Hypnotic Dunces

Dunces Anonymous is back. The members of the club that engages in implausible shenanigans to outsmart their parents have another challenge on their hands. How can they wrestle control of the high school play from scheming Stacey and her overbearing mother so they can win spots in the National Theatre School’s Summer Theatre Academy? Needless to say, Stacey and her mother are stereotypical characters with no redeeming features. The rest of the characters are equally two-dimensional.

While a lighthearted read is fine, this series struggles to find its footing. It’s not clear who the intended audience is. The characters are all in high school, but the humour and reading level are more appropriate for younger ages. It’s got some elements of fantasy, mostly revolving around a mail-order medallion that Dunces Anonymous member, Wang, uses to hypnotize people. It’s not enough to entice a serious fantasy reader, but it is juvenile enough to put off older readers.

The story is set in the present, but there is little or no technology, except for the odd suggestion that a photograph might appear on Snapchat or Instagram. This undermines the story and might further alienate readers as there are several instances where the problem could be solved, or at least reduced, by pulling out a smartphone and researching the answer.

Finally, the story has thoughtless plotline involving nursing homes. The portrayal of these facilities and the people in them is very negative.

It is hard to recommend Hypnotic Dunces due to its weak characters and unclear audience.