Reviews

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln

Only show reviews with written explanations

sunsoar25's review

3.0

A lot of fun but I couldn't help but have A Series of Unfortunate Events with maybe even a touch of The Addams Family in the back of my mind while reading this.

emoses82's review

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funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

deniset's review

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

This is a whimsical manor house whodunit. I loved the characters, especially the names (Shenanigan Swift!). Does your name determine your character? I loved the author's introductory comments about the quirks and variety of language. Fun!

rikkir77's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

mtyler3707's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious 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

4.25

The Swifts provided a super fun romp complete with eccentric family, murder, and a treasure hunt. When a Swift is born, they are given a word from the dictionary which is thought to define them as an individual - except sometimes it doesn’t fit - so many topics are explored such as nature vs nurture. There is some coming of age bent - though it happens over only a few days, and the word play is really fun. It took me a while to get invested in these characters, and I think the book is a little long, but it was an enjoyable and empathy building tale.