Timmy Failure: We Meet Again

I do just love Timmy Failure. Though for a while in this book #3 in the series, I was starting to become impatient with his antics and delusions, by the end I was totally back on his side. These books are among the funniest middle grade books I have ever read (though I do wonder if kids would find them quite as funny as I do). The good news is that Timmy is slowly but surely developing, into what I'm not sure, but he is developing. Also, shocker involving Corrina Corrina, and maybe more clarity regarding Total the polar bear. If you liked the first two, you'll like this one, and if you didn't read the first two, you should. I don't care who you are.

Timmy Failure: We Meet Again is the third book in Stephan Pastis' Timmy Failure series, following the naive adventures of the eponymous hero, a self-proclaimed private investigator, his imaginary polar bear friend, and the hard boiled world of middle school. In this third volume, Timmy is allowed to return to school on academic probation. He and his fellow classmates must complete a very important science project. Students work in teams for a shared score, and Timmy's best friend (a straight-A student) is already partnered up with someone. Timmy is then teamed up with one of his many arch-nemeses, his competition for private investigation.

The book itself is cute, revealing a mock gravitas one finds in similar books, especially the Diary show more of Wimpy Kid books. My copy was an audiobook, and while it lacked the illustrations Pastis is better known for, it almost made up for it with narration, Jared Goldsmith, who evoked the sort of naive, snotty middle school kid Timmy would almost certainly be. While books like this should be enjoyed with corresponding illustration, the audiobook is definitely a welcome companion on the reader's journey through this book.

I recommend starting this series with the first volume ("Mistakes Were Made"), even though I did not. However, if you, like me and some other third person (read the book) decide to start here, there's very little disorientation in getting up to speed in Timmy Failure's life. show less

Timmy Failure is back with his pet polar bear Total and their detective firm, "Total Failure." I have been searching for a series my family can listen to in the car on long trips that is appropriate for the youngest but engaging to the teens and adults, and this was a big hit. My husband had never read any of the Timmy Failure books but really appreciated this volume.
As always, Timmy goes about life convinced of his own greatness and the failings of others, while oblivious to the real life struggles of his mother, his friends, and the other adults at school trying to focus him and help him. The humor of the disconnect between his vision and the reality, the priorities the real world has, and the inability to suspend disbelief show more occasionally all make this a perfect family listen or read. show less

Timmy is back for a brand new adventure and Pastis definitely doesn't disappoint. It keeps you engaged from page one up until the last page (or minute as I had an audio book copy).

It starts out with Timmy stuck between a rock and a hard place as a bit of a teaser and then the rest of the book starts from the beginning of this segment of Timmy's tale up to that point and a bit beyond. His tendency to over think things and get into trouble are never ending, but also definitely a cause for laughter.

While I cannot comment on the pictures or layout of the book, I will say that the guy who read the book for the audio book did a phenomenal job. I tend to be a bit more wary of audio books that do not have a full cast audio. However, this show more reader was engaging and made sure to have different voices for each character. It really helped to keep track of who was talking and made it more entertaining to listen to by far. So, parents do not fear, if your kid wants to listen to Timmy Failure on long car rides and you have to be stuck listening to it as well, its an entertaining book that should please both your child and you.

Overall, there is definitely a lot of wit and humor in this book. It is great for its target audience and probably can be enjoyed by many kids. It is entertaining and the chapters are not too long, each one ending at a good stopping point. Definitely a worthwhile audio book as well.

(*Note: I was given a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way. ) show less

Academic Probation: Words that can strike fear into any student or parent. Yet, those are the words that Timmy Failure hears and fears. Still trying to dominate the detective world with his imaginary sidekick, Total the Polar Bear, Timmy is confronted, confused, and infuriated with his mom, his coach, his friends, and his fr-enemies. A huge science project with a very unlikely partner is looming and his grade will determine the outcome of his probation. You may say Timmy is lonely, Timmy is delusional, Timmy is out-of-control, but when he finds a kindred spirit with an imaginary emperor penguin as a confidant, you begin to see his softer, more vulnerable side.

Timmy Failure: We Meet Again is absolutely magically dark when enjoyed in the show more audio form. Jared Goldsmith is none other than amazing when capturing Pastis's characters. His voice and inflection, cadence and timing are superb. I don't think I would have enjoyed this book half as much had I simply read it...although I did miss out on the illustrations. Having listened to this book in the series, I'm hooked. Timmy is one Eeyore-ish character that I won't soon forget!

Thank you to LibraryThing's Early Reviewer Program, Stephan Pastis, and Recorded Books for this delightful audio version. show less

" If you’re one of the three people in the world who have not read the prior volumes of my memoir,...." I was one of the three! I was fortunate enough to get it through the Early Reviewer program. I was hoping to find a good book for my great nephew. What I got was a book that had me laughing out loud. The book is clever, funny, original. The narrator, Jared Goldsmith, brilliant, ageless, endlessly engaging.

It is a book that could be played on the car CD player and enjoyed by people of all ages. A keeper.

I love this series! The farther along we get, the more layered and sympathetic our characters get. Timmy is still wildly overconfident, but there is an underlying insecurity that drives everything, and Pastis is wisely letting readers see the cracks slowly and put the pieces together on their own. And it remains hysterical, laugh-out-loud funny.