Mattie Bender Is a Cereal Killer

By: M. J. Padgett

Narrated by: Scott Walker

Ben’s new neighbor is a killer...of his cereal.

Ben Parks is a lover of things, specifically collectibles which cover his bedroom from floor to ceiling, wall to wall. Mattie Bender is the new girl in town, and she happens to be Ben’s next-door neighbor.

Ben is none too happy when he first meets Mattie, but he soon learns she’s not so bad, especially when she’s teaching him all the things he never thought he’d learn. Just when Ben decides Mattie could be the girl of his dreams, things start to go sideways.

Before he knows it, Ben is thrust headlong into the shadowy past of Mattie Bender, revealing secrets and horrors he thought only existed in movies. She sucks him into her world, only to leave him floundering in misery when she disappears, leaving a mysterious letter behind. It’s a race against the clock to find her before she does something stupid in the name of justice. Can Ben save the woman he loves, or will she make a fatal mistake?

©2020 Melissa Padgett (P)2021 Melissa Padgett

Quirky Characters, Romance & Mystery= Super Fun

So this is the first book I've read that has a teen boy (Sr. in high school) that is most likely on the spectrum but a very high functioning one. It's got a bit of the Sheldon from Big Bang feel and the strange yet hot neighbor girl next door who lets herself into his house and begins a series of events mixed with disasters and secrets to be uncovered. He's dealt with the school bullies for years and done his best to fly under the radar but with Mattie around staying under the radar isn't an option. This was a really fun high school drama, adventure, and clean romance. I definitely recommend this one.

Parents: this is acceptable for preteens and up
Language: G
Violence: PG13- Bullying to the extreme- nearly beating to death, not over graphic but enough to mention for those who are squeamish
Sexual content: PG - normal cozy romance with kissing and couch snuggles, sex is a topic at one point
but no scenes and nothing to warn of

Narrator (4⭐) was fun and easy to listen too but perhaps a bit slow, I preferred listening at 1.35x speed.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

YA Romance & A Fascinating Mystery

I was entertained by this book. Ben Parks was a senior in high school interested only in his collectibles. Maddie Bender was a free spirit who moved in next door, and she managed to turn Ben Parks' life upside down. The characters were personable and written in a way that drew the reader right into their story. I liked all the twists and turns as the mystery was revealed, and then explained, as the story progressed. Scott Walker's narration was great, and his performance added to the story's entertainment. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

A bit drawn out

Almost overly so but it did keep your interest. After reading/listening to quite a few stories from this author she has a penchant for creating fun and sadly quirky characters that are oddly relatable and likeable but also uses certain phrases repeatedly and incessantly. Overall it’s a good listen with good narration.

10 Stars!!

This is a delightfully bittersweet coming of age story of 17-year old Ben Parks and his best friend 18-year old (soon to be nineteen) Mattie Bender. Ben is a relative loner, content to live around his collectibles and he considers himself an outsider at school. He's been bullied mercilessly by the "in crowd" at school, but he's too embarrassed to tell his parents about it. Mattie is exactly the opposite with her almost manic behavior of coming and going from home and disappearing for days at a time. But she spends more time with Ben than he could hope for and, slowly, she starts to get him to open up. He comes to rely on her and loves getting to know her, but what are these  feelings? Mattie is his rock and is just as committed to him, and one of her greatest lessons is to teach him how to lower his walls to let people in. There's a sense of foreboding built into this book, as the author drops hints with her "If I had known what was coming..." and "I never knew it would be the day that my world ended." Yikes! All of a sudden, you're on your toes and in your head, trying to figure it out. What is really well-written is the insight into the damage that bullying can cause for generations. Ms. Padgett didn't spare any feelings nor did she downplay the fact that lives can be destroyed if it goes unchecked and how powerful families can make it all disappear. The secondary characters are just as essential to the story as Mattie and Ben, and I have to admit that the numerous twists throughout the story are brilliant! I have come to expect an excellent story whenever I read a book by M J  Padgett, and I have yet to be disappointed. Her sociopathic characters are all spot on! Scott Walker's narration is excellent. I enjoy all the idiosyncrasies he gave his characters and his cadence and dynamic voice brought this story to life.