Scan barcode
misspippireads's review against another edition
5.0
More truths and secrets are uncovered in the latest installment of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place book no. 4! Governess Penelope Lumley visits her alma mater, Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, to give a speech at the first annual CAKE (or the Celebrate Alumnae Knowledge Exposition). Upon her arrival she sees that everything about her dearly loved academy is topsy-turvy! She must restore the academy and encourage the Swanburne girls with the help of her dear and imaginative young charges as well as trusted friends.
Oh, Ms. Wood, how you tease and delight! The Interrupted Tale is utterly delightful, charming, and dear. Each Incorrigible book brings so much joy and laughter. I really enjoyed this book because of all the delightful songs and imaginative play of Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia. Glimpses of the true mystery that weaves throughout each book is seen, but there is more to come! I cannot wait for the next Incorrigible story!!
These books do go in order, so starting with book one is a must. Penelope encounters old friends and reveals relations between other past characters. It is a family read that is fun for a car trip or as a read-aloud. Katherine Kellgren is a fantastic narrator of the audiobooks. She masterfully records each book with consistency. Her tunes for the songs will have everyone singing the funny little ditties from the story. I'm still singing the CAKE Day song!
Reviewed from a library copy.
Oh, Ms. Wood, how you tease and delight! The Interrupted Tale is utterly delightful, charming, and dear. Each Incorrigible book brings so much joy and laughter. I really enjoyed this book because of all the delightful songs and imaginative play of Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia. Glimpses of the true mystery that weaves throughout each book is seen, but there is more to come! I cannot wait for the next Incorrigible story!!
These books do go in order, so starting with book one is a must. Penelope encounters old friends and reveals relations between other past characters. It is a family read that is fun for a car trip or as a read-aloud. Katherine Kellgren is a fantastic narrator of the audiobooks. She masterfully records each book with consistency. Her tunes for the songs will have everyone singing the funny little ditties from the story. I'm still singing the CAKE Day song!
Reviewed from a library copy.
mehsi's review against another edition
4.0
-0.5 star for the sudden illustrator change. Really hate it when authors/publishers either change the covers in the middle of a series or the illustrator.
First up, I decided to delete my pre-order for the paperback. Sorry, but I have been waiting for a year already and I just couldn't wait any longer. I have now decided (well depending on if the cover also changes) to buy the hard cover of this series until the end. Why? Because I think it is absolutely ridiculous that it takes 1 or 2 years to get a paperback out in the world and I just can't wait that long. I just want to know what happens.
Now to the book. I do love Penelope, though I was shaking my head or rolling my eyes a lot in this book. So many things are so easy, or so simple to deduct, and yet Penelope never got the hint, or didn't understand it. I noticed this behaviour in the previous books as well, but I never got annoyed by it. Until now that is. If things weren't so obvious I wouldn't have minded it. But come on, even an idiot can see what is happening, and Penelope is said to be quite smart, yet she doesn't show it.
I also think it is still weird that she is 16, she mostly comes across as 18 or 19, so it is weird to see her being mentioned by her real age.
But other than that, I loved her. She is a great character and she takes wonderful care of her charges. She teaches them well, and even tries to make it fun for them by taking them outside and learning them by means of games the poetic stuff.
The children, ah, they are so much fun and I love them more and more with each book. They are interesting, and I love how much they changed. Book 1 with them being still wolf-like, to now, were they only have some tendencies and some wolfy things. It is fun to see them grow up and learn normal language and normal things.
And their talents came to good use in this book. Scent, map making, howling and more. Oh and I loved their dodo thing, and how Penelope made them think chickens = dodos to prevent them from eating said chickens. :)
The mystery is getting bigger and more clear, though I still have many many questions. Like the hair-colour thing, the hints to family stuff, the whole mystery about the Ashtons, the Incorrigible children and so many more! We still got 2 books at least to go, and I hope everything will be answered!
The art was, like I said, a point that made me sad. I love Jon Klassen's work, so imagine my sadness when I find out that dear Jon Klassen got removed and we have some new artist. I really don't understand why writers/publishers change covers or illustrators in the middle of a series. The art is good, don't get me wrong, but it just doesn't fit. It doesn't feel right and I don't think the art style fits with this book. Jon Klassen fitted perfectly, but the new artist style just feels weird and at times bleh. Especially with how the humans are drawn. I do hope that the next book will have Jon Klassen again, and otherwise I hope the cover at least will still be the same.
