llkendrick's review
5.0
My mom gave me this book to read because it was a childhood favorite of some of her friends. I really enjoyed it and it probably would have been an all-time favorite if I had read it as a pre-teen. The main character is very likable, the story isn't predictable, and there's a mystery involved. Great book!
cherit's review
5.0
I read this 40 years ago, and even as an adult, vaguely remembered the details of the wonderful, "secret," "private," cozy velvet library nook, but didn't remember the title or author. I should have googled what I remembered, and probably could have figured it out, but in the meantime, I found an old childhood notebook of mine with lists of good books and good songs, and there it was - the title, and as if by magic, I could access the e-book via my library.
This is one of those books that you can enjoy just as much reading again as an adult, though this time I will take with me far more from it than the cozy velvet reading nook.
This is one of those books that you can enjoy just as much reading again as an adult, though this time I will take with me far more from it than the cozy velvet reading nook.
we_are_all_mad_here26's review
3.0
I enjoyed this book - but, I am starting to think that no matter how good an older YA book is, if you didn't read it as a child, you can't or won't appreciate it as much as an adult. Just a theory, but one that might apply to this particular book in my case.
cadence59's review
4.0
This was one of my favorite books as a child. I must have checked it out of the library at least a dozen times. As an adult, I was delighted to find a copy to add to my collection.
corncobwebs's review
As Robin put her hand on the doorknob, a wonderful feeling of expectation made her shiver. It was like opening a fat book to the first page or hearing the first exciting notes of new music—a feeling of promise and mystery.
As a dreamy kid who was always stuck in her own head, this book captured my imagination and tattooed itself on my heart. Zilpha Keatley Snyder's books are nothing short of magical.
As a dreamy kid who was always stuck in her own head, this book captured my imagination and tattooed itself on my heart. Zilpha Keatley Snyder's books are nothing short of magical.
elisabethkatee's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.75
absolutely adored this with all my heart… it was the perfect little escape 🙈 i would have just about diedddd reading this as a kid but tbh i enjoyed it just as much now hehe <3
exurbanis's review
3.0
(Fiction, Children's Chapter)
In the woods next to her family’s new home, young Robin finds an abandoned house. Inside she finds beautifully decorated rooms, including her favourite: a room done entirely in plush – the velvet room of the title.
If I had read this as a child, I would have loved it. And I think it would stand up to a rereading as an adult. But finding it for the first time in my seventh decade was not a perfectly satisfying experience.
3½ stars
In the woods next to her family’s new home, young Robin finds an abandoned house. Inside she finds beautifully decorated rooms, including her favourite: a room done entirely in plush – the velvet room of the title.
If I had read this as a child, I would have loved it. And I think it would stand up to a rereading as an adult. But finding it for the first time in my seventh decade was not a perfectly satisfying experience.
3½ stars
cj_jones's review
4.0
I found this book in my Kindle library, not really sure when or even if I'd bought it, or why. The title was evocative, and I imagined some kind of Victorian sensualist story. It was not a Victorian sensualist story.
This is a story about a girl in Grapes of Wrath times central California, nothing stable in her life, her family travelling and trying to find work, which she can see is slowly killing her dad. He finds orchard work on a ranch, and she finds this small library in an abandoned house on the grounds. It's got books and nice things, and it becomes a little haven for her. Which I totally get. Anyway, apparently this is an award winning YA title, and it deserves it.
This is a story about a girl in Grapes of Wrath times central California, nothing stable in her life, her family travelling and trying to find work, which she can see is slowly killing her dad. He finds orchard work on a ranch, and she finds this small library in an abandoned house on the grounds. It's got books and nice things, and it becomes a little haven for her. Which I totally get. Anyway, apparently this is an award winning YA title, and it deserves it.