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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
sadly, this fell really flat. this did not feel like a first book because of the lack of depth and context. the mystery is rushed into during the first few pages and was poorly set up.
the characters were flat, introduced far too quickly and with no proper setup. our main protagonist was supposed to be a strong female detective, instead, she was a bland girl that i knew nothing about, other than that her father had died.
for a mystery, it felt so boring and lacklustre, and i felt i was missing out on so much context and detail. i was following sally with no motivation or care. it was all tell and no show, and i felt really disappointed.
the characters were flat, introduced far too quickly and with no proper setup. our main protagonist was supposed to be a strong female detective, instead, she was a bland girl that i knew nothing about, other than that her father had died.
for a mystery, it felt so boring and lacklustre, and i felt i was missing out on so much context and detail. i was following sally with no motivation or care. it was all tell and no show, and i felt really disappointed.
This is the first in the "Sally Lockhart Mysteries" series concerning a quiet, reserved young girl as she attempts to unravel the mystery of her father's death. Set in Victorian England, this short novel is populated with a colourful cast of characters: cheeky cockney Jim, the sinister Mrs Holland, a noble photographer and his outspoken sister.
With their help, Sally gets suck into and then attempts to uncovers the mystery of a coded message she receives from her father and races against time to discover the secret of a priceless ruby and just why so many people have died because of it.
Sally is quite a fascinating character, far from being what is now a stereotype of a surprisingly emancipated woman, is practical, strong yet vulnerable at the same time. No big social issues are covered here and this makes a refreshing change amongst the wealth of historical fiction and relies on telling a good story that keeps you guessing until the end. Although aimed at young adults, this will also appeal to fans of Victorian mystery writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle.
A bit short at a shade over 200 pages but a cracking lazy weekend read. There was a TV adaptation a few years back starring Billie Piper as Sally, Matt Smith as Jim and Julie Walters as Mrs Holland.
See more book reviews at my blog
With their help, Sally gets suck into and then attempts to uncovers the mystery of a coded message she receives from her father and races against time to discover the secret of a priceless ruby and just why so many people have died because of it.
Sally is quite a fascinating character, far from being what is now a stereotype of a surprisingly emancipated woman, is practical, strong yet vulnerable at the same time. No big social issues are covered here and this makes a refreshing change amongst the wealth of historical fiction and relies on telling a good story that keeps you guessing until the end. Although aimed at young adults, this will also appeal to fans of Victorian mystery writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle.
A bit short at a shade over 200 pages but a cracking lazy weekend read. There was a TV adaptation a few years back starring Billie Piper as Sally, Matt Smith as Jim and Julie Walters as Mrs Holland.
See more book reviews at my blog