A review by ronpayne
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

dark funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

A mystery featuring Flavia de Luce, an improbable eleven-year-old girl, from an improbable family living in 1950s England, who uses her wits and chemistry skills to solve a murder. The mystery was pretty standard, so what makes this unique is the main character—if you can stand her—which I guess I can. It reads just quirky and self aware enough to not put me off. I’ll probably space out reads of the sequels as I continue, though.