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A review by jess_esa
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
2.0
Children’s books have a special place in my heart, and I’m always open to them so I was excited for this one considering all the hype.
There was lots about it that was charming, the main characters in particular were immediately endearing.
Sadly almost the entire story is just cherry picked from other children’s fantasy, particularly His Dark Materials as Pullman's alethiometer, knife, and even the concept of dust can be found here. References to Le Guin and Diana Wynne Jones are also immediately obvious. It’s so much more than a writer simply drawing on the lore of the genre.
Would I care about this if I were 12? Probably not. So, I would not hesitate to buy this for a young reader but it does make for a frustrating read when you know and love what’s come before.
There was lots about it that was charming, the main characters in particular were immediately endearing.
Sadly almost the entire story is just cherry picked from other children’s fantasy, particularly His Dark Materials as Pullman's alethiometer, knife, and even the concept of dust can be found here. References to Le Guin and Diana Wynne Jones are also immediately obvious. It’s so much more than a writer simply drawing on the lore of the genre.
Would I care about this if I were 12? Probably not. So, I would not hesitate to buy this for a young reader but it does make for a frustrating read when you know and love what’s come before.