Book Review: Snivel (Circles of Heck Series) by Dale E. Basye

I can't stop reading this series. It's a sickness that has progressed to the point where I pre-order  new installments from the nook store, which isn't something I do very often (the only other authors I do that for are Toni Morrison and Lauren Oliver-- interesting combination, I know), and I'm sure you're all judging me for being this stuck on a children's series. I cant't help it, though: the premise is so creative and the books are really, really funny.

Since this is part of a series, I'll put most of the review behind the jump:











To recap: Marlo and Milton Fauster have died and gone to Heck, where bad children are stuck for eternity (or until they turn eighteen). They started off in Limbo in the first installment, and have since migrated down to Rapacia (Where the Greedy Kids Go), Blimpo (Where the Fat Kids Go), and Fibble (Where the Lying Kids Go), where they have wreaked havoc and righted wrongs (mostly(. The fifth book in the series finds them being transported to Snivel: Where the Whiny Kids Go. Snivel is a "bummer camp" run by Edgar Allen Poe and Vincent Van Gogh-- not two people anyone in their right mind would seek out for a good time. Naturally, the camp is totally miserable: the food is gross, the uniforms are ugly and uncomfortable, the weather is awful, and the activities are downright painful. On top of that, Milton and Marlo soon begin to suspect that the heads of the camp are up to something sinister...

In addition to the adventures of the Fauster siblings in Heck, Snivel chronicles several ongoing side-plots that have evolved throughout the series, and Basye does a really excellent job juggling them and interweaving them with the main narrative.

The series continues to be very amusing and highly entertaining. 4 out of 5 stars.

I'll almost certainly continue it to the conclusion. The next in the series, Precocia, will be released in February 2013.