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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Oskar and tilly are off to find the archivists with their sort of map at the ready the adventure begins
I love this series. As a bookseller I see them as such a beautiful tribute to books and bookstores, especially this one.
Anna James has a way with words that makes her the perfect author for a book about people who can wander through books.
Anna James has a way with words that makes her the perfect author for a book about people who can wander through books.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
I have immensely enjoyed bookwandering with Tilly up until this point, but I never fell in completely love with a Pages & Co book until this one, struggling to get past some of the politics. But from the very first page, Tilly and the Map of Stories drew me into the magical world of stories in a way the previous two books hadn't yet - the most perfect bookseller joke. And it just got better from there.
The Map of Stories is pure comfort because it is a much-needed reminder of why all of us book worms are so entranced by 'book magic.' It's stories that draw us in, and imagination that fuels them. Anna James has made perfect use of both in a tale where the good guys win, but you never know what's around the corner along the way. With high stakes, magic trains, returning classic characters, and new author cameos (who are immediately recognizable), dare I say this might be the perfect bookish adventure?
11/19/2020: On the front cover, a blurb read ‘as comforting as hot chocolate.’ I’ll drink some cocoa to that and come back with a review of one of the sweetest, most wonderful bookish books ever soon...
The Map of Stories is pure comfort because it is a much-needed reminder of why all of us book worms are so entranced by 'book magic.' It's stories that draw us in, and imagination that fuels them. Anna James has made perfect use of both in a tale where the good guys win, but you never know what's around the corner along the way. With high stakes, magic trains, returning classic characters, and new author cameos (who are immediately recognizable), dare I say this might be the perfect bookish adventure?
11/19/2020: On the front cover, a blurb read ‘as comforting as hot chocolate.’ I’ll drink some cocoa to that and come back with a review of one of the sweetest, most wonderful bookish books ever soon...
Read this as a read-aloud with my kids (10 and 13). But unfortunately didn't realize that it was part of a series. It's not marked on the cover or the binding and we picked it up at a small bookstore that only had this volume in stock. So we thought it was a stand-alone. None of us understood what was going on for the first quarter of the book and it was only then that I looked it up and saw that it was part of a series. We finished it to the end, and I think we probably would have really enjoyed it if we had read the first two. But unfortunately my kids weren't up for starting from book 1 -- they weren't that invested in the characters.
I think if I were younger I would enjoy this book more.
The concept is cool but some parts get a bit confusing. Lots of speeches revolve around explaining politics and stuff and the talk about the Underwoods being evil-overlords, which stifles the excitement and slows the pace down. The writing style's getting ponderous at times, and there seems to be more 'telling' than 'showing'.
Some places and characters are underdeveloped. Grandma and Grandad are sidelined, Oskar doesn't do much except follow Tilly around, Orlando and Jorge simply plot devices: we hardly know them, the same as Milo and Horatio and Artemis. Shakespeare's Sisters and the Library of Congress and even the Globe are simply mentioned, like a flash, a glimpse taking up two pages then never seen again. This is so unsatisfying. I feel that if you want to include a place or a new character, you got to give it at least a bit of depth. All the way there's only a vague sense of danger and urgency, and in the end not all loose ends are tied up.
OK, now the better points.
Wow, there's Shakespeare! And Fitzgerald! And Jane Austen! AND the writer uses their own distinctive voices for these characters, which is impressive. I simply wish we get to see Charles Dickens too, but alas.
Oskar's a great comic relief.
The message about reading, imagining and writing about books is inspiring.
Read, imagine, and keep the magic going.
The concept is cool but some parts get a bit confusing. Lots of speeches revolve around explaining politics and stuff and the talk about the Underwoods being evil-overlords, which stifles the excitement and slows the pace down. The writing style's getting ponderous at times, and there seems to be more 'telling' than 'showing'.
Some places and characters are underdeveloped. Grandma and Grandad are sidelined, Oskar doesn't do much except follow Tilly around, Orlando and Jorge simply plot devices: we hardly know them, the same as Milo and Horatio and Artemis. Shakespeare's Sisters and the Library of Congress and even the Globe are simply mentioned, like a flash, a glimpse taking up two pages then never seen again. This is so unsatisfying. I feel that if you want to include a place or a new character, you got to give it at least a bit of depth. All the way there's only a vague sense of danger and urgency, and in the end not all loose ends are tied up.
Spoiler
The ending seems too simple compared to all the lengths characters go to. How Orlando and Jorge got away? What's the favour Horatio asked? Anne and Alice haven't appeared much and that's kind of disappointing. The part in Sherlock Holmes is quite interesting, but I would be happier if it's longer.OK, now the better points.
Wow, there's Shakespeare! And Fitzgerald! And Jane Austen! AND the writer uses their own distinctive voices for these characters, which is impressive. I simply wish we get to see Charles Dickens too, but alas.
Oskar's a great comic relief.
The message about reading, imagining and writing about books is inspiring.
Read, imagine, and keep the magic going.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No