the other campers at Earth Ranch. But when a stranger suddenly washes up on the camp's shore and a cave full of strange paintings with a mysterious dragon taming book is discovered, Clay has to learn to step up to face the hard tasks. However, things do not exactly seem right to Clay. What is the whole purpose of the cave? Is there a specific reason someone suddenly washes up on Earth Ranch's shore out of nowhere? According to the book in the cave, do dragons actually exist? Clay is trying to figure out what the meaning of all of the events occurring are, until an even bigger thing happens that answers all of his suspicions, but starts even bigger issues.
I enjoyed this book by all of the mysteries and adventure that is incorporated in it. The characters' personalities are also are very entertaing to read about, because the characters are very unique compared to other characters in stories. The reason I rated this book three stars, is due to the fact that the plot line of the book moved along too quickly to understand. If the book had been longer, it may have contained more story elements in it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery genre and has liked reading the other books that Pseudonymous Bosch has written. I would recommend this book because of its entertainnig quality and the enjoyable mystery of it, along with humorous and likeable characters. Bad Luck is definitely a novel waiting to be picked up and read by anyone.
March 24, 2016
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Why did I prefer this to Book 1? I'll tell you... I don't know.
[image error]
(That was a reference to this musical and I thought it was hilarious. Did anyone else catch the joke?)
It wasn't the plot that I preferred. Unlike Book 1, there was no big, confusing mystery for me to figure out.
The plot was still interesting, and I enjoyed reading about the attempts to save a dragon, but there was nothing to try to intently figure it out. That is something that I preferred in the first book.
I think that the reason I preferred Book 2 was that I found myself wanting to go back to continue reading it.
I'm beginning to enjoy the characters more and I enjoyed their interactions quite a bit in this book. It was rather difficult for me to remember who was who while reading Book 1, but that wasn't the case in Book 2.
The thing that stood out most to me as I was reading was how well the author developed the rules of magic in this universe, as well as how well he developed the dragon folklore that played a large role in the story.
On a whole, I think the series (so far) is well developed and interesting. The characters I have found to be likable, and the plot creative.
I prefer it to the Secret Series, which I stopped reading halfway through. I'd be interested in reading the last book in this, what I believe to be, trilogy.
Why did I prefer this to Book 1? I'll tell you... I don't know.
[image error]
(That was a reference to this musical and I thought it was hilarious. Did anyone else catch the joke?)
It wasn't the plot that I preferred. Unlike Book 1, there was no big, confusing mystery for me to figure out.
The plot was still interesting, and I enjoyed reading about the attempts to save a dragon, but there was nothing to try to intently figure it out. That is something that I preferred in the first book.
I think that the reason I preferred Book 2 was that I found myself wanting to go back to continue reading it.
I'm beginning to enjoy the characters more and I enjoyed their interactions quite a bit in this book. It was rather difficult for me to remember who was who while reading Book 1, but that wasn't the case in Book 2.
The thing that stood out most to me as I was reading was how well the author developed the rules of magic in this universe, as well as how well he developed the dragon folklore that played a large role in the story.
On a whole, I think the series (so far) is well developed and interesting. The characters I have found to be likable, and the plot creative.
I prefer it to the Secret Series, which I stopped reading halfway through. I'd be interested in reading the last book in this, what I believe to be, trilogy.
March 9, 2016
Magic exists, though it is hidden from those who don't have it. However, on an island, somewhere...out there...there is a camp specifically for people like Clay, who are supposed to be magical. So far, his talent hasn't shown up yet. What he does have is a talent for getting picked on by the camp bully and for finding trouble. Trouble with a Capital B - also known as Brett. When Brett shows up on the island, having been pushed off a cruise ship by his father, things go from complicated to crazy.
This is, apparently, the second in a series - the first describes exactly how Clay ends up on the island. I did not know this until the end, however, so it's safe to say this can be read independently outside of the series and still enjoyed.
And enjoy it I did. The kids are fun, the dragon is - well - cool!, and the story moves along at a fairly quick pace. No dull moments here, but it's not rushed, either. My 9-year-old would probably enjoy this book, and I think boys in particular would get a kick out of it.
Overall, it was fun to read and would make a great read-aloud in a classroom. Definitely a recommended read for grades 3-6.
This is, apparently, the second in a series - the first describes exactly how Clay ends up on the island. I did not know this until the end, however, so it's safe to say this can be read independently outside of the series and still enjoyed.
And enjoy it I did. The kids are fun, the dragon is - well - cool!, and the story moves along at a fairly quick pace. No dull moments here, but it's not rushed, either. My 9-year-old would probably enjoy this book, and I think boys in particular would get a kick out of it.
