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books_inthewild's review against another edition
4.0
I previewed this book for my elementary students, and I deem it too scary for our K-7 library.
It’s an unbelievably creative story- the scene is set: an old English manor in shambles, two Irish orphans looking for work, and a family with secrets. A creepy black tree that snakes along the side of the house- and untold horrors that happen each night.
I was captivated by this story, and as an adult, thoroughly spooked! I found myself racing through the last 50 pages or so to see just how this unfortunate bunch would fare against the horrible, shadowy man in the night. It is so descriptive, and has such an eerie, creepy feel to the whole story.
I would recommend for 12 and up, due to language, violence, evil spirits, death, blood, parents dying, etc etc.
It’s an unbelievably creative story- the scene is set: an old English manor in shambles, two Irish orphans looking for work, and a family with secrets. A creepy black tree that snakes along the side of the house- and untold horrors that happen each night.
I was captivated by this story, and as an adult, thoroughly spooked! I found myself racing through the last 50 pages or so to see just how this unfortunate bunch would fare against the horrible, shadowy man in the night. It is so descriptive, and has such an eerie, creepy feel to the whole story.
I would recommend for 12 and up, due to language, violence, evil spirits, death, blood, parents dying, etc etc.
mommaslonglegs's review against another edition
4.0
Love when middle grade authors put just as much effort into atmosphere and language as adult fiction authors. This was such a fantastical read with deep gothic tones and rich intriguing characters.
camillionare03's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
jenmangler's review against another edition
3.0
This is a perfectly creepy book. I had to stop reading it at night because the Night Gardener well and truly freaked me out. This is also a beautiful book that emphasizes the power of love and courage and storytelling.
katykat_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
minabix's review against another edition
This book started off so cool and creepy - it kept me up till late at night reading, even - but by the middle it really started to drag, and I started to get annoyed at the author's style. He repeats himself a lot (like a scene where a character sighs/exhales/lets out a trembling breath before every bit of dialogue - or the wind always wuthering, or the Night Man always howling). The descriptions constantly get in the way of the action (like taking a page to detail how they walk up to the house, when you could have just cut to them being inside). In the middle, the story somehow had not much going on yet was bogged down by the amount of side-plots and detours and exposition, which distracted from the core ghost story.
There's a heck of a lot of spelling-out being done as well - even for a kid readership, you don't need to explain everything, and it would have been much more mysterious and interesting if things were implied rather than stated outright. Show, don't tell! It's also quite obvious where the author's got some kind of private in-joke going on (like a chapter weirdly called 'Pit and Pockets', aka 'pita pockets', or strong references to other stories like Sleepy Hollow) which stand out and remind you that you're reading a story rather than letting you immerse yourself in the world.
I also didn't like how the characters started doing stupid things just for the plot, like deciding to stay at the house after swearing to run away the night before. Molly continually lying to her brother also seemed unrealistic and made me feel unsympathetic towards her. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief that much - they were acting like characters rather than real people, and tossing around a lot of lazy, unnecessary movie-style dialogue to boot.
From skimming to the end, it seems like they all survive and get a happy ending, which is a bit of a let-down for something that started out so scary and disturbing.
Overall disappointing, but not too bad. I reckon it could have done with another good edit to trim it down and get to the good bits faster. The graves-under-the-tree stuff was great, and I wanted much more of the Night Man!
There's a heck of a lot of spelling-out being done as well - even for a kid readership, you don't need to explain everything, and it would have been much more mysterious and interesting if things were implied rather than stated outright. Show, don't tell! It's also quite obvious where the author's got some kind of private in-joke going on (like a chapter weirdly called 'Pit and Pockets', aka 'pita pockets', or strong references to other stories like Sleepy Hollow) which stand out and remind you that you're reading a story rather than letting you immerse yourself in the world.
I also didn't like how the characters started doing stupid things just for the plot, like deciding to stay at the house after swearing to run away the night before. Molly continually lying to her brother also seemed unrealistic and made me feel unsympathetic towards her. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief that much - they were acting like characters rather than real people, and tossing around a lot of lazy, unnecessary movie-style dialogue to boot.
From skimming to the end, it seems like they all survive and get a happy ending, which is a bit of a let-down for something that started out so scary and disturbing.
Overall disappointing, but not too bad. I reckon it could have done with another good edit to trim it down and get to the good bits faster. The graves-under-the-tree stuff was great, and I wanted much more of the Night Man!
dahliagreenleaf's review against another edition
5.0
THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!
I loved the setting, it was super cool.
this book was really creepy but also very dark academia(aka be gay do crime in latin)
kip is my little child and i love him so much
kip is probably gay
Ahhhh this book was SO GOOD!!!
I loved the setting, it was super cool.
this book was really creepy but also very dark academia(aka be gay do crime in latin)
kip is my little child and i love him so much
kip is probably gay
Ahhhh this book was SO GOOD!!!
karrama's review against another edition
4.0
A very richly told story in a dark and spooky corner of the world, Kip and Molly come to life through their interactions with their new home and the house's owner. This story is spooky, it enriches your life, and instills a meta-understanding. You see what's happening, but do you really know? To paraphrase Kip, "Is it a story if the other person believes it?"
mrsbettysbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0