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jeneenthepharm's review
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
madeleineem's review
4.0
Childhood favorite of mine! I love re-reading the series every once and a while.
ostrichzzz's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Toy Story, The Borrowers - and something of its own.
Who doesn't love the idea of toys coming to life when humans aren't around? I remember very well fantasising about this as a child. This story feeds directly into that reverie, and I would have LOVED this as a child, it would have enthralled me.
Our characters are dolls, living in a doll house in the bedroom of a girl whose mother and grandmother also played with them. A family, with parents, children, a nanny, they are wooden, traditional models, and well looked after. But Annabelle, much like Arrietty in the Borrowers, has yearnings to explore more than the doll house, as well as the urge to find out what happened to her aunt, who disappeared decades before and whom nobody ever speaks of.
It is the appearance of her aunt's diary and the arrival of a new family of plastic dolls for a younger human in the house that changes Arrietty's everyday world and opens up her existence to wider possibilities.
Selznick gives us his superlative black-and-white drawings, showing the dolls in their houses as realistic wooden/plastic toys one moment and strangely-shaped moving and thinking beings the next. They enrich the story and give the characters life.
The story is wonderful for readers - the life of a doll and how they see the human world, the rules of keeping the secret from people, the mystery of what has happened to Auntie Sarah, the introduction of new and different dolls. Having two very different families of dolls was intriguing, though the possible differences and how the families related to each other seemed skirted over a little, it could have featured more.
Martin creates a very relatable world from a doll's point of view, Selznick ably assisting with his illustrations. Annabelle is a very appealing Arrietty-like heroine, with touches of a Toy Story Woody in there too.
This is one I only heard of recently, it was included on my son's '100 Book Bucket List', so I expect he'll be asking to try it soon too. Most enjoyable, and one for youngsters aged 7-11.
Who doesn't love the idea of toys coming to life when humans aren't around? I remember very well fantasising about this as a child. This story feeds directly into that reverie, and I would have LOVED this as a child, it would have enthralled me.
Our characters are dolls, living in a doll house in the bedroom of a girl whose mother and grandmother also played with them. A family, with parents, children, a nanny, they are wooden, traditional models, and well looked after. But Annabelle, much like Arrietty in the Borrowers, has yearnings to explore more than the doll house, as well as the urge to find out what happened to her aunt, who disappeared decades before and whom nobody ever speaks of.
It is the appearance of her aunt's diary and the arrival of a new family of plastic dolls for a younger human in the house that changes Arrietty's everyday world and opens up her existence to wider possibilities.
Selznick gives us his superlative black-and-white drawings, showing the dolls in their houses as realistic wooden/plastic toys one moment and strangely-shaped moving and thinking beings the next. They enrich the story and give the characters life.
The story is wonderful for readers - the life of a doll and how they see the human world, the rules of keeping the secret from people, the mystery of what has happened to Auntie Sarah, the introduction of new and different dolls. Having two very different families of dolls was intriguing, though the possible differences and how the families related to each other seemed skirted over a little, it could have featured more.
Martin creates a very relatable world from a doll's point of view, Selznick ably assisting with his illustrations. Annabelle is a very appealing Arrietty-like heroine, with touches of a Toy Story Woody in there too.
This is one I only heard of recently, it was included on my son's '100 Book Bucket List', so I expect he'll be asking to try it soon too. Most enjoyable, and one for youngsters aged 7-11.
rachelfaye's review
5.0
This book has lived in my heart since I read it as a child. It was the first and only book I remember staying up past my bedtime, reading by flashlight under my covers. I cannot wait to buy it again and rediscover the magic :).
mckennac00's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0