Overall, it was fun to read and would make a great read-aloud in a classroom. Definitely a recommended read for grades 3-6.
February 16, 2017
SO AMAZING!!! I LOVE PSEUDONYMOUS BOSCH SOO MUCH!! He's my favorite author ever and a GIGANTIC influence on my writing style. This book was just another amazingly awesome, majestic, and fantastic book to add to his others C:
January 29, 2016
This is a fun follow-up to Bad Magic. The story starts just where Bad Magic left off and ends presumably where the third in the series will start (which is a little annoying since you have to wait another year to continue the story!). If you enjoyed the humor and writing style of Bosch's previous series, the Secret series, or anything by Lemony Snicket, you'll enjoy this series as well. It's full of quirky adventures and bizarre characters- as can be expected from this author.
One thing I like about this author's books is how the girls get to have just as much fun/adventure as the boys. There was even a moment in this book where one of the characters thought two sisters were fighting over him. It turns out they were fighting over who could go on the adventure!
One thing I like about this author's books is how the girls get to have just as much fun/adventure as the boys. There was even a moment in this book where one of the characters thought two sisters were fighting over him. It turns out they were fighting over who could go on the adventure!
November 28, 2016
I freakin loved it! if you haven't read the secret series, you probably wouldn't have like this as much. the plot was mediocre, but good enough that I kept reading to see what was going to happen. I started getting sorta ish attached to the new characters in the last 50 pages. I love the secret series so much and have never been more emotionally attached to any other characters more than cass, yo-yoji, max-Ernest, Amber, etc. that's why the references and characters appearing from the secret series blew my mind. chapter 13 gave me SO MANY EMOTIONS I couldn't even handle it. great read and I'm beyond excited for the finale! we better see lily cass and yoji.
Read
May 30, 2017Great sequel!
Read full review from The Page Walker .
Read full review from The Page Walker .
July 30, 2016
Awesome as usual! I got over excited when I found that the midnight sun and treces society are taking part in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2017
Once Again, Less Is More
This is the middle book in the three volume "Bad" series. It follows "Bad Magic"; the series will conclude in a few months with "Bad News". I have very much enjoyed following our hero Clay's adventures, and have enjoyed this new, improved Bosch style. By that I mean that the previous Bosch series, (the five book "Secret Series"), always struck me as a bit too hyper, cute and over-the-top. I know it was, and is, extremely popular, and that that worked well for younger readers. But, just as Bosch's readers have grown up, so has the quality and depth of the author's books.
In the "Bad" series we meet Clay, an unmagical kid on an island dedicated to training up the magic in exceptional kids. In this volume two we will learn what makes Clay special and why he's on the island. The book opens with a different kid, Brett, who has a whole different set of problems, and then slyly brings Brett, Clay and the island together so that the story can take off. and once we hit that critical mass, the book really does take off.
Apart from action, adventure, and the like, the special appeal here is that in addition to some in your face silliness, and touches of the Bosch silly footnote signature move, there is a lot more, and a lot more clever, subtle and throwaway humor. That's what I mean by "less is more". The funniest, most engaging, and sometimes even most touching, bits are sly and witty. Brett and Clay are both sympathetic characters, in their own ways. The surprise new central figure is a bit edgy and tart, which is a neat addition to the mix. There are other surprises, but they are more likely to arrive in the form of character development than as whoopie cushion jokes.
The upshot is that this series keeps getting better, and more mature, and accordingly more intriguing and rewarding than standard MG magic adventure. That's a real treat and a great development. This is a happy find.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
This is the middle book in the three volume "Bad" series. It follows "Bad Magic"; the series will conclude in a few months with "Bad News". I have very much enjoyed following our hero Clay's adventures, and have enjoyed this new, improved Bosch style. By that I mean that the previous Bosch series, (the five book "Secret Series"), always struck me as a bit too hyper, cute and over-the-top. I know it was, and is, extremely popular, and that that worked well for younger readers. But, just as Bosch's readers have grown up, so has the quality and depth of the author's books.
In the "Bad" series we meet Clay, an unmagical kid on an island dedicated to training up the magic in exceptional kids. In this volume two we will learn what makes Clay special and why he's on the island. The book opens with a different kid, Brett, who has a whole different set of problems, and then slyly brings Brett, Clay and the island together so that the story can take off. and once we hit that critical mass, the book really does take off.
