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Five Times Revenge
Five unlikely friends. Two bullies. One epic prank. Part The Breakfast Club and part The View from Saturday, this funny, heartwarming novel about friendship and standing up for yourself will appeal to fans of Chris Grabenstein and Jennifer L. Holm.
Adam is the prank mastermind. Perk is his best friend and the computer genius. Pearl is the prettiest girl in school—and a violin prodigy. Ray looks like a big dumb jock, but he secretly wants to be an engineer. And Dutch is the often-bullied dork who is in tune with everyone’s feelings. The five of them couldn’t be more different. But there’s one thing they have in common: they are fed up with Hill Parmar, the school bully—and his dad, their school principal, who is always turning a blind eye. When Hill finally steps over the line, the five unlikely schemers band together for a prank like nothing Mt. Nittany Middle School has ever seen before. Lindsay Eland weaves the five alternate points of view together for an accessible and funny school story—and a friendship story—for every reader. Teamwork, trust, and seeing below the surface are at the heart of this novel for readers who snap up books by Wendy Mass, Jennifer L. Holm, and Kate Messner.
Adam is the prank mastermind. Perk is his best friend and the computer genius. Pearl is the prettiest girl in school—and a violin prodigy. Ray looks like a big dumb jock, but he secretly wants to be an engineer. And Dutch is the often-bullied dork who is in tune with everyone’s feelings. The five of them couldn’t be more different. But there’s one thing they have in common: they are fed up with Hill Parmar, the school bully—and his dad, their school principal, who is always turning a blind eye. When Hill finally steps over the line, the five unlikely schemers band together for a prank like nothing Mt. Nittany Middle School has ever seen before. Lindsay Eland weaves the five alternate points of view together for an accessible and funny school story—and a friendship story—for every reader. Teamwork, trust, and seeing below the surface are at the heart of this novel for readers who snap up books by Wendy Mass, Jennifer L. Holm, and Kate Messner.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2016
9 people are currently reading
292 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay Eland
6 books92 followers Lindsay Eland knew she wanted to be a writer ever since fifth grade, when she won an honorable mention for her book “What Can You Learn From a Giflyaroo.” The book received rave reviews and was highly acclaimed among her family members. Sadly, with only ten hard-bound copies produced, the book is now out of print. In high school and early college, Lindsay traveled to India and had the privilege of working in Mother Teresa’s Home for Orphans in Calcutta. Years later, after getting hitched to a wonderful guy she met in college and having four kids in four years, she decided she didn’t have nearly enough to do. Picking up pen and paper, she began writing again with the humor, passion, and determination that always marked her character. A true romantic like Polly, an avid espresso drinker, savvy, reliable, and a lover of all that can make her laugh, Lindsay lives in Breckenridge, Colorado, with her husband, their four kids, a great big dog they call Cowboy, and various bears and foxes that venture into their yard. One day Lindsay hopes to own a horse, and she’ll name him, of course, Mr. Darcy.
Lindsay writes funny, heart-warming stories to make you laugh, cry, and long for more.
Lindsay writes funny, heart-warming stories to make you laugh, cry, and long for more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
February 6, 2017
My 6th grade son finished this book and immediately handed it to me saying, "I think you'd really like this." He was right, of course!
I loved every single thing about these clever, courageous and kind kids. Joining forces to topple the town bullies turns into a bit of an adventure and results in fabulous friendships.
I loved every single thing about these clever, courageous and kind kids. Joining forces to topple the town bullies turns into a bit of an adventure and results in fabulous friendships.
May 31, 2016
Quite The Novel Idea ~ Words from the Clouds
I was actually rather excited to read this book, mostly because the premise is similar to another book I read (and LOVED) this year: Don't Get Caught by Kurt Dinan. Though that one is YA and this MG, they share a similar story. A group of kids coming together to get back at someone through pranks with an MC that's really good at coming up with said pranks. Both have been compared to The Breakfast Club. Don't Get Caught ended up on my all-time faves list and Max, the MC, even landed himself a spot on my fave character list. So to say Five Times Revenge had a lot to live up to, would be an understatement. Unfortunately, though I did enjoy it, it didn't quite match those expectations of mine.
