What do You think about The Extraordinary Adventures Of Alfred Kropp (2005)?
In my ever persistent goal to read more "boy books," this one found itself on my shelf after a student claimed it as one of his personal favorites. I can see why he lauded Alfred Kropp. I had difficulty putting the book down, and was "late" to school (instead of getting there at 6:30, I didn't arrive until 7:00) so that I might "read just another chapter." Page turner it is. Expected and unexpected surprises lie in wait for the reader. You can't help but love Alfred as each disaster befalls him and he persistently plods back into the fray in order to right previous wrongs. He is Every Man. Yet, at the same time, he isn't. You'll have to read it to figure that one out. I'm not an adolescent male and Rick Yancy had me slavering for more as each page unfolded into yet another intrigue.The characters are so well portrayed that my head swirls with them. I can't wait to pick up the next book and see what is in store for Alfred and those who survived the first book in the series. No spoilers here: it's an action text with international intrigue; of course there are deaths. That's enough. I've got to find where I put the second book. I fear that it is in my classroom library and I won't get to it until tomorrow. Well, I do have papers to grade and lesson plans to write; so maybe that's a good thing. If the second one is even close to the inaugural tale of "Extraordinary Adventures," I'll be hard pressed to put it down.
—Sassafras
TLC Call #: YA CD BOOK YANCEYChris's Rating: 4 StarsUntalented, over-sized, orphaned, Alfred Kropp doesn’t have any grand aspirations for his life and is perfectly content with lounging in his room day after day listening to music. His uncle, however, is not content with his nephew being simply average; and when the opportunity arrives for them to make a large chunk of cash, Alfred’s concerns about the ethics of the “job” are finally overcome with threats of being thrown back into the foster care system. But what is the job exactly? To “recover” (steal rather) the ancient “Excalibur,” once held by King Athur but originally belonging to Michael the archangel, and turn it over to a man who would use its invincible powers to destroy his enemies and rule the world. Alfred eventually finds himself on an adventure to fix the problems he has helped facilitate, and hopefully not make too many mistakes leading to fatality along the way. I didn’t instantly love this book…part of it might have been the reader (who, although it is not the same person, reminded me of the reader of the Alchemyst). It slows down a bit after the initial action, but then picks up pace. Some of the logistics didn’t seem to fit very well, but the book grew on me over time and I will probably read further into the series.Pros: 1. Interesting story that took me a few places I didn’t expect. 2. There weren’t many parts like this…but in a few places I couldn’t help but bust out laughing. 3. An intelligent villain (maybe even villains) who is ruthless but not simply out to kill everyone for no reason. 4. An average untalented boy who makes mistakes, but has the courage to try to make things better…even when they seem to only be getting worse.Cons: 1. The money values (especially the reward for stealing Excalibur) simply didn’t compute for me…especially Alfred’s Uncle’s idea that one million dollars would make them so rich they could own anything and do anything they wanted for the rest of their lives. 2. The time given to steal the sword and transverse through such a large building didn’t make sense, nor was the security or “technology” up to par with what I would have expected. 3. Much of the time Alfred seems to lack emotions…perhaps as a result of a shy person writing a first person narrative.This book will likely appeal to teen boys who like swords and adventure, with a touch of wit, a modern-day setting, and a tale where good guys are as likely to die as the bad guys.
—TeenFiction Teton County Library
bought cheap at a charity bazaar. A game little page-turner with the ever-alluring Arthurian business played out in tandem with a gawky, misfit teenager's coming of age. This stuff isn't meant to be taken too seriously, but I have to admit I was troubled that the teenaged hero brutalises and kills people with a sword. The fact that the people are a crazed would-be world dominator and his minions and that the sword is the righteous Excalibur doesn't help a lot. The Bauer-esque philosophy of judging methods by results is troubling enough in entertainment for adults, it's hard to know what to make of it in YA fiction. I'm not sure I'm a true-blue ahimsaist, but it seems like a more satisfying story could have been told about how Alfred circumvented the need for violence in achieving his ends. Now he's going to join the X-Files analogue secret agency and no doubt have many more fantastical adventures including a bit of righteous head-loping from time to time. I'd still read the sequels, if I found them similarly cheap at other charity bazaars. Chewing gum for the mind, and a philanthopic gesture.
—Jayaprakash Satyamurthy