Apart from action, adventure, and the like, the special appeal here is that in addition to some in your face silliness, and touches of the Bosch silly footnote signature move, there is a lot more, and a lot more clever, subtle and throwaway humor. That's what I mean by "less is more". The funniest, most engaging, and sometimes even most touching, bits are sly and witty. Brett and Clay are both sympathetic characters, in their own ways. The surprise new central figure is a bit edgy and tart, which is a neat addition to the mix. There are other surprises, but they are more likely to arrive in the form of character development than as whoopie cushion jokes.
The upshot is that this series keeps getting better, and more mature, and accordingly more intriguing and rewarding than standard MG magic adventure. That's a real treat and a great development. This is a happy find.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
August 2, 2021
I always love Bosch's work, and I've been obsessed with him ever since I reread the secret series two years ago. The way he's able to write his characters, and how they act like realistic children, is something that isn't all too common with a lot of authors, thankfully, Bosch NEVER fails at writing good character's. And I especially love his writing style, it's fun, and original, it's a little similar to Limony Snicket's work, but also completely different. Snicket's work feels more.. writerly? Whereas Bosh's work feels more conversational, as if you're having someone tell you the story. I also love how he educates the reader about cool facts as well, and the way he perfectly incorporates what seems like random nonsense into the narrative. These fun educational rambles seem like nonsense, and you'd think that they drag the story (since many people do complain about author's rambling, or sentences being too long) but this writer-- THEY DO IT PERFECTLY!! BOSCH, YOU GENIUS YOU!
This book is just brimming with personality, and I couldn't help but smile and genuinely enjoyed it as I was reading it. What I love about Bosch's writing is that it's whimsical, nonsensical, but it's those things in the BEST way possible.
I really loved the story of this book, it was so outside the box, something new, original, and refreshing, and I love this spin-off (at least that's what I'm assuming it is) of the Secret Series. The story is well done, well executed, believable (which is saying a lot, since it's about a camp full of magical kids) and just overall perfect. I wish I had started with the first book of this series, but I didn't! :(
This book makes up for that perfectly though! It explained to me what happened, has given me some backstory, and caught me up on Clay's adventures. Clay is a well written character who goes from being an outcast, to being a leader, and his development is perfectly done. All in all, a fantastic book by one of my favorite authors who I ABSOLUTELY SIMP for.
This book is just brimming with personality, and I couldn't help but smile and genuinely enjoyed it as I was reading it. What I love about Bosch's writing is that it's whimsical, nonsensical, but it's those things in the BEST way possible.
I really loved the story of this book, it was so outside the box, something new, original, and refreshing, and I love this spin-off (at least that's what I'm assuming it is) of the Secret Series. The story is well done, well executed, believable (which is saying a lot, since it's about a camp full of magical kids) and just overall perfect. I wish I had started with the first book of this series, but I didn't! :(
This book makes up for that perfectly though! It explained to me what happened, has given me some backstory, and caught me up on Clay's adventures. Clay is a well written character who goes from being an outcast, to being a leader, and his development is perfectly done. All in all, a fantastic book by one of my favorite authors who I ABSOLUTELY SIMP for.
February 4, 2023
📖💕 Sebelumnya: Clay dituduh mencoret dinding sekolah dengan grafiti. Tidak ada yang percaya kalau grafiti itu muncul sendiri. Sebagai hukuman, Clay dikirim ke Peternakan Bumi selama musim panas untuk memperbaiki sikap. Namun, Peternakan Bumi bukanlah perkemahan biasa. Ada banyak keanehan yang muncul sampai Clay tidak bisa membedakan antara ilusi atau realita.
📖💕 Di buku kedua, Clay sudah tahu siapa dirinya, teman-temannya dan rahasia perkemahan bumi. Namun, seperti yang dibilang "blurb", Clay tidak tahu sihir apa yang ada di dalam dirinya. Persis seperti pertanyaan yang muncul di benak saya setelah selesai membaca buku pertama.
📖💕 Di tengah kegalauannya, Clay menemukan seorang anak, Brett namanya, yang terdampar di peternakan bumi. Brett memohon agar keberadaannya dirahasiakan karena dia tidak diinginkan di keluarganya. Clay setuju untuk menyembunyikan Brett di sebuah gua meskipun ada tanda-tanda keberadaan naga di gua tersebut. Tapi jaman sekarang tidak mungkin ada naga kan?
📖💕 Well di buku kedua ini, sihir yang dimiliki oleh sahabat-sahabat Clay mulai dijelaskan secara detail. Yang paling seru adalah menebak-nebak apa bakat sihir Clay. Cluenya bermunculan di sepanjang cerita, meskipun begitu tebakan saya tetap saja salah, wkwkwk.
