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quirkybibliophile's review
3.0
I really enjoyed that the main character was naive and acted her age. I read too many books that are meant for a younger audience in which the protagonist seems like they are an adult and it throws me off. It was refreshing to read something different as Mollie gets into a whole lot of trouble for being a child.
Something else that I liked was the way that the twists unfolded, it seemed like there was no substance to them but as I kept reading I thought differently. I thought it was great that there was an element of surprise but it didn't throw off the main course of the book. I also liked that the twists were simple enough for 5-7 graders to understand and still want to read more.
Something else that I liked was the way that the twists unfolded, it seemed like there was no substance to them but as I kept reading I thought differently. I thought it was great that there was an element of surprise but it didn't throw off the main course of the book. I also liked that the twists were simple enough for 5-7 graders to understand and still want to read more.
meubanks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-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? It's complicated
3.5
corncobwebs's review against another edition
The next time you are in the woods, walk softly and speak quietly. Be alert to rustlings and scurrying in the underbrush. Take note of sudden flurries in the leaves at the tops of trees. Be aware of long-eared rabbits hiding in the ferns and sharp-eyed birds perched on branches. You never know how near the Kinde Folke may be, gliding silently through the woods in their cloaks of invisibility. Should you meet such a one, do not believe a word she says. Accept no gifts. Be polite, but hurry on your way and do not look back.
mshiiken's review
4.0
This was another spooky entry from Hahn! I enjoyed this one quite a bit and I'm glad I read it. For the kids in your life, you may find that this is appropriately spooky but not too spooky. For me, the prose was a little tough to follow at times, but this book is deffo appropriate for kids who like scary stories and aren't afraid of written dialects.
volet's review
2.0
This book did not hold my interest I got tired of it by chapter eight. But I still do love Mary Downing Hahn and most of her books.
bookdragon_library's review
4.0
The audio was excellent. The narrator with the Irish accent set the tone and made the play on Irish fairy lore come to life. Her voice for the Changeling was distinct and appropriately baby/creepy-ish for the tone of the book. I do not know if I would have liked the book as much if I had read it versus being enchanted by the narrator.
Despite what I felt was a creepy cover, it isn't that "scary" of a book. I am familiar with fairie lore and the idea of Changelings so I thought it was interesting. I didn't end up with a clear understanding of what a "traveler" was though which was another sort of type of person, like humans and Kinde Folk. This could have been due to me getting distracted though while listening to the audio. The main character Mollie Cloverall starts out easy to dislike and leaves you questioning a bit which way her story will go. She is jealous of her perfectly adorable baby brother and the attention he gets and the beautiful protective necklace and she becomes the cause of him getting switched with the changeling.
There starts to be a little bit of character redemption when she decides (finally) to go look for her brother. She takes the Changeling called Guest along with her with the intent of trading for her brother. They meet a traveler who who helps them along and there are twists and turns. Slowly, Mollie and Guests relationship starts to change and so does Mollie's intent with the Kinde Folk and her brother. Her character becomes easier to like as the book goes on and she is less jealous and mean towards Guest. I felt the climax was a bit lacking in action maybe but for a middle grade book it has the right level of eeriness. The talk of breast-feeding at the beginning will probably have the younger readers giggling and slightly older readers joking.
The dad is a pretty big jerk in that he leaves his wife and daughter behind when the changeling shows up because he "can't handle it" and then all of a sudden at the end he is back in the story. Like he magically appeared again and the mom and daughter just forgave him for being a jerk and leaving them to struggle and take care of the Changeling for over a year. Also, maybe I missed it but unsure if the "grandma" gave false advice on purpose or not about feeding human milk to the changeling when it really needed cows milk and food to start thriving and behaving. Did she just not know even though she is a sort of witch or did she want to see them struggle? The ending was a little fitting for a book with an eerie tone because it didn't tie everything up all completely rosey but satisfactory on the "happy" ending.
Themes: Irish Fairie lore, magic, scary genre
Despite what I felt was a creepy cover, it isn't that "scary" of a book. I am familiar with fairie lore and the idea of Changelings so I thought it was interesting. I didn't end up with a clear understanding of what a "traveler" was though which was another sort of type of person, like humans and Kinde Folk. This could have been due to me getting distracted though while listening to the audio. The main character Mollie Cloverall starts out easy to dislike and leaves you questioning a bit which way her story will go. She is jealous of her perfectly adorable baby brother and the attention he gets and the beautiful protective necklace and she becomes the cause of him getting switched with the changeling.
There starts to be a little bit of character redemption when she decides (finally) to go look for her brother. She takes the Changeling called Guest along with her with the intent of trading for her brother. They meet a traveler who who helps them along and there are twists and turns. Slowly, Mollie and Guests relationship starts to change and so does Mollie's intent with the Kinde Folk and her brother. Her character becomes easier to like as the book goes on and she is less jealous and mean towards Guest. I felt the climax was a bit lacking in action maybe but for a middle grade book it has the right level of eeriness. The talk of breast-feeding at the beginning will probably have the younger readers giggling and slightly older readers joking.
The dad is a pretty big jerk in that he leaves his wife and daughter behind when the changeling shows up because he "can't handle it" and then all of a sudden at the end he is back in the story. Like he magically appeared again and the mom and daughter just forgave him for being a jerk and leaving them to struggle and take care of the Changeling for over a year. Also, maybe I missed it but unsure if the "grandma" gave false advice on purpose or not about feeding human milk to the changeling when it really needed cows milk and food to start thriving and behaving. Did she just not know even though she is a sort of witch or did she want to see them struggle? The ending was a little fitting for a book with an eerie tone because it didn't tie everything up all completely rosey but satisfactory on the "happy" ending.
Themes: Irish Fairie lore, magic, scary genre
kristinakg's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
paxbillton's review
3.0
Another fabulous offering from my personal queen of children's ghost stories! As always, a quick read with lots of twists and turns. I was invested from page one, but the third act twist had me racing to the end to see what happens. Highly recommend this one!