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zanm's review against another edition
2.0
A lot of loose ends. Too many plot lines. Shit didn’t line up the way it felt like it should! I really felt like certain characters were going to be villains or generally not what they seemed and then— they were what they seemed. Boring. There was also no build up or “reveal” or anything regarding some of the mysteries/the conclusion. Stuff just kind of…happened and the audience was left in the dark or it choppily rushed into the next part. (Literally one scene fades to black with all the characters sleeping then waking up 1.5 hours later so plot can happen off screen. Are you kidding?!) There was a lot of great bones here, and some good writing, and it seemed kind of interesting at the start, but it needs more editing because the plot got lost.
tigerb99's review
5.0
There's a hugely complex plot inside this deceptively simple story and I love the voice it's written in.
jugglingpup's review
3.0
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book from the author.
I had never heard of a Dwerg before this book. I ended up googling and it really does come up as something. I thought Pinkwater was just making up a cool sounding word, which would have been ok with me, but it actually existing made it extra cool.
The book itself was a quick read as it was aimed at middle grade readers. I enjoyed it even though it was not my reading level. It was fun to be able to sit and read through the story. There were some twists and turns. There were some really cute jokes, like the bee dance. There was also a lot of pizza talk. This might be the book to use if you are trying to get your kid to try new pizza toppings!
There was a lot of world building in the first few chapters (like the ton of pizza talk), so it feels like it takes forever for it to start. Most of my issues with the book are in those first few chapters and a word choice here or there. The world building is cool and I was promised my word choice issues were fixed before thing were printed (so I am using some trust here and judging the book based on the plot and characters). So my biggest complaint is there is so much world building that I was worried the plot would never start. If I could erase the first five or six chapters, then I would like this book a bit more. Some of the world building was nice, but not really needed up front or at all.
The plot itself was slow and meandering, but in a way that made it feel fleshed out and one that allowed for cute jokes to happen. The ending was one that mostly made sense. I feel like it was left open a bit for a sequel, but the only questions I have are about what that sequel would be which is a wonderful change from a huge plot point not being explained just to set up a sequel. I liked the ending. It was quick, no huge surprises that annoyed me, and it fit perfectly with the pace of the story and the world that was built. So at least one of the chapters I wanted to erase before really is necessary.
Overall, it was a cute story and my first Pinkwater book.
I got an ARC of this book from the author.
I had never heard of a Dwerg before this book. I ended up googling and it really does come up as something. I thought Pinkwater was just making up a cool sounding word, which would have been ok with me, but it actually existing made it extra cool.
The book itself was a quick read as it was aimed at middle grade readers. I enjoyed it even though it was not my reading level. It was fun to be able to sit and read through the story. There were some twists and turns. There were some really cute jokes, like the bee dance. There was also a lot of pizza talk. This might be the book to use if you are trying to get your kid to try new pizza toppings!
There was a lot of world building in the first few chapters (like the ton of pizza talk), so it feels like it takes forever for it to start. Most of my issues with the book are in those first few chapters and a word choice here or there. The world building is cool and I was promised my word choice issues were fixed before thing were printed (so I am using some trust here and judging the book based on the plot and characters). So my biggest complaint is there is so much world building that I was worried the plot would never start. If I could erase the first five or six chapters, then I would like this book a bit more. Some of the world building was nice, but not really needed up front or at all.
The plot itself was slow and meandering, but in a way that made it feel fleshed out and one that allowed for cute jokes to happen. The ending was one that mostly made sense. I feel like it was left open a bit for a sequel, but the only questions I have are about what that sequel would be which is a wonderful change from a huge plot point not being explained just to set up a sequel. I liked the ending. It was quick, no huge surprises that annoyed me, and it fit perfectly with the pace of the story and the world that was built. So at least one of the chapters I wanted to erase before really is necessary.
Overall, it was a cute story and my first Pinkwater book.
pine_wulf's review
DNF at 36%
I got this as part of a Humble Bundle that I bought for other reasons. So I went into this with absolutely no expectations. Turns out, I am most definitely not the target audience for this. I found the writing completely uninteresting. It also screams middle school, which it turns out is who the book is aiming for. I stuck around long enough to see the first inklings of the plot, but it wasn't enough for me.
I would give this two stars, but I really don't feel I'm qualified to judge this one.
I got this as part of a Humble Bundle that I bought for other reasons. So I went into this with absolutely no expectations. Turns out, I am most definitely not the target audience for this. I found the writing completely uninteresting. It also screams middle school, which it turns out is who the book is aiming for. I stuck around long enough to see the first inklings of the plot, but it wasn't enough for me.
I would give this two stars, but I really don't feel I'm qualified to judge this one.
chibitecho's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
shogins's review
1.0
I did not like this at all. I usually LOVE Pinkwater. Young Adult Novel is one of my favorite books. I recommend The Big Orange Splot at the library all the time. This was dumb. It wasn't silly or creative or interesting.
I read an e-ARC through NetGalley.
I read an e-ARC through NetGalley.
elspethm's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
They had me at Daniel Pinkwater and pizza. They kept me with yet another hero librarian: "You can get a lot done with libraries and research,' Ms. Tieger said. 'People don't seem to know that'" I was even more enamored with the android redcoats who "marched into the Knit Wit Shoppe and ate skeins of wool... they ate wool, a sweater, a scarf and some baby clothes, all knitted from wool, and the skeins I mentioned"
Such a cute story that centers in Kingston, NY, which is also dangerously close the New. York Sheep and Wool Festival. Another great job, Mr. Pinkwater!
Such a cute story that centers in Kingston, NY, which is also dangerously close the New. York Sheep and Wool Festival. Another great job, Mr. Pinkwater!
chukg's review
4.0
[a:Daniel Pinkwater|20575|Daniel Pinkwater|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is great and still has it (at least as of last year when this came out). I still include [b:Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars|354475|Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars|Daniel M. Pinkwater|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1221541991l/354475._SX50_.jpg|344667] and [b:The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death|64653|The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death (Snarkout Boys, #1)|Daniel Pinkwater|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388528786l/64653._SY75_.jpg|62756] as formative works. I wouldn't quite put this one up there but it might be as good as [b:Lizard Music|63321|Lizard Music|D. Manus Pinkwater|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388468183l/63321._SX50_.jpg|61495]. It seemed shorter than a lot of his works and also when I was a kid and Pinkwater wrote about something weird or historical, it was usually new to me, but I already knew about several of those things now that I'm older and it hits different, more like a reference than a new experience. (But there were a couple of new things, too.) It had that Pinkwater matter of fact prose, yet pretty dang weird situations and/or characters combination.