📖💕 Dan lagi saya mendapat kesan tentang isu "orang yang tak diinginkan" di sini. Kali ini dari Brett yang hubungannya dengan ayahnya bahkan jauh lebih buruk daripada hubungan Clay dengan keluarganya. Benar-benar bikin baper 🥲.
📖💕 Untungnya narator membuat para pembaca "tenang" dengan ending yang menimpa ayah Brett. Saya merasa diingatkan untuk belajar mengenali siapa yang pantas mendapatkan waktu saya. Semoga tidak salah pilih dan tidak menyesal nanti.
📖💕 Terus saya lebih suka terjemahannya. Kata-kata gaulnya sudah tidak ada lagi dan bacanya jadi lebih enak 😍.
📖💕 At last, buku kedua ini jauh lebih seru. 4 dari 5 bintang untuk Bad Luck. I really liked it.
📖💕 Kutipan favorit: "Orang-orang jahat belum menang. Tapi harus dikatakan, begitu pula dengan orang-orang baik. Belum." —hlm. 309
📖💕 Di buku kedua, Clay sudah tahu siapa dirinya, teman-temannya dan rahasia perkemahan bumi. Namun, seperti yang dibilang "blurb", Clay tidak tahu sihir apa yang ada di dalam dirinya. Persis seperti pertanyaan yang muncul di benak saya setelah selesai membaca buku pertama.
📖💕 Di tengah kegalauannya, Clay menemukan seorang anak, Brett namanya, yang terdampar di peternakan bumi. Brett memohon agar keberadaannya dirahasiakan karena dia tidak diinginkan di keluarganya. Clay setuju untuk menyembunyikan Brett di sebuah gua meskipun ada tanda-tanda keberadaan naga di gua tersebut. Tapi jaman sekarang tidak mungkin ada naga kan?
📖💕 Well di buku kedua ini, sihir yang dimiliki oleh sahabat-sahabat Clay mulai dijelaskan secara detail. Yang paling seru adalah menebak-nebak apa bakat sihir Clay. Cluenya bermunculan di sepanjang cerita, meskipun begitu tebakan saya tetap saja salah, wkwkwk.
📖💕 Dan lagi saya mendapat kesan tentang isu "orang yang tak diinginkan" di sini. Kali ini dari Brett yang hubungannya dengan ayahnya bahkan jauh lebih buruk daripada hubungan Clay dengan keluarganya. Benar-benar bikin baper 🥲.
📖💕 Untungnya narator membuat para pembaca "tenang" dengan ending yang menimpa ayah Brett. Saya merasa diingatkan untuk belajar mengenali siapa yang pantas mendapatkan waktu saya. Semoga tidak salah pilih dan tidak menyesal nanti.
📖💕 Terus saya lebih suka terjemahannya. Kata-kata gaulnya sudah tidak ada lagi dan bacanya jadi lebih enak 😍.
📖💕 At last, buku kedua ini jauh lebih seru. 4 dari 5 bintang untuk Bad Luck. I really liked it.
📖💕 Kutipan favorit: "Orang-orang jahat belum menang. Tapi harus dikatakan, begitu pula dengan orang-orang baik. Belum." —hlm. 309
December 20, 2019
Great ready for another clever, gregarious and delightful read. Our intrepid band of magical heros the SOS society are in some real trouble this time. A bad man has come to the island looking for something magical. But what? And Why?
Clay is still at Earth Ranch but he is honestly not sure why. Most of the other campers have obvious forms of magic but other than being able to understand Como Clay cannot see anything magical about himself. Until he finds a book and a cave and everything changes.
The narrator continues to be my favorite character. Lol!! His footnotes are not only informative, providing facts I might not even know, they are also hilarious. He has just the right combination of snark and sass to be funny funny funny.
In this novel he becomes a bit more etymological in this second novel. He looks at the history and meaning of several different interesting and fun words in very clever ways.
The sprinkling of dragon lore throughout the book was fascinating. I also like both of Clay's new friends. Their names escape me right now. One is so cool and foreign to our way of thinking to seem almost alien. The other a cute chubby teenager who loves jello parfeit and swimming. They will be extremely interesting new additions to the story.
PG - some gun shooting. An animal is tranquilized. A child is hurt by falling rocks.
Clay is still at Earth Ranch but he is honestly not sure why. Most of the other campers have obvious forms of magic but other than being able to understand Como Clay cannot see anything magical about himself. Until he finds a book and a cave and everything changes.
The narrator continues to be my favorite character. Lol!! His footnotes are not only informative, providing facts I might not even know, they are also hilarious. He has just the right combination of snark and sass to be funny funny funny.
