Fun middle grade novel- my girls enjoyed reading it- quirky and original premise. I would recommend this book to others.

The Mortification of Fovea Munson by Mary Winn Heider is a middle grade novel. Fovea Munson is nobody's Igor. True, her parents own a cadaver lab where they perform surgeries on dead bodies. And yes, that makes her gross by association, at least according to everyone in seventh grade. And sure, Fovea's stuck working at the lab now that her summer camp plans have fallen through. But she is by no means Dr. Frankenstein's snuffling assistant! That is, until three disembodied heads, left to thaw in the wet lab, start talking. To her. Out loud. What seems like a nightmare, or bizarre hallucination, is not. Fovea is somebody's Igor, all right. Three somebodies, actually. And they need a favor. With a madcap sense of humor and a lot of heart (not to mention other body parts), this is a story about finding oneself, finding one's friends, and embracing the moment.

The Mortification of Fovea Munson is honestly one of the strangest books I have read in the very best ways. What starts off as a almost standard story, middle schooler having trouble with friends and family trying to get through a summer that is certainly not going as planned turns into a madcap adventure with singing heads and a mystery to solve. I love that the mix of real and what the heck is so well balanced. Life can be pretty strange when you are at that age, but I do not remember it ever being that crazy. I thought that Fovea was a very realistic character- with parents that embarrass her and sometimes fail to hear her (which is how most kids feel) and facing friendships changing and having trouble with her classmates in general. I think most readers can sympathize with her on those fronts, even if they have never faced problems quite as unique as Fovea's. At the same time, the talking heads, blackmail, spunky grandmother, and the less typical aspects of the story keep the readers moving forward, trying to find solutions, and pondering what they might do in such a situation. I was engaged through the entire read and think that most other readers will be as well.

The Mortification of Fovea Munson is a wonderful read with a balance of realistic problems and unbelievable details and moments that come together perfectly. I recommend this read to middle grade readers and older.

This book began a bit annoying for me as the main character tended to complain A LOT. But once the story got going -really going- I had to just roll with the craziness of the plot line and thoroughly enjoyed myself! This was an unique and fun read.

This is a weird little book, but that’s not a bad thing. Seventh-grader Fovea works part-time in her parents’ cadaver lab, which is weird. Her parents tell a lot of random body parts jokes, which is weird. And three defrosting disembodied heads have started talking to Fovea, which is very weird.

Just go with it: The wacky premise is the price of admission for a screwball comedy that’s worth reading. Those heads need Fovea’s help — and, as it turns out, she needs their help, too — kicking off a series of hijinks that will have you laughing out loud. This was a surprisingly light, fun readaloud.

This book is a lot like all of those stories where a character an suddenly see ghosts and hilarious hijinks ensue, only instead of ghosts it's disembodied heads. We're addressing parental expectations and being a social misfit to a small degree. Mostly, though, its a simple misadventure.

I'll admit that I requested this book primarily because of the title since I share a surname with the titular character. Aside from that, I enjoy middle grade and young adult fiction, and the fantasy twist here is pretty unique and interesting.

Most of us were embarrassed by our parents at some point in our past - usually at about the age of Fovea in the book. But Fovea Munson maybe has a legitimate reason to be embarrassed ... her parents are doctors who run a cadaver lab. Seventh grade is tough enough, but when your parents work with dead bodies and body parts all day long AND they want you to become a doctor like them, life couldn't get much worse. Well...maybe it could. It would be worse if their secretary quit and they hired you over the summer to work in the cadaver lab with them.

The Mortification of Fovea Munson is charming and witty and more than a tad bit quirky. Her parents are lovable goofballs with good hearts and good heads on their shoulders. Not everyone here is like that, though ... I mean, not everyone has their head on their shoulders.

In the cadaver lab, a shelf full of heads get Fovea running as she makes promises to them in order to get them to reveal the location of a missing head. But before they'll give a heads up, they want to sing in a barbershop quartet. With an audience. Does this make much sense? No...but we're discussing talking cadaver heads, so we're clearly in an 'anything goes' sort of situation.

The general story is pretty off-the-wall, but Fovea (yes, the name seems a little strange and she addresses it in the book) has some struggles that will be recognizable to age-appropriate readers - friends, bullies, embarrassment, feeling like an outcast, and struggling to find her own way when it seems like others are trying to steer her in a different direction. These are real-world, pre-teen (and teen) problems and author Mary Winn Heider addresses them head on within the bounds of this funny, freakish fantasy.

The story gets a little bit bogged down about two-thirds of the way through as all the various story-lines and subplots start to wrap up. It's a poignant comedy so everything <em>has</em> to wrap up. But this is where we discover that maybe there was just a tad too much included (personally, I don't think Grandma Vann really added anything to the story). Still, this is a riotous romp and a heck of a lot of fun.

