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beths0103's review
2.0
I'm an extremely fast reader and can usually finish a 200 page book within 2-3 days if it really sparks my interest (sometimes even just one day). But this book took me like two weeks to finish which is a long time for me to be spending on a 200 page book.
The story meandered too much, it was hard to follow in places, and really only picked up by the last 30 or 40 pages. I would've abandoned this book had it not been for the fact that it was on our school's 6th grade summer reading list.
The story meandered too much, it was hard to follow in places, and really only picked up by the last 30 or 40 pages. I would've abandoned this book had it not been for the fact that it was on our school's 6th grade summer reading list.
thepurplegiraffe's review
4.0
"For an eye-blink, in the dusk, he thought he saw the grey shape of a dog by the cottage gate, watchful, guarding. But when he stopped the bike to turn round properly for a better look, there was nothing there at all."
I... have a lot of thoughts about this book. It wasn't what I expected, but not in a bad way. I picked this up because I wanted a spooky-ish book because Halloween is coming, and even though I don't really celebrate it, I've been in the mood for creepy books. This fit that somewhat... but not quite like I thought.
This is the story of Matt Lanchester, who has recently moved to a new town in Wales so that his parents can open a bookshop/B&B. The best of his new friends lives a ways away, and thus, with a school holiday beginning, he finds himself hanging out with boys he isn't entirely comfortable with.
The holiday changes completely when, falling off his bike, he comes across a roadside marker carved with his own initials. Turns out the M.L. on the tree actually belonged to Martin Lloyd, who was killed in a tragic accident years before. Matt feels a strong connection to Martin, one he can't quite explain.
All in all, honestly, I think this book tried to cram too many storylines in not enough pages. The ending wasn't completely satisfying; while it did answer some questions, it didn't answer them all. Why didn't we get any closure on the Owen... thing? Did Fen get help with her problems? What did Tommy Jones have to do with anything? There just seemed like there were a lot of loose ends left dangling and I'M CONFUSED.
But that said, I enjoyed myself while reading this. I /flew/ through it, and I don't think I've ever read a book set in Wales before this, so that was neat. So would I recommend it? Yeah, I might. If someone's looking for a middle-grade mystery set in Wales with a slightly eerie and kind of unsettling feel to it, this is one for them.
Four stars from me!
I... have a lot of thoughts about this book. It wasn't what I expected, but not in a bad way. I picked this up because I wanted a spooky-ish book because Halloween is coming, and even though I don't really celebrate it, I've been in the mood for creepy books. This fit that somewhat... but not quite like I thought.
This is the story of Matt Lanchester, who has recently moved to a new town in Wales so that his parents can open a bookshop/B&B. The best of his new friends lives a ways away, and thus, with a school holiday beginning, he finds himself hanging out with boys he isn't entirely comfortable with.
The holiday changes completely when, falling off his bike, he comes across a roadside marker carved with his own initials. Turns out the M.L. on the tree actually belonged to Martin Lloyd, who was killed in a tragic accident years before. Matt feels a strong connection to Martin, one he can't quite explain.
All in all, honestly, I think this book tried to cram too many storylines in not enough pages. The ending wasn't completely satisfying; while it did answer some questions, it didn't answer them all. Why didn't we get any closure on the Owen... thing? Did Fen get help with her problems? What did Tommy Jones have to do with anything? There just seemed like there were a lot of loose ends left dangling and I'M CONFUSED.
But that said, I enjoyed myself while reading this. I /flew/ through it, and I don't think I've ever read a book set in Wales before this, so that was neat. So would I recommend it? Yeah, I might. If someone's looking for a middle-grade mystery set in Wales with a slightly eerie and kind of unsettling feel to it, this is one for them.
Four stars from me!
satyridae's review
1.0
This is a ghost story. Sort of. The central character may or may not be haunted by a dead kid. It's hard to care- the characters are all stock, cut from cardboard. The plot is recycled, and the prose merely adequate. I was disappointed by this book, though I did finish it just in case I'd guessed the ending wrong.
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