In this novel he becomes a bit more etymological in this second novel. He looks at the history and meaning of several different interesting and fun words in very clever ways.
The sprinkling of dragon lore throughout the book was fascinating. I also like both of Clay's new friends. Their names escape me right now. One is so cool and foreign to our way of thinking to seem almost alien. The other a cute chubby teenager who loves jello parfeit and swimming. They will be extremely interesting new additions to the story.
PG - some gun shooting. An animal is tranquilized. A child is hurt by falling rocks.
January 10, 2022
Bad Luck by Pseudonymous Bosch was a very funny, climatic book that underlines the message that many people have hidden talents they might not know about.
Bad Luck by Pseudonymous Bosch is a mystery novel that is part of the Bad Magic series. It takes place on Price Island, a desert island pretty much in the middle of nowhere. In the island is a summer camp called earth ranch that is full of magic. Clay, the main character, and one of his good friends Leira are playing capture the flag when after the game, and everybody has left, finds a boy on the island. Who is the boy? Why is he here? Read this exhilarating book to find out.
I personally adored this book because it was thrilling and it kept you on the edge of your seat. I was very intrigued by the word choice the author used, and the tone he used while writing this book. For example, during the very electrifying parts of the story, he used special vocabulary such as “anxiously” and “vanquished”. This vocabulary and tone of the author makes the book so much more exciting and fun to read.
I think that people who like mystery and adventure books will love this book. I think that they will like this book because it includes many parts where characters are trying to figure out a mystery, like who stole a book(hint hint) or where they are on an adventure to save something.
Bad Luck by Pseudonymous Bosch is a mystery novel that is part of the Bad Magic series. It takes place on Price Island, a desert island pretty much in the middle of nowhere. In the island is a summer camp called earth ranch that is full of magic. Clay, the main character, and one of his good friends Leira are playing capture the flag when after the game, and everybody has left, finds a boy on the island. Who is the boy? Why is he here? Read this exhilarating book to find out.
I personally adored this book because it was thrilling and it kept you on the edge of your seat. I was very intrigued by the word choice the author used, and the tone he used while writing this book. For example, during the very electrifying parts of the story, he used special vocabulary such as “anxiously” and “vanquished”. This vocabulary and tone of the author makes the book so much more exciting and fun to read.
I think that people who like mystery and adventure books will love this book. I think that they will like this book because it includes many parts where characters are trying to figure out a mystery, like who stole a book(hint hint) or where they are on an adventure to save something.
February 17, 2022
Gut Instinct Rating: 4
Characters: 5
Believability: 5
Uniqueness: 5
Writing Style: 4.5
Excitement Factor: 4.5
Story Line: 5
Title Relevance: 5
Artwork Relevance: 5
Overall: 4.78🏳️🌈
•
Review: While this book wasn't one that I loved as far as content goes (fire-breathing-flying dragons are a little out of my imagination range), the topics that are brought into this story for a middle grade read to elicit some fabulous discussions are too amazing to not love this book. I want to start by saying that if you have a child, or are the adult reader of this book, please be very aware that the book surrounds child abuse. It's not very graphic, and might even be missed by a child themselves, but I think it's a great way to talk about both physical and mental abuse. This story also brings up pronouns and identity, through our dragon friend, Ariella. I don't want to jump as far as saying this is a stand-in for transgender discussions, but I do think that pronouns (they/them) are used in this story and are fabulous. Also, DRAG IN MIDDLE GRADE STORIES?! It's a very small part of this story, but it is absolutely mentioned (and explained).
Characters: 5
Believability: 5
Uniqueness: 5
Writing Style: 4.5
Excitement Factor: 4.5
Story Line: 5
Title Relevance: 5
Artwork Relevance: 5
Overall: 4.78🏳️🌈
•
Review: While this book wasn't one that I loved as far as content goes (fire-breathing-flying dragons are a little out of my imagination range), the topics that are brought into this story for a middle grade read to elicit some fabulous discussions are too amazing to not love this book. I want to start by saying that if you have a child, or are the adult reader of this book, please be very aware that the book surrounds child abuse. It's not very graphic, and might even be missed by a child themselves, but I think it's a great way to talk about both physical and mental abuse. This story also brings up pronouns and identity, through our dragon friend, Ariella. I don't want to jump as far as saying this is a stand-in for transgender discussions, but I do think that pronouns (they/them) are used in this story and are fabulous. Also, DRAG IN MIDDLE GRADE STORIES?! It's a very small part of this story, but it is absolutely mentioned (and explained).
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