How to Grow Up and Rule the World is written by the incomprehensible (obviously) Vordak the Incomprehensible.
In it, the brilliant supervillain (who has come close many times to ruling the world but has always been stopped by the irritating Commander Virtue, because of circumstances completely beyond his control) he provides never-before-seen insight and tips on how to, well, grow up and rule the world.
This includes, but is not limited to, selecting an evil name, building an army of minions, choosing a location for your lair, picking a spine-tingling costume and everything you need to know about being a supervillain.
So, How to Grow Up and Rule the World is targeted at 9-12 year olds, and I'm sure with a special focus on little boys. Thing is, this is an absolutely hilarious and entertaining read for all ages! It would be a great gift for young boys (and girls, of course, if they find humor in superheroes and supervillains) - but I must stress that this is worth reading for every age - because it is full of hearty chuckles I could almost guarantee you'll appreciate!
I say "almost" guarantee, because we are all different. After all, there are some people out there who don't love the Harry Potter series. Do I understand that? Not at all. But I know that we all just have varying personalities and tastes, and that is awesome.
Vordak's voice as a narrator is ridiculously funny and delivered with such deadpan pomposity that it is a fantastic combo. There is a constant stream of witty one-liners, instruction manuals, charts, question and answer portions, great illustrations, and sizzling insults.
The over-the-top arrogance of Vordak is hugely entertaining and keeps the pages flying, pages that are extravagantly detailed with little pictures for each page number and a very lively format.
We are reminded to only read How to Grow Up and Rule the World when wearing special gloves... and nothing else. Lol. You can see how this would be easily delightful for kids, but had me giggling too.
At one point in the novel there is an Evil Aptitude Exam provided by Vordak. You are instructed to complete it in 30 seconds! Even with the extra credit for taking longer than told (I admit it, I took my time to read the laugh-out-loud multiple choice), I still rated very low. Apparently I am not evil material.
Vordak becomes alive and sparkles with a colorful, vibrant personality. His voice reminds me a little of Count Olaf from the A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket, but still remains original.
When the book comes to Vordak the Incomprehensible's Inconceivably Evil Evil Name Generator (hee hee), despite my lack of the evil gene (as I was informed by the earlier exam) I came up with a supervillain name for myself. Introducing myself: Zarnox the Ruthlessly Unaffectionate.
Ain't it awesome?! :)
Vordak manages to answer questions we've all always had (like, why does the villain stop before "disposing" of hero to explain, in detail, what his evil plan is?), and causes a ludicrously luminescent, spectacularly zany read.
I would absolutely adore more books written by Vordak the Incomprehensible. He is a memorable character for sure, and fervently amusing!!!
Have I convinced you yet, bibliophile? Well, if I haven't check the Bibliophile Support Group on Wednesday, October 13th for my interview with author himself: Vordak the Incomprehensible!!! It's awesome, honest! ;)
Remember to keep checking back every Monday and Friday for new reviews throughout all of October because of my super heavy "to review" pile!!!
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