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skconaghan 's review for:
The Golden Tower
by Holly Black
adventurous
challenging
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While I’d let my 9-12 year old read this middle grade fantasy tale, there is better stuff out there (JK Rowling, Chris Colfer, Kate DiCamillo, Roald Dahl, Eoin Colfer). It’s fairly tame (a few kisses and ‘making outs’ sans details, with some petty big-kid insults thrown around), yet has enough magical adventure and social grey-area discussion topics for older children to tackle. Fledgling adolescents may enjoy the challenges of the ‘meet your inner demons’ analogies presented. It’s all wrapped up in a modern American setting, replete with slang, first-world conveniences, and fast-food suppers.
Another middle-of-the-road THREE from Holly Black for me; I imagine a 13 year old boy might find it engaging…