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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
listening to the audio book, and did not like the narrator. Also, too childish - yes I should have expected that.
I don't think I can express how much I loved this book!!! Completely enamored with Miss Flavia and her exploits, perhaps because her love and obsession with chemistry mirrors my own! Who wouldn't love an 11-year-old who poisons her sister's lipstick with poison ivy and takes it upon herself to solve a mystery that overtakes her home? Cannot wait to pick up the next book in the Bradley's series and see what kind of trouble Flavia will get herself into!
Flavia de Luce is unlike any other “detective” in literature; she’s a bit like a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew. In 1950 Britain, a precocious, 11-year-old girl, Flavia, lives with her sisters and her father on the family estate, Buckshaw. When she finds a body in the cucumber patch just outside her window, she feels she must get involved in solving the crime, and in saving her father from a murder charge!
What I like about her is her intelligence and her unstoppable curiosity. I’ve heard the criticism that she’s far too precocious, but I don’t agree. Children … especially in those years just before the teen years … can be singularly focused on what interests them. Still, they are usually ignored by adults, though perhaps indulged when they ask a particularly intelligent question. Flavia uses this to her advantage. She roams freely around the village, collecting “clues” and “evidence,” and asking innocuous questions that people easily answer.
I do agree that there are some problems with the mystery. Flavia really can’t solve it alone, and there’s a lot of background detail that bogs down the story line (a long dissertation on stamps, for example). But I found it a really interesting premise and I fell in love with Flavia. I’m definitely willing to read another.
Jayne Entwistle is spot-on perfect in performing the audio book. She brings Flavia to life without making her sound irritating or too mature. We get the sense of enthusiasm and excitement that a child (and many adults) would feel in solving the mystery.
What I like about her is her intelligence and her unstoppable curiosity. I’ve heard the criticism that she’s far too precocious, but I don’t agree. Children … especially in those years just before the teen years … can be singularly focused on what interests them. Still, they are usually ignored by adults, though perhaps indulged when they ask a particularly intelligent question. Flavia uses this to her advantage. She roams freely around the village, collecting “clues” and “evidence,” and asking innocuous questions that people easily answer.
I do agree that there are some problems with the mystery. Flavia really can’t solve it alone, and there’s a lot of background detail that bogs down the story line (a long dissertation on stamps, for example). But I found it a really interesting premise and I fell in love with Flavia. I’m definitely willing to read another.
Jayne Entwistle is spot-on perfect in performing the audio book. She brings Flavia to life without making her sound irritating or too mature. We get the sense of enthusiasm and excitement that a child (and many adults) would feel in solving the mystery.
Slow to take off. Thought I should have enjoyed it more.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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
2/5
Overall I don’t really know how I feel about this book. It was adult but in some way middle grade or even ya at the same time? The mystery was alright but I just really wanted to know what happened at the end
Overall I don’t really know how I feel about this book. It was adult but in some way middle grade or even ya at the same time? The mystery was alright but I just really wanted to know what happened at the end
An entertaining mystery narrated by an 11-year-old chemistry-loving female sleuth. I liked the novel more than I expected to, but since I'm not a fan of never-ending series (which every mystery author likes to do), I think I'll stop at this one despite having enjoyed it. If you can appreciate a protagonist who will make you laugh out loud, don't mind a little less-than-plausible story (child solving a murder mystery), and are willing to give a not-your-average-whodunit a shot, you'd better pick this one up.
This was really enjoyable. I wasn't entirely sure what I was expecting, but I've never been a huge fan of precocious children in novels. Overall I really loved Flavia as a character, and the audiobook narrator gave her a great voice. I look forward to reading more in this series.