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Great and Dangerous Ministry of Pandemonium, 2. That encompasses the genres of science fiction, fantasy, science fantasy, horror, alternative history, and magic realism. We have a list too and your name is on it Edited by Seregil of Rhiminee Other books you might like. Online 46 visitors Newest member: Bianca Cole Total members: The visual writing that Chris Westwood does so well.

Once I opened the book the pages didn't stop turning I had to know what happens. I can't believe it! As per Chris's website, these books are to be a series of 3 and due to a changes over at Frances Lincoln Publishing, they have scrapped their YA fiction list - ergo no third book which by the way has the tentative title of As Above, So Below awesome title right? However, he says again according to his website that he is going to continue writing book 3 sans publisher.

Hopefully, a publisher will have enough sense to pick up book 3 and push this through cause I am sure there are lots of folks out here wanting to know how the whole thing ends. Jun 24, Kumyin rated it it was amazing. The Great and the Dangerous is the sequel to Ministry of Pandemonium. It is even better book than the first.

Everything seems to be going wrong for Ben Harvester. The kids and even the teachers at school shun both Ben and Becky he is suspended from the Ministry, Becky's house was obliterated by a freak tornado and his mother just met a new guy, so soon after they bid goodbye to Ben's father not necessarily in that order. Is it just had luck or is everything orchestrated by the Lords of Sundown?

It is about to get very personal for Ben. This book has much more suspense elements than the previous one, with several twists and the cumulation of events both in the previous book and this one, ending with the final showdown. It ends with a cliffhanger and I still don't know what's wrong with his mother's right arm.

You can see in this book that Ben isn't flawless. He makes several mistakes and isn't always the helper that Mr October calls him, especially when faxed with an emotional turmoil and drugged. Overall, a good read.

I can't wait for the third book to be published, if it ever will. The publisher has apparently decided to end at this book. May 28, Adele Broadbent rated it really liked it. Ben carpenter is now a fully fledged and valuable member of the Ministry team, guiding souls to the next level. But those souls are also wanted by forces of evil called Mawbreeds and Death heads and they are getting to the souls first. Is someone leaking the Ministry telegraph list to the other side? Ben and his friend Becky have noticed something sinister happening at school, and Ben is also dealing Spoilers Below His mum is in the clutches of Luther Vileheart.

Ben and his friends at the Ministry have to fight to save her and many other souls on the train of evil leaving their city. A fabulous follow up to one of my favourite reads last year. It grips the reader from the first page and holds on to the shocking finale. Already looking forward to the next in the series! Jul 14, Bookstorequeer rated it liked it Shelves: This could be either a 3 or 4 rating.

The Great and Dangerous

I just had a little trouble getting into it. The last third, of course, was fantastic because that's when everything came to a head but the rest of the book felt a bit It's great to have a continuation of these characters and this story, of course, but I think this novel runs into the standard sequel "so what" sort of feeling, since the concept isn't new anymore. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who's read the first book, if only to find out wh This could be either a 3 or 4 rating.


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I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who's read the first book, if only to find out what happens. But, based solely on this novel, I'm not sure I'd recommend the series. Although maybe that's a bit harsh. Sep 29, Jb rated it it was amazing. Jul 16, Lia Marcoux rated it it was ok. Stronger than the first! Though I did manage to read several chapters believing that it was first in the series before wising up, so I'm not sure what that says. Alexe Rothen rated it it was ok Aug 04, Andrea rated it it was ok Jul 04, Hwona rated it liked it Aug 13, Fern rated it it was amazing Jul 14, Theresa Force-Jones rated it liked it Apr 06, Sara Manson rated it liked it Feb 24, Jaasindah Mir rated it it was ok Aug 02, Megan Ward rated it really liked it Jul 10, Parinita rated it liked it Jun 18, But there are other forces — shapeshifting demons and horrifying creatures that try to steal these people for themselves.

I enjoyed this story immensely. It leaves the reader with a satisfying ending but also allows a sequel to follow. Looking forward to it! It is one in which the mundane twists with the supernatural, where the dead mingle freely with the living, even though the living are completely unaware of their existence.

