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phoebees's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
phillyvanillyy's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't quite know what to expect given that this is a bit dated now and aimed at "young adults", but it was actually not bad at all! I really enjoyed the Dark Materials books and while this certainly isn't on a par with those, it was a good read, with some nice twists and turns and a handful of unexpected shocks. All in all, pleasantly enjoyable!
emilywv's review against another edition
3.0
Listened to this on audio and have to say Anton Lesser is one of the best narrator's ever.
jessicalgeuther's review against another edition
4.0
I loved these more than the golden compass series as a kid.
chlochloreads's review against another edition
3.0
I was enjoying this book until I got to the end. I expected the main character to do more with solving the mystery but everyone else basically did it for her which was weird. A very underwhelming ending.
beccamcostello's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the mystery. It was well constructed and had a few minor surprises that made me happy. However, the interpersonal aspects were a little lacking, which is SO surprising given how well Pullman does with friendships/other relationships in His Dark Materials.
I was also annoyed by a "conflict" introduced in the last chapter and then almost immediately resolved.
That being said, it was enjoyable and I will definitely finish this series!
I was also annoyed by a "conflict" introduced in the last chapter and then almost immediately resolved.
That being said, it was enjoyable and I will definitely finish this series!
quinnard21's review against another edition
2.0
I did not enjoy this book, but I think a lot of it has to do with my taste. I'm not a huge mystery fan. It was an interesting enough story, but I wasn't particularly attached to the characters. I liked the "nobody is safe" feel.
amy_bee_6's review against another edition
4.0
It took time for me to connect with the main character in this story and at the start I couldn't help comparing this to His Dark Material which I have adored since I was a kid. There is less magic in this series, less fantasy but as I continued to read, especially the books that follow I grew absolutely fond of Sally, her wit, her dark humour, her rebellious character and her strength. This series for me is really about the position of women in society and I didn't expect to read a feminist book, I expected a fantastic bedtime story. It plays out in Victorian London and the themes in the series are rather dramatic, opium and addiction, Human greed, murder and revenge. There is still a fantasy side to it but it's not as present in my opinion as in His Dark Material. This story is not so much about growing up but more about what it means to be an adult, how we deal with our feelings, with our fear and with loss. Even if it felt like a slow start, every scene towards the end of the book sparkled with details and the tension was so gripping that I couldn't let go and i was glad i started reading it while the second volume was already released because it saved me the impossible wait!
lisalikesdogs's review against another edition
2.0
So sad, I really loved the His Dark Materials series and I really wanted to like this one. The writing was fairly solid but the plot just wasn't there...so much build up and then extremely anti-climactic. Things were resolved without explaining well enough how. It was an okay read but disappointing in the end.