Reviews

The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor

ryoflame's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A delightful little story that as someone who lives in the area the bookshop is supposed to be set was extra enjoyable. The puzzles were interesting and not too obvious, the relationship between the siblings was a nice one to unpack, and it's really lovely to think that maybe in Melbourne there's still a bit of magic tucked away in the arcades. 

kat_bookworm's review against another edition

4.0

A book set in 1893, about the self proclaimed “Grandest Bookshop in the World” - Cole’s Book Arcade, Melbourne - yes please! Was this book what I was expecting? Nope. The story centres around Pearl, a young girl who’s Pa is Mr Cole himself. Pearl’s sister passed away (TW!) and Pa made a deal with a mysterious Obscurosmith who would bring her back to life. 

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I completely didn’t realise this was a fantasy novel, but it was so enjoyable with old world magic, mystery and suspense while Pearl and her brothers play a game against the Obscururosmith for their sister’s return. 

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This is a great middle grade read, I would have loved this as a kid (even now I’ve loved it!) although the death of the young sister would be quite upsetting for some. I was very surprised the story was centred around that. This would also be a great audiobook to put on during a family road trip. 

What makes this all come together is the historical note at the end of the book which highlights facts and history of the real Cole’s Book Arcade.

gabrielle_erin's review against another edition

4.0

This was so whimsical and wholesome. Bonus points for Australian fiction.

aklev13's review against another edition

4.0

What a cute little gem of a book. I actually bought this for my niece recently as i enjoyed it so much, i simply had to share.
It’s about an actual bookstore in Melbourne and i really enjoyed the historical note about the store and the family. However, obviously the author has embellished with some magical details.

The villain was genuinely spooky in a Shadow man from Princess and the Frog kind of way. The tasks were cool - me and my partner enjoyed going over the riddle for a while. I really loved the little bits of Aussie slang and Aussie games/traditions that slipped into this book that really made this book feel like a homespun tale.

ainsleysouthern's review against another edition

3.0

Rating changed to 3 ⭐️s on 16/12/21

dikkymo's review against another edition

5.0

This was so much fun and I learned a lot about Melbourne Australia to boot.

esshgee's review

3.0

Liked the setting of the bookshop and the magic theme

curatoriallyyours's review

adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This was an adventurous middle grade book featuring a quirky family who own a wondrous book arcade in Melbourne. It features magical realism which is never fully explained, which was a wee bit confusing. Pearl and Vally are sweet protagonists and the way they deal with the themes of the book is heartwarming. 

rhian2790's review against another edition

adventurous challenging lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

solanpolarn's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0