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rebekkavanh's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
katherinehamilton's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
writingwwolves's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4.5
This book is yet another example of why I adore middle-grade fiction so much; the story was full of pure hope, with realist, lovable characters & an exciting & enticing plot. Although I found myself wishing the book was longer, I actually think it was the perfect length as nothing was dragged out or done too quickly.
I was sent this book by Kelpies in return for an honest review.
Extended Review to follow.
This book is yet another example of why I adore middle-grade fiction so much; the story was full of pure hope, with realist, lovable characters & an exciting & enticing plot. Although I found myself wishing the book was longer, I actually think it was the perfect length as nothing was dragged out or done too quickly.
I was sent this book by Kelpies in return for an honest review.
Extended Review to follow.
flick_reads's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
leahbrarian's review against another edition
3.0
Goes by a bit fast and doesn't necessarily delve particularly deep, but a sweet mixture of friendship, fantasy adventure, and character development/family issues.
goldenbooksgirl's review against another edition
4.0
This is the story of best friends Lewis and Rhona as they go on a school residential trip and become embroiled in saving the last unicorn herd from a cruel poacher. Lewis and Rhona are both great characters, and I definitely related big time to Lewis which was a lot of fun to read. I also thought the balance between the fantasy/adventure side of things and contemporary was super well done- the exploration of the characters` issues and how they affect their lives was gradually revealed and so interesting. I loved the unicorns and the way their customs and history were explained, particularly since they were very different to what I`d expected them to be and I liked what they actually were even more. The book`s villain also needs a mention, because they are absolutely CHILLING and gave me total Cruella de Vil vibes, which is not a comparison I make lightly seeing she is basically my favourite villain of all time. Finally, as a Scottish person I loved the use of slang in this book, as I think I`m from an area quite near to Lewis and Rhona`s (I say think because I`m hopeless with anything to do with geography…) and a lot of it was very familiar and I hear/use so many of the phrases daily. 4.5/5
nietzschesghost's review
5.0
Man, I am so overjoyed that this ended up being far more amazing than I ever thought possible and is a gorgeous children's book to feed their imagination. It is a heart-warming, lovely read for all ages, and as it can often be difficult to engage youngsters and foster a reading habit this may be a suitable place to start for those with an interest in beautiful mythological creatures such an unicorns.
What I really wasn't expecting was it to be as powerful and gripping for me as an adult who tends to pick up rather a lot of gritty crime capers, so this was refreshingly light and breezy tale right from get-go. Not only that but there is a wise message within its pages, too. A timely, topical reminder of the precarious nature of wildlife/animal conservation and how we humans play a huge role in the active management of our planet.
So come and join best friends and confidence Lewis and Rhona as they go on a magic-filled adventure in order to save the elusive, enigmatic unicorns from extinction. Many thanks to Kelpies for an ARC.
What I really wasn't expecting was it to be as powerful and gripping for me as an adult who tends to pick up rather a lot of gritty crime capers, so this was refreshingly light and breezy tale right from get-go. Not only that but there is a wise message within its pages, too. A timely, topical reminder of the precarious nature of wildlife/animal conservation and how we humans play a huge role in the active management of our planet.
So come and join best friends and confidence Lewis and Rhona as they go on a magic-filled adventure in order to save the elusive, enigmatic unicorns from extinction. Many thanks to Kelpies for an ARC.
unicornsbookshelf's review
3.0
Disclaimer: I have voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free ARC copy from the publisher via Edelweiss, thank you!
Okay so looking how my reading blog is literally called "Unicorns-Bookshelf" it's only right for me to review some books that actually have some unicorn content in them. You see, as a kid, I was a huge horse person (kinda funny looking at how I've never actually attended horse riding lessons or anything) and all the mythical horses were a big part of it. So as soon as I saw Guardians of the Wild Unicorns I thought "Hey if that isn't something my younger self would absolutely love".
The book is about Lewis and Rhona - two eleven-year-old kids who are away on a school camp in the Scottish mountains while Lewis spots a unicorn in the distance. Convinced that he's been hallucinating, Rhona takes him to investigate and they indeed find a unicorn but it turns out it had been killed. The two friends learn about a plot to breed the unicorns and sell their horns on the black market and are determined to free the herd and save it.
This book was an okay read. There were parts that I liked and there were parts that I just didn't care about very much and also there were parts I wished there was more of. The last one was the unicorns - they were and I enjoyed the way they were portrayed aka real animals with maybe a pinch of magic, not cutesy rainbow ponies but I just didn't feel like the horse-loving me could get enough of them.
The part I didn't care about was the plot - I just wasn't invested in it as I thought I would be. It just didn't feel magical and enthralling as many children's books and movies do. I also hated Lewis at the beginning of the book for being a selfish spoilsport who did everything in his power not only to avoid having fun but also ruin it for others. He barely cared about his best friends' feelings not to mention anyone else. He did get better in time but it didn't leave me with much warmer feelings towards him.
Now, the part I enjoyed was as I mentioned the portrayal of unicorns - the actually felt like real animals, not a fairytale pasted into the modern world. I also really appreciated the mentions of heavier topics and how easy it is to assume stuff about people without knowing what's going on in their lives when we don't see them. Both main characters have issues with their family and they discover the truth about each other as the story goes on. I really appreciated that and I'm on my way to take Rhona away from her mother because she deserves better.
Overall, it's a cute, short book even though it's not very memorable. I would recommend it to all unicorn lovers out there.
Okay so looking how my reading blog is literally called "Unicorns-Bookshelf" it's only right for me to review some books that actually have some unicorn content in them. You see, as a kid, I was a huge horse person (kinda funny looking at how I've never actually attended horse riding lessons or anything) and all the mythical horses were a big part of it. So as soon as I saw Guardians of the Wild Unicorns I thought "Hey if that isn't something my younger self would absolutely love".
The book is about Lewis and Rhona - two eleven-year-old kids who are away on a school camp in the Scottish mountains while Lewis spots a unicorn in the distance. Convinced that he's been hallucinating, Rhona takes him to investigate and they indeed find a unicorn but it turns out it had been killed. The two friends learn about a plot to breed the unicorns and sell their horns on the black market and are determined to free the herd and save it.
This book was an okay read. There were parts that I liked and there were parts that I just didn't care about very much and also there were parts I wished there was more of. The last one was the unicorns - they were and I enjoyed the way they were portrayed aka real animals with maybe a pinch of magic, not cutesy rainbow ponies but I just didn't feel like the horse-loving me could get enough of them.
The part I didn't care about was the plot - I just wasn't invested in it as I thought I would be. It just didn't feel magical and enthralling as many children's books and movies do. I also hated Lewis at the beginning of the book for being a selfish spoilsport who did everything in his power not only to avoid having fun but also ruin it for others. He barely cared about his best friends' feelings not to mention anyone else. He did get better in time but it didn't leave me with much warmer feelings towards him.
Now, the part I enjoyed was as I mentioned the portrayal of unicorns - the actually felt like real animals, not a fairytale pasted into the modern world. I also really appreciated the mentions of heavier topics and how easy it is to assume stuff about people without knowing what's going on in their lives when we don't see them. Both main characters have issues with their family and they discover the truth about each other as the story goes on. I really appreciated that and I'm on my way to take Rhona away from her mother because she deserves better.
Overall, it's a cute, short book even though it's not very memorable. I would recommend it to all unicorn lovers out there.
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