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Bad Machinery #4
Bad Machinery Volume Four: The Case of the Lonely One
A new school year brings a new classmate to Griswald's Grammar School! But he's a bit strange, and he really, really likes onions. When the whole school suddenly becomes best friends with him, Shauna seems to be the only one left out. It's up to her to peel back the mystery, one onion layer at a time. Join the team for another thrilling case, full of the cunning wit and high-flying adventure you can only get from John Allison's Bad Machinery.
136 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2015
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145 people want to read
About the author
John Allison
320 books829 followersJohn Allison is the author and artist of the British webcomics Scary Go Round and Bad Machinery.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
January 31, 2017
Just what is the secret of the new kid's popularity, and why is he always eating onions? With most of the Bad Machinery crowd out of the running (no spoilers, but you'll understand why when you read this), Shauna must go it alone in what is probably the best adventure of the team yet.
It may just be that more of the focus is on a single character, but the story in this volume seems stronger to me than the previous three. Events move along at a decent pace, and the story unfolds nicely. It's cleverly done, and with all of the quirky character bits and banter that make John Allison's work so much fun. Recommended!
It may just be that more of the focus is on a single character, but the story in this volume seems stronger to me than the previous three. Events move along at a decent pace, and the story unfolds nicely. It's cleverly done, and with all of the quirky character bits and banter that make John Allison's work so much fun. Recommended!
August 24, 2016
So, I've actually caved in and read the webcomic rather than waiting for the print volumes to go into the library system. And now I WANT TO BUY THEM ALL.
Read up to the current case Of the Missing Piece, and now I might migrate backwards and give Scary Go Round a try, although I have a feeling I'd miss Lottie.
Read up to the current case Of the Missing Piece, and now I might migrate backwards and give Scary Go Round a try, although I have a feeling I'd miss Lottie.
June 3, 2017
This was something I picked up while waiting for my girls who were playing on the computers at the library. It was cute, but I wish I could have started with book one.
February 12, 2016
The preteen heroes of this series are very slowly starting to grow up, but they're no less hilarious for it. There's an unexpectedly poignant moment near the end of this episode when Shauna, feeling wistful about the transition to young womanhood, says to her best friend, "I miss being little and loud, Lottie." Charlotte is always ready with a smart remark, but instead she puts her arm around Shauna and says, "If we can't be little any more...we'll make up for it by being louder." How can you not love heroines like this?
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May 29, 2023A new school year brings new students, one of which is Lem, a personality-less onion-lover who’s able to easily make friends. Too easily. So it’s up to the gang to investigate, except, oh no, only Shauna hasn’t been converted into one of Lem’s friends. So she teams with first with Little Claire then with the D&D club to figure out what’s going on. Shenanigans and laughs ensue.
A fun read once again. I can’t really add anything new about Bad Machinery. I liked the first three books and liked this one too. Despite the main cast not acting like themselves for most of this volume (or barely saying anything), I feel like their personalities are more defined and easy to pick out now than they were in previous volumes.
A fun read once again. I can’t really add anything new about Bad Machinery. I liked the first three books and liked this one too. Despite the main cast not acting like themselves for most of this volume (or barely saying anything), I feel like their personalities are more defined and easy to pick out now than they were in previous volumes.
August 11, 2020
Another winner—ridiculousness and laughs abound.
December 30, 2025
Shauna vs. onions in this follow-up mystery!
July 1, 2021
Oh gosh, for Mother's Day, my husband got me the first of John Allison's new series Wicked Things, featuring a 19 year-old Charlotte Grote. Since I'm still working my way through my backlog of the Bad Machinery comics where she and her friends originally appear, I've been keeping that as a reward for when I finally have time to catch up on the series (which I don't even own all of yet, ha. Sooon!) I actually accidentally read Book 5 before this one but have finally found a moment to catch up, at least to my current Bad Machinery reading timeline.
