Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed this middle grade mystery set in ancient Rome. The diverse cast of characters are well-developed, and the setting is protrayed quite realistically without being overly descriptive. There's action and suspense, each "scroll" ends with a cliff-hanger, and the audio book had a good narrator. It's kind of like the Marcus Didius Falco series scaled down for kids... and a much easier read because of it. I'll probably work my way through the series whenever I need something easier and enjoyable after reading something more challenging.

beth_books_123's review against another edition

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4.0

I MISSED the moment they found out who the murderer was - 5*

I'm upping it to 5* because honestly the children adored it and were hooked.

Perfect opening book for the start of the academic year!
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My first read for the 2020-2021 academic year - 4*

I'm planning to read all the books that I will teach over the 2020-2021 academic year this summer and I'm starting with my first book with my first topic. We won't be starting this straightaway as we have a Recovery Curriculum to teach... For I Am Warrior, we will be reading this.

I will read it again before I read it with the children as this will be used for both guided reading and a novel study so I'll have to actually plan for that. (I will end up reading this book a minimum of three times.) I really enjoyed the mystery side of it and I hope the children will too. It is actually really surprising to have the Christian/Catholic values woven into this story as well. I'm looking forward to teaching it.

Parts of the book I think will be difficult with children - the word 'bitch', the fact a dog is actually getting beheaded and the bereaved father who drinks too much and jumps off a lighthouse.

johanna_b's review against another edition

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4.0

Summary:
Flavia Gemina is a detective, when dogs on her street begin to be murdered she sets out with her three new friends, Jonathon, Nubia and Lupus to find the killer!
My thoughts:
For as long as I can remember I have been really fascinated by Ancient Rome. I have read all the other books in this series but realized I had never read the first one! It was really fun to see how the friends came together. One thing that I thought was really cool about this book was how up until the last chapter the book spans over just three days! But there was so much action and adventure packed inside that it felt so much longer! I have read almost all of Caroline Lawrence's books and had the pleasure of seeing her in person as well. If you are looking for a light fun read set in Ancient Rome, read this book, and the twelve that follow.
Rating: I give this book 4.5 stars because it is a really fun book and even though I want to give all the books I read 5 stars this isn't the best book I've ever read.
Similar Reads:
Another book similar to this that I really enjoyed but is probably for more of a YA audience was Curses and Smoke by Vicky Alvear Shecter

Thank you Caroline Lawrence and everyone else who made this book possible!!

sashagriffiths's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

gigi95's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

13delathauwere's review against another edition

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adventurous informative lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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