I'm going to start with the things I didn't like, because I like to get all the negative out of the way so I can end my review on a positive note. First, and the biggest issue I had, is the fact that this book doesn't really... go beyond the surface. There is SO much potential here in the cast of characters alone, which I'll talk about later, and it doesn't dig any deeper than necessary. I would've loved to explore each of the five main characters more and really get to know them and connect with them. But I never really did. And yes, it's Middle Grade, but I've read books in the genre go SO much deeper and they're a lot better for it. I think there is so much potential for deeper character developement in middle grade books and touch on these tough subjects. Reach a younger generation and spread a positive message. And yes, it is possible in this kind of story because Don't Get Caught did exactly that. And before you say anything, I know plenty of MG books that did it perfectly too.
My second issue is what all the stuff the principal and his son did. I don't think that would ever happen in real life, but since this is still a book and it's fiction, I can overlook it. But that doesn't take away that some of it did really go overboard and was a tiny bit unbelievable.
Now before you toss this book aside, there are things I enjoyed in this book. I liked the story overall, just because I love heist stories, which is one of the reasons I adore Don't Get Caught. I like seeing how these groups of unlikely friends come together and plan this awesome prank to get back at someone who did them wrong. Who did others wrong too. It always sends a message that there's more to someone than you know and that someone you least expect, might turn out to be your best friend. It encourages people to get to know someone before judging them based on appearances or first impressions alone. And I applaud that, even if that message is not intentional.
And-though this book doesn't really do as much with this as it could-the characters are all very diverse. Each has their own voice and the different POV's really highlighted that. I liked Adam, who is great at coming up with pranks and all kind of smartsy stuff. I liked his best friend Perk, who's a computer genius. I also liked Pearl, the pretty girl who's great at remembering things and a violin prodigy. I liked Ray, who looks like dumb jock, but is actually very smart. And I had a soft spot for Dutch, the always-bullied dork who is awesome at imitations and braver than he thinks. I also loved Tommy, Perk's disabled brother. All five of the main characters have things going on in their personal life and they're so different and I liked that they became friends anyway. Dutch and Pearl even start developing this sweet and innocent romance, which I adored.
Overall, Five Times Revenge was a fun read that ultimately did keep me hooked from start to finish. So if you like middle grade and you enjoy prank/heist stories, I recommend you give this one a shot.
I was actually rather excited to read this book, mostly because the premise is similar to another book I read (and LOVED) this year: Don't Get Caught by Kurt Dinan. Though that one is YA and this MG, they share a similar story. A group of kids coming together to get back at someone through pranks with an MC that's really good at coming up with said pranks. Both have been compared to The Breakfast Club. Don't Get Caught ended up on my all-time faves list and Max, the MC, even landed himself a spot on my fave character list. So to say Five Times Revenge had a lot to live up to, would be an understatement. Unfortunately, though I did enjoy it, it didn't quite match those expectations of mine.
I'm going to start with the things I didn't like, because I like to get all the negative out of the way so I can end my review on a positive note. First, and the biggest issue I had, is the fact that this book doesn't really... go beyond the surface. There is SO much potential here in the cast of characters alone, which I'll talk about later, and it doesn't dig any deeper than necessary. I would've loved to explore each of the five main characters more and really get to know them and connect with them. But I never really did. And yes, it's Middle Grade, but I've read books in the genre go SO much deeper and they're a lot better for it. I think there is so much potential for deeper character developement in middle grade books and touch on these tough subjects. Reach a younger generation and spread a positive message. And yes, it is possible in this kind of story because Don't Get Caught did exactly that. And before you say anything, I know plenty of MG books that did it perfectly too.
My second issue is what all the stuff the principal and his son did. I don't think that would ever happen in real life, but since this is still a book and it's fiction, I can overlook it. But that doesn't take away that some of it did really go overboard and was a tiny bit unbelievable.
