Also by this author: Snafu Fubar: Nothing HeroicBeing a teenager is tough enough, but try it when you have schizophrenia and psychic abilities that make all of your imaginary friends real... The odds are against Mouch-he's locked up in Talsom Mental Asylum; his only friends are a sock puppet and his shadow. Worst of all, he suffers from amnesia; his earliest memory is of being found alone in a mall wearing nothing but a pair of polka-dotted boxer shorts, a pair of fluffy white bunny slippers, and a hat made from a newspaper.... and covered in a generous amount of blood. When an elderly gentleman visits him and reveals that Mouch is not crazy but is actually a psychic, Mouch does what any rational person would do-he runs for the door. Once outside of Talsom, Mouch soon finds himself thrust into a battle against a sinister movement of dark psychics who threaten to destroy the entire psychic community.
I received this book for free from Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Hey all, Melanie AND Andi here with another good but weird book. Since we both read this one, we decided to post both reviews. What can we say, we like most of our books weird.
Last year at Indie Bookfest, I (Melanie) had the pleasure of meeting a new-to-me author, Bob Dixon. He was an interesting guy. He had a cool personality, and his book sounded…different…but in a good way. Different in the way that we here at Fang Freakin’ Tastic just happen to enjoy.
Anyway, on to our reviews of Mouch and Company by Bob Dixon.
Andi’s Review
Mouch is a young man that is a ward of the state, and housed in a lovely mental institution. He is housed there because he has two imaginary friends; Sherman a sock puppet and Mav a three fingered shadow creature who plays havoc on the orderlies.
But Mouch isn’t just a young man with schizophrenia but actually a young psychic. Could he also be schizophrenic yes, but that isn’t the main part of the story. The main part is that he has the ability to move things in his dreams and even interact with other individuals. Yes it is a little strange to wrap your mind around but it is a good book.
At a school for gifted young kids, think Xavier’s place from X men combined with Hogwarts, Mouch is finally able to be with people who may not understand him but at least they don’t lock him in a padded room or try to take away Sherman. It really is a good story line, and definitely a different look at how individuals with mental health issues are are treated as well as how people with psychic abilities are seen.
There are times that the conversations seem a little forced but for the most part this is a solid, well written book. It is a stand alone, and not part of a trilogy so there are no worries about cliff hangers or needing to buy another book. What you see is what you get and you know what? Sometimes that is exactly what you need.
Melanie’s Review
It took me far too long to read this book. By that, I mean from the time I received the book, not from the time I started. I wasted so much time. This is because while I thought the book sounded interesting, I wasn’t sure it was really for me. The main character, Mouch, is 14 (I think), the same age as my daughter. I tend to read books that have characters a little closer to 18. I knew the subject matter was a little on the different side, but I worried just how different it was. Would I be able to connect with the characters? Would it feel immature? Would it be able to hold my attention? Yes yes and yes.
Overall, the creativity and humor are two of the main things I loved about this book. Who would think to write a book about a kid with 2 imaginary friends that are completely real to him, and one of which is a friggin sock puppet?
I really enjoy Bob Dixon’s writing style. He’s got a sense of humor that comes through in his writing that gives each character a sense of life that doesn’t always come through in other books. I thought Mouch was a very creative concept and I enjoyed how it was all put together. I was able to see the characters and scenes very clearly, thanks to Dixon’s writing abilities.
Mav and Sherman were awesome. I loved the sarcasm and snark. The idea of them doing whatever it takes to help Mouch is somewhat hard to fathom as they are imaginary, but they feel so real. The fact that Sherman is a sock puppet is just a little odd, but that’s just one of those things that is another example of the creativity of this author. If I had an imaginary friend or two, I would want it (them) to be just like Mav and Sherman.
Though Mouch and the Dream Psychic is a YA book, it wasn’t written immaturely. It has very mature situations, but they are mature situations that, unfortunately children do face in our society. Mental illness, bullying, and violence are sadly things teens face on a regular basis.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a sense of humor, and likes a different kind of book that gives the reader a little something extra to think about.
I’ve got to agree with Andi on our fang rating. I liked Mouch and Company more than 4 fangs, but it didn’t blow me away enough for 5 stars. So I’ll go with 4.5
About Bob Dixon
Bob Dixon is a two-time Guinness World Record holder for the world's longest cartoon strip. He created and wrote a number of comic book titles for Pocket Change Comics, including Assassinette: The Mind Stalker, Psyco Duck, Jester's Dead, The Holy Knight, Riplash, Shadow Slasher, and Warzone 3719. Bob has written two children books titled Rooty the Tree Troll and Holiday Bunny. He Is the author of Mouch and Company: The Dream Psychic and A Tough Call. In addition, Bob is a certified special education teacher who works with children who have Autism and Intellectual Delays.
