3.5/5 stars

🐻 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this e-arc!


✨It was only fine. Not that good of a novel but i wouldn't mind reading more from the author

I kind of like the uniqueness of this format: the book within a book with the creation interacting with the creator. It's a subtle exploration of the nature of art and when it crosses the line between working through problems and hiding from them. It's a little rough around the edges, both visually and narratively.

This was an awesome graphic novel! I love the idea of an artist's cartoon characters coming to life and interacting with them. In this novel, a young teenage boy accidentally microwaves his notebook which causes a reaction that makes the cartoon character in his notebook come to life. The different illustration styles show the different points of view as the story follows the young teen through a typical day at school dealing with class, schoolwork, and typical teen issues. Sketch like illustrations show the point of view of the cartoon character while more realistic illustrations show the point of view of the teen. Very funny! Highly recommend. I think this would be a great recommendation for reluctant teen readers.

While I can see some 5th-8th graders getting into this, there were too many parts that dragged on too long, and, ultimately, the end wasn’t worth the journey. I would have loved to see this broken up into smaller chapters or sections, with more of the “real world” mixed into the on-paper story.

I really enjoy this genre of graphic novel. My son and I read it together, it’s a wonderful middle reader. I highly recommend it. Thank you Net galley for the opportunity to review this book.

The concept of this book is absolutely fantastic! I enjoyed the concept of the character conflicts with the addition of real-world middle school topics. The theme was very direct, which would make this story a great text to hand to a reader who struggles to identify theme.

A neat premise with a slightly thin execution, this graphic novel still manages to charm. Very tween boy-centric.

The Creator is alarmed when his notebook drawing starts talking back - and finally gets up the nerve to confront his talking creation, Dud, who helps him see some difficult truths about his reality and how he has been hiding from it in his drawings. It's a little bit like Kristen Gudsnuk's "Making Friends," but not quite as fantastical - and a little more appropriate to younger middle-graders.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I did like this. My one flaw is that I kinda liked the creator's perspective (they never say his name) and the relationship between him and Val. I didn't really like Dud's perspective until the end.

This graphic novel is the story of a young man who, by an interesting microwave accident, syncs his molecular structure to his notebook and creates a doodle named Dud, who is quite alive. Sentient, perhaps is a better term. Dud is aware of his being created and looks at his creator as God, but soon is angry with the creator because he puts more detail into some of his other drawings. Complete with illustrations, this story is a fun one to show the power of our creations and creativity.

First, awesome concept! I loved it, my son REALLY loved it. Considering he’s a kid and it’s geared towards him, his opinion counts for a bit more than mine. The back and forth between art styles was pretty awesome. One of the things that made it great is that the characters look like something he could draw. Thus, he is inspired. The story itself was simplistic but still thought provoking, lots of out of the box thoughts. As a parent, I was excited by the vocabulary used within it. My son was actually excited to break out the dictionary and thesaurus for a couple of them (which is kind of what we want kids to do with books right?). I’m excited to share this with my younger male patrons (of course my young ladies would still like this, however, it’s proven to be more difficult to get some of our boys read.). Minor did great work with this one, and the bit of coping skills at the end makes this a winner for me! Mega Awesome job Minor, you rock for this one!

What a great cross-over between the graphic novel and comics - silly at times, heartfelt at the end, but most of all, jam-packed with realistic looking doodles of all sorts. I'm so excited to show this to some of my kids that are less into the "girly" graphic novels, but love comics all the same. I would definitely pair this with some kind of doodle activity, or just to encourage kids to express themselves via art. Also to remind them that "art" doesn't have to be clean, or perfect, or for other people. Art can just be for you!

Creative, fun, and colorful. This book was hard not to like and would be highly recommended for a wide range of readers.

The middle school students I’ve met would gobble it up and I know some adults who would savor this text, as well.

The artwork in this is amazing. I hope the print copy is as good. The pencil, notebook paper, and characters drawn in different styles made it easy to follow the shifts in the plot line. I particularly loved the "taped in" shards of torn paper. I hope they can keep that effect in the print copy!

The story is fairly simple—a boy opens a portal to his notebook, allowing the line between real and imaginary to blur. It has a good message at the end, though it's not horribly well set up, it works.

My 10 Year old would absolutely love this book. It's a great book for someone who loves drawing and art more than reading, and I think it would spark imagination in the young reader. I think the message (not revealed in this review for spoilers) is sort of snuck in, which I think works well in this age group. Even though the book is pretty short, it still manages quite a bit of tension and humor. It's really nicely done.

Thanks, Net Galley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mega Awesome Notebook is a fantastic, quick read. It begins the the accidental microwaving of a notebook that holds the hopes, dreams, and fears of the main character. Through his newest creation, Dud, we uncover his struggles with divorce, growing up, and learning how to have confidence in yourself. The pencil drawings are perfectly juxtaposed with the colorful real-life panels perfectly and would appeal to the younger reader; however, the finer message of living in the real world and only visiting fantasy when necessary may be lost. Overall, it was a fantastic read with a great message!

Arc Copy...it was a fun and surreal read switching between the zany-sketchy world within the notebook which often breaks the fourth wall for comic and drama plus the more "realistic" rendering of the real world of the notebook's owner. I did like the theme of the artist dealing with his problems by doodling int he notebook but as even his creations find out...you can't hide here forever.

Mega Awesome Notebook by author Kevin Minor is a truly fun book for middle schoolers. It is packed with cute doodles and awesome characters, and has a strong underlying message. Our 4th grader really enjoyed reading this and we are all happy she now has a copy for herself! I would definitely recommend this book to middle school kids (and more)!!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of Mega Awesome Notebook in exchange for an honest review.