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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I would have liked a deeper mystery in the book. It starts off well, but after a while the book becomes a pain to read since it always slides off to consecutive, useless-to-the-plot chapters. By the time the author realizes she actually has to write the main plot, I'm already bored to death with the useless "yada-yada" of the main character's insecurities. The mystery isn't that great either, and one of the more unimportant climaxes of the story was basically an anticlimax; nothing happens and all the "effort" put in to finding the Charlotte's Web burglar ends in a disappointing ending; literally nothing happens. Plus, the real climax was also disappointing, I would have liked it to describe the after-effects of the mystery but no, the author decides to end it in some unfinished resolution I didn't care about in the end.
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Grief, Medical trauma, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
A tween cozy. The book echoes some of the themes of [b: Miracles on Maple Hill|826095|Miracles on Maple Hill|Virginia Sorensen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328877054s/826095.jpg|811840], with a soldier returning to his family, where he must recover his health and happiness. The warm, loyal clan who awaits him at home reminds me of the Austins in [a: Madeleine L'Engle|106|Madeleine L'Engle|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1305256804p2/106.jpg]'s books. It's sweet and gentle...perhaps it will taste a little too sweet, depending on your preferences.
The story takes place in a tiny town called Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire. Texas transplant Truly just can't believe the quaintness or the weather. She stumbles upon a historical / literary mystery of sorts, which she untangles with the help of a merry band of misfits.
There was a lot going on...it felt as if the author was pulled in many directions too. There was the ongoing saga of the father's rehabilitation, the success or failure of the family bookstore, the mystery of what happened to a possibly valuable first edition of [b: Charlotte's Web|24178|Charlotte's Web|E.B. White|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1439632243s/24178.jpg|987048], the trail of clues left two decades before by two mysterious correspondents, Truly's passion for birdwatching and her hope to see an owl, her growing friendships with various other kids...most of these subplots were neatly tidied away at the end, but some sort of just faded away. The mysteries, in particular,
The story takes place in a tiny town called Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire. Texas transplant Truly just can't believe the quaintness or the weather. She stumbles upon a historical / literary mystery of sorts, which she untangles with the help of a merry band of misfits.
There was a lot going on...it felt as if the author was pulled in many directions too. There was the ongoing saga of the father's rehabilitation, the success or failure of the family bookstore, the mystery of what happened to a possibly valuable first edition of [b: Charlotte's Web|24178|Charlotte's Web|E.B. White|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1439632243s/24178.jpg|987048], the trail of clues left two decades before by two mysterious correspondents, Truly's passion for birdwatching and her hope to see an owl, her growing friendships with various other kids...most of these subplots were neatly tidied away at the end, but some sort of just faded away. The mysteries, in particular,
Spoiler
just sort of ended, rather than being solved. And a life-threatening development was definitely thrilling, but felt a little out of place, given the pace of the rest of the book.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
DNF at 75%. Cute, but it's not holding my interest anymore.
I noticed this book while I was working in a library because I liked the art on the cover; a few years later, I've finally read it. I'm reading books set in the winter, and this does a great job of capturing the cold and snow. it took me some time to warm up to the story - I wanted Truly's parents to notice her more and be more understanding (relating to the characters quite differently as an adult than I would have as a young reader). the story is cute, the character details are interesting, the different plot threads come together nicely. an enjoyable, accessible read.