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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
My son tore through this book so i decided, i need to read this and know what he loves. I have tried this approach before... Fault in our starts, The Divergent series etc. and LOVED those books. I can do the teenage girl thing, the tween boy thing bit more of a stretch!
I appreciate the irish dry wit of this novel, and love that he gets it.
I appreciate the irish dry wit of this novel, and love that he gets it.
i got recommended this book by my bf and although it’s a children’s book it’s one my fav reads this year not a moment in this book i felt bored or like anything was dragging on i felt interested the entire time the story moved along so smoothly and it was so entertaining.
I really loved the sarcastic and witty humour in this book and i loved the platonic relationships in this book for example stephanie and skulduggery and stephanie and tanith. some of my fav quotes:
“doors are for people with no imagination”
“you’re stronger than they know. you’re stronger than you know”
I really loved the sarcastic and witty humour in this book and i loved the platonic relationships in this book for example stephanie and skulduggery and stephanie and tanith. some of my fav quotes:
“doors are for people with no imagination”
“you’re stronger than they know. you’re stronger than you know”
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Read with my 9 year old. she loved it'!
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
loved this as a kid & was in a bad mood so needed a nostalgia re-read
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“Skulduggery Pleasant” is the perfect blend of snark, magic, and mayhem. Derek Landy introduces us to Skulduggery, a sharp-tongued, fire-throwing skeleton detective with a penchant for drama and impeccable style, who partners with Stephanie Edgley, a sarcastic and brave twelve-year-old thrust into a dark and dangerous magical world. Together, they unravel the mystery of Stephanie’s uncle’s death while battling ancient evils, sinister sorcerers, and plenty of dry humour along the way.
The banter is the true star here—think Agatha Christie meets Tim Burton, with a dash of Marvel-style wit. Skulduggery’s one-liners (“Doors are for people with no imagination”) and Stephanie’s sharp comebacks make their dynamic an absolute joy to follow. Honestly, I kept forgetting Stephanie was only twelve—her confidence, maturity, and quick wit made me picture her as sixteen or seventeen throughout the book.
Alongside the dynamic duo, there’s an array of interesting side characters like Tanith Low, Ghastly Bespoke, and China Sorrows, who add depth to the story. I’m hoping we get to see further development of these characters as the series progresses—they’re intriguing enough to hint at their own fascinating backstories.
Although I never read this series as a kid, there’s something delightfully nostalgic about the quirky humour and fast-paced adventure that makes it feel like revisiting an old favourite. Thanks to @harpercollinsnz for sending me a copy of this book—I’m so glad I finally had the chance to dive in!
I also have to mention the stunning new cover art from the series refresh. The updated look perfectly captures the dark, magical, and sharp-edged tone of the book, and I absolutely love it.
Here are a few tropes that stood out to me:
🔥 Snarky Mentor
🕵️♂️ Amateur Sleuths
⚔️ Badass Sidekick
📚 Hidden Magical World
💀 Undead Hero
🌌 Chosen One
I really enjoyed this and can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series. Fans of fantasy with a side of mystery (and a big serving of sarcasm) will be hooked from page one. Skulduggery Pleasant is a strong start to a series that promises to deliver wit, thrills, and plenty of skeleton shenanigans.
The banter is the true star here—think Agatha Christie meets Tim Burton, with a dash of Marvel-style wit. Skulduggery’s one-liners (“Doors are for people with no imagination”) and Stephanie’s sharp comebacks make their dynamic an absolute joy to follow. Honestly, I kept forgetting Stephanie was only twelve—her confidence, maturity, and quick wit made me picture her as sixteen or seventeen throughout the book.
Alongside the dynamic duo, there’s an array of interesting side characters like Tanith Low, Ghastly Bespoke, and China Sorrows, who add depth to the story. I’m hoping we get to see further development of these characters as the series progresses—they’re intriguing enough to hint at their own fascinating backstories.
Although I never read this series as a kid, there’s something delightfully nostalgic about the quirky humour and fast-paced adventure that makes it feel like revisiting an old favourite. Thanks to @harpercollinsnz for sending me a copy of this book—I’m so glad I finally had the chance to dive in!
I also have to mention the stunning new cover art from the series refresh. The updated look perfectly captures the dark, magical, and sharp-edged tone of the book, and I absolutely love it.
Here are a few tropes that stood out to me:
🔥 Snarky Mentor
🕵️♂️ Amateur Sleuths
⚔️ Badass Sidekick
📚 Hidden Magical World
💀 Undead Hero
🌌 Chosen One
I really enjoyed this and can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series. Fans of fantasy with a side of mystery (and a big serving of sarcasm) will be hooked from page one. Skulduggery Pleasant is a strong start to a series that promises to deliver wit, thrills, and plenty of skeleton shenanigans.
A fun, quick read. Skullduggery Pleasant now joins my sacred hall of amazing character names, along with Montgomery Montgomery from [b: The Reptile Room|78418|The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #2)|Lemony Snicket|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1352146294s/78418.jpg|888312], Victor Vale from [b: Vicious|23688792|These Vicious Masks (These Vicious Masks, #1)|Tarun Shanker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428342329s/23688792.jpg|43297640], and Crispin Hershey from [b: The Bone Clocks|20819685|The Bone Clocks|David Mitchell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398205538s/20819685.jpg|26959610]. (There are definitely others that I am forgetting.)
Harry Potter with dry witty humor. Oh and not just everyday magic, rather a thousand year old skeleton that throws fire and is also a detective. Got my attention. But the basic plot is the same as Harry unfortunately. I turned 12 and guess what? I have magic powers! The humor is what makes this fun. The one liners are priceless and if you're not careful you could just skim right over them and lose the lightness of this book. There is quite a bit of violence and darkness in her. Almost making this one more appropriate for middle school even though the heroine is 12. The rest of the series have to be more original than this one.
This book was recommended to me by Reddit (of all places). With a reading age of 9+ years I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'd read reviews praising it for its humour, strong characters and good story.
While I don't think the story breaks any new ground, it was fun and easy to follow, and I read through it quicker than most other books. Apparently there are 24 books in the series (so far), and the fact that I look forward to working my way through all of them should tell you what I thought of Book 1.
While I don't think the story breaks any new ground, it was fun and easy to follow, and I read through it quicker than most other books. Apparently there are 24 books in the series (so far), and the fact that I look forward to working my way through all of them should tell you what I thought of Book 1.