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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
The Doldrums is a story of a boy with neither friends nor adventure, desperately longing for both, who gets his wish without ever leaving his home town. Not only did I love this book, but I know that I would have loved this book even more if I read it as a kid. It's funny and unpredictable, and it made me feel intensely (loneliness with Arthur, pride in his friends, fear when the adventure goes awry, and absolute loathing for the villians - Mrs. Murkley and, arguably, Mr. and Mrs. Helmsley).
Mr. Gannon's writing style is simple, accessible, but with a depth not often attempted by children's authors. His story is dotted with observations and truths so profound and simply stated that they can stick with readers, regardless whether they are old enough to fully understand.
Mr. Gannon's characters are those characters of which the feminists and child psychologists say we need more, for the betterment of our children, but they are so perfectly unassuming and ordinary that I had too much fun to notice I was being bettered. When was the last time you read about a character with a wooden leg that wasn't either a bad guy or a tragic ending? Mr. Gannon handles these difficult subjects (loneliness, disappointing your parents, fear, friendship, and yes, even having a wooden leg) with grace and honesty. Each character gives the reader an opportunity to see him- or herself in them, and love what they see.
And the art? Magical. It's simple, but with a delightful level of detail, that complements rather than distracts from the story.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it to readers and dreamers of any age.
Mr. Gannon's writing style is simple, accessible, but with a depth not often attempted by children's authors. His story is dotted with observations and truths so profound and simply stated that they can stick with readers, regardless whether they are old enough to fully understand.
Mr. Gannon's characters are those characters of which the feminists and child psychologists say we need more, for the betterment of our children, but they are so perfectly unassuming and ordinary that I had too much fun to notice I was being bettered. When was the last time you read about a character with a wooden leg that wasn't either a bad guy or a tragic ending? Mr. Gannon handles these difficult subjects (loneliness, disappointing your parents, fear, friendship, and yes, even having a wooden leg) with grace and honesty. Each character gives the reader an opportunity to see him- or herself in them, and love what they see.
And the art? Magical. It's simple, but with a delightful level of detail, that complements rather than distracts from the story.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it to readers and dreamers of any age.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I found the text to be about a 3 and the illustrations a 5. The story never gets very far, but not in a bad way, although if you expect thrilling adventures at every turn I do think you'll be disappointed. There's just a lot of talk about adventuring, but very little actual adventuring goes on. Instead it's a tale of friendship and going after your dreams, injected with a fair amount of silliness. So while it's technically realistic fiction, there's a twist of silly and a dash of adventurous spirit that make this a little different.
The illustrations surprised me. There's more than I expected and they're full color. And so much detail! At least one of the illustrations is a double-spread fisheye. They are amazing and I only wish there were more.
The illustrations surprised me. There's more than I expected and they're full color. And so much detail! At least one of the illustrations is a double-spread fisheye. They are amazing and I only wish there were more.
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun quick fast-paced read that just instantly pulled you in from page one. I loved the artwork in this book, I felt it really went well with this story. It was quirky and a bit strange at times but an overall fun read. Hopefully the second one comes out soon, I'm interested to see what will happen.
Breath of fresh air and just what I needed to motivate me into reading. Finished it super quickly. An extremely fun read. Picking up the second book now.