Looking for a good book? The Mortification of Fovea Munson by Mary Winn Heider is a delightful, whimsical, and very poignant tale for middle school readers.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

From the opening line, "Dead bodies are the worst", you just know you're in for a good time with this book. Fovea Munson is the 12-year-old daughter of two doctors: cadaver surgeons. They operate on dead folks, and they teach medical students how to work their craft on dead folks. They've got the corniest senses of humor, a never-ending love for Hippocrates, the father of medicine, and they've just hired Fovea to be their receptionist for the summer. This is bad enough for a 12-year-old who's already feeling tragically uncool, but wait: three heads in the cadaver lab start talking to her. Death isn't necessarily final, after all, and Lake, McMullen, and Andy - the three heads in question - want to start a barbershop quartet, hit a recording studio, and have a release party, and it's up to Fovea to make it happen. Quickly. Because that receptionist that quit left a lovesick, slightly unhinged cremator, behind, and he's got information that will ruin Fovea's family. The heads know something, so it's a little quid pro quo in action.

Is this madcap? Absolutely! Is it hilarious? Without question! Fovea narrates this laugh-out-loud story of a summer vacation gone sideways with a priceless, put-upon tween voice as she navigates her relationship with her parents, her friends (both dead and living), and her scooter-riding grandmother. There's an unexpected amount of pathos here as Fovea comes to care for a classmate and the trio of cadaver heads in her care, and a bittersweet realization that some friendships aren't meant to last. There are black and white illustrations throughout, adding some visual humor to the story, and chapters titles remind us how much Hippocrates has influenced Fovea's life. The end of the book leaves me hopeful that we'll get some more fun with Fovea down the road, and an appendix (snicker) includes amusing little in-jokes that readers will get a kick out of.

The Mortification of Fovea Munson is a perfect summer read, especially for kids who think their parents are weird (which is, honestly, most of 'em). Don't miss it. Add it to your STEM reading - cadavers science is a thing!

This was such a fun book! There have been a lot of really great middle grade books coming out this year and I would definitely add this one to the list. Foeva is a great protagonist and she definitely meets a lot of other colorful characters on her journey that made this book great. There are definitely some parts of this book where I had to work a bit harder than usual to suspend my disbelief, but at the end of the day it was funny enough to be enjoyable anyway and I think it has some really great messages about growing up and figuring out what is important to you. Also I think it was more 'things you notice as an adult but that children wouldn't even think twice about' so I definitely think this would be a fun and enjoyable book for children even though some adults might balk when things get particularly zany.

:It’s not easy being Fovea Hippocrates Munson. Strike one is that your first name in medical lingo means “eyeballs” and your surgeon parents are obsessed with everything Hippocrates. They have even written a rap about the Father of Modern Medicine! Strike two is that your surgeon parents own a cadaver lab where they happily deal with dead bodies all day long. Strike three is that your summer camp is closed due to a snake infestation which means you are stuck working as the receptionist at the lab. And there’s more. Your parents think you want to follow in their footsteps as a Future Doctor of America, and your best friend has traded you in for a more sportier and cooler model. There’s no way things can get worse, right?

Except things can and they do when at the lab, three disembodied heads not only start talking to Fovea but ask her for a favor. Although Fovea is experiencing a raging case of PTSDH (PostTraumatic Stress from Dead Heads), she has to focus because the lab is missing a specimen, and she needs Luke, Andy and McMullen’s help (AKA the 3 Heads) to find the body part before a blackmailing cremator reports her parents to the police.

The Mortification of Fovea Munson is a story of humor and heart. With its far-fetched and fantastical plot, I was excited to keep reading to see where author Mary Winn Heider would go next. While I laughed after reading almost every page, my heart also hurt for Fovea who lost her best friend and struggled with discovering who she really is.

After an unforgettable night, Fovea finally realizes she is no longer “a bookmark holding on to a space and waiting for the right time.” On the contrary, she does have something burning in her. While she is not destined to become a Future Doctor of America, Fovea Hippocrates Eyeballs Igor Phobia Pitfall Munson will be a Future of America making the world a better place. And she is going to rock it! After reading the last page, I hope Fovea’s adventures are only just beginning.

This was pretty funny. It wasn't great literature, but it was a lot of fun. I think kids will enjoy this one. I think that one of my favorite parts is the fact that this book shows that friendships ending is ok. It's part of life and it doesn't mean that either person really did anything wrong.

Cute book from beginning to end. Middle school aged kids are going to love this book. There is just the right mixture of adventure, mystery, friendship and family relationships.

Oh this was a fun adventure, though a little morbid at times. I do not find this book any spookier than others, though it is about a mortuary and severed heads. I would love to see the second book, and this is on order for our J Fiction collection at my library.

