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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
A really good book best mystery that I have read in awhile.
In my quest to find a new middle grade series I stumbled upon The Blackthorn Key.. and wow! This book has it all.. it's funny with scary moments, action-packed and heartbreaking, and also has the amazing quality of feeling like fantasy while taking place in 1665 London. LOVED IT!
I'm a sucker for books with strong character friendships, historical fiction, well-written YA, and protagonists with a bit of sass and cleverness. The Blackthorn Key definitely checks all the boxes, especially that last one. When we meet Christopher Rowe in the first chapter, he's trying to talk his best friend Tom into building a cannon, inside his master's apothecary shop. Explosives indoors? What could go wrong? As it turns out, many things go awry.
Shortly after that, things become even more interesting and get a bit dark. Christopher has to use scientific knowledge he's gained from his master's lessons, and his own cleverness, to find out who's been murdering apothecaries and why. Luckily, he has a best friend to help him.
This book certainly has its dark moments and parts of it are rather sad, but it's definitely worth the read. Much like Tom, I got sucked into Christopher's plans and had to be there for the end. I had such a good time that I'll probably be joining them on future adventures.
Shortly after that, things become even more interesting and get a bit dark. Christopher has to use scientific knowledge he's gained from his master's lessons, and his own cleverness, to find out who's been murdering apothecaries and why. Luckily, he has a best friend to help him.
This book certainly has its dark moments and parts of it are rather sad, but it's definitely worth the read. Much like Tom, I got sucked into Christopher's plans and had to be there for the end. I had such a good time that I'll probably be joining them on future adventures.
I enjoyed this book about an apprentice apothecary unraveling mysteries.
I loved this book so so much. It was very interesting to read about and although I do not like gory books this one was pretty good. It taught me a lot about the apothacary's which I really enjoyed learning about and it inspired me to learn more about this topic. I totally recommend this book.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This book was such a surprise for me! I loved this book. It starts out a bit slow and sweet. I thought I was on an innocent journey but it became apparent that this is a dark and dangerous tale. I don’t normally get to follow a series immediately but this is one where I must keep reading. Christopher is a wonderful protagonist who goes through so much pain (physical and mental) over the course of this novel. I did not foresee exactly how the story would unravel and I was happy with the result. The action and the dialogue are very well written and I can’t wait to read more about Christopher! This is a must own for any middle school collection.
Very YA, a little gory. I loved all the little details about apothecaries. And it was refreshingly romance-free.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes