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literarypenguin's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
This book was so magical and very interesting! It almost hooks you in right away and you are invested right off the bat!
The characters are what made this book shine to me! I love Lyra she was one of the best main characters I have read and her growth throughout the book was just lovely to see. She was feisty, had her own set of morals, would do anything for those she cared about, and was a perfect liar to her own and others' benefit. She truly does the impossible, she befriends a bear, she makes friends and allies with a group of traveling people and she rescues a group of children from a fate worse than death.
The idea of spirit animals and how they are almost like another half of your soul was a very well thought out idea. It was a refreshing take on the idea of spirit animals in a modern setting. How when you are a child your animal keeps shifting into different forms and when you reach the age of adulthood your animal stays as one form. A form that best represents who you are as a person and what your personality is like.
Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel are perfect villains and truly scary and dangerous. I think what made them more dangerous as they were normally looked upon as normal and brilliant people and others would think of them were never able to do something like this to anyone.
I think the author did a great job of discussing spirituality and science and how those two ideologies can clash and be dangerous if in the wrong hands. Like how the world in the Golden Compass is ruled by a governing body known as the Church by some and how they control the use of science and research on certain subjects. Also, science is seen as potentially dangerous and harmful if used incorrectly or selfishly needs.
This book was a wonderful experience and left much more to be revealed in the next book of the trilogy. I may have to read the second book to know what happens next!
Graphic: Kidnapping and Child death
Minor: Racism
lucinotlucy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Violence, Abandonment, Classism, and Child death
theespressoedition's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This story was truly a masterpiece! It has been recommended to me countless times, but I never picked it up because of the age range that it's geared towards. I'm not typically a fan of middle-grade books. However, if that's been holding you back from reading this, let me assure you that you have nothing to be concerned about. It's an ageless book (reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia) and if no one had told me that it was MG, I would have never known.
Our protagonist is such an interesting character. She's bold and fearless and a little bit brash - as children can be. There's something so incredibly lovable about her from the minute she first walks onto the page. In fact, that's really how I felt about most all of the characters (of whom you're supposed to like, of course). They're a mismatched pack of cast-outs, orphans, daemons, warriors, and then some. It's impossible not to root for them as they go on their adventure.
The book felt as though it had 3 books in one - and it sort of did. It had a few parts to it, but each part read like a separate installation into the story. This was really interesting to me. It could've been broken up into multiple books and I wouldn't have felt like I was missing something. However, though the book was quite long, it was never dull. The action kept it going and even during the slower moments, I didn't feel myself losing interest, which is an impressive feat on the book's part.
If you have the opportunity to, I do strongly recommend the audiobook. It has a full cast and is narrated almost like a group of people sitting around and just gabbing their story. It's very easy to forget that you're "reading" and become almost overly involved in the plot. I'm really glad that I used this format because it really was an incredible experience!
I can't wait to read the sequel to find out what happens next.
Graphic: Torture, Abandonment, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child death, Animal death, and Death
alicew's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Religious bigotry
whitehotheadedme's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Kidnapping, Child death, Death, and Violence
thepassivebookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Child death
marianneiriss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Child death, Classism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Trafficking, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Cursing, Abandonment, Animal death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Blood, Death of parent, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Torture, and Xenophobia
sophie_theresia_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Violence, and Blood
delaneyswann's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping, Trafficking, and Injury/Injury detail
cemeterygay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
I think the initial pacing is a little bit too slow but quickly improves. There also is a surprising amount of gore in this book specifically related to animals that I did not expect.
While not mind blowing, I think this book is a great set up for future books and handles discussion about religion well and in a way that is definitely understandable to its target audience while not being condescending in how its explained. It's definitely a good challenging fantasy book for a middle grade audience.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Child death, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
CW: Absent parents