Reviews

Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter by Beth Fantaskey

hidingzeus's review against another edition

3.0

Fun, though the murderer was definitely obvious.  The main thing I didn't like about it was that the chapters were soooo short!  

judyapneeb's review against another edition

A fun plucky heroine in the midst of 1920s Gangster Chicago; girl journalists, mysteries, and murder set the stage for a fun read. Recommended for older elementary readers.

rdyourbookcase's review against another edition

5.0

I want this book to be a series.

Now. And I want to read all of them.

Now.

Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter had everything that I like in it. Young female sleuths! Sassiness! Independence! Determination! Newsies! Reporters! History! Murder! Scandal!

Seriously, how could you not love it? I would have ADORED this book as a child and definitely would have wanted to be Isabel.

I did have the mystery solved way before Isabel, but that didn’t matter. I loved it, and I will read other books by Beth Fantaskey for sure.

driedfrogpills's review against another edition

2.0

God, this needed an editor that wasn't afraid to stop the rampant cliffhanger abuse. A 300-some-page kid's book does not need 98 chapters, half of which are one or two pages long, solely because you want to end on a cliffhanger. This could have been a lot better, with a better emotional punch, without the constant chapter breaks.

shaunelle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

madelinefmcguire's review against another edition

3.0

It's 1920 Chicago and Isabel Feeney has dreams of writing in the newspapers but for now she'll have to stick to selling them. She can't believe her luck when one of her favorite customers, Miss Giddings, gets accused of murder. With the help of her favorite reporter and a few friends Isabel works to prove and write about Miss Giddings' innocence.

This book was odd. It just did not vibe with me though I can see the appeal of a 1920s mystery.

panda_incognito's review against another edition

3.0

Apparently everyone loves this book, but I found it outrageously unbelievable. I couldn't stop sighing and rolling my eyes over the absurd scenarios and how modern the dialogue sounded. What bothered me most of all was how the impoverished main character seemed like a privileged kid from 2016; no reality of hardship affected her behaviors, thoughts, or expectations for the future. I was not impressed, but I'll be charitable and give a third star because the plot included some striking historical details and approaches the time period from an angle unrepresented in juvenile fiction.

bbliophile's review against another edition

3.0

This was a fun read, but I think I only really enjoyed it for the first half. After that it just got a little boring.

dawndancer's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

elevetha's review against another edition

2.0

Won a free copy through Goodreads FirstReads!

And didn't read it for, like, a year.

2.5 stars.