Now before you toss this book aside, there are things I enjoyed in this book. I liked the story overall, just because I love heist stories, which is one of the reasons I adore Don't Get Caught. I like seeing how these groups of unlikely friends come together and plan this awesome prank to get back at someone who did them wrong. Who did others wrong too. It always sends a message that there's more to someone than you know and that someone you least expect, might turn out to be your best friend. It encourages people to get to know someone before judging them based on appearances or first impressions alone. And I applaud that, even if that message is not intentional.
And-though this book doesn't really do as much with this as it could-the characters are all very diverse. Each has their own voice and the different POV's really highlighted that. I liked Adam, who is great at coming up with pranks and all kind of smartsy stuff. I liked his best friend Perk, who's a computer genius. I also liked Pearl, the pretty girl who's great at remembering things and a violin prodigy. I liked Ray, who looks like dumb jock, but is actually very smart. And I had a soft spot for Dutch, the always-bullied dork who is awesome at imitations and braver than he thinks. I also loved Tommy, Perk's disabled brother. All five of the main characters have things going on in their personal life and they're so different and I liked that they became friends anyway. Dutch and Pearl even start developing this sweet and innocent romance, which I adored.
Overall, Five Times Revenge was a fun read that ultimately did keep me hooked from start to finish. So if you like middle grade and you enjoy prank/heist stories, I recommend you give this one a shot.
September 22, 2017
Do you like comedy, then pick this book. It has a mixture of sadness, Love, and anger. There is two bullies, the principal Mr. Parmar, and his kid Hill Parmar. They run the school and only care about there selves. two kids named Perk and Adam had enough of it when Hill trapped Perks little brother in the closet. So they wanted revenge, five times the revenge. They made a group, of kids that got bullied by the Parmars, and then plot their revenge.
This story was pretty good except for the times when it was very slow in the middle. It described things really good but sometimes you didn't even need it in the story. I did enjoy listening to the groups little talks and what they were going to do to pull off something so big. I did learn more about of what bullies do to make you do whatever they want and how a parent acts reflects on how the child acts.
Honestly, the dialogue in this book makes all the characters and even the book itself come together. Its uses all the right rules and a variety of patterns. It makes the book good.
Overall the story was fantastic, and i definitely want to read more of Lindsay Elands books. I really enjoyed all the mini plots like "Dutch and Pearl." and "Ray and Tommy". The imagery of the car on the roof and how they got it up there is amazing.
This story was pretty good except for the times when it was very slow in the middle. It described things really good but sometimes you didn't even need it in the story. I did enjoy listening to the groups little talks and what they were going to do to pull off something so big. I did learn more about of what bullies do to make you do whatever they want and how a parent acts reflects on how the child acts.
Honestly, the dialogue in this book makes all the characters and even the book itself come together. Its uses all the right rules and a variety of patterns. It makes the book good.
Overall the story was fantastic, and i definitely want to read more of Lindsay Elands books. I really enjoyed all the mini plots like "Dutch and Pearl." and "Ray and Tommy". The imagery of the car on the roof and how they got it up there is amazing.
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March 12, 2019peeps it was gucci
December 19, 2018
Oh I loved this book!!! My son and I read it for his homeschool, it's our mother/son book club and I couldn't put this book down. I loved that the chapters were short, the characters were likeable and relatable and that they all came together in friendship and the best revenge ever!!!!
September 20, 2016
Adam and Perk have a problem. That problem is the principal and his son, both of them bullies to the core. When Hill, the principal's son, takes things too far with Perk's special needs brother, Adam and Perk decide that they have to come up with their best prank ever. Something that will teach the bullies a lesson. However, a prank of this magnitude needs more people for it to succeed. Fortunately, Hill has made more than a few enemies.
