Book: Tyrannosaurus Wrecks (2020)
Series: FunJungle #6
Author: Stuart Gibbs
Genre: MG, Mystery
Basic plot: Teddy is back for another mystery, this time involving dinosaur bones discovered on a friend’s ranch. When the enormous T-Rex skull goes missing, Teddy’s friend turns to him. And of course, Summer. On top of a disappearing skull, there’s a new competitor for FunJungle called Snakes Alive! Teddy and Summer team up once more to figure out who’s legit and who’s shady. And things are never easy when Summer’s dad is one of the suspects.
WHAT’S COOL…
1) I loved how Stuart Gibbs worked a T-Rex into this story! FunJungle is a series about a zoo-like amusement park. Who would have thought to bring in dinosaur bones? Summer’s dad, that’s who! Which gives us an archaeological dig! And also, the mystery when the skull goes missing…
2) Speaking of mysteries, there were some nice red herrings and misleads. But, when I think back, the clues are all there.
3) As always, Teddy remains a very likeable main character. And Summer, too. I like how they work together. In this book, they’re boyfriend and girlfriend. (More on that later.)
4) Another enjoyable part was the subplot… the angle on exotic pets. I am slightly horrified by people wanting to own snakes. *Shivers*. I will say that I particularly enjoyed reading the author’s note at the back about what’s legal and what’s not about owning exotic pets. *Shivers again*
5) It’s been awhile since I’ve read a FunJungle book. Actually, I think I’ve only read #1 and #2 of the series. (Which means I missed #3-5???) But, I didn’t find it too hard to pick up where I left off. The only major change was Teddy’s relationship to Summer. I recall it being an antagonistic partnership in the first books, something that’s now missing from the series now that they are boyfriend and girlfriend. (More on that later.)
6) Stuart Gibbs knows how to give us an exciting climax! The chase at the end is full of action and is completely centred on Teddy, our hero. (He even gets to drive! Every kid’s dream, right?)
WHAT’S NOT COOL…
1) Okay, about Teddy and Summer. I did not care for the fact that they are now boyfriend and girlfriend. (Could you guess that from my hints above?) I do like the enemies-to-lovers trope, but you can’t make them lovers if you’re going to continue the series! Where is the banter? The bickering? The tension between the two? All missing! (And Stuart Gibbs does that type of tension-filled banter quite well, especially in his Spy School books.)
2) There were some random characters that didn’t do much for the story… namely, some of Teddy’s friends from school. Not a huge deal, but I found them to be superfluous and actually ended up distracting me from the story itself. I had to go back and re-read some parts because of them.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Another fun book from Stuart Gibbs to end off the year of 2020. Loved the dinosaur and snake angle on this one!
YOUR TURN…
Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…
Oh, you have to read Panda-monium! That’s my favorite. Hmm. It didn’t bother me that Teddy and Summer were dating. I never though they bickered that much; it always felt like this was the way they were headed. I did enjoy the way the T Rex was worked in, and appreciated that they got away from the zoo for a bit!
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I will try to get my hands on Panda-monium!
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I have never read any Stuart Gibbs books, which seems like a major oversight on my part! This series sounds fun, though I can understand your frustrations about Teddy and Summer dating—in general, dating in MG books tends to irritate me. Thanks for the great post, and have a great new year!
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Yes, I love the FunJungle books and also his Spy School books!
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I’m a big Stuart Gibbs fan but have not read this one. I’ll be taking care of that hopefully early in the coming year. Thanks for featuring this title on our final MMGM of 2020. Hope to see you back with more great reviews in 2021.
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Yes, fun book! See you in the New Year!
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I LOVED the Funjugle series! I actually got my sister the fourth one in the series for Christmas! I haven’t read this one, but it’s sad to hear the bickering/fun dynamic between Summer and Teddy was ruined in this one. I feel like that trope works best if they manage to keep some of that in their relationship even after they get together (in a playful way). It’s super cool there was a T-Rex in the book though! These mysteries seem to just be getting bigger and bigger 🙂 Thanks for the review!
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I really have to read the ones I’ve missed in this series 🙂
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I haven’t read any of the books in the series, but I have to say, I love the title. That alone would get me to pick it up. Thanks for the post.
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I know. All the titles in the series have fun word-play 🙂
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