As The Case Of The Lonely One begins, our intrepid heroes discover that Lottie, with her bad grades and her inability to get her parent's signature on the right form, won't be in the same class as everyone else now that second form has begun. At least Lottie will have Little Claire to hang out with, as they wait for their form teacher, the mysterious Mrs Lord, to finally arrive. Our other five student sleuths are at the mercy of wound-tight Mr Sprink, who terrorizes them in the traditional manner of British schoolmasters since time immemorial.
When the kids notice a new student, Lem, they're initially put off by his partiality towards eating raw onions. He lives on a nearby onion farm, but still! However, each of the friends slowly falls under his spell, which completely bewilders Shauna, the only one of the group who doesn't automatically say "he's a right good laugh once you get to know him" whenever the subject of him is raised. Convinced that something is amiss, Shauna recruits the only other unaffected students, the members of the RPG Club, to help her. But working together won't be as easy as Shauna imagines, as Blossom, till then the undisputed head of the club, feels threatened not only by Shauna's presence but by the attention she's getting from Corky, another group member. Will Shauna be able to overcome the mystifying loss of her fast friends and her new lack of trustworthy allies in her quest to expose Lem for who, or perhaps what, he truly is?
This was another winning installment of this extremely charming series of young detectives and their fantastic hijinks in small-town England. Told with verve, humor and a keen insight into the language and emotions of pre-adolescents, these books tell ripping good yarns that are also deeply smart about the fundamental truths of growing up. In TCotLO, Mr Allison notes that adults tend to forget how to talk to children, a skill he certainly hasn't lost himself if these books are any indicator.
The only trouble I had with this book -- and this is entirely a me problem that could be swiftly remedied by either going through the previous books again or hurrying up and reading the next few; I own at least two more in the series now, and need to look into getting the rest once I finally have time to read them all -- was that I have no idea who Jack was greeting in the final panel. I'm assuming it was someone from a previous book, as I don't think it's any of the people who show up in Book 5, The Case Of The Fire Inside? I'm also dying to read more of Blossom, whom I don't think signifies in TCotFI either. I imagine she'll play a pivotal role in Shauna's life going forward, if Little Claire's expanded presence here was anything to go by (and what delightful notes by Mr Allison on that development in his afterword too!)
I really love how the characters grow as the series progresses, with this book focusing a bit on Mildred and Shauna learning to be friends without Lottie playing constant intermediary, and Shauna figuring out how to be the sole investigator for a change. It all leads in beautifully to the next book, which I desperately want to re-read right now but simply don't have the time to. One of these days!
The Case Of The Lonely One by John Allison was published October 23 2015 by Oni Press and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
As The Case Of The Lonely One begins, our intrepid heroes discover that Lottie, with her bad grades and her inability to get her parent's signature on the right form, won't be in the same class as everyone else now that second form has begun. At least Lottie will have Little Claire to hang out with, as they wait for their form teacher, the mysterious Mrs Lord, to finally arrive. Our other five student sleuths are at the mercy of wound-tight Mr Sprink, who terrorizes them in the traditional manner of British schoolmasters since time immemorial.
When the kids notice a new student, Lem, they're initially put off by his partiality towards eating raw onions. He lives on a nearby onion farm, but still! However, each of the friends slowly falls under his spell, which completely bewilders Shauna, the only one of the group who doesn't automatically say "he's a right good laugh once you get to know him" whenever the subject of him is raised. Convinced that something is amiss, Shauna recruits the only other unaffected students, the members of the RPG Club, to help her. But working together won't be as easy as Shauna imagines, as Blossom, till then the undisputed head of the club, feels threatened not only by Shauna's presence but by the attention she's getting from Corky, another group member. Will Shauna be able to overcome the mystifying loss of her fast friends and her new lack of trustworthy allies in her quest to expose Lem for who, or perhaps what, he truly is?
