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cowzonthehunt 's review for:
Midnight for Charlie Bone
by Jenny Nimmo
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
Tier 4/5
4.25 stars
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I really liked this series as a kid and decided to reread it since I don't really remember any of it. This book is perfect if you want the simplicity of middle grade with a story that doesn't feel super childish. I've seen it compared to Harry Potter, which I disagree with beyond the fact that it's urban fantasy with children who have magic. This is much more subtle than HP and the tone's pretty different.
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I like that it focuses on mystery and intrigue rather than humor like a lot of middle-grade. Nimmo creates tension with power politics within a family set against each other seen from the perspective of Charlie, a newcomer to his family's heritage and conflicts over the "endowments" they've been born with because of their ancestor, a magician called the Red King. The tension is a subtle one revealed in heavy-handed foreshadowing and information reviled to the reader but not the characters who need it; it's just enough.
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I also liked how Nimmo didn't waste time propping up obvious plot twists. The hunt for the missing baby, which was the main plot anchor, could have been drawn out as this big mystery. Instead, Nimmo resolved the mystery "early' and used the fallout to finally shove the power grappling characters into an actual battle (which sadly happened offscreen, but I know there will be more satisfying ones in future books).
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The magic system fascinates me because the "bad" characters tend to have abilities like comic superheroes, but the protagonists are either unendowed or have weird abilities (like ) which are best explored in non-combat situations. I love the concept of an endowment running in a specific family. I thought how quickly and seamlessly Charlie learned to use his abilities was odd, but that's a small gripe.
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This book isn't anything incredible, but it's fun and beautifully British even as an adult. The friendships are lovely and the villains clearly villainous in a way only a children's book.
4.25 stars
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I really liked this series as a kid and decided to reread it since I don't really remember any of it. This book is perfect if you want the simplicity of middle grade with a story that doesn't feel super childish. I've seen it compared to Harry Potter, which I disagree with beyond the fact that it's urban fantasy with children who have magic. This is much more subtle than HP and the tone's pretty different.
-
I like that it focuses on mystery and intrigue rather than humor like a lot of middle-grade. Nimmo creates tension with power politics within a family set against each other seen from the perspective of Charlie, a newcomer to his family's heritage and conflicts over the "endowments" they've been born with because of their ancestor, a magician called the Red King. The tension is a subtle one revealed in heavy-handed foreshadowing and information reviled to the reader but not the characters who need it; it's just enough.
-
I also liked how Nimmo didn't waste time propping up obvious plot twists. The hunt for the missing baby, which was the main plot anchor, could have been drawn out as this big mystery. Instead, Nimmo resolved the mystery "early' and used the fallout to finally shove the power grappling characters into an actual battle (which sadly happened offscreen, but I know there will be more satisfying ones in future books).
-
The magic system fascinates me because the "bad" characters tend to have abilities like comic superheroes, but the protagonists are either unendowed or have weird abilities (like ) which are best explored in non-combat situations. I love the concept of an endowment running in a specific family. I thought how quickly and seamlessly Charlie learned to use his abilities was odd, but that's a small gripe.
-
This book isn't anything incredible, but it's fun and beautifully British even as an adult. The friendships are lovely and the villains clearly villainous in a way only a children's book.