Enlivening this book no end again, no pun intended is the protean Mr.

(233) Justin Peters: Dangerous Doctrines

October, the Lords of Sundown, a bombastic vicious sect that splintered off from the Ministry of Pandemonium, want to bring chaos to the world. It is never explained why and I admit that nagged at me even as I read about the vicious battles they waged to capture lost souls. Why do these people want chaos to spread over the world? These people, presumably, were once human and now they want to destroy the very world in which they live. Why would anybody want that?

That quibbling aside, Ben emerges as a sensitive, daring, questioning and independent kind of boy, risking danger to save his mother while learning the ropes of a decidedly unique occupation. Thirteen year old Ben used to be a solitary kid who hung out in cemeteries with his sketchbook.

But after his chance meeting with Mr October, he now helps protect the souls of the departed with his new friends Becky - who senses people, Sukie - who is clairvoyant, and Lu - a contortionist, from the Deathheads and the Mawbreed's. For every good guy there is a bad guy and as they travel the streets of London, looking for the next departed soul, they must keep their wits about them.

With demons cre Thirteen year old Ben used to be a solitary kid who hung out in cemeteries with his sketchbook. With demons creeping behind every shadow, Ben and must use his gift to help protect others, if he can ever figure out what it is or how to use it. Ministry of Pandemonium is a supernatural thriller that is fast-paced and filled with repulsive demons, confused souls and bizarre deaths.

It can be funny, it can be sad, and it can be spooky! It would be great for fans of Michael Scott, Derek Landy and Darren Shan and is aimed at the ten to fifteen age bracket. My only criticisms are that I would have liked some more background on Mr October and how the Ministry came to be. I also thought there could have been a bit more throughout the book involving his mothers illness. But these are small things and and I'm probably nit-picking! May 16, Jenny rated it liked it Shelves: Ben can see dead people. I guess that if you hang about in graveyards long enough this is bound to happen.

It all starts the day he meets Mr October, a shapeshifting dude who works for the Ministry of Pandemonium, an establishment that helps the newly departed on their way before demons can sling their backsides down to Hell. Why Ben feels compelled to trust, let alone believe this old geezer, is beyond me.

But hey, this isn't real life. Generally speaking this story is well written, though I cou Ben can see dead people. Generally speaking this story is well written, though I couldn't get past one major flaw: Would a 12 year old know what shell-shock is let alone how a shell-shocked individual looks? Would a 12 year old choose to say someone 'must've expired' rather than died? Would a 12 year old use words such as: No 12 year old I've ever met thinks or speaks this way. Westwood could have solved this issue easily by going with a third person narrator. Still, this is an entertaining story, which I enjoyed for a good pages before losing interest.

Kids who are fans of all things ghoulish should love it. Mar 25, Rachel rated it liked it. Ben Harvester is an ordinary kid who gets picked on at school. He has a superb eye for drawing, and his habit of visiting graveyards leads to a meeting with the mysterious Mr. October, and the subsequent introduction to the world of helping the Dead move on to their afterlife whatever that may be. To this end he joins the Ministry of Pandemonium, an act not taken lightly by the naightmarish folk who work for The Other Side.

I found the book to be a delightful, easy read, though at the beginning Ben Harvester is an ordinary kid who gets picked on at school. I found the book to be a delightful, easy read, though at the beginning I was confused by the age of Ben -- at times he seems to see and feel as an adult, as well have the 'gifted' drawing ability. A little more 'sense of place' would have been welcome. That said, it's a delightful, cracking read. Not too scary but fast-paced enough to keep the pages turning.

I found the mother's casual acceptance of her son disappearing for hours on end a bit hard to take but that's only because I'm a mother. I highly recommend this novel for the young adult bracket. I received my copy as a gift for review purposes. I am not affiliated with the author or publisher.

