Do Over

by Greg Koren

It's the day before the most terrifying event of Ben Seebold's life. And from the moment he first wakes up, it's clear that this day will be anything but ordinary. Looking down from his bedroom window, he spots a strange man staring up at him through the pouring rain. To make matters worse, he's got a sister he's convinced is trying to kill him-and a scratchy throat that just isn't getting any better.

For thirteen-year-old Ben, these problems are just the beginning. Throughout a series of increasingly strange happenings, he'll face unsettling warnings of upcoming dangers, watch his best friend perform a dangerous stunt, and experience a loss that will turn his world upside down.

At this point, even making Angry Anne laugh wouldn't help. Ben needs to figure out why this weird stuff is happening and put a stop to it now-before the nightmare truly begins.

262 pages, Paperback

Published March 18, 2016

About the author

Greg Koren is a semi-pro magician. Maybe that isn’t the best fact to lead with; he also holds a Bachelor of Science in English with concentration in writing. Over the course of 15 years, he worked as a newspaper reporter, a columnist, an Associate Editor of the East Baltimore Guide and Senior Features Writer for the Carroll County Times. Needless to say, he’s a pro and can back his experience with accolades and awards including the Maryland State Teachers Association’s School Bell Award for excellence in education reporting, and the Associated Press’ Mark Twain Award for outstanding features writing.
In 1998, Greg and his wife traded places, and he became the at-home parent. A year later, he decided to homeschool, making him one of three Baltimore homeschooling fathers. Reading aloud to his children, Max and Mara, as well as those homeschooling years, opened his eyes to the exciting world of children’s fiction. Immediately taken with the powerful storytelling in middle-grade books, he banged out his first manuscript and… the rest is history.

Reviews

[Deacon Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do Over is a great read for any young boy confronting adolescence, and I think this "old boy" enjoyed reading it as much now as I would have a few decades back. When reluctant hero Ben discovers the “adult voice of defiance” that confirms an unfailing optimism in the face of the unreasonableness of life, I gave a cheer. The story isn't just a guidebook for making sense of adolescence, it serves as a reminder of the limitless possibilities of youth we too easily discard along a path to maturity. Thank you, Mr. Koren, for clearing some of the debris that clutters that path, over time.

[Tobyann Aparisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads (Kindle version) for an honest review.

Wow, this is a surprising and amazing story. The author spins a tale that keeps you wondering and turning page after page to get to the next part. Wonderful characters and a setting to the book that feels very real and well thought out. This author made me hungry to get through this book and possibly more of his writings to come. I highly recommend this story for young and old alike.

[Kathy Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this Kindle edition book in a GoodReads
Giveaway. Thank you to everyone involved.
This book is well written. Amazing characters.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fast read and enjoyable. Glad I won it. Worth the read. I hope others will enjoy it as much as I did

[Sarah Behrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wasn't at all what I thought it would be. This book is about a boy named Ben who thinks that something bad will happen because he saw it in a dream and that he saw his house burn down and possibly his older sister "Poison Ivy" or just Ivy die in that fire. So he convinces his best friend Ryan to help him fire proof his house and stay up all night ready with the fire department. This book is divided into three "parts Part 1 FALSE", "Part 2 TRUE", and "Part 3 EVERYTHING" over all I thought this book was really good and keeps you on your feet.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, fun YA or younger novel featuring a kid magician and a kid psycho/psychic. The exposure of magic in kid novels like this can be worrisome if the routines exposed are ones that can serious injury if screwed up. Sure, most of the magic world is exposed on youtube, but some folks are going to try the dangerous stuff, despite the warnings. Granted, the was a book in the North Highlands, CA (Sacramento suburb) library that I checked out multiple times because it had some great magic methods in it (no youtube in the late 1950s)... but none of the routines were dangerous. This book slips a little in not providing a sufficient explanation for the why/how the basic premise happens. That is somewhat covered by a sort of "and then I woke up" excuse. Ah well, like his previous book, The Memory Trap, junior high budding magicians will enjoy this.

[Yannick Serres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done! Imaginative and captivating.

It's been a long time since I really loved the writing of a new author, but Greg Koren really impressed me.
The story is in 3 parts (mostly 2 ...). I won't go in detail, but you will probably be surprised when reading the second part if, like me, you didn't really understand why there was 2 (well .. 3) parts.
The characters are perfect, the story is really captivating. You can probably read it in one sit (took me 2). You don't want to stop reading, because you want to know what's different (you'll understand ...) and how Ben will deal with all his problems.
The story is mostly about a kid who has to deal with what seems like a special faculty. He will soon understand that it might not be so fun to have 'supernatural' powers.
The cover and the title really caught my attention and are representative of the story.

Thanks to Greg Koren for this magnificent book I received through Goodreads giveaways.