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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
Great YA fantasy. Loved the character of Lyra, Iorek, and all the gyptians. Looking forward to The Subtle Knife.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-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:
Yes
Rating: 3.5 stars
Phillip Pullman is a renowned writer and I am not at all calling into question his skill into spinning a story or his way with words.
I enjoyed the premise of the work but I did find myself having to flick back to the glossary to find the meaning of some of the more older words.
I will likely read book 2 and 3 though
Phillip Pullman is a renowned writer and I am not at all calling into question his skill into spinning a story or his way with words.
I enjoyed the premise of the work but I did find myself having to flick back to the glossary to find the meaning of some of the more older words.
I will likely read book 2 and 3 though
adventurous
inspiring
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
I loved the audiodrama! The cast was amazing, and the story--though, Lyra was a little bit too clever at times (I wish she'd have struggled a bit more to piece things together)--was exciting and engaging!
The first three-fourths of the novel was really interesting to me. The characters and the premise, in particular. But the ending almost ruined it for me, going way over the top, sort of in a Jonathan Livingston Seagull kind of way! But what I liked outweighed what I didn't like, so I immediately began the next book, and it quickly brought it back into focus. I'll be interested to see if it stays that way.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Reading this as an adult was an interesting experience, because I remember when the trilogy was popular as a kid and my mom didn't let me read it. The funny thing is that I have no idea how much my mom knew about it - whether it was the story's violence and implications about religion/the institutional church, or whether it was just little things like "demons" and "witches." As I read it, I kept seeing things that not only she wouldn't have liked, but also would have been shocking or heavy for me as a kid - so part of me is actually grateful I wasn't exposed to it, because I might not have had the maturity to deal with heavy questions, not to mention the surprising amount of violence and death for a kids' book.
Anyway, sheltered childhood reflections aside, I enjoyed the story. Somehow I managed to avoid spoilers for all these years, so I was pretty invested in the story and the stakes. The writing style wasn't what I expected - much more serious, gritty, and down-to-earth, when I think I expected it to be sort of whimsical or fantastical. I liked how the characters' dialogue and dialects were so colloquial and unpolished, giving a sense of being in a real, varied, coarse world. Plot-wise, I was annoyed by the final ending twist - a side character who got used as a plot device, with no development of their own... I felt like this character got a really unfair, raw deal just for the sake of the plot.
Also, a huge reason I had a fun experience was that I listened to the original 2003 audiobook, read by the author and a full cast. The voice acting was amazing and made it such an immersive experience! Probably the highest-quality audiobook I've ever listened to.
Anyway, sheltered childhood reflections aside, I enjoyed the story. Somehow I managed to avoid spoilers for all these years, so I was pretty invested in the story and the stakes. The writing style wasn't what I expected - much more serious, gritty, and down-to-earth, when I think I expected it to be sort of whimsical or fantastical. I liked how the characters' dialogue and dialects were so colloquial and unpolished, giving a sense of being in a real, varied, coarse world. Plot-wise, I was annoyed by the final ending twist - a side character who got used as a plot device, with no development of their own... I felt like this character got a really unfair, raw deal just for the sake of the plot.
Also, a huge reason I had a fun experience was that I listened to the original 2003 audiobook, read by the author and a full cast. The voice acting was amazing and made it such an immersive experience! Probably the highest-quality audiobook I've ever listened to.
I remember watching the film, The Golden Compass, when I was younger and not really enjoying. The absolute epitome of ‘the book is better than the movie’. Bought the second and third book within an hour of finishing this one.