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michellexu's review against another edition
2.25
Guys this “review” is gonna be so cursed because this is literally a children’s book and the only reason I read it is because I bought it at the school book fair when I was 11 but I never actually read it. And now I’m 18.. but I was like nah I’m not gonna let that money go to waste so I’m gonna read it. The plot wasn’t really intriguing, like the idea for the story itself is creative but I felt like the book was just imagery with no actual plot. I never leave a book unfinished but I really wanted to because I honestly did not care to find out what happened at the end because there was nothing interesting going on. But also did I really expect to enjoy a book that is targeted towards children when I’m literally going to university this fall😃 but yeah maybe I would’ve enjoyed this 7 YEARS AGO when I bought it AS A CHILD. No hate to the author because the descriptions were nice and if I was a youngster I probably would’ve ate this book up. But as a young adult, forcing myself to read a children’s book just to not waste the $5 I paid at the book fair for it is truly a form of torture💀
averyreadsalot's review against another edition
3.0
ugh this was my favorite book in elementary school and rereading it was soo nostalgic
amylandranch's review against another edition
3.0
This series was recommended for the library by a student so I purchased it and read it. Being the big baby that I am, I was deliciously scared at times and at one point I had to stop reading at night because it was too scary (keep in mind that I am a big wuss). Olive and her family move into a big, creepy house and as she explores, she finds that the paintings move and the cats talk to her. As she continues to explore, she figures out how to enter the paintings and what she finds there is not so great. I liked Olive as the plucky lead who is brave and kind. I also liked the supporting cast, including the cats. It has mystery and action and a dash of suspense. It is for younger readers (grades 4 and up) but I think any fan of mystery and magic will enjoy this book.
middlekmissie's review against another edition
4.0
Very charming; I like that the "good" and "bad" characters are not clear from the beginning. Gives due respect to Narnia, which is nice to see.
middlekmissie's review against another edition
4.0
Very charming; I like that the "good" and "bad" characters are not clear from the beginning. Gives due respect to Narnia, which is nice to see.
emmaleighkr's review against another edition
3.0
This book really bothered me while I was reading it because it is very dark. The story was intriguing and will definitely keep the readers going but this was awfully serious and intense for kids.
enchanten's review against another edition
3.0
Books of Elsewhere Shadows starts out in a compelling way, and Olive makes for a fantastic character. Jacqueline West does well to portray our young protagonist as a strong minded individual and not just an immature naive child.
When Olive is forced to move into a deceased old lady's house that her new neighbours consider weird and whisper about, she doesn't feel she quite fits in anywhere until she discovers a pair of spectacles that allow her to travel into the strange and creepy pictures that seem to be glued to the walls.
What olive doesn't realize is that danger lurks in some of the artworks left by the old lady and soon she ends up struggling to escape.
Shadows is a alright read, I found that after the first few chapters I began to lose interest and eventually put the book down and forgot about it. I didn't find the read to scary and I believe the story itself will appeal to many readers who, unlike me enjoy a good mystery.
I found Jacqueline West's portrayal on Olive's parents quite worrisome as they seem to have little to do with Olive and much more concern with maths, making them very flat and unbelievable.
I did realize the twists to this story early in but as an older reader I find this is to be expected when reading a book aimed towards younger people.
When Olive is forced to move into a deceased old lady's house that her new neighbours consider weird and whisper about, she doesn't feel she quite fits in anywhere until she discovers a pair of spectacles that allow her to travel into the strange and creepy pictures that seem to be glued to the walls.
What olive doesn't realize is that danger lurks in some of the artworks left by the old lady and soon she ends up struggling to escape.
Shadows is a alright read, I found that after the first few chapters I began to lose interest and eventually put the book down and forgot about it. I didn't find the read to scary and I believe the story itself will appeal to many readers who, unlike me enjoy a good mystery.
I found Jacqueline West's portrayal on Olive's parents quite worrisome as they seem to have little to do with Olive and much more concern with maths, making them very flat and unbelievable.
I did realize the twists to this story early in but as an older reader I find this is to be expected when reading a book aimed towards younger people.
pussreboots's review against another edition
5.0
The Shadows by Jacqueline West is the first of the The Books of Elsewhere series. It also won a CYBILS in 2011.
Olive and her math professor parents have moved into a decaying Victorian mansion. It's fully furnished with the furniture and paintings of the late Ms. McMartin. As Olive soon discovers, it's also inhabited by her cats — and they can talk.
As her parents are so focused on their new jobs, and their careers, Olive is left to herself and to the house. She begins to notice things like shadows moving in the paintings. Later, she discovers a way to travel through the paintings. What at first seems like harmless fun, though, quickly becomes something dangerous.
As others have pointed out, there's a similarity to Neil Gaiman's Coraline. But the experience of moving into a house is a pretty standard set up for fiction — especially for horror and fantasy.
As a fan of houses with creepy histories, and with the surrealism of traveling through artwork, I loved this book. Although it's written for readers still new to chapter books and longer works, it held my attention. It also has some wonderful black and white illustrations.
katie_2711's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0