The Amazing Adventures of 4¢ Ned

Coinworld Series #1

by Benjamin Laskin

Don't meddle with the metal.

The world has a new hero, but he's short a penny.

Stamped with a one-cent handicap, laughed at inside every purse or pocket he dropped into, Ned Nickel never believed he'd amount to much, not even a cheap cigar. But when fate places Ned rim to rim with a sagacious Indian nickel, the four-center learns that he has a most surprising destiny.

Chief Iron Tail instructs Ned in the ways of "wampum," and Ned soon discovers that his puny diameter contains a million bucks of e pluribus awesome. Teaming up with a luckless Lincoln wheat penny, the three coins sally forth to save Coinworld from a worthless future and become the champions of small change everywhere.

A bigger story never came in a smaller package.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Ebooks

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 10, 2017

About the author

Benjamin writes fun, genre-bending novels that inspire, uplift, and entertain. Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, he has traveled widely and spent a large chunk of his adult life in Japan. He can now be found sauntering through the maze of narrow, stony alleyways in the ancient and legend-rich town of Safed, in Israel’s upper Galilee.

If you like original, life-affirming stories with characters who stay with you long after you’ve put down the book, please give one of his novels a try.

For more information, please visit his website at: www.benjaminlaskin.com.

Reviews

[Dustyloup · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I liked it." but I didn't love it. I didn't realize that this was a multiple book series - 7 books at the moment and it doesn't seem like the finale. It would be interesting to see how views about women and non-white people are treated in future books of the series because the way that native americans and POC are referenced in this book is not very modern, but it goes with the time frame, so I won't slam it for that. In some ways it was like a children's book, in other ways it was like The Alchemist, full of moral lessons. In some ways it was very christian/religious, in other ways it was woo woo. As other reviewers say, it's a unique book and definitely worth trying out. I would have read the next book if it were a 2-3 book series, but I'll stop here for now. That being said, in a couple of months I may ask myself, oh come on, you know you want to see what's happening next with Ned and his pals.

[Maria Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is like nothing I've ever read before. I really didn't know what I was getting into but a reading challenge required reading a book with a coin on the cover or in the title and this fit the bill. I hadn't any idea that Ned was not a human. Initially I didn't think I was going to like the book but as the story went on I found myself caring what would happen to Ned and the other coins. The story is set in the human world but told from the coins' perspective. Think Toy Story except with coins instead of toys. I think this would be a fun story for kids to read. And it has some good lessons to teach like don't judge by appearance and if you believe you can, you will succeed, working as a team is great, education is important, etc.

The biggest downside of this book for me is that it is the beginning of a series and it doesn't resolve at the end of the book and then move on to the next adventure in the next, so to get the whole story one has to keep reading. There are seven books out right now and one more due out this year I think. I prefer each book to resolve. Just personal preference.

It is a clever idea for a book. Kudos for creativity.

[Ellen Behrens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imaginative but...

Making coins the main characters in a novel is imaginative, and Benjamin Laskin does a wonderful job of conjuring their world so there's a tenor of believability about it. The Neds and the other coins' names, the social strata among them, how they travel and interact are all fascinating.

I was drawn into the book by these elements, but the story didn't pull me enough to finish. This is the primary fault of the book for me -- an imaginative impetus without a compelling plot to drive it. Perhaps the later books in this series overcame this, but for me this was a great concept without a strong story line; trying to imagine more books featuring "Coinworld" was like imaging how a quick anecdote could become a full series of movies (but then, "Fast and Furious" exists).

For coin collectors and those who adore books featuring quirky situations and characters, this might be for you.

[Fee Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Amazing Adventures of 4¢ Ned by Benjamin Laskin is the first book in the Coinworld series. Misprinted with a 4 instead of 5, Ned finds that he can be so much more than just your everyday nickel.

Plot 5/5: This is the most imaginative, creative, clever, and fun book that I have ever read. I have never read anything like it.

Characters 5/5: The characters are a riot! Very believable.

World building 5/5: The world Benjamin Laskin has created is unique, yet familiar.

Pacing 5/5: The pacing is steady with bursts of anticipation throughout the story.

Writing 5/5: Benjamin Laskin's writing is fantastic. He has a way of grabbing your attention, and keeping it.

Overall 5 huge stars for this fun and creative story. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read. A great series starter for young and young at heart alike.

Purchased from Amazon.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flatland for Coins

Wow! This was a fun and fast paced read. This has adventure, comraderie, faith, and emotions. Our protagonist, Ned, and his growing band of sidekicks and friends are interesting characters. You want them to succeed.

I couldn't help but visualize Mel Brooks playing the role of Chief Iron Tail. He's a buffalo nickel who believes he decended from a long line of priests who go back to the time of shekels. Add the spouting of Yiddish and Hebrew and you begin to see the picture.

This is a promising start to the Coinworld series.

[Carolyn Vandine West · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute unique book. Why I’m a reader and not an author. Not all books can be 5 stars but this one really could be rated a 4 1/2 if we could do halves.
I loved the personification that the author gave to his coin characters and just brought them to life.
The time it took me to read is just because I prefer paper copies and check our way too many library books. The book actually flowed very well and was highly entertaining.

I received a free e- copy of this book from a sponsor or the author and it was approved. I was not required to leave a review

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute funny book about something unusual. Money , mostly coins. who can talk to each other. 4c Ned a nickel was a miss printed coin. With each coin it was nice how they explained what each coin had on it and the why behind it all. Some of the coins have traveled alot. 4c Ned meet a silver dollar called Fanney and he fell in love with her. They got separated and most of the story he is searching for her everywhere. The only thing I didnt like about the book . You have to read further in to the story in another book. I dont like books that do that . i want the whole story in one book.

[Steve Hildebrand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really a story I want to follow up on

I didn't know anything about this series of books and after reading about thirty pages, I threatened to stop reading and turn the book back in. I did finish the story and discovered a few moments of humor and fun facts, I did not like the ending though and won't be reading any more stories from this series or.this author.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original, Creative Whimsey

What an outside-the-box thinker this author is! Entertaining, engaging and strangely informative, linking certain historical facts in a new and refreshing manner. Great read!

[Vanessa Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give it 3.5 stars. Very creative and entertaining. It seemed at first like it might have been written for younger people, but there are a lot of historical references, and it is quite serious for being such a whimsical story line. I very much enjoyed it and will read the next in the series.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An original and highly imaginative adventure story about our world as seen through the eyes of coins, The Amazing Adventures of 4cent Ned is a fun, fast read full of quirky, endearing characters. Coin World, as a series, might make an excellent Pixar/Disney animation, I think.

[Bill Megenity · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvelous concept.

Well written, easy and fun to read. Looking forward to the rest of the series. Thanks for giving them to us. Bill

[S.A. Krishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is very clever and beautifully etched. The book is about Ned who is the four cent and he is trying to escape collectors and meet Franny. Thoroughly enjoyable and lovely story.

[Pat Raab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and entertaining book with dry humorous bits. A buffalo nickel mistakenly stamped "FOUR" instead of FIVE is the hero of the story, told by Pete Penny, a beat-up one-cent piece. There are two other books in the series, with a third one in progress. The nickel and penny have many adventures, finally ending up on a tiny island where they teach the coins that have been abandoned there the secrets of automation. The Indian-head nickels speak Yiddish and coins with eagles on the reverse side learned they can fly.

[SueNote · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, not quite 5 stars, but certainly more than 4!
I cant wait to read the next books in the series...I really enjoy all the characters!