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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
My daughter is ten. After years of my recommending books to her, I was delighted and proud when she started recommending books to me last week. They were actually books I found for her at the library and quietly placed in her room. The second book she recommended was Murder Is Bad Manners.
I really enjoyed this book. Mystery is one of my favorite genres and I was so excited that my daughter loved it enough to say I should read it.
It’s a perfect book for middle grade kids. The author does a great job of capturing the essence of young teenage girls, as well as accurate history as the book is based in 1930s Great Britain. The voices of the characters were well done.
The mystery was easily solved by me (because I’m a seasoned mystery reader) but my daughter said she was surprised. It’s a great intro to mystery for kids because the clues aren’t obvious to them and it’s surprising when it’s tied all together. The author does an excellent job of tying up loose ends and actually delivering more than one surprise for the young and curious reader. It was also fun to give my daughter pointers on how to spot for clues in mysteries, because part of the fun is seeing if you can solve the mystery before the characters do.
I’m giving it four stars because despite the larger print and easy number of pages, sometimes the story dragged with too many mundane details. I also felt horrible for Hazel because of how the other girls (and staff!) treated her in the past and continue to treat her just because she is from Hong Kong. I don’t believe the author was supporting racism, only illustrating that it was historically accurate. Middle grade readers are old enough to understand that, and having a conversation about it with them certainly doesn’t hurt. I also thought that Daisy might be a little bit of a sociopath, and her horrible prank on Hazel may be traumatic to some readers (it made me quite angry). Again, a great moment to have a conversation about bullying.
In all, my daughter and I are both excited to read the other books in this series. A really good beginner mystery that has some fantastic opportunities to have discussions with your child about history, race, and bullying.
I really enjoyed this book. Mystery is one of my favorite genres and I was so excited that my daughter loved it enough to say I should read it.
It’s a perfect book for middle grade kids. The author does a great job of capturing the essence of young teenage girls, as well as accurate history as the book is based in 1930s Great Britain. The voices of the characters were well done.
The mystery was easily solved by me (because I’m a seasoned mystery reader) but my daughter said she was surprised. It’s a great intro to mystery for kids because the clues aren’t obvious to them and it’s surprising when it’s tied all together. The author does an excellent job of tying up loose ends and actually delivering more than one surprise for the young and curious reader. It was also fun to give my daughter pointers on how to spot for clues in mysteries, because part of the fun is seeing if you can solve the mystery before the characters do.
I’m giving it four stars because despite the larger print and easy number of pages, sometimes the story dragged with too many mundane details. I also felt horrible for Hazel because of how the other girls (and staff!) treated her in the past and continue to treat her just because she is from Hong Kong. I don’t believe the author was supporting racism, only illustrating that it was historically accurate. Middle grade readers are old enough to understand that, and having a conversation about it with them certainly doesn’t hurt. I also thought that Daisy might be a little bit of a sociopath, and her horrible prank on Hazel may be traumatic to some readers (it made me quite angry). Again, a great moment to have a conversation about bullying.
In all, my daughter and I are both excited to read the other books in this series. A really good beginner mystery that has some fantastic opportunities to have discussions with your child about history, race, and bullying.
Historical fiction. 1930’s. Boarding school. School girls. Blackmail. Murder. Amateur detectives. Racism
Read for 52 Book Club Challenge #13 Contains a club.
Lord, what ripping fun!
A mixture of Malory Towers and Nancy Drew, with a touch of Agatha Christie, this was a perfect 'cosy crime' nostalgia fest. Whilst presumably aimed at children & YA, this novel had enough subtleties, character development, world building and nostalgia to satisfy adults too.
I attended a girls' school (albeit not boarding) and the author captures the gossip, hierarchies, low grade, everyday nastiness and heated atmosphere of a girls' school, and most especially, the need to put on "a show" to fit in. She doesn't shy away from the casual and blatant racism of the times shown to the narrator, Hazel, who is from Hong Kong. Hazel is a great, nuanced character, who grows in confidence as she uses her intelligence to navigate her way through friendships, fitting in.. and the occasional murder. I managed to guess "whodunnit" as well, but there were enough red herrings to keep me guessing! Really enjoyable read, highly recommended!
#the52bookclub2022
Lord, what ripping fun!
A mixture of Malory Towers and Nancy Drew, with a touch of Agatha Christie, this was a perfect 'cosy crime' nostalgia fest. Whilst presumably aimed at children & YA, this novel had enough subtleties, character development, world building and nostalgia to satisfy adults too.
I attended a girls' school (albeit not boarding) and the author captures the gossip, hierarchies, low grade, everyday nastiness and heated atmosphere of a girls' school, and most especially, the need to put on "a show" to fit in. She doesn't shy away from the casual and blatant racism of the times shown to the narrator, Hazel, who is from Hong Kong. Hazel is a great, nuanced character, who grows in confidence as she uses her intelligence to navigate her way through friendships, fitting in.. and the occasional murder. I managed to guess "whodunnit" as well, but there were enough red herrings to keep me guessing! Really enjoyable read, highly recommended!
#the52bookclub2022
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes