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diziet_sma's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
heidi_may91's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jojobear's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Childhood
donnaadouglas's review against another edition
4.0
Read this as a kid - the kind of story that really captures you and takes you along for the ride.
jamesgoodwin1982's review against another edition
3.0
The Dark Portal is the first book in the Deptford Mice Trilogy and was first published in 1989. The book tells the story of the Deptford Mice and the rats who live in the sewers and the mysterious Jupiter who rules over the rats. When mice Audrey and Albert's father is killed in the sewers it leads them on an adventure beneath London to stop Jupiter's evil plans. They encounter a variety of characters including a fortune telling rat, bats and a whole host of other mice and evil rats.
I first read the Dark Portal as a young adult and had the opportunity to revisit it. I really enjoyed how Jarvis created a sinister and dark storyline through great use of the locations and the descriptions. Another highlight of the printed edition are the illustrations themselves which each chapter brings the characters to life and helps to visualise the story.
I found that the story may have aged slightly revisiting it as an adult may have lost some of it's charm to when I read it first nearly 30 years ago.
Overall an enjoyable read and I've managed to get a few more from the series so will revisit these later down the line.
I first read the Dark Portal as a young adult and had the opportunity to revisit it. I really enjoyed how Jarvis created a sinister and dark storyline through great use of the locations and the descriptions. Another highlight of the printed edition are the illustrations themselves which each chapter brings the characters to life and helps to visualise the story.
I found that the story may have aged slightly revisiting it as an adult may have lost some of it's charm to when I read it first nearly 30 years ago.
Overall an enjoyable read and I've managed to get a few more from the series so will revisit these later down the line.
oldenglishrose's review against another edition
4.0
I first read the Deptford Histories Trilogy when I was ten and loved them, so it was a pleasant surprise to discover the first book in the Deptford Mice Trilogy was just as enjoyable now that I'm a bit older. The characters were well created and individual, the story moved along at the perfect pace and it was exciting to read. The pictures from the author really brought the story alive and I found myself looking forward to the next one eagerly.
The thing that I remember most about these books though is being really, really scared by them. I used to have to read them with my back against a wall just so that I could be sure that nothing was coming to get me from behind, and I loved that. Although this book was still darker than a lot of children's fiction, this element wasn't as developed as in Jarvis' other trilogy. Admittedly, the books in the Deptford Histories are much longer and so might be aimed at a slightly older audience, and I am older myself now, but I do still think that this book could have benefited from a little more of the terrifying descriptions that I remember from these books. Although this was still a good book, I felt that the scariness was missing and I hope to find it again in the remaining books of the trilogy.
The thing that I remember most about these books though is being really, really scared by them. I used to have to read them with my back against a wall just so that I could be sure that nothing was coming to get me from behind, and I loved that. Although this book was still darker than a lot of children's fiction, this element wasn't as developed as in Jarvis' other trilogy. Admittedly, the books in the Deptford Histories are much longer and so might be aimed at a slightly older audience, and I am older myself now, but I do still think that this book could have benefited from a little more of the terrifying descriptions that I remember from these books. Although this was still a good book, I felt that the scariness was missing and I hope to find it again in the remaining books of the trilogy.
generalheff's review against another edition
3.0
This is a fun read that pulled me through all the way to the end. It didn’t score higher principally because the lore of the book is very underdeveloped. In particular, there are several magical moments that seem more convenient than grounded in the logic of the book. Indeed, I never truly felt like the world made sense - which is a shame because I love the overall concept and feel this could have been a great children’s book if the ideas here were handled in a more cohesive and consistent way.
therolling_ladder's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
katy_bee's review against another edition
3.0
I bought the series on a whim, when I saw them in a charity shop. I remember reading them when I was 12 or so, although I'd forgotten a lot of it. Bits came back to me as I read. It is actually quite gruesome in places.
I noticed things that hadn't aged so well, the "Black exotics" as a description of statues and some of the characters drew on fairly one dimensional stereotypes- the fussy gossipy older woman, the rough-talking violent and stupid rats...
I mostly enjoyed it for the nostalgia. My memory is strongest for the second book so let's see how that goes.
I noticed things that hadn't aged so well, the "Black exotics" as a description of statues and some of the characters drew on fairly one dimensional stereotypes- the fussy gossipy older woman, the rough-talking violent and stupid rats...
I mostly enjoyed it for the nostalgia. My memory is strongest for the second book so let's see how that goes.
ianmcnamara's review against another edition
5.0
A nice easy book to listen to in the back ground while working. I read the second book years a go as a child but had no idea then that it was part of a series. This first book was very good.