This feels like an upper elementary version of Ocean's 11. Fun, but with setbacks and obstacles to overcome to pull off a crazy heist. I did ask my 16 year old what they thought of the punishment given to Hill, if it met the "No One Gets Hurt" rule that Adam includes as part of his prank rules. She considered the punishment as breaking that rule, but that depends on your point of view.
Really enjoyable realistic/heist/friendship fiction.
This feels like an upper elementary version of Ocean's 11. Fun, but with setbacks and obstacles to overcome to pull off a crazy heist. I did ask my 16 year old what they thought of the punishment given to Hill, if it met the "No One Gets Hurt" rule that Adam includes as part of his prank rules. She considered the punishment as breaking that rule, but that depends on your point of view.
Really enjoyable realistic/heist/friendship fiction.
August 13, 2016
The first few pages drew me in, and I could not put the book down. True, the antagonists were stereotypical, but the coming together of the five pranksters highlighted that especially in middle school, everyone is not what he seems. Each of the characters had a strong need to belong. While the characters may not have been fully developed. I gave this book five stars, because I felt fourth and fifth graders would enjoy the pace and plot. Further, the plot could serve as a device to spark larger discussions on tolerance and diversity
October 29, 2017
Ah, I had so much fun with this book. It really was great! And yes, I'll read more by this author. I'm so glad I read the acknowledgements to find out a bit more about her. The characters were totally realistic and you know how I love teamwork. It was funny. It was sad. The bullies make you so mad. And these people had parents. I mean, they were on the sidelines, but they were mentioned and had their own problems and personalities, and yes, that affects the worlds of the teens. I could never be this crazy? Bold? Brave? Courageous? But whatever...justice was served. My daughter will love this right away because of Tommy. I had to go to bed, but other than that, I read this book straight through. I recently read Mrs. Bixby's Last Day and loved it as well. SO if you liked it, maybe you'll really get a kick out of this one as well.
June 11, 2017
Children's books often go beyond the scope of believability, and some of the joy of reading them as an adult is allowing yourself to ignore the "but how could..." and "but why would..." questions that pop up in your brain as the illogical plot turns come along.
That said, the more close a story is to a familiar setting and the more earnest the tone, the less tolerant I am of deviations of believability. As I read this book, my questioning of the believability of the events overshadowed my enjoyment of the story.
Still, I am sure that young readers who enjoy Gordon Korman stories will enjoy this, too. The five protagonists are relatable if one-dimensional, and the villians (stereotypically) are just horrible.
That said, the more close a story is to a familiar setting and the more earnest the tone, the less tolerant I am of deviations of believability. As I read this book, my questioning of the believability of the events overshadowed my enjoyment of the story.
Still, I am sure that young readers who enjoy Gordon Korman stories will enjoy this, too. The five protagonists are relatable if one-dimensional, and the villians (stereotypically) are just horrible.
November 23, 2020
5 Times Revenge is a sweet and funny story of the most epic prank ever. Perk and Adam have been best friends and pranksters forever. Hill the school's resident bully and the principal's son crosses a line he shouldn't have crossed. He tricks Perk's special needs brother, Tommy into playing hide-and-seek and then locks him in a closet. Perk and Adam vow to avenge Tommy and take down the principal and his son. A prank of this magnitude is too much for 2 boys to pull off alone. They need a crew. Perk and Adam tap into the school's records to find the best people for the job. Pearl, Ray and Dutch are more than willing to accept the risks. 5 Times Revenge is perfect for fans of realistic fiction like The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Fourth Stall series.
September 17, 2017
A 2018-2019 Missouri Truman Readers Award preliminary nominee (grades 6-8).
Perk and Adam are experienced pranksters but when the principal's son and reigning school bully picks on Perk's special needs brother they decide they need a bigger team to take him and his principal father down.
This was fun, and I can see kids who enjoy books like Patterson's Middle School series enjoying it, but the principal is not believable and the ending manages to be both satisfying and unsatisfying at the same time. Did anyone else wonder what happened to Mrs. Parmar?
Perk and Adam are experienced pranksters but when the principal's son and reigning school bully picks on Perk's special needs brother they decide they need a bigger team to take him and his principal father down.
