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lory_enterenchanted's review
A second Kate Saunders book for my "I need something diverting and unchallenging but not totally stupid to read" mood. It fit that bill well enough. The 1935 school setting was well done and Flora's gradual adaptation to her new circumstances, and her seeing sides of herself and others she hadn't before, fit believably into the story arc. The one thing that felt very "off" to me was that the point of the time-travel episode was to make That made no sense.
Spoiler
Flora's grandmother a better person, one who THINKS OF OTHER PEOPLE, but then she still leaves her baby son???jessalynn_librarian's review
4.0
Combines all the fun of English boarding school stories with time travel. The characters are nicely rounded, and do plenty of growing and changing (fairly realistically). There's a bit of magic and adventure, but mostly it's a story of friendship. This will be easy to recommend to fans of light fantasy/time travel. A few things were a bit farfetched, but they matched the tone of the story.
wordnerdy's review against another edition
4.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-book-316.html
zaqlovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t know about anyone but the first time I read this. It was amazing quirky and nice to see a character go through something big to change themselves. Now I’ve read this again like the fourth time. I noticed how spoiled mc was but I think it really adds on the story. I don’t think the story would’ve happened the way it did if she wasn’t herself. Plus, it helps someone if they see a character who can they relate with and grow with. So, for that I would always treasure this book above all el.
notwellread's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t read many children’s books, but this exceeded my expectations by quite a way. Really, it’s quite mature (though the fact that the protagonist is 12 and it’s probably intended as older middle grade might explain this) and the humour can be enjoyed by adults too (‘Are communists allowed to have bridesmaids?’ is a line that features).
The book is sweet, fun, and uplifting, but still has some well-rounded characters and a few socially complex themes thrown in (there are a lot of references to the social prejudices of the 1930s and the women’s rights movement). It also has a lot of the typical ‘boarding school story appeal’ – I always thought this draw was particular to me and other boarding school attendees, but it seems other people who never went also like these narratives, and, given the time period, it made me nostalgic for the St. Claire’s books I read as a child more than for my own experiences, which were far more unsavoury.
I anticipated the twist ending, but there were still a lot of enjoyable goings-on, and before the climax the story took plenty of unexpected turns that made up for it. It’s interesting that my mother read this to my (much) younger sister and then gave it to me as a recommendation (not standard practice for her as she is very high-brow), so I wonder what the attraction was for her: this might suggest that this actually has quite a wide potential audience for a children’s book. I feel a little out of my element in giving a conclusive verdict of the story as a whole (since I don’t have any experience of contemporary children’s literature with which to compare it), but I hope the points of comparison I’ve made will offer enough guidance as to whether it will hold appeal.
The book is sweet, fun, and uplifting, but still has some well-rounded characters and a few socially complex themes thrown in (there are a lot of references to the social prejudices of the 1930s and the women’s rights movement). It also has a lot of the typical ‘boarding school story appeal’ – I always thought this draw was particular to me and other boarding school attendees, but it seems other people who never went also like these narratives, and, given the time period, it made me nostalgic for the St. Claire’s books I read as a child more than for my own experiences, which were far more unsavoury.
I anticipated the twist ending, but there were still a lot of enjoyable goings-on, and before the climax the story took plenty of unexpected turns that made up for it. It’s interesting that my mother read this to my (much) younger sister and then gave it to me as a recommendation (not standard practice for her as she is very high-brow), so I wonder what the attraction was for her: this might suggest that this actually has quite a wide potential audience for a children’s book. I feel a little out of my element in giving a conclusive verdict of the story as a whole (since I don’t have any experience of contemporary children’s literature with which to compare it), but I hope the points of comparison I’ve made will offer enough guidance as to whether it will hold appeal.
possiblyeve's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
i love this kids’ book. a levels are killing me, i just need a nice story plz
elllie's review against another edition
3.0
This one was okay, but I wanted more than I got from it. The plot was a bit anti-climactic, but the author did a nice job of portraying 1930s England and explaining what it'd be like for a time-traveler.
Also, definitely for a mature middle-grade reader. There are some weird little sexual references (talking about Grandma sleeping with a lot of people and the mention of a comedic striptease at the end), and lots of rude-ish British slang that would probably seem more rude to British people than to people from the US (bollox, etc.).
Also, definitely for a mature middle-grade reader. There are some weird little sexual references (talking about Grandma sleeping with a lot of people and the mention of a comedic striptease at the end), and lots of rude-ish British slang that would probably seem more rude to British people than to people from the US (bollox, etc.).
m_wende's review against another edition
5.0
Yasssssssssssssss.
This book was epic... I love the ending to this book and it was beautifully written. I totally recomend this book.
rb26's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Fun and magical, with a great twist at the end. The characters occasionally seemed inconsistent and shallow, and the fatphobia made it feel quite dated, but on the whole I enjoyed it.
louise_charlotte's review against another edition
5.0
This was my favourite book as an 11 year old, and re-reading it has been a fantastic experience. I have never loved a book quite like I love this one, and I think that everyone should read it. It is emotional, heartfelt and sweet, and really makes you value what you have as it can be so easily lost. This will forever be my favourite novel.