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mikewa14's review
5.0
http://0651frombrighton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/the-american-boy-andrew-taylor.html
ciaraisabookworm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
piratequeen's review against another edition
2.0
A generous two stars. The writing was solid, and it was a decent mystery with some gothic undertones, but the inclusion of a young Edgar Allan Poe was unnecessary and felt utterly contrived. It felt like an attempt to make a solid but unremarkable mystery seem like something more worthwhile than it ought to be - "murder and mayhem, and a young Edgar Allan Poe? Gasp! What darkness lies within?" Not impressed.
thewhoviangirl's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
I hated this book so much. That's possibly because it didn't actually follow the plot line on the back and the main focus wasn't on the American boy, but rather an English bloke and English families. I went into the book optimistic and excited and came out thoroughly annoyed and disappointed.
alexrafinski's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The back of the book doesn't really explain the contents very well. This isn't a typical murder mystery, and although Edgar Allan Poe is a character in the book, he isn't one of the major ones. The problem with setting books in a period a few hundred years ago (especially when written in the first person) is that very of often the writing style doesn't feel like it could come from a different period. However the author does a pretty good job of writing in a style that doesn't feel modern, but also isn't so true to the period that it becomes hard to read. A good story, although perhaps the book could have been a bit shorter.
ksparks's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting and well paced. I had some trouble getting a fix on the narrator, what sort of man he is, and I didn't really find him that appealing. But the plot was interesting enough and kept me engaged.
claire1044's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
piratequeen's review against another edition
2.0
A generous two stars. The writing was solid, and it was a decent mystery with some gothic undertones, but the inclusion of a young Edgar Allan Poe was unnecessary and felt utterly contrived. It felt like an attempt to make a solid but unremarkable mystery seem like something more worthwhile than it ought to be - "murder and mayhem, and a young Edgar Allan Poe? Gasp! What darkness lies within?" Not impressed.
aniabooks's review against another edition
2.0
Too slow-burning... I didn't get immersed in the post-Napoleonic times, either. The author really shows off the archaic language and vocabulary but it just doesn't click and feels forced. A lot of the time it sounds really cringe-worthy, like the "I wouldn't like my wife or my servants to read it" abused joke. I was unimpressed and reluctant to the two main female characters, but they have been redeemed in the last few chapters. Overall, the story is interesting, but unfortunately I didn't find the book pleasurable to read.
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