Release Tour/Review-REX by Cody B. Stewart, Adam Rocke, and Mark Rogers
Today, I am excited to participate in the release tour for REX, by Adam Rocke, Mark Rogers, and Cody Stewart. Common Deer Press was kind enough to provide me an Advance Reader's Copy of this awesome Middle Grade book. REX was such a fun read! More below...
Title: Rex
Author: Adam Rocke, Mark Rogers, Cody Stewart
Genre: Middle Grade
Release date: October 5, 2016
Publisher: http://www.commondeerpress.com
Blurb:
When eleven-year-old TJ finds a weird looking egg in the Florida Everglades after a tropical storm rips through, naturally he takes it home for identification. It could be the egg of a mutant duck or something, which would be awesome. Problem is, the egg doesn’t look like it came from a mallard, even a mutated one—it’s too big and heavy and…strange. So he hides it away in his closet and continues on with his life as usual, doing his best to ignore the creepy men constantly banging at his front door and the significant rise in military helicopter sightings in his typically quiet neighbourhood.
Then one day he comes home from school and it’s as though a hand grenade has gone off inside his bedroom. Suddenly, TJ knows he’s dealing with something a little more interesting—and a little more deadly—than a duck.
Review- 5 stars!
I don't usually read Middle Grade. Flipping through my twelve-year-old son's library books is as far as I go into the MG world. But I'll admit, I had a fun time reading REX.
That the book began as a screenplay is no surprise to me. It reads like a movie. In fact, a few chapters in I described it to a friend as "similar to E.T. in all the best ways." There's a connection between TJ and Rex that's adorable, and TJ and Sam's friendship is one of the cutest I've read (Sam's a girl). I love how they deal with their discovery and the schemes they devise to keep and care for Rex.
REX has a nostalgic, mature vibe. For example, TJ is ten going on eleven, but his voice, thoughts, and dialogue seemed older (I have eleven and twelve-year-old boys, myself). References to Kiss, Gene Simmons, the band Kansas, and adult POVs conveying adult problems are things my kids wouldn't understand, and seem to indicate that the book was written to appeal to all age groups.
That being said, I have no doubt that my son would enjoy reading this book. I mean, there's a DINOSAUR in it! A dinosaur in today's society? What's not to enjoy? I do believe it would make an excellent movie, also.
Therefore, I give REX five entertaining, adventurous stars and highly recommend it for adults and kids alike.
About the Authors
Cody B. Stewart
Cody B. Stewart was born in the Adirondacks, in Upstate New York. His love of stories began in those mountains as he vanquished trolls, fought in the American Revolution and discovered his latent mutant powers. Stories have continued to consume his life, but he now plucks them out of his head and puts them down on paper in the form of novels and comic books. He left the Adirondacks to grow into a man, did so, and has since returned with a wonderfully supportive wife and two sons.
Adam Rocke
Adam Rocke Slutsky never met an adventure he didn’t love. From swimming with great white sharks without a cage, to jumping out of a plane without a parachute, Adam’s adrenaline junkie tendencies play a major role in his writing. Throw in a secondary degree in CryptoZoology and it’s anyone’s guess where Adam’s literary travels will take him.
Mark Rogers
Mark’s career as a travel journalist has brought him to 56 countries and counting. These trips have fed his imagination while at the same time provided authentic experiences and sensory detail that find their way into his novels and screenplays. Mark’s won multiple awards for his travel writing, including an award for his Hurricane Ivan coverage in Jamaica. His work regularly appears in USA Today and other media outlets. Mark lives in Baja California with his Sinaloa-born wife, Sophy, where they recently built a rock house overlooking the sea.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy REX as much as I did!
