Reviews

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

teeceebeecee's review

adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

happylilkt's review

2.0

I heard so many wonderful things about this book, that I suppose I was bound to be disappointed. I think it would be helpful for adult readers to know that this is in the style of Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, though, in my opinion, it's not as good as either of those classics. I tired of listening to this pretty quickly, but my children (10, 8, and 7) very much enjoyed it. Actor Rainn Wilson performed the audiobook and he did a good job.

zhqlley's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

3.25

banhart04's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.0

em_kurz's review

i was bored, probably shouldn’t have started a children’s book anyway

sleepysage_reads's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.5

ledimirnunez's review

3.0

There are a lot of interesting characters - for mostly a survey of the different moments/experiences in a person's life. I love the imagination in it, and how it aims to wake up the lazy mind. Milo is basically a lazy kid who seems disinterested in what life has to offer. His companions all have very special qualities, but are seemingly flawed in their individuation or specialization. The Mathematician cannot be concerned by anything except for numbers, the spelling bee can only spell, and the same goes for the other characters. With Rhyme and Reason, I think, we reach a synthesis of the whole world. Where all of them work together for a common goal. Wonderful as a children's book. I'm going to shelf it and recommend it to anyone who hasn't read in a while. A quick, funny read that will motivate you to grab another book right after.

norastasia's review

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted

• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

hashbrowns's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

jenmangler's review

4.0

The wordplay in The Phantom Tollbooth is so much fun. And I love that the adventure Milo embarks on because of the tollbooth helps him appreciate the awesomeness of the world around him. This book has so much heart. It was an absolute joy to read.