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mrs_gale's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A great mystery adventure set in a fantasy world for kids!
Really enjoyed it, the characters were all unique and I liked the seaside town, would make for the perfect beach holiday book for children and a parent wouldn't mind reading this to their children either!
Really enjoyed it, the characters were all unique and I liked the seaside town, would make for the perfect beach holiday book for children and a parent wouldn't mind reading this to their children either!
Content Warnings
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Death, and Violence
daffodildyke's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
“This isn’t a story, Violet… There isn’t always a happy ending in real life. Maybe we have to just learn to accept that.”
“Even in a town where a two-hundred-year-old sailor can materialise out of a tap and a cat can talk?”
I have been meaning to read this since I was supposed to do Believathon 3 so i am very glad i finally have.
It was interesting and well written, with plenty of intrigue and interesting elements. The characters were well formed and felt realistic, and the story had plenty of suspense.
I like reading children’s/middle grade books but will say that i often find them predictable, and often did when i was the target reader as well. It was nice that there were aspects of genuine mystery to me in this even as an adult, and i imagine if I had read this when i was the same age as Herbie and Violet, I would have been even more enamoured with it.
I also didn’t realise until writing this review that this is the first book in a series, so i will definitely be keeping an eye out for more in the future!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Confinement
dustspectre's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
emily_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I enjoyed reading this fun, mysterious, wintry story so much! Herbie was a great MC, and his friendship with Violet was fab. The setting was spectacular, my one gripe being that we didn’t get to see enough of it! As a side note, I listened to the audiobook and Alfie Allen does SUCH a great job at narrating. He really embodied Herbie’s personality and brought the book to life.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Violence
Minor: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Abandonment, Excrement, and Gun violence
Missing parents
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