The Devil's Toenail by Sally Prue (9)

I'm really glad this book only cost me 50 cents and precious little time.

There are a few good things about The Devil's Toenail.  First, the chapters are short.  I don't think there's a chapter that's over four pages long.  That, and the short length of the book make it a pretty quick read.  Second, the narrator uses the word "prat" a lot.  I don't know why, but I like that word.  Third, there's a Johnny Tremain moment about halfway through the book.

That's about all of the positive comments I can make, though.  The plot is annoyingly simple and irritatingly trite.  The story is about a boy who finds a "Devil's Toenail" (actually, a fossil of a Gryphaea).  The fossil supposedly give him special powers that allow him to fight back against the tyrannical Daniel, the leader of their middle school "gang" of friends.  Of course, as the story goes on, he finds that the real power in inside himself.

The book has gotten rave reviews from middle school students, so who knows?  Maybe it's good if you're into Disney and Nickelodeon, but it's definitely not for me.

1/5 Stars

--D