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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Video Review: https://youtu.be/AUzbQubfjsw
THIS WAS SO GREAT. Such a unique and interesting story and I want MORE. I mean, is this a series? TELL ME THIS IS A SERIES. I want to know more about the grandparent's and their strange society. I also just want another adventure with Archer, Oliver, and Adelaide. AND THE ILLUSTRATIONS, OH MAN, THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL. If you're looking for an exciting, mysterious, and fun middle grade book, check this one out! Highly recommend.
THIS WAS SO GREAT. Such a unique and interesting story and I want MORE. I mean, is this a series? TELL ME THIS IS A SERIES. I want to know more about the grandparent's and their strange society. I also just want another adventure with Archer, Oliver, and Adelaide. AND THE ILLUSTRATIONS, OH MAN, THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL. If you're looking for an exciting, mysterious, and fun middle grade book, check this one out! Highly recommend.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Three youngsters prepare themselves for a rescue/adventure despite the difficulties put in their paths by parents, an evil teacher and other obstructive adults. The tone is tongue in cheek and fairly silly with elements of Dahl and Trenton Lee Stewart.
I give this book a 3.5. It reminded me of a Wes Anderson movie and I enjoyed the quirky story. The illustrations really enhanced the book. I feel it definitely has potential for a sequel.
Originally reviewed for YA Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/18970-the-doldrums
An enchantingly quirky jaunt of a story—ideal for fans of Roald Dahl or Lemony Snicket.
The Doldrums is a tale about a lonely, overprotected eleven-year-old boy named Archer B. Helmsley. Though he is the grandson of two famous explorers and lives in their fantastical house of curiosities (alongside exotic examples of taxidermy), he is in serious want of both friendship and adventure.
"Did Ralph and Rachel march to the beat of a different drum? Perhaps. You could even say they ditched the marching and the drums and danced a jig to a xylophone instead."
It’s been two years since Ralph and Rachel Helmsley went missing in an unfortunate iceberg incident. Though Archer knows little about his grandparents and hasn’t seen them since he was a baby, his interest is piqued when trunks containing some of their belongings arrive on his doorstep. He convinces himself that his grandparents aren’t dead, and begins planning his own expedition to Antarctica in the far-fetched hope of retrieving them. But he knows he can’t do it alone.
Friendship is a strong and pervasive theme running throughout this book. It isn’t until Archer joins forces with Oliver—his somewhat cowardly but well-meaning neighbor, and Adelaide—his new French classmate with a wooden leg and a wild story about how she got it, that the story really picks up steam. Adelaide outshines Oliver with quiet prominence, thanks to several chapters dedicated solely to her unique backstory. Her confident poise and improvisational skills lend a cohesive balance to the dynamic between the boys, as well as a curious point of tension with Archer as her presence poses a challenge to the hazy nuisance of fast-approaching puberty.
On the whole, the prose has the feel of a classic. Eloquently written and languidly paced, The Doldrums does require a bit of patience to finally deliver on the promise of adventure and intrigue. (Even then, it’s more misadventure than not.) But the descriptions, combined with emotional depth, cunning humor, and competent dialogue, makes for a charming literary experience.
"And who said anything about dying? I don't plan on dying."
"Nobody plans on dying," said Oliver.
"I nearly died," said Adelaide.
"That's why you're not afraid," Oliver replied. "I've only had far-death experiences and I prefer to keep it that way."
On the downside, nearly all of the adults in this book felt disappointingly one-dimensional—either flatly horrible, or so passive and appeasing they enable the horrible ones with their negligence. The exception, of course, being Archer’s grandparents. (Although, they end up being more mythos than characters in this particular installment.) In a way, this book felt like a lengthy prologue—an intricately detailed preamble to Archer and his cohorts, along with the idea of “The Society,” which seems sure to come into play in later books.
I feel the need to add: the illustrations in this book are FANTASTIC. A few elaborate black-and-white snippets here and there to break up heavier chapters, and regularly interspersed with full-page color artwork that offers warm sienna leanings—which fittingly invokes a vaguely 1950’s air. The quality of the imagery is both a compliment and an irrefutable enhancement to Gannon’s writing. The fact he is both author AND illustrator is exceedingly impressive, epitomizing the phrase “labor of love”.
This is definitely a budding middle-grade series (and author) worth keeping an eye on!
An enchantingly quirky jaunt of a story—ideal for fans of Roald Dahl or Lemony Snicket.
The Doldrums is a tale about a lonely, overprotected eleven-year-old boy named Archer B. Helmsley. Though he is the grandson of two famous explorers and lives in their fantastical house of curiosities (alongside exotic examples of taxidermy), he is in serious want of both friendship and adventure.
"Did Ralph and Rachel march to the beat of a different drum? Perhaps. You could even say they ditched the marching and the drums and danced a jig to a xylophone instead."
It’s been two years since Ralph and Rachel Helmsley went missing in an unfortunate iceberg incident. Though Archer knows little about his grandparents and hasn’t seen them since he was a baby, his interest is piqued when trunks containing some of their belongings arrive on his doorstep. He convinces himself that his grandparents aren’t dead, and begins planning his own expedition to Antarctica in the far-fetched hope of retrieving them. But he knows he can’t do it alone.