This was another winning installment of this extremely charming series of young detectives and their fantastic hijinks in small-town England. Told with verve, humor and a keen insight into the language and emotions of pre-adolescents, these books tell ripping good yarns that are also deeply smart about the fundamental truths of growing up. In TCotLO, Mr Allison notes that adults tend to forget how to talk to children, a skill he certainly hasn't lost himself if these books are any indicator.
The only trouble I had with this book -- and this is entirely a me problem that could be swiftly remedied by either going through the previous books again or hurrying up and reading the next few; I own at least two more in the series now, and need to look into getting the rest once I finally have time to read them all -- was that I have no idea who Jack was greeting in the final panel. I'm assuming it was someone from a previous book, as I don't think it's any of the people who show up in Book 5, The Case Of The Fire Inside? I'm also dying to read more of Blossom, whom I don't think signifies in TCotFI either. I imagine she'll play a pivotal role in Shauna's life going forward, if Little Claire's expanded presence here was anything to go by (and what delightful notes by Mr Allison on that development in his afterword too!)
I really love how the characters grow as the series progresses, with this book focusing a bit on Mildred and Shauna learning to be friends without Lottie playing constant intermediary, and Shauna figuring out how to be the sole investigator for a change. It all leads in beautifully to the next book, which I desperately want to re-read right now but simply don't have the time to. One of these days!
The Case Of The Lonely One by John Allison was published October 23 2015 by Oni Press and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
September 6, 2021
This is a review for all 10 volumes of Bad Machinery, which I read consecutively. Each of the volumes warrants a top review, but it is the opinion of this reviewer that the series should be read all at once for maximum effect.
Welcome to Tackleford, England, a low-to-middling “town full of mysteries” typically solved by the Mystery Kids, a sextet of 11-year-old students at Griswalds Grammar School. The boys—Linton, Jack and Sonny often work in parallel to the girls—Lottie, Shauna and Mildred—but sometimes also as mild rivals, and often unwitting allies. Chockablock with wirtty dialogue, great laughs and characters who you will certainly grow to love. Bad Machinery begins as a kind of deeply English homage to both Harry Potter and Scooby-Doo, but evolves into a terrific character comedy and some coming-of-age drama along the way.
Written and illustrated by John Allison, Bad Machinery feels rather close to his other work, especially the fantastic Giant Days (which is essentially Bad Machinery set in college rather than high school), but that’s alright. Once this story really finds its footing in the second volume, it’s a consistently excellent ride to the finish, as we watch our heroes grow up, grow wiser, and in some cases, grow apart. It’s a story teased out in tiny increments, page by page, betraying its webcomic origins. But Bad Machinery very shows why it’s won the armloads of awards to its name, and for those willing to give it a little room to breathe and get on its wavelength, there is some immense fun and terrific storytelling in store. Teen-appropriate, but be warned, American readers, if you’re not up on your English slang, you’ll miss a few of the jokes.
Bottom line, if you love any of John Allison’s other work, you’ll love this.
Welcome to Tackleford, England, a low-to-middling “town full of mysteries” typically solved by the Mystery Kids, a sextet of 11-year-old students at Griswalds Grammar School. The boys—Linton, Jack and Sonny often work in parallel to the girls—Lottie, Shauna and Mildred—but sometimes also as mild rivals, and often unwitting allies. Chockablock with wirtty dialogue, great laughs and characters who you will certainly grow to love. Bad Machinery begins as a kind of deeply English homage to both Harry Potter and Scooby-Doo, but evolves into a terrific character comedy and some coming-of-age drama along the way.
Written and illustrated by John Allison, Bad Machinery feels rather close to his other work, especially the fantastic Giant Days (which is essentially Bad Machinery set in college rather than high school), but that’s alright. Once this story really finds its footing in the second volume, it’s a consistently excellent ride to the finish, as we watch our heroes grow up, grow wiser, and in some cases, grow apart. It’s a story teased out in tiny increments, page by page, betraying its webcomic origins. But Bad Machinery very shows why it’s won the armloads of awards to its name, and for those willing to give it a little room to breathe and get on its wavelength, there is some immense fun and terrific storytelling in store. Teen-appropriate, but be warned, American readers, if you’re not up on your English slang, you’ll miss a few of the jokes.
