Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Matilda

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

withloveandlights's review

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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kes_kat's review against another edition

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funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

4.0

I don't know why I never read this book as a child, since the movie is still to this day one of my favorites. I absolutely loved this book and it was so nostalgic to read. I was happy that the movie was very similar to the book.

I loved Matilda's love for books and learning! Miss Honey was of course one of my favorite characters. One of my favorite parts were the pranks that Matilda plays on her terrible parents.

The pacing of this books is a little low, but I highly recommend this books for anyone who loved the movie as a kid.

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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

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adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

ive always heard of this book but just got the chance to read it, and now that i have, im not surprised it's so famous. it was great seeing a main character--and a young one at that--like matilda who's a book lover, and her surprisingly clever yet simple shenanigans to get back at the shitty adults both at home and school were super satisfying.

this book was also hilarious, morbidly so at some parts. dahl's frequent themes of the importance of and love for children, and the failure of adults and the system are once again explored here. my one critcism, however--and this pertains to dahl's other books as well--would be the fact that it negatively reinforces the correlation between a person's physical appearance and their morality, and the fact that many of dahl's antagonists are women, which is a tad disappointing.

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sassyshark's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful fast-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

3.5

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emisbooks's review against another edition

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dark hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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bobbybluech's review against another edition

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adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

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christabelle_v's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

Matilda is a solid 4.5 stars; the writing is superb in the rich descriptions of the characters, their thoughts, and their actions. The author used metaphors brilliantly, particularly when describing the characters. For instance, one of my favorite ones was how he described the way Matilda's parents saw her. Her parents saw her as a scab that they couldn't wait to pick up and fling off, into the next county or state.
The way the headmistress is also described is detailed and unique (such as plowing through the children) and being told to treat her as you would if you ever encounter a Rhinoceros. Just brilliant description.
The dialogue is also great; perfectly revealing the characters' traits and Matilda and Miss Honey are characters you just fall in love with. Matilda is clever and humble, with a thirst for knowledge but she is also cunning. Not only is she wise beyond her years, but it's how she uses that wisdom that's incredible. You can't help but root for her and love her especially the way she gets her own form of justice.
I also listened to the audiobook narrated by Kate Winslet who made the story come alive and make it even more dynamic.

The only reason this book isn't a 5 stars by me is it felt too short, I long to read more about Matilda and Miss Honey, I long to see her father get what he deserved like being captured by the police and pay the price he deserved to pay. I finished the book happy but longing for more, which shows how rich and lively the characters, writing and story was. Therefore it's a 4.5

Some spoiler like info below

The rating also falls to 4.5 because of how sad the story can be. The abuse Matilda faces as well as the abuse and horrors by the head mistress Miss Trunchbull are awful though it serves the story in showing how bad it is. The saddest part is that people like this exist and it breaks my heart. I nearly cried when Miss Honey was telling her story to Matilda. So I found that a bit dark for children in the way the headmistress treated the children, the verbal abuse Matilda faces, as well as the hints of physical abuse Miss Honey experienced

and her father's death

. I think that's why I longed for more justice at the end of the book and felt it was too short because the way those beautiful souls were treated is horrid.

I'm glad Matilda and Miss Honey found each other. In the end, I was happy that Matilda was with Miss Honey, but wanted to hear more about their life together and wanted to see the head mistress arrested or others discovering how awful she was, and Matilda's father being arrested

. The book and what the characters face do serve as a good discussion about kindness, standing up for yourself, and helping others who face the same challenges as Matilda. I think that's why it's 4.5 for me rather than 5 because the way they're treated is just heartbreaking but the justice felt a bit lacking, I suppose that is the way it truly is in life.

Although I did smile at Miss Trunchbull getting some of what what she deserved by Matilda

. Overall, the writing was superb and left me wanting more of the book itself; Matilda is a great story that I enjoyed much more than I thought it would.

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