Reviews

Beyond Platform 13 by Sibéal Pounder, Eva Ibbotson

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antimony's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

ive always thought it must be so strange to be the ghost of an author who has died and then your estate and publisher hire someone else to write a sequel to your book.....but i really enjoyed this!!! it was just as fun as the first book (which i reread last fall and got very excited the second i learned there was a sequel...alas i was not able to read it until i got a library card in ireland since none of my us libraries had it) & i really loved the illustrations

elenats's review against another edition

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3.0

Beyond Platform 13 gives credence to the saying “You can never go home again.” I read The Secret of Platform 13 when I was young and it remains one of my favorites by the esteemed Eva Ibbotson. Her writing is clever, vivid, often hilarious, but most importantly, palatable to all ages. I read it when I was around 10, and again when I was in my 20s, and had the exact same experience. Beyond Platform 13, however, is written for kids. Not children, because I love children’s literature. But for kids, with lots of yelling and explosions and maddening plot twists. The magic of Platform 13 is sadly lost in this book, and I give it 3/5 stars mostly for nostalgia’s sake. And the bit about the snacks.

story_and_chapter's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

5.0

ruben_franz's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

0.75

Disclaimer: Reviewer is not a native speaker. Read in German translation.

I know that Eva Ibbotson is also listed as the author on the cover, but what happens here and the way in which it happens has little to do with her other works. "The Secret of Platform 13" is a children's book that I have many fond memories of. It is also magical and exciting, but with more rigour. In the second part of the book in particular, "Beyond Platform 13" (or " Platform 13 opens up again" in German translation), it's a constant rain of weak explanations and retrospective adjustments to bring the plot halfway under control. Ex Machina could be Sibéal Pounder's middle name. There are also so many construction sites in the time period between the books, for example the ages of Ben and Lex, that it would take far more time to analyse them all in detail than I would like to devote to the book.
You're still busy wondering how exactly a certain interaction worked and then the next hair-raising explanation comes along. In the process, the author rides herself deeper and deeper into an incoherent story that at no point conveys even the slightest hint of immersion, as Eva Ibbotson's original was able to do.

Characters are barely introduced, are only there for a specific purpose in the plot and are then immediately faded out again. Others act completely contrary to their characterisation and past decisions. Evil is simply evil for no reason and of such low complexity that I almost took it as an insult to children that they are not trusted to perceive nuances between black and white. Minor Nazi references to justify this fit perfectly into any children's story. Erm. Well...
I understand that the intentions and the values conveyed are certainly positive, but I was just glad when I was able to slam the book shut.
Can it all still be entertaining, funny and exciting for children?
Yes, it probably can. Would I read it to my daughter? No.

Of course, a large part of this can also be down to the fact that as an author you are trying to work with material that is not your own. Since I don't know the arrangements with Ibbotson (or her family) or Sibéal Pounder's other works, she gets the benefit of the doubt for at least a large part of this inconsistency. None of this would stop me from reading one of her (own) books. Maybe she's been constantly tampered with. Who knows.

This is probably the first time I've ever given an absolute anti-recommendation for adults. Did you like "The Secret of Platform 13" when you were still reading children's and young adult books?
Then don't read this book. Remember the island as it was there.
As I said, a limited recommendation for children, there is so much out there that you could and should read beforehand. But if you are deciding between reading no books and this book, then maybe "Beyond platform 13" is the better option.

thegezzell's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted relaxing medium-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

4.0

Fans of Eva Ibbotson will be ecstatic to return to the world of Platform 13. I know I was. I was wary of another author picking up where Ibbotson left off. But Pounder brings all the charm and wonder of Ibbotson's world and builds an excellent homage on top of it. The character of Lina reads like so many self-insert characters I imagined over the years and in the very best way.