All in all though I am looking forward to the next book. Hopefully we will get some great answers there, because I am just dying to find out more about everything! Only 4 months to go!
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
First up, I decided to delete my pre-order for the paperback. Sorry, but I have been waiting for a year already and I just couldn't wait any longer. I have now decided (well depending on if the cover also changes) to buy the hard cover of this series until the end. Why? Because I think it is absolutely ridiculous that it takes 1 or 2 years to get a paperback out in the world and I just can't wait that long. I just want to know what happens.
Now to the book. I do love Penelope, though I was shaking my head or rolling my eyes a lot in this book. So many things are so easy, or so simple to deduct, and yet Penelope never got the hint, or didn't understand it. I noticed this behaviour in the previous books as well, but I never got annoyed by it. Until now that is. If things weren't so obvious I wouldn't have minded it. But come on, even an idiot can see what is happening, and Penelope is said to be quite smart, yet she doesn't show it.
I also think it is still weird that she is 16, she mostly comes across as 18 or 19, so it is weird to see her being mentioned by her real age.
But other than that, I loved her. She is a great character and she takes wonderful care of her charges. She teaches them well, and even tries to make it fun for them by taking them outside and learning them by means of games the poetic stuff.
The children, ah, they are so much fun and I love them more and more with each book. They are interesting, and I love how much they changed. Book 1 with them being still wolf-like, to now, were they only have some tendencies and some wolfy things. It is fun to see them grow up and learn normal language and normal things.
And their talents came to good use in this book. Scent, map making, howling and more. Oh and I loved their dodo thing, and how Penelope made them think chickens = dodos to prevent them from eating said chickens. :)
The mystery is getting bigger and more clear, though I still have many many questions. Like the hair-colour thing, the hints to family stuff, the whole mystery about the Ashtons, the Incorrigible children and so many more! We still got 2 books at least to go, and I hope everything will be answered!
The art was, like I said, a point that made me sad. I love Jon Klassen's work, so imagine my sadness when I find out that dear Jon Klassen got removed and we have some new artist. I really don't understand why writers/publishers change covers or illustrators in the middle of a series. The art is good, don't get me wrong, but it just doesn't fit. It doesn't feel right and I don't think the art style fits with this book. Jon Klassen fitted perfectly, but the new artist style just feels weird and at times bleh. Especially with how the humans are drawn. I do hope that the next book will have Jon Klassen again, and otherwise I hope the cover at least will still be the same.
All in all though I am looking forward to the next book. Hopefully we will get some great answers there, because I am just dying to find out more about everything! Only 4 months to go!
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
aelane23's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
annalieegk's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
laila4343's review against another edition
3.0
Continues to be a cute series. Kids who enjoy the Lemony Snickett books and Mysterious Benedict Society will probably like this.
quietlyflourishing's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
jenniferreads2's review against another edition
5.0
Another good ones. Lovable characters, fast paced, intricate plot with mystery. This series is well done
rheren's review against another edition
3.0
We're continuing this series, and while a lot of the whimsical and amusing parts were still there, this book had a few more aspects that were hard to take seriously. The humor is still good and the mysteries are still being slowly teased out (and telegraphed so that anybody but the kids are going to have no trouble figuring out where all this is going), but the whole central premise was a little far-fetched, as was Simon getting kidnapped by pirates, so I enjoyed this book less than previous ones. Overall, though, still enjoyable.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
2.0
Just found I could not be bothered with this series any more. I got halfway through and then thought "meh, who cares?".
amibunk's review against another edition
4.0
Oh the Incorrigible Children have forever secured a place in my literary heart (along with their devoted governess Penelope Lumley, of course.) These books are delightfully silly but quite clever all the same. Between the pithy sayings from the revered flounder (excuse me, I mean founder) of the Swanburne Academy for Bright but Poor Girls, the observant narrator, and Miss Lumley's "optoomuchism" I was happily entertained.
I look forward to the next installment!
I look forward to the next installment!