Herobrine goes to school by Zack Zombie

The adventures of Herobrine book 1. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781742765907
(Age: 8-9) The Adventures of Herobrine book 1: Herobrine goes to school is another series by Zack Zombie, aimed at children who both love the game Minecraft and possibly his previous series The Diary of a Minecraft Zombie. This book is written from the perspective of Herobrine who has entered the human world as part of a collaborative experiment, but is the only Minecraft character in the town. The overarching topic of the book is of how Herobrine does not fit in and all that comes with that scenario in a middle school setting.
It does have a lot of relatable experiences for children, including a school bully, liking a girl and having to learn new things (like dancing to fit in at the school dance). I can see how this story and Herobrine's attitude of getting on with it, and not taking too much to heart could be of benefit to lots of children, but I felt like I was consistently comparing it to Zack Zombie's last series and in my opinion it is nowhere near as good. It is easy to read but lacks the humour of Diary of a Minecraft Zombie, and my 7 year old reader did not find it as engaging. Fluent readers from around 8-9 years old would probably like this story, and enjoy reading about the softer side of Herobrine, who in the game is not really a character but more of a superstition who many say they have seen appear in the game and claim to be quite creepy! Although we may not have enjoyed this book I am sure that die-hard Minecraft fans around 8 years and up would like it as an easy read with some relatable settings.
Lauren Fountain