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A review by paperprivateer
The Beanstalk Murder by P. G. Bell
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Anwen hasn’t ever seen a giant, so it’s more than a little surprising when a dead one falls out of the sky and into her village. Anwen and her grandmother are meadow witches, so it’s their job to find out what happened to the giant. They plant a magic beanstalk to send a message to the giants in the Sky Kingdom, but Anwen and her rival Cerys accidentally get stuck in the Sky Kingdom. Anwen is determined to solve the mystery of what happened to the murdered giant before it’s time to go home — or before there’s another murder.
I wish this book had been around when I was a kid. It’s everything I looked for in a book. An interesting mystery, a fairy tale setting that is somehow unique and not focused on royalty, and interesting characters? I would have gone rabid for it.
When I looked at the cover, I expected this book to read younger than it did. I was pleasantly surprised to find a surprisingly sophisticated fairy tale murder mystery. While it’s not Agatha Christie, it holds up well for the age of the audience and the setting of the story.
The main characters don’t get along, and I appreciate how their relationship evolves with having to work together while still not becoming the best friends. The more they learn about each other, the more they understand why the other is the way they are. I do wish there was more information on why they didn’t like each other in the first place, but their characterization and relationship changes are strong enough that the context is not crucial. Their relationship adds emotion and tension to the plot when it might otherwise feel a little slow.
The side characters aren't all as well developed, but they are interesting enough to
The murder mystery has a decent amount of suspects and questions, making it harder to guess than other similar mysteries in middle grade books. The plot is still relatively predictable, but there are enough surprises to keep readers guessing. The plot has slower sections, but not so slow that I lost interest while reading.
Overall, I thought this was a quick, young read that young mystery and fairy tale lovers are likely to enjoy.
I wish this book had been around when I was a kid. It’s everything I looked for in a book. An interesting mystery, a fairy tale setting that is somehow unique and not focused on royalty, and interesting characters? I would have gone rabid for it.
When I looked at the cover, I expected this book to read younger than it did. I was pleasantly surprised to find a surprisingly sophisticated fairy tale murder mystery. While it’s not Agatha Christie, it holds up well for the age of the audience and the setting of the story.
The main characters don’t get along, and I appreciate how their relationship evolves with having to work together while still not becoming the best friends. The more they learn about each other, the more they understand why the other is the way they are. I do wish there was more information on why they didn’t like each other in the first place, but their characterization and relationship changes are strong enough that the context is not crucial. Their relationship adds emotion and tension to the plot when it might otherwise feel a little slow.
The side characters aren't all as well developed, but they are interesting enough to
The murder mystery has a decent amount of suspects and questions, making it harder to guess than other similar mysteries in middle grade books. The plot is still relatively predictable, but there are enough surprises to keep readers guessing. The plot has slower sections, but not so slow that I lost interest while reading.
Overall, I thought this was a quick, young read that young mystery and fairy tale lovers are likely to enjoy.