This was fun, and I can see kids who enjoy books like Patterson's Middle School series enjoying it, but the principal is not believable and the ending manages to be both satisfying and unsatisfying at the same time. Did anyone else wonder what happened to Mrs. Parmar?
March 5, 2018
It was good and it had a lot of suspense! For example, when they didn't know what to do with Parmar's car, so they put it through auction for the special education program. But I saw that coming when Dutch and Pearl got together. I mean come on, how many movies have you seen where the popular girl breaks up with the popular but bully boy because she's taking a stand for the dorky but kind and caring boy. Then they end up going to the dance together and they like each other. But all in all it was a good book and I liked the ending how Hill got sent away to military school!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2016
Five Times Revenge by Lindsay Eland is a typical middle school level book in which the author has adapted a writing style to appeal to their desired demographic. This book has the cliched mean principal with a bully as a son. Four out of the five protagonists seem as though they are copied from other books made for this age group. The only main character that I find somewhat bearable to read about is Dutch, due to his complex background and family life, compared to the seemingly simple histories of the others. The main story line of this book is the often duplicated stopping the evil principal and son duo from continuing their harmful action. This is done by "pranking" their way through justice. Not only are these so called pranks extremely illegal, but are borderline bullying.
If I liked any part of this book it would be the background story of the character Dutch. I disliked this book immensely for many reasons, the main being the amount of cliches and the writing style of the author. Personally, I do not mind a small amount of cliches, but the way Lindsay Eland used these seemed as though she ran out of ideas and just wanted filler. If I could do anything to change this book it would be for the author to use a more complex and original plot.
I would not recommend this book to anyone. I feel as though instead of helping advance a reader's knowledge or reading skills this book may have the opposite affect and discourage readers from this genre.
If I liked any part of this book it would be the background story of the character Dutch. I disliked this book immensely for many reasons, the main being the amount of cliches and the writing style of the author. Personally, I do not mind a small amount of cliches, but the way Lindsay Eland used these seemed as though she ran out of ideas and just wanted filler. If I could do anything to change this book it would be for the author to use a more complex and original plot.
I would not recommend this book to anyone. I feel as though instead of helping advance a reader's knowledge or reading skills this book may have the opposite affect and discourage readers from this genre.
January 29, 2018
I chose this book from the library just because I wanted something new. Well, I found it. The first chapter had me smiling, chuckling, and looking forward to the next chapter. I kept that feeling throughout the book.
I'm so very recommending this one to my students. I hope I'm able to sell it well and do it justice.
I'm so very recommending this one to my students. I hope I'm able to sell it well and do it justice.
March 11, 2020
1. This book is super cute.
2. This book makes visible the kids that get conveniently cut out of lots of "quirky misfits" stories. Specifically, Korman's "Unteachables" made me really mad in this regard, and Five Times Revenge had an important character who could actually be in a full day SPED program as a fairly main character.
2. This book makes visible the kids that get conveniently cut out of lots of "quirky misfits" stories. Specifically, Korman's "Unteachables" made me really mad in this regard, and Five Times Revenge had an important character who could actually be in a full day SPED program as a fairly main character.
March 18, 2019
Definit easy read but a great story lies right under the cover. A story of friendship, courage and of course revenge! I am a little older than its intended audience but I still enjoyed it throughly. Great read!
June 30, 2017
Asher (11yo) read. "The only thing I like about Principle Palmar was his car."
October 5, 2017
It was good, not great but still good.
September 28, 2018
Funny, kinda cheezy and good prank
June 18, 2019
A great book with great characters
Want to read
March 31, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
March 13, 2017
Loved this book and how this unlikely team formed. Great story, start to finish about a group of determined kids. One part hilarity, one part suspense and a big helping of justice! Cleaver weaving of each character's point of view, so the reader gets to experience the whole mash up view. Laughed out loud and cheered with delight. Terrific read for anybody. Especially perfect for those upper elementary kids at that in-between stage when can seem so hard to find books they can dig into.
