Michael DiackReseñas

Before anyone else reads this and tells me I didn't pick up on spelling errors, this is because it is written in British English so a few of the spellings and symbols used in its pages are a little different from that which the average American reader might see. However, they aren't anything glaring that would spoil this fun little book, but they are there.

I never knew that the humble potato had so much life in it until I read this super fun little book. So much of their out of sight lives are packed into its 262 pages, it is difficult to write a review on this novella without just packing it full of spoilers.

Each of the ‘Super Spuds’ the reader encounters on their journey through this work, has its own personality and character which seems to be directly related to its flavour. The characters are fun, entertaining and zany beyond belief, and on top of this they have their ‘rules and regulations’ that govern the lives of these spuds.

If you have a sense of humour, enjoy eating crisps and want a wacky ride and adventure, then this is the book for you. I would recommend this to anyone in the above criteria, young and old alike; it will definitely make you chuckle, and possibly never look at a bag of crisps in the same way again.


Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/review-the-super-spud-trilogy-mi...




This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Before anyone else reads this and tells me I didn't pick up on spelling errors, this is because it is written in British English so a few of the spellings and symbols used in its pages are a little different from that which the average American reader might see. However, they aren't anything glaring that would spoil this fun little book, but they are there.

I never knew that the humble potato had so much life in it until I read this super fun little book. So much of their out of sight lives are packed into its 262 pages, it is difficult to write a review on this novella without just packing it full of spoilers.

Each of the ‘Super Spuds’ the reader encounters on their journey through this work, has its own personality and character which seems to be directly related to its flavour. The characters are fun, entertaining and zany beyond belief, and on top of this they have their ‘rules and regulations’ that govern the lives of these spuds.

If you have a sense of humour, enjoy eating crisps and want a wacky ride and adventure, then this is the book for you. I would recommend this to anyone in the above criteria, young and old alike; it will definitely make you chuckle, and possibly never look at a bag of crisps in the same way again.


Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/review-the-super-spud-trilogy-mi...




This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Well it was completely mad. It mentions so many TV references that I will never look at TV the same. It was funny and quick witted.

I got this as a giveaway.

Genetically engineered potato chips are more flavorful, and also tend to talk more than your average chip. And so begins the adventures of the Super Spud potato chips!

I can handle absurd crude humor; sometimes I even love it that was not the problem with this book. My problem is that there was no point. It seemed to be one short story after another, which is not bad but the author bounces around from one story to the next so frequently you cannot connect to the story or the characters themselves. Since this book is supposed to be at least three separate novels you want there to be a concise beginning middle and end for each book. The stories seemed more suited for children, take out the violence add some pictures and you will have an amazing children’s series. What I did like about the book where some of the characters that were based off pop culture or historic icons, can you imagine Robin Hood or Indiana Jones as potato chips?

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Review:

Every great once in a while I decide to take on a book that is outside of the "norm" - one that seems unique, crazy, off-kilter, or even a bit impossible - and this month I chose Michael Diack's The Super Spud Trilogy. Why? Well, honestly, the book blurb mentioned a few of my favorite things: genetic engineering, potatoes (yum-yum!), hidden civilizations, and magic! Sounds strange right? But how could anyone pass up such ludicrous pairings? I had to know how all of these parts came together as a whole, and I was certainly not disappointed! Less than twenty-five pages into the book, I was already giggling at the well-written, wit-filled absurdity, and from there I was hooked, (just like a bag of crisps, you can never eat just one...). I was surprised how original the content was, especially the off-the-wall characters/flavors and the balance between rollick and reality. I never thought that I could sympathize with an inanimate object, but Diack humanized every crispy character down to the last starch-filled bite. I laughed, gasped, and shook-my-head along with my new spud friends, often thinking, "Oh yeah, they're potatoes...", which only made me laugh more. I must commend an author who can make talking potatoes more enjoyable than their giant human counterparts. The well-detailed locale, the hysterical level of comedic violence, the face-palming puns/ movie references, and the quick-paced stories made for an unexpectedly relaxing, yet mirthful read. I could see the crisps' antics in my head - particularly those of Cougar, King Martin, and Colin - and could not help but imagine how great they would look if Disney/DreamWorks/Pixar Animation Studios got a hold of them! The stories were tied together nicely with an enjoyable overall progression, and were very fun and easy-to-read. I actually liked the length - all three books in one - but I thought that there were a few sections that could have been shortened due to overly-descriptive background details. Thumbs up for originality, character development, and proper editing! I am not going to forget this book, and cannot wait for volume four! Recommended to anyone who has ever wondered about the secret life of the potato crisp, or those who crave a ton of great laughs to get through the day!

Rating: On the Run (4.5/5)

*** I received this book from the author (Lightning Book Promotions) in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.½

Imagine a world where potato chips - or crisps - have their own secret world, where they go on adventures, fight in wars, and travel in space. That is precisely the world that Michael Diack has created with his book, The Super Spud Trilogy. When I was first contacted by Mr. Diack for a possible review, I was really excited because, not only was this the first book I'd ever been asked to review by an actual author, but the synopsis of the book sounded like a lot of fun, and something that would make me laugh. And that's exactly what it was.

Mr. Diack has created a very imaginative world, where Super Spuds (i.e. the bags of chips) live in landfills (or rubbish tips, if you're British, as these crisps are) and have their own communities where they're ruled by kings or queens, come in a multitude of flavors (some of which sounded downright gross, I have to admit), but have the ability to walk and talk just like you and me. There's just one catch: if a human sees them, they die instantly. And boy, is there a lot of death in this book! And the deaths are handled with such an irreverence that the reader can't help but laugh through it all. One thing I learned very quickly in this book was not to get attached to anyone because no one is safe. If they aren't killed by birds, they're caught up in wars between neighboring rubbish tips, or participating in death-defying (or not-so-defying) activities. Let me put it this way: the life of a Super Spud is definitely not boring!

There is also a ton of tongue-in-cheek humor, as well as references to loads of famous movies or shows, from Top Gun to X-Files to Star Wars, just to name a few. You can't turn a page without running into some sort of reference to something else, and it just added to the overall feel of this book. Yes, death is prominent, but the book is really quite lighthearted when it comes down to it. I admit to laughing out loud several times while reading.

The Super Spud Trilogy is an overall enjoyable read, full of many adventures, interesting characters, and loads and loads of humor. It's not deep or thought-provoking, and isn't going to grab hold of your emotions and not let go, but that's not really what the author was going for. If you're looking for something different, and enjoy spotting pop culture references, as well as reading things that make you laugh, then you'd probably enjoy this. I know that I did!

A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.½

This book is very different from anything I've read. Michael had a vivid imagination while writing this trilogy. I loved the different personalities and the way they differed depending on the Spud's flavor. I think this book will interest different ages from about nine or ten years all the way up. There are some serious scenes; however, for the most part it is a light-hearted and funny story. I like the human traits the Spuds have.

Disclaimer: I received this e-book from the author, Michael Diack, in return for this review; however, my review was not affected by this fact. My review is mine alone.