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joyfulme's review against another edition
3.0
Published in 1944, The Island of Adventure reads a bit like a British, milder version of a Hardy Boys mystery with sinister criminals and action-packed sleuthing. The children are impertinent and call each other names like “idiot” and “ass” (sometimes affectionately) which I find disappointing. What does come across effortlessly in the course of the story is the breadth of education gleaned from old fashioned, free range inquisitiveness in children. By the end of their summer of adventure, the kids have acquired the skill of sailing, have observed bird identifiers and behaviors, have made practical use of old maps and historical books, and have become intimately familiar with speleology and copper mining.
lottiesaahko's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! Reading this as an adult was just as great as reading it as a child!!!
sean67's review against another edition
3.0
First in another Blyton series and I may have read this when young, but don't have any memory fit, and I think I would have remembered that ridiculous parrot! Anyway apart from said parrot it was a reasonable story of adventure and normal Blyton type goings on. I'll have to try and locate the rest of the series.
laradoyle's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
susanknights's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
3.5
kavyar's review against another edition
5.0
i had to add this to goodreads because this was my childhood book that i’ve read over 50 times actually maybe i’ll reread this
finsternuss's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
So these were my childhood stories so I have an immense amount of nostalgia for them but I have also read them several times since. Reading the reviews here makes me believe that my version of the books is probably revised because I don't think that there was that much racism and sexism in it – not that I believe that Blyton is innocent of that. (Also now that I will lock all the books of her she will become my number one writer on here...)