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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So good, it gave Coraline and so dark and twisty. I want this to be a movie.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very Coraline inspired so it's a fun spooky mystery. The biggest downfall of this book is that the main character, Victoria, could not be more unlikeable. I understand this is to set up for her developing more later on in the book, but it's so bad I almost DNF'd it halfway through. I only pushed through because she was compared to the bad guy, which I hoped would lead to interesting development, which to be fair it did. I feel like some of the mysteries could have been better explained or developed towards the end, but overall it was a fun ending. The epilogue is horrific though and I wish I hadn't read it - it felt so cliche and I just groaned. The actual story's ending was good enough. Probably the best part for me was the descriptions of the environment - I think that alone would make it a very fun read aloud book.
This book was delightfully scary! Maybe on the scary side of delightful, but definitely gross and creepy--perfect for certain 9-year-old patrons I can think of.
Victoria Wright is perfect. She gets perfect grades and always does what she is told. Of course, she doesn't have friends: she doesn't have time for friends. Except for Lawrence. Victoria adopts Lawrence, thinking that if she can train him to tie his shoes, keep his shirt tucked in, do his homework, and quit humming (all the time!), she might be able to save him from the dire fate of not being perfect. Then, one day things get weird. Kids start disappearing--the weird kids, the ugly kids, the badly behaved kids. When Lawrence fails to show up to school, Victoria begins investigating. She discovers grownups acting very strangely, lots of bugs that seem to be invading, and the very mysterious Mrs. Cavendish, proprietess of the 'orphanage' down the street. It turns out, all may not be as it seems in this lovely, perfect town.
Victoria was great as she evolved throughout the story from a pretty boring (perfect people are boring) character to one who is not afraid to ignore grownups in order to do what is right. She manages to escape the orphan home, saving all the other kids in the process, and destroy Mrs. Cavendish's workshop, all of which would have been inconceivable to perfect Victoria Wright. The parents were, of course, absent (this is a J novel, after all!), but there was a good reason for it: they were puppets being controlled by Mrs. Cavendish, the master manipulator.
Victoria Wright is perfect. She gets perfect grades and always does what she is told. Of course, she doesn't have friends: she doesn't have time for friends. Except for Lawrence. Victoria adopts Lawrence, thinking that if she can train him to tie his shoes, keep his shirt tucked in, do his homework, and quit humming (all the time!), she might be able to save him from the dire fate of not being perfect. Then, one day things get weird. Kids start disappearing--the weird kids, the ugly kids, the badly behaved kids. When Lawrence fails to show up to school, Victoria begins investigating. She discovers grownups acting very strangely, lots of bugs that seem to be invading, and the very mysterious Mrs. Cavendish, proprietess of the 'orphanage' down the street. It turns out, all may not be as it seems in this lovely, perfect town.
Victoria was great as she evolved throughout the story from a pretty boring (perfect people are boring) character to one who is not afraid to ignore grownups in order to do what is right. She manages to escape the orphan home, saving all the other kids in the process, and destroy Mrs. Cavendish's workshop, all of which would have been inconceivable to perfect Victoria Wright. The parents were, of course, absent (this is a J novel, after all!), but there was a good reason for it: they were puppets being controlled by Mrs. Cavendish, the master manipulator.
This was a little hard to get into, I think due to the main character's personality. However, as the story goes on, she loosens up and the action begins. I think the idea is a good one, but parts could be better. For example, I found the climax a little bit disappointing, but the rising action and epilogue were really good! I don't think that everything that should have been explained was (e.g. significance of puppets, what Victoria realized at the climax). I mean, I have assumptions, but I'm not sure if they're correct.
