Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Welcome to Perfection, California. The year is 1961. The picket fences are white, the lawns are green, and the sprinklers are shiny and new… and Benji the 18-year-old Boy Scout is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

Yes, Benji dreams of getting his hands on the coveted Happy Beaver Badge, a challenge that requires him to hike up to Mount Pleasant, venture through the Rainbow Forest, cross Lake Serenity and reach the old abandoned Forestfire Station.

But as Benji sets off, looking forward to experiencing the beauty of nature… nature isn’t exactly as welcoming as Benji had hoped. From evil chipmunks to stinky skunks, Benji’s adventure quickly turns into a quest for survival. Luckily for Benji, he meets handsome Mack the Lumberjack who’s willing to give the Boy Scout a helping hand—

—in more ways than one!

Book Review

After the hilarious adventures of Clark the paperboy in the first book about Perfection, California in 1961, I couldn’t wait to see what Benji the Boy Scout would be up to. As it turns out he has many adventures, most of them set in the wilds of nature, as befitting a Boy Scout who is attempting to obtain a much-coveted badge. This story is full of symbolism, fairy tale references, and a few hilarious reversals of accepted wisdom (such as the nature of chipmunks and the “real” dangers of Sea Monkeys).

Benji may be eighteen, but he is as enthusiastic about being a Boy Scout as a boy half his age. He takes his duties seriously (helping several women with their problems before he even leaves town), and he is determined to obtain the Happy Beaver Badge come what may. Benji braves all the obstacles fate seems determined to throw his way, and soon finds a lonely lumberjack in the forest who becomes his ally.

But Mack is no ordinary lumberjack. Thrown out of Perfection for a crime one those pesky perfectionists could even consider an illegal act, he lives a lonely life. Just him and the toys in his “special cabinet”. And yes, you guessed right, Benji gets to play with them… After which they continue Benji’s quest together and more hilarity ensues.

As with the first book, if you’re looking for something serious, this is not the book for you. There may be a quest involved, but Geoffrey Knight has managed to make it ridiculously funny and to be taken with several grains of salt. But if you want to be thoroughly entertained, or need a good laugh, and if you’re looking for a hot and funny adventure of a particularly innocent Boy Scout, then you will probably enjoy this short story. And the ending shows an entirely unexpected type of perfection…

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Stiff Rain Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Short Story, 13000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	13-March-2013
Price
Buy Link