Stranger Things Have Happened

Jeff Strand

Apr 2017 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

"This book would be a good stepping stone for those readers who enjoy the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series."—School Library Connection

Jeff Strand's signature humor returns in this tale of magic, illusions, and self-discovery.

Harry Houdini. Penn and Teller. David Copperfield. Marcus Millian the Third.

Okay, so Marcus isn't a famous magician. He may not even be a great magician. But his great-grandfather, the once-legendary and long-retired Zachary the Stupendous, insists Marcus has true talent. And when Grandpa Zachary boasts that he and Marcus are working on an illusion that will shock, stun, and astonish, Marcus wishes he could make himself disappear.

The problem? Marcus also has stage fright—in spades. It's one thing to perform elaborate card tricks in front of his best friend, Kimberly, but it's an entirely different feat to perform in front of an audience.

Then Grandpa Zachary dies in his sleep.

To uphold his great-grandfather's honor, the show must go on. It would take a true sorcerer to pull off the trick Marcus has planned. But maybe he's the next best thing...

Ratings and reviews

I had loved how humorous Strand's earlier book The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever had made me laugh throughout and was expecting more of the same from this book - a young teenage boy setting out to do the impossible with lots of optimism and screwing up in hilarious ways. Stranger Things Have Happened has the humor part down, but the plot is basically non-existent. It is pretty straightforward in that Marcus wants to do an amazing illusion for his first stage performance, and he ends up doing it somehow in the end. The in-between part - the getting there was filled with minefields like bullies, an evil magician who increases the stakes, and a shortening deadline. I won't deny that it was funny, but the humor also felt manufactured when you have characters that speak in overly polite tones even while arguing, and go off on tangents while conversing. I can get behind one or at the most two characters doing that, but this was nearly all the characters - it gets old pretty fast. You will enjoy for the laughs but also be like - no way that could happen. It was like reading an SNL sketch. While TGZME had relied on everyday humor and a little of the impossible to keep you clutching your stomach while laughing throughout, this one mostly will make you giggle at the most. One third of the book is Marcus freaking out about the performance, and another third is about the characters politely arguing with each other, and the rest of the third is the actual funny things happening like a shark getting loose. If you like a short book for quick laughs, give it a shot, but don't expect much of a plot from this one.

About the author

JEFF STRAND is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of lots and lots of books. Some are scary, some are funny, and most are both. He bets his cat is bigger than your cat.