Overall: fairly enjoyable, good for a creepy but not sleeping-with-the-light-on-with-garlic-in-my-hand-and-a-bible-under-my-pillow read
Overall: fairly enjoyable, good for a creepy but not sleeping-with-the-light-on-with-garlic-in-my-hand-and-a-bible-under-my-pillow read
A story with a stubborn, clever, and mildly disagreeable heroine, this book went to weird and kind of dark places for a children's book. And I LOVED IT! Victoria is a clever child who has zero tolerance for nonsense and competitively seeks to be the best in everything. Then one day, kids in her class begin disappearing, and nobody can quite remember who they were. Victoria, having little patience for events that make no sense, starts out to investigate, and basically goes on a disturbing adventure from there.
I really liked this book. I liked how well the two main characters were developed, and I liked how the protagonist is kind of crabby & stubborn. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good creepy story.
I really liked this book. I liked how well the two main characters were developed, and I liked how the protagonist is kind of crabby & stubborn. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good creepy story.
Very creepy, surprisingly so in parts, and if my kids ever do decide they love to read, I hope they leave this one until they're at least, I don't know, nineteen or so. I loved the characters, at least the ones that were actual people. And the ending was satisfying while still leaving room for creepiness. However, I agree with another reviewer that there was a sort of long and sort of boring part there in the middle. Aside from that - good book.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-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:
Yes
I'm not certain I'll be able to write this review without gushing. Victoria would be ashamed of me.
The voice in this book is delicious and distinct, and the entire mood created is crisp and horrifying all at once. I was completely absorbed, cover to cover, and in love with the juxtaposition of no-nonsense main character and macabre setting. This is middle grade horror done with class, style and weird perfection.
Gush, gush, gush.
The voice in this book is delicious and distinct, and the entire mood created is crisp and horrifying all at once. I was completely absorbed, cover to cover, and in love with the juxtaposition of no-nonsense main character and macabre setting. This is middle grade horror done with class, style and weird perfection.
Gush, gush, gush.
Awesomely creepy and delightfully twisted.
So I didn't want this book to end. Seriously, it was that good. I loved loved Victoria's and Lawrence's relationship. Their interactions had me laughing out loud.
I loved how Victoria evolved as the story continued. While she still retains the quality that makes here perfect for the Stepfordish town, she also becomes a more compassionate character by the end of the book. I liked how a friendship that began as more of a project became a source of strength for her as the book continued.
One thing this book wasn't short on was the creep factor. There were times I had to stop reading or was squirming uncomfortably. One word, BUGS. Lots and lots of bugs, roaches to be precise. And then there are puppets, questionable meat, special candy, and a garden you couldn't pay me to step into.
Speaking of creepy, Mrs. Cavendish brings creepy to a new level. One villain I hope to never meet and let's face it if she was in my town as a kid I would so have been rounded up. So kinda terrified.
I loved this book and I hope to read many more books Claire Legrand. Do yourself a favor and read The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls.
So I didn't want this book to end. Seriously, it was that good. I loved loved Victoria's and Lawrence's relationship. Their interactions had me laughing out loud.
I loved how Victoria evolved as the story continued. While she still retains the quality that makes here perfect for the Stepfordish town, she also becomes a more compassionate character by the end of the book. I liked how a friendship that began as more of a project became a source of strength for her as the book continued.
One thing this book wasn't short on was the creep factor. There were times I had to stop reading or was squirming uncomfortably. One word, BUGS. Lots and lots of bugs, roaches to be precise. And then there are puppets, questionable meat, special candy, and a garden you couldn't pay me to step into.
Speaking of creepy, Mrs. Cavendish brings creepy to a new level. One villain I hope to never meet and let's face it if she was in my town as a kid I would so have been rounded up. So kinda terrified.
I loved this book and I hope to read many more books Claire Legrand. Do yourself a favor and read The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls.
Delightfully creepy, and I don't really like creepy stories. I will be sure to recommend this to fans of Coraline. Both have creepy substitute parents (and others), as well as acid-trip horror scenes. I don't know if it's because I was rushing through the scary parts, but when things really got going at the end, I found it hard to follow exactly what was going on. Was that intentional? That the reader be as disoriented as Victoria? Or was it sloppy writing? Hard to tell.