March 7, 2017
This is the sort of stuff Gordon Korman has done successfully for years, and would be a good one to hand to his fans, though the writing is a lot more uneven than Korman's stuff.
Four of the 5 protagonists have personal issues and truthfully are a lot more believable than the 5th, Adam, who between his computer skills and general bonhomie strains credulity. The bullies are a little too stereotypical, until a moment near the end that suggests the bullying kid has issues of his own, but it's kind of a throwaway moment. But the end prank is highly satisfying (if again, less than believable), and it's an enjoyable read.
Four of the 5 protagonists have personal issues and truthfully are a lot more believable than the 5th, Adam, who between his computer skills and general bonhomie strains credulity. The bullies are a little too stereotypical, until a moment near the end that suggests the bullying kid has issues of his own, but it's kind of a throwaway moment. But the end prank is highly satisfying (if again, less than believable), and it's an enjoyable read.
December 1, 2016
Five Times Revenge
400 pages
Lindsay Eland
Realistic fiction
I chose 5 Times Revenge by Lindsay Eland because the number five is of my favorite numbers and it attracted me as i was walking through the library. It's extremely colorful exterior attracted me the most. The back also attracted me because states “five unlikely friends two bullies one epic prank” the word prank drawer me in because I'm always on my phone watching prank videos.
The stories takes place at a middle school. In april. The story begins on april 1st. Then the week goes by with some things getting better and somethings getting worst at the middle school. The story s filled with an exciting vibe. About the prank!
The main characters are Adam and Perk. They are the pranksters of the school. Perk has an older brother named tommy who is special needs and is being bullied.They needed help to make an epic prank so they found some friends to help them. Pearl, the violin prodigy with great memory, Ray, the one who looks like a jock but wants to be an engineer, and Dutch, who gets bullied a lot but knows everyone's feelings. HIll is Mr. Parmer the principal's son. Hill is the main bully of the story.
In the beginning of the story perk and adam were planning a prank for april fools. Then one thing lead to the other and the Principal was locked in his office and the office was absent. But the two ended up getting away just in time for the prank to be noticed.
In the middle of the story HIll crosses the line by picking on some defenseless kids. Adam and perk had enough of it got in a fight with hill and ended up going to the office to see the Principal. Now the principal let hill slide but not adam and perk. So the were in trouble and got in detention just as they wanted to. The whole thing was to get into detention so they could make out a team to prank the bullies that had hurt tommy and everyone else . So that's when they made the team. Now you will have to read the book to find out the rest and how the prank went.
I will give it three stars It was a great book all in all but the plot went a little slow for my liking. And there was a lack of events in the story but others may have a different perspective. If you liked the series of middle school by James patterson i'm sure you would love this book because it was about the middle school struggles and trials. But i enjoyed the theme of the book is to not judge a book by its cover and to not mess around because karma will come sooner or later.
400 pages
Lindsay Eland
Realistic fiction
I chose 5 Times Revenge by Lindsay Eland because the number five is of my favorite numbers and it attracted me as i was walking through the library. It's extremely colorful exterior attracted me the most. The back also attracted me because states “five unlikely friends two bullies one epic prank” the word prank drawer me in because I'm always on my phone watching prank videos.
The stories takes place at a middle school. In april. The story begins on april 1st. Then the week goes by with some things getting better and somethings getting worst at the middle school. The story s filled with an exciting vibe. About the prank!
The main characters are Adam and Perk. They are the pranksters of the school. Perk has an older brother named tommy who is special needs and is being bullied.They needed help to make an epic prank so they found some friends to help them. Pearl, the violin prodigy with great memory, Ray, the one who looks like a jock but wants to be an engineer, and Dutch, who gets bullied a lot but knows everyone's feelings. HIll is Mr. Parmer the principal's son. Hill is the main bully of the story.
In the beginning of the story perk and adam were planning a prank for april fools. Then one thing lead to the other and the Principal was locked in his office and the office was absent. But the two ended up getting away just in time for the prank to be noticed.
