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pagesofglory22's review against another edition
5.0
A Clock of Stars is a magical middle grade story that deals with universal topics. We follow two sisters, Imogen and Marie, as they discover a secret door in a tree and get stuck in a world filled with monsters. They team up with a spoilt prince in an attempt to find their way back home.
The plot was fun and fast-paced, making sure that the reader is entertained. The world was well fleshed out, and the story is filled with a mix of humour, whimsy, and slightly grim aspects (though all on a level that is appropriate for children.)
Imogen and Marie are excellent examples of how children in literature should be written - they act like actual children, instead of incredibly unrealistic, mature heroes. They get jealous, they get scared, they make mistakes. The other characters were all interesting and very well-developed for a middle grade book.
The writing was easy to follow, while still being incredibly descriptive and atmospheric.
Overall, I think this is a wonderful read if you're looking to bring some fun and magic into your life. A perfect read for children and adults alike!
* I was gifted a free copy of this book by Jonathan Ball Publishers and Jonathan Ball Childrens in exchange for an honest review *
The plot was fun and fast-paced, making sure that the reader is entertained. The world was well fleshed out, and the story is filled with a mix of humour, whimsy, and slightly grim aspects (though all on a level that is appropriate for children.)
Imogen and Marie are excellent examples of how children in literature should be written - they act like actual children, instead of incredibly unrealistic, mature heroes. They get jealous, they get scared, they make mistakes. The other characters were all interesting and very well-developed for a middle grade book.
The writing was easy to follow, while still being incredibly descriptive and atmospheric.
Overall, I think this is a wonderful read if you're looking to bring some fun and magic into your life. A perfect read for children and adults alike!
* I was gifted a free copy of this book by Jonathan Ball Publishers and Jonathan Ball Childrens in exchange for an honest review *
glanecia's review against another edition
4.0
This book started out at a 3/5 rating for me, but it ended with a solid 4/5 rating. I was interested in the moth and I was interested in how the adventure took place. However, I disliked the main character Imogen. I did not believe that a child of her age would act so immature. She behaved more like a five-year-old. Although, some children do act much younger than they actually are. The setting was interesting to me. I appreciated the descriptions of the forest and city. The writing style felt jagged, and the plot was very uninteresting for most of the first half of the book. Then, about halfway through, the plot thickened. It was exciting. It was interesting. It was the perfect kind of nonsense. I really enjoyed how the story wrapped up at the end. It was exactly like reading a fairytale, somewhere between Narnia and Alice in Wonderland - yet entirely its own story.
thebooksareeverywhere's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Kaleidoscopic Tours and Harper Collins for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so much fun! I don’t read much middle grade, but I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this. It follows the story of two sisters who find a hidden door to a world. It had such Narnia vibes which I loved and felt perfect for Autumn.
The characters were great and I thought they were very well written. We had so many people to be introduced to: the sisters, Miro and the rest of the royal family in this mystical land, and their enemies, the skret. The skret felt like such cool monsters but I adored how they ended up being so much more – having their own story which was interwoven with the land and the royal family themselves. The two sisters were such lovely characters and it felt so bittersweet to leave them at the end of the story.
Some of my favourite parts of the book were the parts travelling across the land, which sounded beautiful and fantastical. I loved the tree-houses and the castle itself, with the rich descriptions working well alongside Riddell’s beautiful drawings. I loved the adventure aspect, with the plot being so fun and entertaining as they discovered more and more about the world.
My only slight complaint is this book seemed quite long (especially for a middle grade!) and the plot did lose me slightly at times. Other than that, this is definitely worth a read and I can see a younger me loving it!
★★★★
4 out of 5 stars
-Beth
May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽
This book was so much fun! I don’t read much middle grade, but I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this. It follows the story of two sisters who find a hidden door to a world. It had such Narnia vibes which I loved and felt perfect for Autumn.
The characters were great and I thought they were very well written. We had so many people to be introduced to: the sisters, Miro and the rest of the royal family in this mystical land, and their enemies, the skret. The skret felt like such cool monsters but I adored how they ended up being so much more – having their own story which was interwoven with the land and the royal family themselves. The two sisters were such lovely characters and it felt so bittersweet to leave them at the end of the story.