Friendship is a strong and pervasive theme running throughout this book. It isn’t until Archer joins forces with Oliver—his somewhat cowardly but well-meaning neighbor, and Adelaide—his new French classmate with a wooden leg and a wild story about how she got it, that the story really picks up steam. Adelaide outshines Oliver with quiet prominence, thanks to several chapters dedicated solely to her unique backstory. Her confident poise and improvisational skills lend a cohesive balance to the dynamic between the boys, as well as a curious point of tension with Archer as her presence poses a challenge to the hazy nuisance of fast-approaching puberty.
On the whole, the prose has the feel of a classic. Eloquently written and languidly paced, The Doldrums does require a bit of patience to finally deliver on the promise of adventure and intrigue. (Even then, it’s more misadventure than not.) But the descriptions, combined with emotional depth, cunning humor, and competent dialogue, makes for a charming literary experience.
"And who said anything about dying? I don't plan on dying."
"Nobody plans on dying," said Oliver.
"I nearly died," said Adelaide.
"That's why you're not afraid," Oliver replied. "I've only had far-death experiences and I prefer to keep it that way."
On the downside, nearly all of the adults in this book felt disappointingly one-dimensional—either flatly horrible, or so passive and appeasing they enable the horrible ones with their negligence. The exception, of course, being Archer’s grandparents. (Although, they end up being more mythos than characters in this particular installment.) In a way, this book felt like a lengthy prologue—an intricately detailed preamble to Archer and his cohorts, along with the idea of “The Society,” which seems sure to come into play in later books.
I feel the need to add: the illustrations in this book are FANTASTIC. A few elaborate black-and-white snippets here and there to break up heavier chapters, and regularly interspersed with full-page color artwork that offers warm sienna leanings—which fittingly invokes a vaguely 1950’s air. The quality of the imagery is both a compliment and an irrefutable enhancement to Gannon’s writing. The fact he is both author AND illustrator is exceedingly impressive, epitomizing the phrase “labor of love”.
This is definitely a budding middle-grade series (and author) worth keeping an eye on!
In some ways i loved this book. But the parents characters were under developed, making them feel like empty cruel individuals without any feelings or love for their son. I get the impression that wasn't the authors intent, which makes the book feel off balance and shallow.
This book is both written and illustrated by the same person, which I find impressive. The illustrations were beautiful and I found the story to be quirky, and a bit slow, but also deep and relatable. Sadly, the parents are rather neglectful, and the hero finds himself alone and clearly sad and depressed. This is a story of finding friendship in unlikely places, adventure and mystery and what belonging and family mean.
I liked it. As others have said, nothing much happens and there is a whole chunk of time that is missing for no good reason. But the characters are endearing and the constantly witty writing made me chuckle a few times.
You know how the first few of the Harry Potter books have that childhood innocence about them? They're written through the eyes of a good natured, inquisitive boy and so as children we just went with it, and didn't question where the fuck the adults were... Well the Doldrums give me that same feeling. I think we need a lot more books with yound characters who are still pure and good and see the world as a generally safe place.
As an adult, I prefer to reading books with great parenting, like The House on the Cerulean Sea, but I don't think middle graders care much.
I also listened to this book and missed out on all of the lovely illustrations that come in print.
You know how the first few of the Harry Potter books have that childhood innocence about them? They're written through the eyes of a good natured, inquisitive boy and so as children we just went with it, and didn't question where the fuck the adults were... Well the Doldrums give me that same feeling. I think we need a lot more books with yound characters who are still pure and good and see the world as a generally safe place.
As an adult, I prefer to reading books with great parenting, like The House on the Cerulean Sea, but I don't think middle graders care much.
I also listened to this book and missed out on all of the lovely illustrations that come in print.
Lovers of Lemony Snicket, Neil Gaiman, and Roald Dahl (there's quite the Trunchbull-like character in this novel) will surely find nothing dull about The Doldrums.
I listened to the audiobook of this novel, but also checked out a physical copy of the book at the library so as not to miss out on the stunning color illustrations that reminded me a bit of Molly Idle's style.
Bronson Pinchot narrates the audiobook and does a bang-up job. He is definitely one of my favorite audiobook narrators.
I listened to the audiobook of this novel, but also checked out a physical copy of the book at the library so as not to miss out on the stunning color illustrations that reminded me a bit of Molly Idle's style.
Bronson Pinchot narrates the audiobook and does a bang-up job. He is definitely one of my favorite audiobook narrators.
If Wes Anderson ever wrote a twee middle-grade book, this would be it.
Archer Helmsley's famous explorer grandparents have been missing his entire life, but they are really missing now -- adrift on an iceberg, in fact. Despite his house being full of testaments to adventure courtesy of its former owners (the missing grandparents), Archer leads a very sheltered life thanks to his mother. That is, until he meets Oliver Glub, his shy neighbour, and the mysterious new girl across the garden, Adelaide Belmont, who's wooden leg is said to be courtesy of an alligator attack. The three of them decide to prepare themselves for an adventure, on the sly of course, to find and rescue Archer's grandparents from Antarctica.
For kids who want to go on an adventure, but not too much adventure, this book hits just the right note.
Archer Helmsley's famous explorer grandparents have been missing his entire life, but they are really missing now -- adrift on an iceberg, in fact. Despite his house being full of testaments to adventure courtesy of its former owners (the missing grandparents), Archer leads a very sheltered life thanks to his mother. That is, until he meets Oliver Glub, his shy neighbour, and the mysterious new girl across the garden, Adelaide Belmont, who's wooden leg is said to be courtesy of an alligator attack. The three of them decide to prepare themselves for an adventure, on the sly of course, to find and rescue Archer's grandparents from Antarctica.
For kids who want to go on an adventure, but not too much adventure, this book hits just the right note.