In the middle of the story HIll crosses the line by picking on some defenseless kids. Adam and perk had enough of it got in a fight with hill and ended up going to the office to see the Principal. Now the principal let hill slide but not adam and perk. So the were in trouble and got in detention just as they wanted to. The whole thing was to get into detention so they could make out a team to prank the bullies that had hurt tommy and everyone else . So that's when they made the team. Now you will have to read the book to find out the rest and how the prank went.
I will give it three stars It was a great book all in all but the plot went a little slow for my liking. And there was a lack of events in the story but others may have a different perspective. If you liked the series of middle school by James patterson i'm sure you would love this book because it was about the middle school struggles and trials. But i enjoyed the theme of the book is to not judge a book by its cover and to not mess around because karma will come sooner or later.
September 10, 2016
Hill Parmar and his father Principal Parmar are both bullies, and they always seem to get away with it. When they go way too far five unlikely students band together to bring them down the best way they know how - the biggest and most epic prank the school has ever seen.
The chapters alternate between the point of view of the five friends, each of whom is dealing with issues in their own personal life as well as what's going on at school. While the changing view points can be a little jarring the story is well developed and enjoyable.
This book contains well thought out examples of bullying. It doesn't just show Hill beating up his fellow students and stealing their homework (although there is definitely that), it also shows his father threatening to alter teacher's performance reviews and changing students grades when they cross him or his son. Children will see that adults can be bullies and bullied too. It is empowering rather than vengeful when the protagonists plan and execute their prank, doing for themselves what no other character (big or small) could do.
The story also confronts stereotypes through the internal lives of the main characters, encouraging children to follow their dreams and look out for others. It is positive, uplifting, and engaging.
The chapters alternate between the point of view of the five friends, each of whom is dealing with issues in their own personal life as well as what's going on at school. While the changing view points can be a little jarring the story is well developed and enjoyable.
This book contains well thought out examples of bullying. It doesn't just show Hill beating up his fellow students and stealing their homework (although there is definitely that), it also shows his father threatening to alter teacher's performance reviews and changing students grades when they cross him or his son. Children will see that adults can be bullies and bullied too. It is empowering rather than vengeful when the protagonists plan and execute their prank, doing for themselves what no other character (big or small) could do.
The story also confronts stereotypes through the internal lives of the main characters, encouraging children to follow their dreams and look out for others. It is positive, uplifting, and engaging.
February 19, 2017
I enjoyed reading this buddy book about revenge and thought it would make a great kids movie. Was a little young for the teen reading lists, better for upper elementary.
July 4, 2016
My name is Perk, and I must get my revenge. The school principal and his son are bullies, taking advantage of students, teachers, and Tommy, my brother with special needs. Adam and I are famous for our pranks, but this one must be epic. Adam really wants to put the principals's Shelby Cobra on the school roof, but we'll need help with whatever we do. The principal's son got Ray kicked off the wrestling team, gives Dutch wedgies and steals his homework, and treated Pearl, his ex-girlfriend, very rudely. They'll be motivated to help us. Tommy means the world to me, and I won't let anyone get away with embarrassing him. I'm sure Adam will come up with an amazing plan that fits our two main rules: No one and nothing get hurt or damaged, and we don't get caught!
I didn't expect to find a story about revenge that was also fun to read. The book wasn't amazingly written, but I found myself gently sucked into the plot. The pranks were creative and believable. From the cute girl, to the nerd, to the big lug everyone assumes is dumb, they combined their talents and stories to create an unlikely team. I guess I enjoy cheering for underdogs which really fit this situation. The author did a great job of making me detest the principal and his son, so that helped develop the emotional impact of the conflict. The love between Perk, Tommy, and Adam was evident. Emotions are powerful motivators for readers. I usually read fantasy/adventure books, so my enjoyment with reading this book should show its specialness. Give it a shot!
