talethal's reviews
46 reviews

Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery

2.0

Has L. M. Montgomery’s beautiful descriptions of nature but lacks her impressive ability to write well-rounded, realistic, likeable characters as displayed in many of her other books. 

The subject matter is also a touch creepy/gross and the main character never earns what he ends up with nor develops AT ALL.

Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have never felt so much while reading a book. My heart was dashed against the rocks at Rilla and Anne’s trials, my soul wrung out by their grief, yet it meant my spirit could soar in the light of their victories. I sat out in the summer air beneath a dazzlingly pink sunset and let myself cry as I saw poor Rilla through her biggest trial, one which should have destroyed her, yet made her so strong. 

L. M. Montgomery has a delicious was of bringing the past and future into the present, not feeling limited by telling the story in a strictly linear fashion but giving us glimpses of the things to come and that which will never be again, making scenes all the more poignant and powerful. This book is still remarkably hilarious in spite of the heavy subject matter, and dear Lucy Maud presents the coming-of-age story in a uniquely beautiful manner. 

Blink and You Die by Lauren Child

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective tense 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

5.0

I want a Mrs Digby.

Pick Your Poison by Lauren Child

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense 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 is where the rubber hits the road. Lauren Child is so darn clever, and it’s honestly a privilege to be able to see the intricate plots of all the books in the Ruby Redfort series come together in this penultimate book.

Feel the Fear by Lauren Child

adventurous funny informative lighthearted mysterious reflective tense 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

4.25

Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography by Lemony Snicket

adventurous funny informative lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A wonderful little cherry on top of A Series of Unfortunate Events. 

Oh Mister Snicket, you are a funny individual.

Catch Your Death by Lauren Child

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Catch your Death is Child’s best work so far in the Ruby Redfort series. The characters are becoming more complex, with Child taking a step back from stereotypes to develop the meat of the characters more, and every tiny set-up is given a satisfying pay-off whether you recognised it as a set-up at the time or not. The blending of truth with fiction is effective at increasing the stakes of the storyline. 

I absolutely ADORE what Child has done with the  Ruby and Clancy in this book - I think it’s fair to say that the latter is almost as much of a main point of interest as the former, and being able to see tension in their friendship is interesting and relatable. We all need a little more Clancy Crew in our lives. 

Take Your Last Breath by Lauren Child

adventurous funny informative lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket

3.0

You should definitely endeavour to read this one between ‘The Penultimate Peril’ and ‘The End’. I read it after the latter and it did not hold the same weight as I’d have liked.

Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I read this entire series a few times years ago - back when I was, you know, a child. I was definitely a little disappointed this time around because I remembered absolutely ADORING every aspect of the story during past reads, and coming at it as an older person who has been enjoying plenty of middle fiction this year… I had great expectations which were not really met. However, I still had a really enjoyable time and look forward to the overarching plot becoming more complex as I progress through the series. It’s quite humorous in an understated manner, with many little quips which one would not consider Comedy Gold but do give the conversations a natural and interesting flow, and I appreciate the use of clichés in an ironic way. The world-building is effective and done in an unusual way, with the naming of streets and locations as though Twinford is a well-known place. 

ALSO: Lauren Child seems to be suffering from a severe Deficiency of Commas. It grated greatly against me at first, however once I started thinking of the book more as a script for a 70s TV show than a novel it was permissible.