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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
That was awesome. The body count was a little high for a kids' book but not really that bad compared to TV. Or cartoons. Or Harry Potter. It totally shows that the writer teaches martial arts to kids and has a ton of experience with empowering children to defend themselves physically and verbally. I was filled with YAY!
Wishes: that there'd been more characters of color, that description of characters besides Skulduggery had been more vivid (or extant), that Stephanie's parents had had a little more screentime, and that the whole Bliss arc had been a little better actualized.
But! Hanging threads make for sequels, and so now I will track them down. :D
(The disability tag is for a character grossly disfigured at birth who is beloved and a badass.)
Wishes: that there'd been more characters of color, that description of characters besides Skulduggery had been more vivid (or extant), that Stephanie's parents had had a little more screentime, and that the whole Bliss arc had been a little better actualized.
But! Hanging threads make for sequels, and so now I will track them down. :D
(The disability tag is for a character grossly disfigured at birth who is beloved and a badass.)
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Thought I'd better start reading this series considering I've picked up most of the books and not read any yet. And... it was ok. Not great but worth a read, and will definitely read the 2nd book at some point.
Only criticisms I have were, the main one being the character Stephanie being 12 years old. In the book she talks and acts like a young adult, and before gaining powers even fist fights her enemies. I think she should had been aged around 16-20 as that's how i was imagining her whilst reading this. Also her name is too similar to the main bad guy so kept reading their names wrong, and confusing the two. And finally, far too much use of "shrugging" throughout the story. I guess the writer loves a good shrug ha ha?!
However, overall an enjoyable story and some decent characters. A mix of Harry Potter meets the Bartimaeus books!
Only criticisms I have were, the main one being the character Stephanie being 12 years old. In the book she talks and acts like a young adult, and before gaining powers even fist fights her enemies. I think she should had been aged around 16-20 as that's how i was imagining her whilst reading this. Also her name is too similar to the main bad guy so kept reading their names wrong, and confusing the two. And finally, far too much use of "shrugging" throughout the story. I guess the writer loves a good shrug ha ha?!
However, overall an enjoyable story and some decent characters. A mix of Harry Potter meets the Bartimaeus books!
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read this to my daughter. We both enjoyed the story but felt like it dragged on a little too long at the end.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oof. I know this is a YA title, but it feels insulting even to children. I've heard from many that the series does shift to a darker tone as it goes on, so I powered through this one. It's got a solid foundation, it has good bones, but the meat is stringy and malnourished. I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, the pieces are there, but the execution left a lot to be desired. People don't talk like people talk, and a majority of the book is exposition. It's a book of questions being asked, then answered, as opposed to world-building. Ultimately, it wasn't very compelling and the way people spoke to each other made my eyes nearly roll out of their head. I still hold out hope for the rest of the series though!
Just perfect. Please read it. The plot, the characters, its a masterpiece. Even as an adult I’m loving it. Valkyrie/Stephanie is an awesome protagonist, her family is hilarious and Skulduggery is very witty and a fun character. The dialogue is great, the descriptions are great. It’s just great. The mystery behind her uncle Gordon is captivating and Skulduggery’s reveal as well…a skeleton was incredible. I want a movie of this so badly bro.
Also I love you ghastly marry me
Also I love you ghastly marry me
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As cute a book as I remember ❤️