Bottom line, if you love any of John Allison’s other work, you’ll love this.
November 21, 2021
Read this series a long time ago and loved every one of the titles. This one was for review.
Everyone at Griswalds Grammar School (a British high school) starts the new year trying to figure out the new kid, Lem. He seems like a nobody and eats raw onions all the time. Other students strangely and suddenly decide he's fine, but Shauna still thinks he is too boringly weird to be that popular. When Lem invites everyone except Shauna to his parents’ onion farm for a party, she enlists the help of the nerdiest kids in the school to uncover what's really going on.
The mystery behind Lem's identity was a compelling plot line that soon becomes outrageous, with a bit of science fiction thrown in, and I loved the characters from all over the school. Shauna is super smart and can conjugate Latin to her teacher, renewing his faith in his students. Little Claire has a lisp and worries about undead "thombies" when they discuss Lem's hypnotic powers, and whether all the kids under Lem's spell will eat brains instead of onions. And Lottie has "the attention span of a moth in a light bulb factory," according to one of their friends.
Everyone at Griswalds Grammar School (a British high school) starts the new year trying to figure out the new kid, Lem. He seems like a nobody and eats raw onions all the time. Other students strangely and suddenly decide he's fine, but Shauna still thinks he is too boringly weird to be that popular. When Lem invites everyone except Shauna to his parents’ onion farm for a party, she enlists the help of the nerdiest kids in the school to uncover what's really going on.
The mystery behind Lem's identity was a compelling plot line that soon becomes outrageous, with a bit of science fiction thrown in, and I loved the characters from all over the school. Shauna is super smart and can conjugate Latin to her teacher, renewing his faith in his students. Little Claire has a lisp and worries about undead "thombies" when they discuss Lem's hypnotic powers, and whether all the kids under Lem's spell will eat brains instead of onions. And Lottie has "the attention span of a moth in a light bulb factory," according to one of their friends.
May 21, 2018
I think this series keeps getting better and better. I really liked how this one involves all the characters a little more rather than having them split into the boys and girls groups. Now that they've all developed more, I think it will be fun to watch them interact with each other in different ways and combinations. And the expanded cast of characters was fun too! I especially enjoyed seeing Shauna and Amy bonding.
I also like how this story doesn't develop the way you'd think a brainwashing story normally would. Allison is great at taking these stories off in silly directions that somehow make perfect sense in this universe. It provides for more interesting endings where, instead of the characters wondering at the fact that they've been hypnotized by alien onions, they all apologize for being bad friends while zombified. I immediately wanted to read about what adventures the crew would have next.
I also like how this story doesn't develop the way you'd think a brainwashing story normally would. Allison is great at taking these stories off in silly directions that somehow make perfect sense in this universe. It provides for more interesting endings where, instead of the characters wondering at the fact that they've been hypnotized by alien onions, they all apologize for being bad friends while zombified. I immediately wanted to read about what adventures the crew would have next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2022
A focus that moves almost entirely to Shauna and relatively new character Little Claire is the only negative in this absolutely delightful continuation of the series. When an onion-chewing new boy steals all of her friends, Shauna knows something weird is going on, and brings in some new blood to help face him down. Things get WEIRD in this book, but Allison has nailed his tone so consistently for so long that it all feels perfectly in keeping with the series. Shauna's date/family dinner is a highlight, and the chance to see Amy Beckwith interact with Shauna also offers a ripe source of humor. The book floats by as an enjoyable absurdist experience, and is probably my favorite volume of the series so far.
March 31, 2019
Although I believe this series can be enjoyed by most anyone 11 or older, it's one middle school students can relate heavily to since the experiences are fresh in their minds. Classes are chaotic, you worry your classmates are insane, they worry you're insane, gym class is disliked, along with others.
