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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
An old childhood favorite of mine that I'm now rereading. Sort of a vague knockoff Harry Potter series. Charlie Bone is a little on the younger side then even the first Harry Potter book. The writing is just a touch more immature and simplistic.
It's still a fun enough read and I can see why I enjoyed them a lot as a kid, but unlike some other middle grade reads, this book series doesn't appear at first glance to have aged as well in my adulthood. I can read the Warriors cat series over and over again and still love it, and Percy Jackson is an excellent middle grade/young adult series still even in adulthood. This series I think doesn't hold up quite as well. I'd still recommend to kids though. If you have middle schoolers, I'd say get them this series. It's quite fun.
It's still a fun enough read and I can see why I enjoyed them a lot as a kid, but unlike some other middle grade reads, this book series doesn't appear at first glance to have aged as well in my adulthood. I can read the Warriors cat series over and over again and still love it, and Percy Jackson is an excellent middle grade/young adult series still even in adulthood. This series I think doesn't hold up quite as well. I'd still recommend to kids though. If you have middle schoolers, I'd say get them this series. It's quite fun.
certainly not a bad book and has many interesting and likable characters. however the writing is much too young for my own tastes. smaller kids who love magic would be really into it though.
when i was in middle school, i went through a huge fantasy phase, and anything even vaguely related to harry potter, i read. charlie bone is similar to harry potter in that he goes to a school because he finds out he has magical powers and has to go to a special school laden with mystery, but the storyline is so different that it's incredibly enjoyable in itself and i'd recommend it for elementary or middle-school aged children for sure.
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Tier 4/5
4.25 stars
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I really liked this series as a kid and decided to reread it since I don't really remember any of it. This book is perfect if you want the simplicity of middle grade with a story that doesn't feel super childish. I've seen it compared to Harry Potter, which I disagree with beyond the fact that it's urban fantasy with children who have magic. This is much more subtle than HP and the tone's pretty different.
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I like that it focuses on mystery and intrigue rather than humor like a lot of middle-grade. Nimmo creates tension with power politics within a family set against each other seen from the perspective of Charlie, a newcomer to his family's heritage and conflicts over the "endowments" they've been born with because of their ancestor, a magician called the Red King. The tension is a subtle one revealed in heavy-handed foreshadowing and information reviled to the reader but not the characters who need it; it's just enough.
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I also liked how Nimmo didn't waste time propping up obvious plot twists. The hunt for the missing baby, which was the main plot anchor, could have been drawn out as this big mystery. Instead, Nimmo resolved the mystery "early' and used the fallout to finally shove the power grappling characters into an actual battle (which sadly happened offscreen, but I know there will be more satisfying ones in future books).
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The magic system fascinates me because the "bad" characters tend to have abilities like comic superheroes, but the protagonists are either unendowed or have weird abilities (like ) which are best explored in non-combat situations. I love the concept of an endowment running in a specific family. I thought how quickly and seamlessly Charlie learned to use his abilities was odd, but that's a small gripe.
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This book isn't anything incredible, but it's fun and beautifully British even as an adult. The friendships are lovely and the villains clearly villainous in a way only a children's book.
4.25 stars
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I really liked this series as a kid and decided to reread it since I don't really remember any of it. This book is perfect if you want the simplicity of middle grade with a story that doesn't feel super childish. I've seen it compared to Harry Potter, which I disagree with beyond the fact that it's urban fantasy with children who have magic. This is much more subtle than HP and the tone's pretty different.
-
I like that it focuses on mystery and intrigue rather than humor like a lot of middle-grade. Nimmo creates tension with power politics within a family set against each other seen from the perspective of Charlie, a newcomer to his family's heritage and conflicts over the "endowments" they've been born with because of their ancestor, a magician called the Red King. The tension is a subtle one revealed in heavy-handed foreshadowing and information reviled to the reader but not the characters who need it; it's just enough.
-
I also liked how Nimmo didn't waste time propping up obvious plot twists. The hunt for the missing baby, which was the main plot anchor, could have been drawn out as this big mystery. Instead, Nimmo resolved the mystery "early' and used the fallout to finally shove the power grappling characters into an actual battle (which sadly happened offscreen, but I know there will be more satisfying ones in future books).
-
The magic system fascinates me because the "bad" characters tend to have abilities like comic superheroes, but the protagonists are either unendowed or have weird abilities (like ) which are best explored in non-combat situations. I love the concept of an endowment running in a specific family. I thought how quickly and seamlessly Charlie learned to use his abilities was odd, but that's a small gripe.
-
This book isn't anything incredible, but it's fun and beautifully British even as an adult. The friendships are lovely and the villains clearly villainous in a way only a children's book.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love reading middle grade books before bed (nothing too thought provoking) and I was happy to revisit the world of Charlie Bone. Whimsical, enchanting, and cute.
Solid book with an interesting story. This book was a gift for my son and we both liked it. I am interested to see where the series goes.
You might like this series if you like Harry Potter. I liked this book, but as the series went on I got tired of them and stopped reading.