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luisasm's review against another edition
3.0
It was interesting, I'll admit. Good characters, funny situations. But its not as lively as some of her other books. It just didn't have the same interesting plot. It got bogged down in some parts, and not in the parts it should have, which is unfortunate. Still, it's a good read, with some cool history incorporated in there, and great characters.
louise56637's review against another edition
3.0
This book deals with some difficult issues but also deals with the gray areas that make up real life.
misajane79's review against another edition
3.0
Started off so well, with delightful lines like
"Shabby in a gentell way, as if the people who lived there didn't have to keep up with the Joneses because they themselves were the Joneses."
But the momentum just didn't stay. I loved that the story involved Nazi-stolen art and smart kids and funky grown-ups, but it just didn't feel right. There's a museum director as a character who is completely unlike any museum director I've ever know (not in a good way).
And the ultimate resolution, while satisfying, almost felt false.
Just doesn't have the same magica as other Konigsburg, though it's still Konigsburg which makes it better than lots of kidlit.
"Shabby in a gentell way, as if the people who lived there didn't have to keep up with the Joneses because they themselves were the Joneses."
But the momentum just didn't stay. I loved that the story involved Nazi-stolen art and smart kids and funky grown-ups, but it just didn't feel right. There's a museum director as a character who is completely unlike any museum director I've ever know (not in a good way).
And the ultimate resolution, while satisfying, almost felt false.
Just doesn't have the same magica as other Konigsburg, though it's still Konigsburg which makes it better than lots of kidlit.
readerpants's review against another edition
3.0
I really looked forward to this book. E.L. Konigsburg is one of my favorite authors, although reading her books often feels like chatting with an odd, socially-awkward, intriguing wallflower at a party. Perhaps it's her lack of contractions: there's a piece of me that's always a little detached but interested. This book was a disappointment, though: didactic and predicated on relationships that just didn't feel real.
crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
I have always enjoyed Konigsburg's books. This one was no exception. The art and history intrigued me and made me want to find out more. I had not heard of the Munich Degenerate exhibit.
This book was a Junior Library Guild selection so was sent to our elementary library, but as I read it I wondered how many under 12 students would actually enjoy it though. It seems to be written for young adults or actually adults.
This book was a Junior Library Guild selection so was sent to our elementary library, but as I read it I wondered how many under 12 students would actually enjoy it though. It seems to be written for young adults or actually adults.
sc104906's review against another edition
3.0
Amedeo wants to discover something. Other children across the world have gone down in history because they have discovered something, and Amedeo wants to join those ranks. After moving to a Florida town, and meeting his ex-opera singing neighbor, who is selling her estate and moving into a retirement community, Amedeo thinks he has found his chance. Issues of banned art during WWII come into play. Will Amedeo find what he is looking for?
This book was both interesting and outdated. I don't entirely know if children these days will connect to the stories, especially because I feel that the characters could be better developed. I found the historical plot points interesting. The book focused on issues that arose out of this time period that are less talked about.
This book was both interesting and outdated. I don't entirely know if children these days will connect to the stories, especially because I feel that the characters could be better developed. I found the historical plot points interesting. The book focused on issues that arose out of this time period that are less talked about.
smemmott's review against another edition
3.0
My reactions are mixed. Positive: some vivid and memorable characters, an interesting friendship between the two boys, and most of all, the fascinating and powerful memories that are so central to the book. Negative: often the style felt awkward, and in some ways the coincidence that is the center of the story felt forced. I haven't read anything by E.L. Konigsburg in a long time - probably not since my early teens. Perhaps if I were more familiar with her works, the style wouldn't have been a stumbling block. Still, the glimpses of life in Holland during WWII - for Jews, gay men, and their families - and the lasting consequences - these scenes may make the book worth reading.
abcdaron's review
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
jbojkov's review against another edition
4.0
This was another great book by E. L. Konigsburg. I read her Mixed up Files... when I was a kid and loved it! I picked this one up on a whim. This is another I "read" on cd. The narrator, Edward Herrmann, does a wonderful job with the voices. Changing them enough so you can recognize who's who with out him sounding to "drag-ish" with the many female characters in the book. I highly recommend this to MS kids or maybe a younger ninth-grader.