Official Review: The Machine by Gary Green

[Misael Carlos]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Machine" by Gary Green.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Set in the 1940s, George “Mick” Robins is a well-liked, hardworking Ohio farm boy; he always does what his highly principled parents tell him to do. At a very young age, he is fascinated with boxes; he collects any kind that he could find and even waits at the post office as people would give him boxes from stuff they have delivered. He has collected over two hundred boxes, stacked neatly in rows that are labeled by month and year; he seems to have no intention of stopping any time yet. While Mick and his friends are exploring the spooky area behind a carnival, Mick discovers an odd-shaped box owned by a great magician. There are stories about its healing powers, but many people tell him to get rid of it, warning him of its evil. Mick is confused with what to do with the mysterious box; will it bring him anything he desires? Or will it only put his loved ones in danger? Narrated in the first-person perspective, The Machine by Gary Green presents Mick’s extraordinary journey with his intelligent pet dog Jeff and friends Stella, Fatty and Mumbo.

Green displayed his sense of humor through his main characters; there was hardly a page that did not contain something humorous. There would always be something to smile or laugh about as I read on; the group’s antics were funny. The Machine was not just about humor; the build-up of suspense was thrilling as the mystery of the box unfolded.

Green was able to make me visualize the scenes vividly as if I was with the characters. I could easily see a young Mick sending out punches at his enemy and being dragged by his huge friend as they went fishing. I could feel his excitement and amazement as he wandered around a carnival. I could feel the sadness Mick experienced as he realized the outcome of his decisions. It was easy to see The Machine translated into the big screen.

Green brought me back to my childhood with his remarkable set of young characters; just like any other kid, they were mischievous and did not consider the consequences of their overactive imagination and curiosity. Each character possessed a distinct personality and was relatable. I liked Mick’s character: he was someone who would stand for what he believed is true and impartial. As expected, the antagonists in The Machine were despicable: T. Rex was an opportunist, enriching himself at the expense of other people’s misfortunes; Nelson was the school's bully, and Joe McCarthy was the typical villain: rough, mean and evil.

The Machine by Gary Green conveyed the importance of family and friends in one’s life. I liked the good values presented here and the way these values were presented did not come off as preachy. One character’s message stuck with me even after reading the book: “We are all people of values and morals, and if we keep to them, we will always be good people.”

On the downside, there were numerous grammatical errors like missing hyphens, periods and commas. There would be an error or two practically on every page and there were instances where a single page or a paragraph would contain different types of errors. The missing, incorrectly placed and unnecessary quotation marks made me pause many times because I could not determine where the dialogue started or ended. There were unnecessary punctuation marks, some missing words and vague statements due to poor sentence construction. Misspelled words inundated the novel. Many compound words like “manpower” and “hardworking” were written as two words. The enormity of grammatical errors led me to believe the author did not utilize any proofreading tool.

A book this engaging deserves the highest rating. However, the ubiquitous grammatical errors were distracting and prevented me from experiencing a smooth read. Thus, I give The Machine by Gary Green 3 out of 4 stars.

This book is for young readers who are into adventure, suspense, or mystery books. If you are sensitive to themes of racism and animal violence or you don’t like a book with a cliffhanger ending, you have to look elsewhere.

******
The Machine
View: on Bookshelves

[Valkyrie9]

This story has great potential and I like the feeling of lightheartedness portrayed through the use of humour on each page. I am sure with a little more attention to detail and perhaps the use of a professional editor this book could appeal to many, young and old. Thanks for the honest review.

[Priyanka2304]

I could easily find all the elements that make up a good read in this book. Thanks for the wonderful review.

[kljrox]

The 1940s is the perfect setting for a story about a group of children getting into mischief with a dog named Jeff. I love the family values that you described and maybe that’s why I like the idea of this book. Thanks for an enthusiastic and fun review.

[Munachimso_Nwaogazie]

One thing that caught my attention is how consistent Mick was in gathering and packing boxes. This is worthy of emulation. Thanks for this review.

[blancaelizondo214]

Crazy, doubting about putting loved ones in danger?

[blancaelizondo214]

Oh I'm sorry, I thought I was still reading children books, but still book is crazy.

[gatuguta2030]

I could easily find all the elements that make up a good read in this book. Thanks for the wonderful review.

Sure.The review is on another level.

[gatuguta2030]

One thing that caught my attention is how consistent Mick was in gathering and packing boxes. This is worthy of emulation. Thanks for this review.

I couldn't agree more on this. Thanks.

[Teele]

Green displayed his sense of humor through his main characters; there was hardly a page that did not contain something humorous.

Humor is the life of a book. Thanks for a good review.

[Zainabreadsnow]

Oh this sounds so twisted yet so funny. Thank you for an incredible review!

[AntonelaMaria]

I am not much into YA books anymore but this one seems interesting. Too bad for all the errors. I like that there is an emphasis on friends and family. The found family aspect is always ensuring to read about. Great and informative review.

[Deval Sodha]

The book is suspenseful and humorous both keeping g the reader hooked. The Machine by Gary Green conveyed the importance of family and friends in one’s life. This intriguing book is a must read.
The review is superb.
Congratulations on Botd

[Wayne Njoroge]

The Machine is a YA novel loaded with mystery and suspense. The book's plot is set in the 1940s with a suspenseful story plot that will fascinate young readers.

[asteel18]

After reading the sample, my first thought was how could a reviewer fight their way through the errors? But, as I continued, I could see that it was a story I would like to keep reading and find out why the author chose that title. I'm glad I read your review.