Every now and then, I read a book that makes me so EXCITED about books again. This is one of those books. Yes, the premise is ridiculous, unrealistic, wacky, and kind of morbid...but that's the kind of book that I really love. This book was a joy to read from start to finish, and even the talking heads became developed characters

This book was quirky and positively hilarious while still being a fun adventure book for kids. While the story deals with characters which are simply severed heads, it is still age appropriate as none of the descriptions are very detailed and this is for kids who are into chapter books and beyond the beginner ones. In fact, most of them will find the gross-out factor a plus as well as finding it even more hilarious than I did. The adventure itself has parts that are so ridiculous that they're funny. The thing that really makes this book is the tiny, random funny details that the author throws in. Overall, it's an entertaining read for any age and a fun book that deserves to be read.

I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is incredible. I don't know if the author herself has some sort of magical writing powers because WOW is it written BEYOND well. This is an author who put a whole lot of love into her writing, and it shows.
This book just works. It truly does. The setting and the plot just weaves itself together so well. You can feel as if you are connected to the characters.
All in all - definitely worth the read! I will be picking up a copy for my bookshelf when it becomes available!

Fovea Munson desperately wants to be a typical teenager, but her parents are making that nearly impossible. Not only do they own a facility that dissects human bodies for science, they have given her a name that roughly translated means eyeball. After getting the nickname Igor from a former friend and suffering the torment of being made fun of by her entire school, Fovea has to face further social disgrace when her parents let her know that due to the fact they've lost their secretary, Fovea will be filling in at their lab. Mortified by this news, Fovea expects her summer so be spent signing for body parts and dreading returning to school. That is until three severed heads begin speaking to her and a local crematorium owner starts stirring up a mystery. What follows is a book full of disembodied barbershop quartets, midnight in a kidney costume, and a grandmother with a literal deathwish.

Mary Winn Heider has put together one heck of a crazy ride with The Mortification of Fovea Munson. Fovea is most definitely a teenager, so prepare for the whining and social outcast fears. For science nerds, the future doctors of the world, and those who don't mind a bit of discussion on body parts, this is a fun book with an interesting premise. If you're squeamish or you (or your kids) frighten easily, maybe skip this one for a while. The book is lighthearted in a sort of Addams Family way, so if you enjoy innocent dark humor it is an enjoyable read.

The Mortification of Fovea Munson is available from Disney Book Group June 5, 2018.

Every now and then, I read a book that makes me so EXCITED about books again. This is one of those books. Yes, the premise is ridiculous, unrealistic, wacky, and kind of morbid...but that's the kind of book that I really love. This book was a joy to read from start to finish, and even the talking heads became developed characters. This is easily the most fun book I read in 2017, and I'm recommending it to librarians and kids alike. It reminds me a bit of Dead Boy by Laurel Gale and will appeal to kids who understand the dark humor of Lemony Snicket and Neil Gaiman. Highly recommended!

Hilarious, fun, and incredibly original. This book is an absolute delight from start to finish! I will highly recommend this to anyone who likes funny, clever, inventive middle grade. I laughed SO hard and was also moved by Fovea’a worries, relationships, and growth.

My little test reader blasted through this one very quickly. This book is smart and original, dark and funny. Middle school kids are going to love it. Fovea's voice is accessible, the reading fast-paced, almost as if it were written my a screenwriter.

Weird, and Funny, and Weirdly Funny - A Middle Grade Screwball Comedy

It took me a little while to come around on this book, but once I did I was totally sold.

The setup is that Fovea's parents are doctors who run a cadaver lab and teach dissection skills and anatomy to other doctors. So, it's a lab full of random body parts. The parents are totally into their jobs and make random body part jokes and puns and whatnot. They want rising eighth grader Fovea to join the business for the summer as their receptionist. Fovea hates that idea, she hates being embarrassed by what they do, she hates being called Igor at school, she's embarrassed by her parents and her life and this gross summer job and how boring she is and how she doesn't have any friends. And she tells us that, over and over and over in the first few chapters of the book. The only reason I held on was that Fovea is just witty and sly enough to make some of her incessant kvetching funny, and I suspected that this kid, and the book, were going to pick up and take off at some point. And that's what happened.

Fovea goes into one of the wet lab cold rooms and finds herself being addressed by three disembodied heads that are sitting on a shelf defrosting. Andy, Luke and Mac are a riot. It's like three way vaudeville crosstalk humor with some jokey dialogue, some real wit and style, and a lot of deadpan humor that contrasts very nicely with the decidedly not-deadpan circumstances. Bingo. At this point we have a madcap plot. The heads need a big favor from Fovea. Fovea needs some help from the heads to solve a little problem at the lab. From there we have interludes of antic farce, mixed up heads, a goofy scheme, a cute boy, a deranged crematorium operator, resolution of family issues, and Fovea transforming herself from a whiny sort of drip into her inner heroic Igor.

I bought the wacky premise, the Fovea character, the funny dialogue, the puppy love romance, the talking heads, and the whole over-the-top concoction. Once it gets started it's unpredictable and manic enough to keep young readers invested and it all wraps in a satisfying and entertaining be-who-you-are fashion. This was sort of a hoot, and a nice find.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)