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alexspillsbeans's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
laura_corsi's review against another edition
3.0
This English series for kids and young adults is geared toward a male audience despite the female protagonist, which I loved. Being a mother of boys I am constantly looking for stuff to peak their interest that will teach them good values. This book teaches that girls are kick ass partners in any venture, without being preachy at all. Highly recommended for any boys in your life. They’ll love it. Side Note: The snarky English humor makes it a pretty great read for mom and dad too.
exlibrisphoebe's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
lisamchuk's review against another edition
5.0
A fun book about a precocious girl who teams up with a magical skeleton detective - I like that the book is dark but that a girl is the main heroine. I particularly enjoyed Skulduggery as a character (he's quite funny in his own way) but am not the main demographic for this series so probably wont read any more, though I highly recommend the series for YA fantasy readers!
harrietsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
annashiv's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars.
I'm surprised I didn't like this that much. I really enjoyed the first 50-100 pages, but then something just snapped and I almost didn't even want to bother finishing it. I know I'm a minority, and I can definitely see why people enjoy it, but it just didn't work for me and I think I've worked out why.
It was very repetitive, in both writing/dialogue and action. I just didn't care for the plot, which seemed overly stereotypical which may be due to me having read too much. The humor was good at first, but then it felt like it took me out of the story and killed the suspense and so it became cheesy, especially as just about every character had the same humor dynamics. It just got old for me.
I think the other major thing were the characters. I liked Skulduggery, but felt he was weighed down by the rest of the cast. I didn't really like any of the characters, including the main character after the first part. It felt like they were all stripped of personality and simply became tools of the plot. They felt like puppets to me.
The writing was, mostly unnoticeable, but I wouldn't say it's great. A lot of the time, I couldn't imagine what was happening as it felt like he was trying to block out a movie rather than use the advantages of the book. We got very little internal thinking from Stephanie despite her being the main character. It felt like we got the bare bones in that regard and inundated with boring action scenes I pretty much skimmed towards the end.
Lastly, and I know this isn't a problem for the younger audience this is geared toward, but it was super predictable. I don't know that I've ever read a book so predictable as this. I think only 2 things caught me by surprise, but I didn't care for them as a plot point/device objectively. It all just added up to me feeling the story was missing something and rather generic despite it's great premise.
I'm surprised I didn't like this that much. I really enjoyed the first 50-100 pages, but then something just snapped and I almost didn't even want to bother finishing it. I know I'm a minority, and I can definitely see why people enjoy it, but it just didn't work for me and I think I've worked out why.
It was very repetitive, in both writing/dialogue and action. I just didn't care for the plot, which seemed overly stereotypical which may be due to me having read too much. The humor was good at first, but then it felt like it took me out of the story and killed the suspense and so it became cheesy, especially as just about every character had the same humor dynamics. It just got old for me.
I think the other major thing were the characters. I liked Skulduggery, but felt he was weighed down by the rest of the cast. I didn't really like any of the characters, including the main character after the first part. It felt like they were all stripped of personality and simply became tools of the plot. They felt like puppets to me.
The writing was, mostly unnoticeable, but I wouldn't say it's great. A lot of the time, I couldn't imagine what was happening as it felt like he was trying to block out a movie rather than use the advantages of the book. We got very little internal thinking from Stephanie despite her being the main character. It felt like we got the bare bones in that regard and inundated with boring action scenes I pretty much skimmed towards the end.
Lastly, and I know this isn't a problem for the younger audience this is geared toward, but it was super predictable. I don't know that I've ever read a book so predictable as this. I think only 2 things caught me by surprise, but I didn't care for them as a plot point/device objectively. It all just added up to me feeling the story was missing something and rather generic despite it's great premise.
octaviagoetia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
sylvilel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lee_nobody's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mehsi's review against another edition
4.0
A re-read time. I want to read this whole series, I got them on my shelves but never was motivated enough as I wanted to re-read the first book first. Since that kept being impossible thanks to my head remembering all details it took me until now to do it. And yes, I enjoyed it less... because even though its been 13 years.... I still remember most plot points. *sighs* My mind is spoiling the book for me. :P But it was a great read and I am glad I have the chance now to read them.
I loved Skullduggery and I absolutely adored Stephanie and how kick-ass she was. She never let anything stop her instead just kept going. We learn various things about her family and I was rooting for her to be able to master magic. She picks a special name and it fits her so well.
The book was very exciting with lots of adventure, magic, and twists and turns. Though there were scenes that felt a bit too coincidental/easy. Things Stephanie instantly can do while most would either be afraid or just fall she does almost without ease and that was a bit of a shame. The ending set up a whole thing for the next book which I will be reading soon-ish. All in all, a great first book, it really set the tone and I cannot wait for more.
I loved Skullduggery and I absolutely adored Stephanie and how kick-ass she was. She never let anything stop her instead just kept going. We learn various things about her family and I was rooting for her to be able to master magic. She picks a special name and it fits her so well.
The book was very exciting with lots of adventure, magic, and twists and turns. Though there were scenes that felt a bit too coincidental/easy. Things Stephanie instantly can do while most would either be afraid or just fall she does almost without ease and that was a bit of a shame. The ending set up a whole thing for the next book which I will be reading soon-ish. All in all, a great first book, it really set the tone and I cannot wait for more.