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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Kept me gripped with it's tale of Arthur Penhaligon and his first adventure within the mysterious House and it's Denizens. Garth has an amazing imagination
So I was going to check this book out from the library but then I finished it before I left the library... so I got the second and third books in the series instead. Fast reader? What, you mean me?
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book really seems to polarize opinion, for some reason. It really is the best children's fantasy I have read in some time. I plan to go on and read the rest in the series over time for sure.
There is just so much that is clever about this book, and it is well-written too. It also fits into the pantheon of children's classics, from more recent ones like Phantom Tollbooth to Alice in Wonderland. I picked those two on purpose because it definitely fits in the more absurdist category of great children's lit.
For example, if you aren't into world building in which it's not very clear what magic can be done and by whom and what the rules are, then this might not be for you. I mean you certainly learn more as you go along, and I never felt lost, but this book felt definitely like falling down the rabbit hole, and that was part of the fun.
There are many homages beyond when Arthur falls down into the House (like down the rabbit hole), and that starts with the main character's name: Arthur Penhaligon, which clearly suggests that the author wants to fit this book into the tradition of Arthurian literature.
Things that I loved that were clever in no particular order:
-the conceit of Arthur's asthma and overcoming that (I have asthma myself)
-the children from the Pied Piper ending up in the House
-the concept of things coming from Nothing and going back to Nothing
-personifying the days of the week and times of the day
-the concept of the future being one in which society is all concerned about quarantining terrible pandemics
-all of the puns and double meanings with the Will ("where there's a will. . .", "the will be done. . ")
I guess for me, if you like children's lit, you will like this book, or you really should.
The other Nix I have read is Sabriel (haven't gotten to others in that series yet), and I can definitely say now that he is one of the absolute best out there right now in terms of world building. Right there with Brandon Sanderson, I'd say. Gaiman is still a better writer by some margin than both of them, though, but they are all three excellent. The weakness of Sabriel was a rushed and not well executed conclusion, and this book was much better there, but still the ending was the weakest part--mainly too rushed again.
As I said though, great book, and looking forward to the others.
There is just so much that is clever about this book, and it is well-written too. It also fits into the pantheon of children's classics, from more recent ones like Phantom Tollbooth to Alice in Wonderland. I picked those two on purpose because it definitely fits in the more absurdist category of great children's lit.
For example, if you aren't into world building in which it's not very clear what magic can be done and by whom and what the rules are, then this might not be for you. I mean you certainly learn more as you go along, and I never felt lost, but this book felt definitely like falling down the rabbit hole, and that was part of the fun.
There are many homages beyond when Arthur falls down into the House (like down the rabbit hole), and that starts with the main character's name: Arthur Penhaligon, which clearly suggests that the author wants to fit this book into the tradition of Arthurian literature.
Things that I loved that were clever in no particular order:
-the conceit of Arthur's asthma and overcoming that (I have asthma myself)
-the children from the Pied Piper ending up in the House
-the concept of things coming from Nothing and going back to Nothing
-personifying the days of the week and times of the day
-the concept of the future being one in which society is all concerned about quarantining terrible pandemics
-all of the puns and double meanings with the Will ("where there's a will. . .", "the will be done. . ")
I guess for me, if you like children's lit, you will like this book, or you really should.
The other Nix I have read is Sabriel (haven't gotten to others in that series yet), and I can definitely say now that he is one of the absolute best out there right now in terms of world building. Right there with Brandon Sanderson, I'd say. Gaiman is still a better writer by some margin than both of them, though, but they are all three excellent. The weakness of Sabriel was a rushed and not well executed conclusion, and this book was much better there, but still the ending was the weakest part--mainly too rushed again.
As I said though, great book, and looking forward to the others.
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I just zipped through this YA fantasy book this week and loved the setting. Dimensional buildings, tattered Victoriana, back talking snippets of words - I wonder if the rest of the series is as enjoyable as the first?
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No