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gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I thought the book was filled with wonder, magic and lessons that a lot of children from all ages could enjoy.
This book was whimsical and never had a dull moment in he book making it very pleasant to listen to and makes you creative this magical and imaginative world in your head as the story progresses. Makes me wish this bookstore was real and something that I can visit today.
I thought all the characters were unique and interesting. Each clearly have a flaw that younger readers can identify and see how the characters can embrace and over come those flaws in different situations. I love how Peral and Vally had the most character development and how they were able to work together in the challenges.
This book was whimsical and never had a dull moment in he book making it very pleasant to listen to and makes you creative this magical and imaginative world in your head as the story progresses. Makes me wish this bookstore was real and something that I can visit today.
I thought all the characters were unique and interesting. Each clearly have a flaw that younger readers can identify and see how the characters can embrace and over come those flaws in different situations. I love how Peral and Vally had the most character development and how they were able to work together in the challenges.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Grief
sophiesmallhands's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
- 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
4.0
This was a total cover buy with its beautiful rainbow border and hard cover, but I was astonished to find out in the afterword that Cole’s Book Arcade and the family that lived there really did exist in Melbourne in the 19th century! Amelia has given this story a magical realism twist and introduced a very Count Olaf-seeming villain in the form of the Obscurosmith.
What I didn’t expect was the surprisingly poignant, and sometimes dark, exploration of grief and how a grieving parent can appear to their children. The stakes of the story also felt very real and there were very real consequences of failing a trial as the story progressed.
The interactions between all the Cole siblings were so genuine and authentic (and I love any book where I get to read any Aussie colloquialisms!) which only added to the emotional conclusion of the story. That said, despite being junior fiction, I probably would recommend ages 10-12+ given some of the themes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Child death
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