Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go

This weekend, I finished Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go, by Dale E. Bayse, the first in a series of books about what happens to bad kids when they die!   Recommended by LT and highly recommended by her husband, CT.
     This book, which features tween siblings who find themselves dead by the end of the first chapter, chronicles their time in Heck, awaiting their final judgement.  Truly, neither one are deserving of the punishment they receive.  Heck, also known as Limbo, is a type of reform school for bad kids that promises to punish them in every way possible to embarrass a tween.  The teachers include Lizzie Borden (Home Ec.), President Nixon ( Ethics) and Blackbeard (metaPE).  Hysterical!
     I found the main characters Marlo and Milton to be delightful, the story entertaining, and the themes endearing, even though at first I was squeamish to post this on my blog.  I know that many parents will not allow their kids to read it because it seems to glamorize the afterlife.  If they choose to read it, I hope that readers take away the idea that every "bad kid" has a story and there's a reason why they act and react the way they do.  Many of the kids are truly bad, don't get me wrong.  Especially Damien!   And yes, there are a myriad of cultural references that many tweens may miss. But mature readers will appreciate the word play.
     I would suggest this book to parents of tweens who love a good "tongue-in-cheek" series.  I am firm in my religious foundation and know that this story is purely fictional.  I wouldn't recommend this book to just any tween, though.  As in all cases, this is the "just right" book for some kids, not all.

If you dare to read the book, which I KNOW will be more controversial than HP or Twilight, visit the website immediately afterwards.  You'll get to hear the lizard's welcome song and experience the story from the author's point of view, which is always one of my favorite after-reading experiences. I can't believe this book has been around since 2008 and I've never heard of it! 
www.wherethebadkidsgo.com

I know many people will be surprised at my recommendation...but when you read the author's note and realize he was bullied mercilessly throughout school and has chosen to deal with his pain in this fashion, you'll agree with me that there are much more harmful ways of getting back at those meanies than writing a book and throwing them all in it!  If only I had been as creative.
Happy Reading!
RC