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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
“the night became silver again; looking up, it was as if they saw the moon sailing through the clouds instead of the other way around; racing smoothly across the sky, passing puffs and wisps of cloud on either side, and yet never moving from its place.”
this was a marvellous read. i'm really enamoured with children's literature at the moment, books for children just focus on telling a really good story y'know? they don't feel the need to overcomplicate everything.
4 stars
this was a marvellous read. i'm really enamoured with children's literature at the moment, books for children just focus on telling a really good story y'know? they don't feel the need to overcomplicate everything.
4 stars
“Over Sea, Under Stone” by Susan Cooper is the first novel in a Children’s fantasy series known as “The Dark is Rising” sequence. What I find interesting about this series is that even though it supposedly quite famous, I had never heard of it until there was a movie made based upon the 2nd book in the series. This is a shame as I imagine that a 8 year old me would have loved this book much more than I did when I read it as an adult.
The story follows the antics of the Drew siblings, Simon, Jane and Barney, who spend their summer holiday in Cornwall alongside their mysterious great-uncle Merry. Whilst exploring the house rented by their Uncle Merry, they find a treasure map that appears to be related to the various legends of King Arthur. They soon decide to embark upon an adventure to try and follow the map to discover what ancient treasure has been hidden. Of course, it turns out that they are not the only ones interested in following the map and it soon becomes clear that they are now embroiled in a conflict between the light and the darkness that has been going on for millennia.
One of the first things I noted as I read this story was that it really did feel like a book aimed at children. For example, the characters are all rather simple in how they are portrayed with only Uncle Merry really offering any sort of complexity. Don’t get me wrong, I found the Drew siblings to be quite endearing and I enjoyed seeing how they would get scared and doubt their own actions but it was all very one-dimensional in a manner that I think will appeal much more to children than it does adults.
Another aspect of the story that highlighted its target audience is that the action, thrills and excitement aren’t drawn out with any exposition, they are direct and immediate. This of course ensures that children are kept entertained but it does limit some of the bigger picture type scenarios and ensures there is very little suspense that lasts more than a few pages.
Quite simply the entire novel reminded my quite strongly of an Enid Blyton style adventure that many children will love. However, I felt that there was a little bit more depth to this story as Cooper has included elements of fantasy and hinted at a potential epic good vs. evil scenario. I enjoyed this little diversion from the standard children’s mystery novel and think Cooper has done a good job at trying to gently introduce young readers to the fantasy genre.
Overall, as an adult reader I would have to admit that this book could only really be classed as being okay. I did find it both enjoyable and endearing but the simplicity in both the characters and the way the plot is presented does limit its appeal somewhat. However, I can really imagine sitting down and reading it to my daughter in a couple of years and this is where I believe the book will shine. I have been told that the next books in the series are aimed at a slightly older audience so I am now looking forward to seeing how Cooper manages to progress the series in both plot and in style.
The story follows the antics of the Drew siblings, Simon, Jane and Barney, who spend their summer holiday in Cornwall alongside their mysterious great-uncle Merry. Whilst exploring the house rented by their Uncle Merry, they find a treasure map that appears to be related to the various legends of King Arthur. They soon decide to embark upon an adventure to try and follow the map to discover what ancient treasure has been hidden. Of course, it turns out that they are not the only ones interested in following the map and it soon becomes clear that they are now embroiled in a conflict between the light and the darkness that has been going on for millennia.
One of the first things I noted as I read this story was that it really did feel like a book aimed at children. For example, the characters are all rather simple in how they are portrayed with only Uncle Merry really offering any sort of complexity. Don’t get me wrong, I found the Drew siblings to be quite endearing and I enjoyed seeing how they would get scared and doubt their own actions but it was all very one-dimensional in a manner that I think will appeal much more to children than it does adults.
Another aspect of the story that highlighted its target audience is that the action, thrills and excitement aren’t drawn out with any exposition, they are direct and immediate. This of course ensures that children are kept entertained but it does limit some of the bigger picture type scenarios and ensures there is very little suspense that lasts more than a few pages.
Quite simply the entire novel reminded my quite strongly of an Enid Blyton style adventure that many children will love. However, I felt that there was a little bit more depth to this story as Cooper has included elements of fantasy and hinted at a potential epic good vs. evil scenario. I enjoyed this little diversion from the standard children’s mystery novel and think Cooper has done a good job at trying to gently introduce young readers to the fantasy genre.
Overall, as an adult reader I would have to admit that this book could only really be classed as being okay. I did find it both enjoyable and endearing but the simplicity in both the characters and the way the plot is presented does limit its appeal somewhat. However, I can really imagine sitting down and reading it to my daughter in a couple of years and this is where I believe the book will shine. I have been told that the next books in the series are aimed at a slightly older audience so I am now looking forward to seeing how Cooper manages to progress the series in both plot and in style.
This was a really fun start to the series and certainly has me intrigued for the rest of the books. The three siblings follow the usual sibling pattern but it actually seemed more united than we tent to see which was a really refreshing and less infuriating approach. It’s language and grammar choices were a bit dated at times but nowhere near as bad as it could be expected for a book that has been around for 55 years. I'm really looking forward to continuing on.
adventurous
tense
slow-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:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I had forgotten so much of this book, but reading it again reminded me why it was one of my favorites growing up. It's a fantastic adventure with hints of fantasy, endearing characters, and real excitement. I can't wait to reread the rest of the series. I hope they hold up as well as this one did.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
slow-paced
This was one of my favorite series when I was a kid. I just re-read this after talking my daughter into checking it out of the library, and I was a bit disappointed. It seemed a bit dull with flat characters. Do the other books get better? Or have I been spoiled by the frantic pace of contemporary kids' lit (Harry Potter, and Percy Jackson, I'm talking about you)?