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gracealicia's review
4.0
Is there anything more wistful that a good children’s book?
The Beasts of Clawstone Castle is a spooky and playful story of two siblings and their determined efforts to save their family’s castle and cattle. After being sent to stay with their elderly aunt and uncle, Rollo and Madlyn find them in desperate need of help. In order to bring more people in for tours. In order to do this the children, enlist the help of some local ghosts. But they must compete with the rich and ruthless Lord Tremblow next door, who has set his eyes on the castle.
This is a fun and spooky book filled with great characters and enjoyable plot. I rather liked that the ghosts truly had not had peaceful ends. A little dark but done in such a way that I didn’t even notice as a child. I first read this when I was in grade six, and I can see how it has shaped the books I have come to love today. Sci-fi and fantasy – something I can see very clearly in this book. I would recommend to anyone for a fun and quick read.
The Beasts of Clawstone Castle is a spooky and playful story of two siblings and their determined efforts to save their family’s castle and cattle. After being sent to stay with their elderly aunt and uncle, Rollo and Madlyn find them in desperate need of help. In order to bring more people in for tours. In order to do this the children, enlist the help of some local ghosts. But they must compete with the rich and ruthless Lord Tremblow next door, who has set his eyes on the castle.
This is a fun and spooky book filled with great characters and enjoyable plot. I rather liked that the ghosts truly had not had peaceful ends. A little dark but done in such a way that I didn’t even notice as a child. I first read this when I was in grade six, and I can see how it has shaped the books I have come to love today. Sci-fi and fantasy – something I can see very clearly in this book. I would recommend to anyone for a fun and quick read.
jessalynn_librarian's review
4.0
I haven't met an Eva Ibbotson book that I didn't like. This isn't one of my favorites, but it's a great, humorous ghost story where (of course) children and ghosts save the day.
rosemaryandrue's review
3.0
I love Eva Ibbotson's children's books - they have such a bittersweet yet hopeful tone, and in a way hint at the rather somber realities of adulthood while still having everything turn out well.
The Beasts of Clawstone Castle does those things too, but it's not my favorite of her books, as I did not feel many of the characters had much depth. Still, I enjoyed the outlandish plot, and visiting with the Clawstone cattle.
The Beasts of Clawstone Castle does those things too, but it's not my favorite of her books, as I did not feel many of the characters had much depth. Still, I enjoyed the outlandish plot, and visiting with the Clawstone cattle.
barmyjen's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
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
3.5
elevetha's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars.
I really liked the first half and, to a lesser extent, the latter half.
The British overload threatens to make me somehowprobably illegally acquire enough funds to get me on a plane\ship to England. As if the accents there weren't enough.
Ibbotson's writing is, and I don't say this much at all, a joy to read. It's so clean and precise and lovely and just wonderful without being childish. The lyricism flows and weaves, drawing you into the world that she has created. You feel like you are standing in sprawling Clawstone, with its damp walls, poor little gift shop, white cattle, and spectral ghosts.
Some of her characters are never given as much backstory as you might like, and yet you feel like you know them.
The ghosts do have rather fun personalities and I do so wish we could have seen more of that.
One of my favorite scenes in in which you learn of Mrs. Lee-Perry in the village whose friends have all passed away, remaining ghosts. But they continue to hold Thursday night tea and music parties.
There was something so cute about that scene.
My only qualm was that there was entirely too much animal love. The vibe I got was that the cattle were the most important thing there. NO. No animal is that important. And the sentiment that animals should be killed ONLY in self-defense is something that I don't agree with.
Clearly, I don't agree with animal cruelty but that doesn't mean I think that we should never eat animals. Life without meat = not worth living.
But that wasn't enough to really diminish my enjoyment of the book.
I do think that this book might be too gruesome (some of the ghosts and their stories) or mature in underlying themes (Mrs. Trenbellow's marital issues and Mr. Trenbellow urging her to constantly have plastic surgery) for some children.
Overall, a cute book with great writing.
I really liked the first half and, to a lesser extent, the latter half.
The British overload threatens to make me somehow
Ibbotson's writing is, and I don't say this much at all, a joy to read. It's so clean and precise and lovely and just wonderful without being childish. The lyricism flows and weaves, drawing you into the world that she has created. You feel like you are standing in sprawling Clawstone, with its damp walls, poor little gift shop, white cattle, and spectral ghosts.
Some of her characters are never given as much backstory as you might like, and yet you feel like you know them.
The ghosts do have rather fun personalities and I do so wish we could have seen more of that.
One of my favorite scenes in in which you learn of Mrs. Lee-Perry in the village whose friends have all passed away, remaining ghosts. But they continue to hold Thursday night tea and music parties.
There was something so cute about that scene.
My only qualm was that there was entirely too much animal love. The vibe I got was that the cattle were the most important thing there. NO. No animal is that important. And the sentiment that animals should be killed ONLY in self-defense is something that I don't agree with.
Clearly, I don't agree with animal cruelty but that doesn't mean I think that we should never eat animals. Life without meat = not worth living.
But that wasn't enough to really diminish my enjoyment of the book.
I do think that this book might be too gruesome (some of the ghosts and their stories) or mature in underlying themes (Mrs. Trenbellow's marital issues and Mr. Trenbellow urging her to constantly have plastic surgery) for some children.
Overall, a cute book with great writing.
bradleygiselle's review
1.0
DNF'd 125 pages in. I just don't like how eating disorders were handled in this book. There were other things that were also bothing me. Like how plastic surgery was talked about and how there was a husband forcing his wife to get it. It was just freaking disturbing. I can't stomach more of it.
maa's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
rhodesgiselle's review
1.0
DNF'd 125 pages in. I just don't like how eating disorders were handled in this book. There were other things that were also bothing me. Like how plastic surgery was talked about and how there was a husband forcing his wife to get it. It was just freaking disturbing. I can't stomach more of it.