Author: Christopher Eliopoulos
Illustrator: Christopher Eliopoulos
© Date: 2017
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Pages: 185
Chapters: Yes
Illustrations: Yes, graphic novel
Publisher Recommended Age: 8-12 years
Bonus Activities at End of Book: No
Summary from Book: Jeremy has a pretty stinkish life (or so he thinks). His parents are bossy, his identical twin is embarrassing, and he can’t even win a decent prize from his cereal box! Who in the world wants a decoder ring?
What he doesn’t realize is that the ring actually grants wishes. Jeremy is about to begin an amazing adventure when the cereal-box prize brings his favorite video game to life, with Jeremy himself as the superhero who must defeat the villains.
There’s only one problem: Jeremy has never won in the final level of the game. If he doesn’t master some new skills, and fast, his whole town—school, family, and all—will be destroyed.
Note: This review is done from memory. I originally read this awhile ago.
Page Pig Thoughts: This one was pretty good. I found Jeremy consistently telling his identical twin, Justin, to “stop looking like me” funny and sad all at once. But life as a twin comes with challenges and advantages that just having a sibling does not. I appreciated that Jeremy learns that he doesn’t have to push everyone out of his life. The humor, action, and drawings were fun. I may have favored Monster Mayhem [review] over this one, but I still found it a decent read.
Page Pup found this one somewhere between an okay and one thumb up.