Yet there is also humour. Teenagers like to sass everyone and be clever but usually not with the intention of hurting (not all of them) others which I believe has been perfectly captured in this book series.
You should probably read it
Yet there is also humour. Teenagers like to sass everyone and be clever but usually not with the intention of hurting (not all of them) others which I believe has been perfectly captured in this book series.
You should probably read it
November 11, 2018
♥♥♥♥♥♥
Have I mentioned I adore John Allison's comics?
I do.
Do you like humor and mystery and fun things?
Bad Machinery is brilliant.
And Shauna is a fantastic character. And Little Claire really comes into her own in this volume.
And look, before you dismiss your crush with a D&D curse, remember that you'll probably be haunted by that for the rest of your life.
I loved this to pieces. and laughed so much it hurt.
Have I mentioned I adore John Allison's comics?
I do.
Do you like humor and mystery and fun things?
Bad Machinery is brilliant.
And Shauna is a fantastic character. And Little Claire really comes into her own in this volume.
And look, before you dismiss your crush with a D&D curse, remember that you'll probably be haunted by that for the rest of your life.
I loved this to pieces. and laughed so much it hurt.
September 6, 2021
So. Many. Onions. Haha, a very fun read as are the others in this series. Lots of Shauna which is fine, my fav is Lottie and her and many other characters were kinda sidelined in this one due to Lem but there's also some new characters. I liked the back section with the author's sketches and notes because he said the names of Lem's parents there even though he didn't use them in the story. That cracks me up.
December 22, 2021
What a fun little series! Now I have to start from the beginning and then continue forward. It isn't Shakespeare (heck, it's not even Fruits Basket), but the interaction between the characters is a hoot to read! And the over the top plot just adds to the fun. Will be wanting to add this to my teen library.
March 27, 2022
The least successful of the series so far for me. The plot was perfectly ordinary and there were fewer gags than we've been spoiled with in the past. Still loving the format, but I would like to see this series get back on track. I already have the next one, but if it's no better then I will only be purchasing the rest for the sake of completeness.
August 7, 2017
Oh lord was this weird. I've been trying to explain it to other people and it's not going well. "There's onions. And sinister new kids. And general insanity. It's a mystery?" This was my first foray into Bad Machinery, and I totally dig it.
May 29, 2018
A new student at Griswalds Grammar has all the kids eating raw onions and repeating that he is a "right good laugh once you get to know him." It is up to Shauna Winkle to get to the bottom of the onion eating weirdness and fix this minor crisis.
April 6, 2019
3.5 stars. Shauna has got to be my favourite character so it was great getting a volume centred around her. Just wish it was a different one as the plot wasn't great for me. Still entertaining and full of humour though.
October 13, 2024
The Onion Adventure. As if things could not get stranger a new kid shows up at school. He loves eating raw onions, and soon the fad spreads, many of the students fall into a cult-like trance. A deep mystery is lurking here. Fun read, as usual for the series nice graphics.
February 20, 2017
LEM!! He is my favorite. I want all of his tshirts ("super markey", "air port", etc)
June 10, 2017
Very different I loved the illustrations
September 21, 2017
Another funny, wonderful, amazing story from John Allison.
This series just gets better and better.
This series just gets better and better.
February 26, 2018
The kids are growing up
Shauna mystery's alone
Always amusing and entertaining
Shauna mystery's alone
Always amusing and entertaining
March 25, 2018
The perfect amount of weird.
March 2, 2020
These are my favourite. The humour is so strange and specific and surprising. Will read forever.
October 8, 2020
This amazing series has humor, depth, originality, appealing characters, and subtle hints of danger. Yes, I know it's a kids series. Yes, I think it's that good.
October 28, 2020
definitely a re-read but I guess I never marked it before
February 24, 2021
Growing up is weird
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews