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A review by studiomikarts
The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
4.75
This book was a page-turner that I could hardly put down. The writing was clear and beautiful, composed so that younger readers can follow, but without that feeling some children's books have, as if the author underestimates their young audience. Thanks to that, I was able to enjoy it as an adult reader, though there were some leaps in the plot that felt a little too deus ex machina for me. I'm sure younger readers won't mind, though.
The illustrations were lovely. The greyscale interior images were sometimes difficult to discern under lower light, but the overall execution was top notch. As the author mentions in the acknowledgements, these pictures seem like exact renderings of what the text describes. They go together wonderfully!
Something that hit me hard in this book was the incredibly accurate description of what it's like as a child when bad things happen. How things seem to be going fine, and then your world is turned upside down for no apparent reason. When others treat you poorly and you feel powerless to stop it. These passages were not only powerful in themselves, as a reader who actually experienced such things, it also set up the fantastical adventure that followed in a way that helped it feel natural and believable.
My ultimate impression of this book is that it sits somewhere between the epic magic of Harry Potter and the harsh reality of The Casual Vacancy with a perfectly happy ending appropriate for a Christmas tale.
The illustrations were lovely. The greyscale interior images were sometimes difficult to discern under lower light, but the overall execution was top notch. As the author mentions in the acknowledgements, these pictures seem like exact renderings of what the text describes. They go together wonderfully!
Something that hit me hard in this book was the incredibly accurate description of what it's like as a child when bad things happen. How things seem to be going fine, and then your world is turned upside down for no apparent reason. When others treat you poorly and you feel powerless to stop it. These passages were not only powerful in themselves, as a reader who actually experienced such things, it also set up the fantastical adventure that followed in a way that helped it feel natural and believable.
My ultimate impression of this book is that it sits somewhere between the epic magic of Harry Potter and the harsh reality of The Casual Vacancy with a perfectly happy ending appropriate for a Christmas tale.