Benjamin Franklinstein Lives!
By Matthew McElligott and Larry Tuxbury
Published 2010 by Putnam Juvenile
Another 2013 Bluebonnet nominee - Victor's life is changed when Mr. Frank Benjamin rents the basement apartment from his mom. It turns out Mr. Benjamin is actually Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father and esteemed inventor who never really died - just spent the last 200 years in suspended animation. Now, Victor must help Ben figure out why he was awakened, solve the mystery of where the Prometheans have gone and, oh yeah, finish his science fair project.
Yet another book that sounded almost perfectly up my alley, I was really looking forward to this one. Once again, though, I found myself underwhelmed with the end result. I expected this book to be a lot funnier than it was - it's a premise ripe with hilarity and yet I only laughed out loud a couple times. Additionally, I never really found myself rooting for Victor. It's not impossible for me to enjoy a book if I don't care for the main character (see my Hunger Games review) but this book doesn't have much else going for it either. I really, really wanted to like this one, but it was a disappointment. However, I have to confess that it did hook me a bit - the mystery of the Prometheans is a curious one - so I may pick up the second book and see what happens.
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