Now that was one awesome read! I can't begin to describe how unique and wonderful this story is without giving spoilers. The story opens with our protagonist Ben Harvester, who meets the eccentric Mr. October in a cemetery. I loved the relationship between Ben and Mr. October because it was reminiscent of John Bellairs's Professor Childermass and Johnny Dixon, an old man and a young boy becoming friends. After Ben and Mr. October meet, they run into each other again, but this time things get a li Now that was one awesome read! October meet, they run into each other again, but this time things get a little more creepy.

Soon Ben is initiated into a group who helps Ghosts. But there is also another group that wants to use the ghosts for something sinister and Ben only has a small amount of time before they come after him. I loved the characters in this book. They came to life so wonderfully and I thoroughly enjoyed the small amounts of actions and creepiness. If you live in the UK you can pick it up now as Ministry of Pandemonium. Thank you to Scholastic for sending me this for review.

Aug 30, Brian rated it really liked it Shelves: Ben Harvester is sketching in Highgate Cemetery when he sees an old man apparently in difficulty. Good-natured Ben naturally goes to help. But the feeble old man is much more than he seems. Before he knows what's happening Ben finds himself recruited into the Ministry of Pandemonium, an organisation that exists to help the dead pass on to their next stage and to keep them out of the clutches of demons on the hunt for lost souls. The style is accessible, there's plenty of humour and there are some Ben Harvester is sketching in Highgate Cemetery when he sees an old man apparently in difficulty.

The style is accessible, there's plenty of humour and there are some ingenious ideas in this story. Nevertheless, I didn't find it entirely satisfying. Westwood relies too much on street names for his description of place, there's a tendency towards cartoon and a lack of depth to the writing. It's a good read and I think a lot of young readers would enjoy it. There are some splendidly gruesome moments, including a chase in a morgue. But it could have been more atmospheric and powerful.

Ministry of Pandemonium by Chris Westwood

At no point did it capture my imagination entirely in he way that really good fiction invariably does. Because of his unusual paranormal gift, Ben Harvester is recruited by Mr. October to work for the Ministry of Pandemonium. His job is to track down and assist lost souls and guide them to the afterlife. I really liked the way this book was written.

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It was a smart and intriguing approach to paranormal fantasy. The ending was quite surprising. The Lords of Sundown were a bit overdone. Straight from a child's nightmare, their goal was believable in context, but their form seemed too cartoonish. And Because of his unusual paranormal gift, Ben Harvester is recruited by Mr. And I felt the book cover was totally wrong. It should have been a more mature graphic, in my opinion. It appeals to younger readers than I would recommend read it. For the most part I thought the story and characters were unique.

This would make a great series. The rest you can probably work out for yourself. They made a stupid mistake. I loved this book! It really pulled me in and I almost found myself trying to read more slowly because I wanted it to last. The writing was great, very smooth and well-paced. The plot was original and the characters were genuine! I like how everything tied itself together and then proceeded to tangle itself into a knot of emotion and talent. My only one problem with the book there might've been two but I'm blanking on the second was that I found no mention of how old Ben I loved this book!

My only one problem with the book there might've been two but I'm blanking on the second was that I found no mention of how old Ben was. It was a little annoying and if there was a mention of his grade, I apparently missed it. As a result, I had a little trouble fitting him into my head because I wasn't sure how much to expect him to understand, with respect to his mother and father's situation which I'll admit I did see coming, at least the cause - and that's as spoiler-y-free as I think I can be. Do you like scary books? Do you like well-written books?


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Do you like adventure and magic and children with talent? Trust me on this one. Aug 21, Charlotte Jones rated it it was amazing. I think that the plot was intriguing when I read the synopsis and it did not disappoint. For a children's book, I found this compelling and found it difficult to put down.

I found the monsters frightening enough to make me want to read on and see what happened. The characters were my favourite part of this book. The protagonist was interesting and had enough back story to make him a well-rounded character that is impressive for a children's book character. Mr October was a highly mysterious char I think that the plot was intriguing when I read the synopsis and it did not disappoint. Mr October was a highly mysterious character who I was unsure about throughout which made the book even more exciting.

The writing style is basic because it is a children's book but it is still compelling and I really liked this book.