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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's my least favorite Dahl so far. It was very repetitive, but also playful and absurd.
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the first books I ever read start to finish in one sitting - great to revisit this deliciously funny and dark book at 42!
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I've generally been a big fan of Roald Dahl's books, but I had never read this one. It turns out to be kind of boring. Also, I am clearly now an adult because I spent the whole first half of the book going, "He poured the whole thing in? OMG, all of the things? Those animal medicines are probably super expensive! His parents are going to spend hundreds of dollars just replacing all the things he's emptied! What a waste!" I thought maybe it would all work out in the end if he made his family rich from breeding giant animals, but his dad seemed to forget all about that idea once his mother-in-law was evaporated . I did not find the book particularly clever or interesting compared to most of Dahl's books.
My only complaint is that I felt it should have been longer. It doesn't allow enough time to bond with any of the characters.
Not a fan of this one at all. Grandma’s demonic and the boy isn’t much better. Not finishing, though we browsed the pictures together and got the gist of the storyline before putting back.
lighthearted
fast-paced
This book is clever and funny and all, but to be honest with ya'll, I'm not sure how I feel about encouraging children to feed their grandmothers homemade "medicines" without their knowledge or consent. I also don't like how the father was basically rejoicing when his mother-in-law disappeared, even when he could see his wife was upset.
I wrote a review about Esio Trot that explained why I don't think the message of it is a problem. I argued that no child could actually get enough turtles to successfully pull off that stunt.
This book is different. A child could actually give their grandmother the wrong medicine, and could actually cause serious harm. Something about it just doesn't feel quite right. So, while I think it's a fun book, it's also something you should be aware of to potentially discuss with your child before giving them this book.
I wrote a review about Esio Trot that explained why I don't think the message of it is a problem. I argued that no child could actually get enough turtles to successfully pull off that stunt.
This book is different. A child could actually give their grandmother the wrong medicine, and could actually cause serious harm. Something about it just doesn't feel quite right. So, while I think it's a fun book, it's also something you should be aware of to potentially discuss with your child before giving them this book.