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avery_switch's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
kendrangela's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kassy25's review
4.0
This was really entertaining and just like the first Courtney Crumrin graphic novel it was very dark. I enjoyed this much more than the first volume and I liked the characters a lot more. The main plot didn't bore me and it was focused more on the coven which I was really happy about.
quinnster's review
5.0
Courtney Crumrin is my new favorite heroine. She is awesome! She takes no crap from anyone and she's only in Jr. High!
karmakat's review
4.0
Really enjoying this series. Definitely recommend it to anyone who felt different growing up.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review
4.0
Disclaimer: I received an ARC via Netgalley.
School is difficult at the best of times. For Courtney Crumrin, it’s even worse. Her teacher has got her number in more ways than one. And then, there’s something lurking in the forest, and it’s not just Butterworm and his brother Butterbug. It’s got bigger teeth.
Courtney Crumrin is at once both a girl’s answer to Harry Potter and Anakin Skywalker. The problem with Harry Potter is that even when he acted like a spoiled brat, you knew he was going to do the right thing. The problem with Anakin Skywalker as that annoying kid in the desert was that he was too cute and too nice. There is no sense of what he will become. Courtney is a good person at heart; she’s a bit standoffish and doesn’t like people much. She does, however, understand the bigger moral questions. She is also tempted by the dark side in a way that Skywalker should’ve been, and her choice isn’t always going to be as clear cut as Harry Potter’s.
And Butterworm is as far as Dobby the house elf as you can get.
That is, however, what makes this series so good. Crumrin may not be the likable misfit that Harry Potter is, but she is far more of an outcast than Potter and his friends. There is something about her. She is resourceful, and when she makes friends, she is incredibly loyal. She is more in the tradition of Tiffany Achling, though she is also her own witch in making.
If the first volume detail with how a teen or pre-teen feels like an outsider, this volume deals with the theme of how much a person can cut him or herself off from society. At what point, does a loner take an active part in a society she doesn’t really like, be it the real world or the coven world? This book examines the mixing of the real and magic worlds in a far better way than the Harry Potter series. Crumrin is learning how to deal with both. She is learning about monster and non-monsters the hard way. This is particularly true of the last story and its question of feeling and responsibility.
This series is intended for the pre-teen and teen crowd. It should be noted that it is far darker than the Harry Potter series (the monsters are by and large not cute). If your children, however, has no problem with the uncensored Grimm tales than this book will be a good fit.
School is difficult at the best of times. For Courtney Crumrin, it’s even worse. Her teacher has got her number in more ways than one. And then, there’s something lurking in the forest, and it’s not just Butterworm and his brother Butterbug. It’s got bigger teeth.
Courtney Crumrin is at once both a girl’s answer to Harry Potter and Anakin Skywalker. The problem with Harry Potter is that even when he acted like a spoiled brat, you knew he was going to do the right thing. The problem with Anakin Skywalker as that annoying kid in the desert was that he was too cute and too nice. There is no sense of what he will become. Courtney is a good person at heart; she’s a bit standoffish and doesn’t like people much. She does, however, understand the bigger moral questions. She is also tempted by the dark side in a way that Skywalker should’ve been, and her choice isn’t always going to be as clear cut as Harry Potter’s.
And Butterworm is as far as Dobby the house elf as you can get.
That is, however, what makes this series so good. Crumrin may not be the likable misfit that Harry Potter is, but she is far more of an outcast than Potter and his friends. There is something about her. She is resourceful, and when she makes friends, she is incredibly loyal. She is more in the tradition of Tiffany Achling, though she is also her own witch in making.
If the first volume detail with how a teen or pre-teen feels like an outsider, this volume deals with the theme of how much a person can cut him or herself off from society. At what point, does a loner take an active part in a society she doesn’t really like, be it the real world or the coven world? This book examines the mixing of the real and magic worlds in a far better way than the Harry Potter series. Crumrin is learning how to deal with both. She is learning about monster and non-monsters the hard way. This is particularly true of the last story and its question of feeling and responsibility.
This series is intended for the pre-teen and teen crowd. It should be noted that it is far darker than the Harry Potter series (the monsters are by and large not cute). If your children, however, has no problem with the uncensored Grimm tales than this book will be a good fit.
library_brandy's review
4.0
What's there to say? Courtney is pretty awesome, in her cynical-teen-with-magic-powers way.
sonshinelibrarian's review
3.0
This was enjoyable and still a lot of fun, thought I didn't like it as much as the first one. I did like the development of the mystery around those that know and use magic. I liked the introduction of the teacher. And I liked the progression of Courtney's character to some extent, though I felt a little like I had missed something between the two books. But perhaps that was just me. I'm looking forward to reading the third.