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lmn9812's review against another edition
5.0
This book made me love beetles. I’m talking picking-them-up-and-talking-to-them kind of love. But this book is SO MUCH MORE than that. There is a letter from Chicken House in the front of the book that compares Beetle Boy to Roald Dahl. Now, I’m going to admit it–I was a little sceptical about that comparison. After reading Beetle Boy, I can say that the comparison is entirely justified.
This book is chockfull of quirky wonder. Darkus, our main character, is smart, determined and SO kind (BAXTER IS EQUALLY LOVELY!), and I absolutely love his two new friends, Bertolt and Virginia, and Uncle Max. I have to say though, the stand out (in a bad way) characters in Beetle Boy HAVE to be the utterly repulsive next door neighbours, Humphrey and Pickering, who are the most disgustingly delightful henchman. Our main villain, the fabulously named Lucretia, is terrifying. ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING. I was sometimes nervous turning the page because of whatever evil plan she’d dreamed up.
The plot is beautifully developed, I absolutely loved the mystery element, and the build up to the conclusion was nerve-wracking and action packed. The writing is equally gorgeous–there are some seriously quotable sentences.
I am SO excited that there is going to be more Beetle Boy books. This book absolutely blew me away–I read it in one sitting and didn’t want it to end. If you’re looking for a BRILLIANT UK MG book, read this book ASAP.
This book is chockfull of quirky wonder. Darkus, our main character, is smart, determined and SO kind (BAXTER IS EQUALLY LOVELY!), and I absolutely love his two new friends, Bertolt and Virginia, and Uncle Max. I have to say though, the stand out (in a bad way) characters in Beetle Boy HAVE to be the utterly repulsive next door neighbours, Humphrey and Pickering, who are the most disgustingly delightful henchman. Our main villain, the fabulously named Lucretia, is terrifying. ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING. I was sometimes nervous turning the page because of whatever evil plan she’d dreamed up.
The plot is beautifully developed, I absolutely loved the mystery element, and the build up to the conclusion was nerve-wracking and action packed. The writing is equally gorgeous–there are some seriously quotable sentences.
I am SO excited that there is going to be more Beetle Boy books. This book absolutely blew me away–I read it in one sitting and didn’t want it to end. If you’re looking for a BRILLIANT UK MG book, read this book ASAP.
bigbeardedbookseller's review against another edition
4.0
Follow the adventures of Darkus and his friends, Virginia and Bertolt, as they search for his dad who has gone missing from a locked room in the Natural History Museum.
They are joined along the way by Darkus’ Uncle Max and some even more amazing friends, that help in the fight against the evil Lucretia Cutter, (mad? evil?)scientist and fashion designer.
The story is fast paced and exciting, lightened every now and again with touches of humour, especially from the cousins, Pickering and Humphrey, evil and stupid in equal measures.
M.G. Leonard exhibits a real knowledge and love of beetles throughout the book which is peppered with great facts and bits of information.
This is part of a trilogy that includes ‘Beetle Queen’ and the upcoming ‘The Battle of the Beetles’.
The physical book is another beautiful object from Chicken House Publishing and the special edition has beetles on the fore edge (as has the special edition of ‘Beetle Queen’).
This was a well-deserved addition to the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2017 shortlist and is another book that though it is aimed at the Middle Grade reading groups I would highly recommend to everyone to read as it is so well written.
They are joined along the way by Darkus’ Uncle Max and some even more amazing friends, that help in the fight against the evil Lucretia Cutter, (mad? evil?)scientist and fashion designer.
The story is fast paced and exciting, lightened every now and again with touches of humour, especially from the cousins, Pickering and Humphrey, evil and stupid in equal measures.
M.G. Leonard exhibits a real knowledge and love of beetles throughout the book which is peppered with great facts and bits of information.
This is part of a trilogy that includes ‘Beetle Queen’ and the upcoming ‘The Battle of the Beetles’.
The physical book is another beautiful object from Chicken House Publishing and the special edition has beetles on the fore edge (as has the special edition of ‘Beetle Queen’).
This was a well-deserved addition to the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2017 shortlist and is another book that though it is aimed at the Middle Grade reading groups I would highly recommend to everyone to read as it is so well written.
hh78's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jesseking10's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Wasn’t a massive fan of this book. I know it’s probably supposed to be aimed at children, but still, very one dimensional characters, predictable plot which involved morally awful approaches to fighting the bad guys (think arson, violence and lying).
mat_tobin's review against another edition
5.0
This was a great read from start to finish and make no mistake, the beetles are the stars of the book. Leonard writes with a good pace, has a broad range of interesting characters and is, I think, a master of plot: you get a strong feeling that she knows where this series of stories is going and this, the first book, is setting the scene for later stories.
The heroes themselves, led by Darkus, are engaging and diverse and the bad characters are stock enough to almost seem to pop out of a Dahl book which is a very good thing indeed. The chapters themselves are never too long and I really believe that the beetles themselves, as protagonists, are almost guaranteed to bring any reader into the story.
The heroes themselves, led by Darkus, are engaging and diverse and the bad characters are stock enough to almost seem to pop out of a Dahl book which is a very good thing indeed. The chapters themselves are never too long and I really believe that the beetles themselves, as protagonists, are almost guaranteed to bring any reader into the story.
ruthie_the_librarian's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
A bit more fantastical than Twitch (which I *love*) so I didn't get on with this one quite as well. But still a good adventure story.
hegeleen_kissel's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.0
puckhoos's review
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5