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hissingpotatoes's review
5.0
This book is the very definition of charming. Every step of the way, my heart was soft. From the adorable mice names to the lovely cover art and illustrations to the consistent cozy bookish tone to the little English-high-society inspired mouse community to the utterly loving voice of the linnet as narrator, the whimsy swept me away from page one.
Admittedly there's really not much by way of plot until well into the second half of the book. The first half is basically vignettes of life in Tottensea Burrows that eventually thread together. But it didn't matter, because it was adorable and attention-grabbing and heartwarming regardless. There are tons of little moments of mice helping each other and being good friends and other meaningful moments that almost catch you off guard and just continually increase the enjoyment level.
The writing is very well constructed with themes and motifs repeating and popping up at just the right moments. If you're looking for a light, charming, heartwarming, short read with just a sprinkle of danger thrown in, this book was made to fit the bill.
Admittedly there's really not much by way of plot until well into the second half of the book. The first half is basically vignettes of life in Tottensea Burrows that eventually thread together. But it didn't matter, because it was adorable and attention-grabbing and heartwarming regardless. There are tons of little moments of mice helping each other and being good friends and other meaningful moments that almost catch you off guard and just continually increase the enjoyment level.
The writing is very well constructed with themes and motifs repeating and popping up at just the right moments. If you're looking for a light, charming, heartwarming, short read with just a sprinkle of danger thrown in, this book was made to fit the bill.
jessferg's review
1.0
My Amazon review: While written (and marketed) with the intention of bringing to mind other allegorical, borderline genre, talking animal stories (like Wind in the Willows or Watership Down), The Linnet's Tale will not make it as a perennial favorite. While the mice names and a few literary references are cute, the overall story is rather dull with very little tension being formed within the plot. Most of the book is given over to introducing and reintroducing the residents of Tottensea Burrows without much in the way of adventures (including a chapter of furious dressmaking and preparation for the Tottensea Burrows Midsummer's Night Fancy Dress Cotillion Ball, followed by a chapter describing the details of those who did not attend the Ball and not more than a page or a page and a half of the Ball itself) creating what seems to be a shallow set up for possible future endeavors of these mice in their newly achieved, materially unburdened existence away from the farm house and out in the field, where true field mice should be. Children will be overwhelmed with the vocabulary, yet adults will find the storytelling trite and predictable. A sadly disappointing read.
amandaquotidianbooks's review
3.0
This was whimsical and bookish, but otherwise not very remarkable compared to similar anthropomorphic animal stories. This story is reliant upon the charm of the characters' names and their emphasis on reading and mousebooks. In fact, we learn the fates of the characters in the epilogue based on book titles, authors and descriptions. Whilst clever, I didn't think this was very special. That being said, I can absolutely see this being a wonderful book to read with a child.
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