I didn't expect to find a story about revenge that was also fun to read. The book wasn't amazingly written, but I found myself gently sucked into the plot. The pranks were creative and believable. From the cute girl, to the nerd, to the big lug everyone assumes is dumb, they combined their talents and stories to create an unlikely team. I guess I enjoy cheering for underdogs which really fit this situation. The author did a great job of making me detest the principal and his son, so that helped develop the emotional impact of the conflict. The love between Perk, Tommy, and Adam was evident. Emotions are powerful motivators for readers. I usually read fantasy/adventure books, so my enjoyment with reading this book should show its specialness. Give it a shot!
January 28, 2016
This review is over an advanced reader copy I am reviewing this for my reading class at school.This book’s title is 5 times revenge which is a fictional book.It’s author is Lindsay Eland which wrote Scones and Sensibility.But in this story you meet two freinds Adam, which is a mastermind of pranks,and Perk which he’s really good with computers.After the last straw of the two schools bullies which happens to be the principle and his son,Adam and Perk decide to make a team to get revenge on the bullies.So they make a team consisting of,Pearl which is the prettiest girl in school and can get intel on one of the bullies,also Dutch which is the dork that gets picked on the most but he can read peoples emotions,and finally Ray, he looks like a big dumb jock on the outside but wants to secretly be an engineer.
My overall impression was that this is going to be an after-school plot but it adds a more realistic feel to it by using the backstories of all the characters,and it gives the different perspectives of each of the protagonists.I would recommend this book for people who like a good plot but nothing that challenging to read.People who would enjoy this book would be people who like happy endings,different perspectives to the same story,and overall a pretty easy read.
My overall impression was that this is going to be an after-school plot but it adds a more realistic feel to it by using the backstories of all the characters,and it gives the different perspectives of each of the protagonists.I would recommend this book for people who like a good plot but nothing that challenging to read.People who would enjoy this book would be people who like happy endings,different perspectives to the same story,and overall a pretty easy read.
August 6, 2016
A sweet middle grade novel about a diverse group of kids teaming up to make things a little better for everyone. Definitely my cup of tea, and Perk's feelings about his brother ring absolutely true--that feeling where you love your brother so much, but you just want something to yourself for once? I get that.
Each kid has their own unique voice but with 5 characters and short chapters, you don't get much more than a quick overview of the kid and their struggle. The kids come from all walks of life and each have their own issue to work through, but we could have probably had more time spent with them to fully understand them. The principal and his son are almost over the top villains, which I get. It's more satisfying to see the Big Bad Guys meet their deserved ending when they're mean. But maybe a little bit of humanity there for them?
Overall, this was a very sweet middle grade novel about friendship and doing the right thing. A lot impressed me, and I know I could easily talk this up to teachers looking for a class read, or book talk it to 5th and 6th graders.
Each kid has their own unique voice but with 5 characters and short chapters, you don't get much more than a quick overview of the kid and their struggle. The kids come from all walks of life and each have their own issue to work through, but we could have probably had more time spent with them to fully understand them. The principal and his son are almost over the top villains, which I get. It's more satisfying to see the Big Bad Guys meet their deserved ending when they're mean. But maybe a little bit of humanity there for them?
Overall, this was a very sweet middle grade novel about friendship and doing the right thing. A lot impressed me, and I know I could easily talk this up to teachers looking for a class read, or book talk it to 5th and 6th graders.
August 3, 2016
Hmm. This is tricky. There are a lot of great things about this book -- unlikely kids finding friendship with each other, and helping each other. But there is also highly unethical behavior on their part -- hacking into the school system, looking into e-mails, etc. When you contrast these things with the horrible school principal and his horrible son, sure, they're done for the greater good. But what's the line? When worse and worse things keep getting uncovered, shouldn't these kids try to turn the bullies in? I don't know. Just a lot of unevenness in the book, which is a shame, because there are good things here. Some decent character development, some interesting plot turns. I just feel like a lot of the things the heroes do in this book are kind of awful, too. Even if I liked them.
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