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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
haters will compare this to harry potter when it’s closer to x-men. yes it’s childish and yes my joy for this series is 50% nostalgia but this is genuinely such a fun plot/conspiracy with cute good-natured characters and to young readers I recommend it over hp
This was a beloved book series from my childhood that I recently decided to pick up and re-read. And oh my goodness, I wasn't expecting this, but IT'S STILL SO GOOD.
This was honestly so much fun to dive into again, after all these years, and fall in love with the story all over again. Considering everything and considering all the books I've read since reading this, I can say that this is actually a really, really good book series. The writing is lovely and incredibly descriptive and gave off very warm, autumnal vibes for me—flickering candles and windy days and quaint old bookshops. The characters are all memorable and you quickly form attachments to many of them. In that way, it reminded me of the Harry Potter series, where you pick up the book and become acquainted with all the characters and get warm fuzzies just thinking about them.
Granted, this is a middle grade book and there are definitely times when this comes across with the dialogue and such. But all in all, this is a damn good middle grade novel, and one that I personally think is vastly under-appreciated. I'm so glad that I've re-read this book, and I'm just as hooked into the story as I was when I first read it in elementary school... and now I kind of have to read the rest of the series!
This was honestly so much fun to dive into again, after all these years, and fall in love with the story all over again. Considering everything and considering all the books I've read since reading this, I can say that this is actually a really, really good book series. The writing is lovely and incredibly descriptive and gave off very warm, autumnal vibes for me—flickering candles and windy days and quaint old bookshops. The characters are all memorable and you quickly form attachments to many of them. In that way, it reminded me of the Harry Potter series, where you pick up the book and become acquainted with all the characters and get warm fuzzies just thinking about them.
Granted, this is a middle grade book and there are definitely times when this comes across with the dialogue and such. But all in all, this is a damn good middle grade novel, and one that I personally think is vastly under-appreciated. I'm so glad that I've re-read this book, and I'm just as hooked into the story as I was when I first read it in elementary school... and now I kind of have to read the rest of the series!
This series was recommended because of Douglas's obsession with Harry Potter. And he's plowing through these as well, done with 4 so far and loving it.
Someone please explain to me why this series ever gets compared to Harry Potter? Aside from a young male protagonist who, unsurprisingly at his age, is a student, I see no similarities whatsoever. Can this tedious comparison please end?
This was just good fun.
Edit: August 21 2023
Reread because I got the box set at a used book sale. Didn’t remember much but this go wasn’t quite as fun as the first (which was 2014).
Edit: August 21 2023
Reread because I got the box set at a used book sale. Didn’t remember much but this go wasn’t quite as fun as the first (which was 2014).
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read this book a long, long, loooong time ago and never finished the series. I decided I wanted to finish the series when I scored a majority of the series a while back at a book sale, so I knew I would have to read the first book again because I remembered nothing.
This was...all over the place. The plot has some serious potential - and maybe it gets fleshed out more in the next books - but there is so much going on and it happens so fast that I really have no idea what I'm reading about. Hardly anything is explained well enough to keep me biting my nails and desperate for book two and everything is solved so simply and easily. I mean, I get that it's middle grade, but that doesn't mean our protagonist can't have a few road blocks.
In the end, I just ended up really confused. I'll probably at least give the next two or three books a shot to see how this plays out and if it will keep my interest, but I'm in no rush.
This was...all over the place. The plot has some serious potential - and maybe it gets fleshed out more in the next books - but there is so much going on and it happens so fast that I really have no idea what I'm reading about. Hardly anything is explained well enough to keep me biting my nails and desperate for book two and everything is solved so simply and easily. I mean, I get that it's middle grade, but that doesn't mean our protagonist can't have a few road blocks.
In the end, I just ended up really confused. I'll probably at least give the next two or three books a shot to see how this plays out and if it will keep my interest, but I'm in no rush.