Some of my favourite parts of the book were the parts travelling across the land, which sounded beautiful and fantastical. I loved the tree-houses and the castle itself, with the rich descriptions working well alongside Riddell’s beautiful drawings. I loved the adventure aspect, with the plot being so fun and entertaining as they discovered more and more about the world.
My only slight complaint is this book seemed quite long (especially for a middle grade!) and the plot did lose me slightly at times. Other than that, this is definitely worth a read and I can see a younger me loving it!
★★★★
4 out of 5 stars
-Beth
May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽
alrauna's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
morvvenna's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
charlottesomewhere's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
An absolutely brilliant MG adventure. I loved the months. Imogen is a brilliant character and I loved how she teaches the prince what friendship means. Really enjoyed this one.
hyperbooktivity's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? Yes
3.75
confessions_of_a_bookaholic's review against another edition
4.0
When Imogen follows a moth through a secret door into another world, her first thought is to be annoyed with her little sister Marie for following her and ruining her adventure. Facing threat by some mysterious creatures, the girls stumble across an unlikely saviour, Prince Miroslav of Yaroslav, a spoilt young prince who is looking for friends. Reluctantly the prince agrees to help Imogen and Marie find their way home, but first they must save Yaroslav from the very same monsters that nearly killed them.
I'm a huge fan of middle grade fantasy as those who follow my blog will know, so this one was already ticking boxes, and then I saw that it was illustrated by Chris Riddell and had to get myself a copy!
This book ticks all of the boxes for a fantastic middle grade read - two young girls step through a door into another world, filled with mysterious creatures and a touch of magic. I've been longing to find a door like this pretty much since I was old enough to read, and will never tire of the storyline! Yaroslav is a world not a million miles away from our own, except for the threat of the skret that come every night. It's a world that you can quickly settle in to, and Imogen and Marie certainly have a great time adventuring around the castle.
In terms of characters I have to say that I wasn't a huge fan of Imogen. I think Francesca hit the nail on the head when describing sisters who bicker and fight, and Imogen is the epitome of the grumpy older child who resents their younger sibling. She was very self centred and even though I knew she was a child I found it hard to forgive her. I actually liked Miro more even though he was a spoiled brat of a Prince! At least Miro has the excuse of not really knowing better as he doesn't get to mix with other kids very often.
Despite not warming to Imogen I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and will definitely be reading the second book. It's great fun, and one I'm sure younger readers will fall in love with.
I'm a huge fan of middle grade fantasy as those who follow my blog will know, so this one was already ticking boxes, and then I saw that it was illustrated by Chris Riddell and had to get myself a copy!
This book ticks all of the boxes for a fantastic middle grade read - two young girls step through a door into another world, filled with mysterious creatures and a touch of magic. I've been longing to find a door like this pretty much since I was old enough to read, and will never tire of the storyline! Yaroslav is a world not a million miles away from our own, except for the threat of the skret that come every night. It's a world that you can quickly settle in to, and Imogen and Marie certainly have a great time adventuring around the castle.
In terms of characters I have to say that I wasn't a huge fan of Imogen. I think Francesca hit the nail on the head when describing sisters who bicker and fight, and Imogen is the epitome of the grumpy older child who resents their younger sibling. She was very self centred and even though I knew she was a child I found it hard to forgive her. I actually liked Miro more even though he was a spoiled brat of a Prince! At least Miro has the excuse of not really knowing better as he doesn't get to mix with other kids very often.
Despite not warming to Imogen I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and will definitely be reading the second book. It's great fun, and one I'm sure younger readers will fall in love with.
pandaaaaa14's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lucien_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This first novel in the A Clock of Stars series is a magical middle-grade novel with themes of family, friendship, and adventure. The author's use of multiple perspectives works wonderfully to create clever, complicated characters, and the protagonists learn and grow throughout the novel. With the exception of the surprisingly dark twist at the end, the story is a classic fun-filled fantasy full of fantastic drawings from the famous Chris Riddell. Definitely one to check out!