Review: I Have a Bad Feeling About This by Jeff Strand

Title: I Have a Bad Feeling About This
Author: Jeff Strand
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pub. Date: March 1, 2014
Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult
Rec. Age Level: 12+

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There are many things Henry Lambert would rather be doing instead of attending Strongwoods Survival Camp, but Henry's dad is convinced Strongwoods is exactly what he needs to transform from a skinny nerd into a man. Things could be worse: his best friend Andy is at camp too, so at least he doesn't have to suffer alone, and, just through the woods, there's an all girls music camp. Maybe Max, the possibly unhinged macho drill sergeant in charge of Strongwoods, really will make Henry into a manly man... a guy capable of sweeping the girls at the neighboring camp off their feet... or maybe not. Henry and his fellow budding survivalists fail pathetically (and hilariously) at every attempted lesson, never suspecting that those skills will be unexpectedly put to the test when some very unhappy armed killers descend on Camp Strongwoods in search of Max.

Having never read anything by Strand before, I was not expecting I HAVE A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS to be so ridiculous and laugh-out-loud funny. I'm not one of those people that laughs aloud easily, but this book is hilarious in a "it's so funny because it's so true" way, which is my kind of funny. The jokes and witty quips are casual and perfectly timed so that readers will laugh through the whole book, never becoming overwhelmed or feeling like Strand is trying too hard.

I HAVE A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS feels a lot like a action/comedy flick, which makes sense because, in the book, the events that Henry recounts have been made into a novel and then into an action movie. If this book was made into a movie, it'd be all sorts of confusing to explain to people: "It's a movie based on a book about a movie based on a book based on a true story." Confused? I think that means you should just read the book to figure out what the heck I'm talking about! ;)

Looking for a good laugh? Look no further! This book will definitely appeal to guy readers and crosses over nicely between MG and YA. Recommended!