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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this an am looking forward to where the story goes from here.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Really interesting way to weave religious theoretical concepts into a fantasy book
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5 stars. I'm guessing I would have liked this a lot more when I was younger.
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Meant for children but the writing style and subject matter in dept is very mature so enjoyable as an adult
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
At its best, this book is fantastic. I read this to attempt to get inside Pullman's head, and while a lot of it is worldbuilding, you start to see the foundations of something truly epic. I went into this thinking it was Atheist Narnia, when really it feels a lot more like the Atheist Space Trilogy, with maybe a bit of Magician's Nephew thrown in. Yet comparisons feel incomplete. Pullman's created a rich world that echoes ours but doesn't quite match it, where humans are incomplete without their daemons, spirits that mimic animals but are not quite them, where words are ever so slightly different (archaic terms seem to be more common, for one), and where witches and talking bears live in the frozen North.
Never fear, though, there's down-to-earth moments in between all that. Most of them are welcome, but towards the beginning, at Oxford, the book stalls out a bit and almost feels like a different novel entirely. It felt like the opportunities they were taking could've been different and placed elsewhere. I also wonder how Roma people would react to the "gyptians" or Romani analogues, which figure prominently in the book.
As a middle grade novel, this book is superb. It doesn't talk down to kids, introduces them to the concept of catharsis, and encourages them to act questions and seek truth. Pullman's truth may be obscured, but the Dust will clear in the sequels, and I can't wait for that to happen.
Never fear, though, there's down-to-earth moments in between all that. Most of them are welcome, but towards the beginning, at Oxford, the book stalls out a bit and almost feels like a different novel entirely. It felt like the opportunities they were taking could've been different and placed elsewhere. I also wonder how Roma people would react to the "gyptians" or Romani analogues, which figure prominently in the book.
As a middle grade novel, this book is superb. It doesn't talk down to kids, introduces them to the concept of catharsis, and encourages them to act questions and seek truth. Pullman's truth may be obscured, but the Dust will clear in the sequels, and I can't wait for that to happen.
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes