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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
This was my third time reading this book, so I'm sure it's already pretty obvious that I love it. I read it for the first time in either 2010 or 2011, but only just now bought a copy of it, so I decided to reread it before reading the newly-released sequel (which I am currently reading). Wendy Mass is one of my all-time favorite authors, and her books never fail to put a smile on my face. The characters are so unique and I especially love how it's narrated by each of the four main characters so as you find out the hidden backstories of the characters, you also get to see what each one thinks and perceives about the other three. The characters' humor and personalities made them relatable and likeable, too. The cliffhangers that mark the transitions between narrations really kept me reading because I just couldn't wait for the truth to be revealed! Although the book is geared toward slightly younger readers than the books I usually read, it's a book I will love forever.
It was cute... I would have enjoyed this much more when I was younger, but I would definitely recommend it to any of the children I teach!
I did enjoy the narration from different perspectives, and once they got into the mystery, it was a bit more intriguing.
I did enjoy the narration from different perspectives, and once they got into the mystery, it was a bit more intriguing.
third read may 2019 // comforting mg read since i love wendy mass, read while waiting for pride reads but it went into june whOOPS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pages 67, 111, and 308 are adorable/maybe not cute but i love them regardless and bookmarked them for some reason???
Wendy Mass' books are always such easy reads, and this was no exception! I was a little worried at first that reading the same story from four perspectives would become boring but it never did. I was very impressed with how ell she played it all out, and was pleased with the ending.
2 1/2 stars. I thought I would love this book, but I only liked it. The premise sounded wonderful and I enjoy a good middle grades read, but this fell below my expectations. I loved all the parts about candy and the factory (which, to be honest, was a large chunk of the book), but somewhere along the line it just fell a little flat for me; everything came together too neatly. It’s definitely a book I would recommend to middle grade readers. But for me, it was too middle grade level (and maybe that's me judging too harshly because it is a middle grade book); I don’t really see it as having much crossover appeal because the storyline was just too simplistic. The characters were well-drawn, but, again, all of the conflict resolved too easily which was a bit of a letdown after spending 450 pages with this book. Read full review here
Full review [here]
A whimsical book that follows multiple perspectives, hearkens backs to Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with more than just parables about misbehaving children, and is a great introduction to the mystery genre.
Overall, if you or your child is a fan of candy, mystery, and well-paced writing, this could definitely be your next nightly read together. The protagonists are twelve, so this would also be a good Hi-Lo reading option for a middle grade reader.
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Reasons I didn't give it 5 stars: Mass isn’t overt if there is any racially diverse characters, and her few characters that might be BIPOC aren’t given any descriptive indications beyond a non-white sounding name. Additionally, she has Logan using the phrase “all-natural” an awful lot in the book to describe food and candy, and at a certain point the use of an unprovable "fluff" marketing word started rubbing me the wrong way.
I still think it is worth a read though!
A whimsical book that follows multiple perspectives, hearkens backs to Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with more than just parables about misbehaving children, and is a great introduction to the mystery genre.
Overall, if you or your child is a fan of candy, mystery, and well-paced writing, this could definitely be your next nightly read together. The protagonists are twelve, so this would also be a good Hi-Lo reading option for a middle grade reader.
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Reasons I didn't give it 5 stars: Mass isn’t overt if there is any racially diverse characters, and her few characters that might be BIPOC aren’t given any descriptive indications beyond a non-white sounding name. Additionally, she has Logan using the phrase “all-natural” an awful lot in the book to describe food and candy, and at a certain point the use of an unprovable "fluff" marketing word started rubbing me the wrong way.
I still think it is worth a read though!
This book is a pretty thick book for young readers- but it is a fun read. The story is told through the eyes of each of the four contestants, not in alternating chapters, but for an entire section of the story, from the beginning to a certain stopping point. Finding out how these four kids ended up as contestants and seeing the story through to the end reveals plenty of unexpected connections. A story about friendship that is sure to make your mouth water with its descriptions of every type of candy imaginable.
*I read an ARC of this book*
*I read an ARC of this book*
I absolutely loved this book. I thought I would fall in love with one character, and then fell in love with a completely different one, the one that I hated the most in the beginning in fact. I also like how everyone has a secret.