lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
The blurbs stating which book this is like miss one: Hans Brinker, if only for the family needing some hidden treasure to save them and a mysterious clue that leads them there. Nicholas' hunt, not just for the treasure (and a way to save his tree-brother) but for friends and a reunited family, will draw readers in. I'm not so sure about the musical notation, which seemed overused (and, in many cases veered outside notation into mere adjectives). Perhaps a little more math, a little less music, would have worked?
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
endlesstbr's review against another edition
2.0
I thought this would be a neat reading experience featuring math and musical elements, but the adventures throughout the plot were unbelievable and I had a hard time empathizing with the main character.
the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
5.0
We're a family of violin players, and we found this an interesting attempt to incorporate musicality into text, as well as address how a young boy deals with death and his grandfather's memory loss.
jcguzzetta's review against another edition
3.0
It was cute, but it wasn't my style. The idea behind it and the opening chapter were great! Unfortunately, the story from there took a while to develop. The uses of music and math were clever, but ultimately distracted from the story somewhat. Not as good as I hoped it would be, but I appreciated it. I also read an ARC, so I don't know if anything changed in the final printing.
libscote's review against another edition
2.0
I was fine with the plot of this story: boy is afraid of house being sold and moving, which would mean leaving behind his brother, so he goes on a quest to find the heirlooms his grandfather talks about. Of course, his grandfather has dementia, so if the heirlooms even exist, it's questionable if he'll remember where they are. I would have rated this book so much higher if I hadn't been annoyed by the quirky parts. The author uses musical notation to describe the volume of many sentences in this book, which I found quite distracting and not helpful. The author also would occasionally write words as if they were being squared by another word, which I could have handled on it's own but combined with the musical notations, was too much for me.
zaqlovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Before you go reading reviews. Please give a second thought about it. I suggest you read the book before you read the reviews. For starters, everyone has their own opinion on books. I saw so many low ratings on this that I just wanted to not read it anymore. I did anyways and I have no regrets at all. This counts for any book you read. most of the time, you are more drawn to the lowest ratings of the book. You got take into that what you might like someone else might not or vice versa.
Despite , the fact that this is my first review, please keep in mind. That these are my own opinions and you probably won’t like the book the same way I do.
For a middle grade book, I believe this was written very good. This Is not a young adult, so don’t go into it with a mind like it is. I personally prefer middle grade books over young adult.
First, In my own opinion it was paced very good. If the pace was any faster, I believe you wouldn’t see the character development. From Nicholas , Zeke and Jordan. Each with their own set of personalities and characters development throughout the story. Which I personally like seeing in a story.
Second, the little words underneath said or yelled did not bother me. As matter of fact, I believed it added character to the story as a whole. Plus, is also connected with the main character and what they love to do. Also , they are very subtle and very easy to know what each word means. ( or you could just ignore them as the story goes)
Third, if there is one thing that caught my attention was how the story ended.It didn’t end like other middle grade books which is a big plus for me .
Last, I liked how realistic the characters were in the book. There’s no arrogance from the main character. The side characters were treated like they had a purpose in the story unlike other books I’ve read .And how it took time for all of them to get along with each other.
So, in the future I might try other books by this author. Which is good for me because I’m usually picky reader.
I suggest if you like adventure, true and honest character development, humor, and the such a wonderful journey that this book brings. Then why not try it out for yourself. If not, no bad feelings!
Despite , the fact that this is my first review, please keep in mind. That these are my own opinions and you probably won’t like the book the same way I do.
For a middle grade book, I believe this was written very good. This Is not a young adult, so don’t go into it with a mind like it is. I personally prefer middle grade books over young adult.
First, In my own opinion it was paced very good. If the pace was any faster, I believe you wouldn’t see the character development. From Nicholas , Zeke and Jordan. Each with their own set of personalities and characters development throughout the story. Which I personally like seeing in a story.
Second, the little words underneath said or yelled did not bother me. As matter of fact, I believed it added character to the story as a whole. Plus, is also connected with the main character and what they love to do. Also , they are very subtle and very easy to know what each word means. ( or you could just ignore them as the story goes)
Third, if there is one thing that caught my attention was how the story ended.It didn’t end like other middle grade books which is a big plus for me .
Last, I liked how realistic the characters were in the book. There’s no arrogance from the main character. The side characters were treated like they had a purpose in the story unlike other books I’ve read .And how it took time for all of them to get along with each other.
So, in the future I might try other books by this author. Which is good for me because I’m usually picky reader.
I suggest if you like adventure, true and honest character development, humor, and the such a wonderful journey that this book brings. Then why not try it out for yourself. If not, no bad feelings!
mathstalio's review against another edition
5.0
This was FUN and suspenseful and mathy and musicy and cute and I thoroughly enjoyed it regardless of it being middle grade.
lilybees's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
lyraswanson's review against another edition
2.0
Summary:
When Grandpa Rose suddenly returns from prison claiming he knows where the family heirlooms are hidden, Nicholas decides to help his grandfather in hopes of solving his family’s financial troubles. With help from fellow outcasts Jordan and Zeke, Nicholas follows the path he hopes will lead him to this treasure.
Review:
The beginning of this starts book stars with Nicholas telling the reader that he is writing an account of the events that have occurred, just in case something happens to him. From this, the reader is led to believe that a great adventure will occur. Unfortunately this does not happen, as very little action occurs in this book.
This story had a number of issues with plot and characterization. Baker had many good ideas, but they really did not work as a whole; instead they made the story seem scattered. He incorporated musical dynamics such as forte and piano, which was distracting and really served no purpose. Some of the transitions in this story were awkward. At one point Jordan’s grandfather starts telling a story about his childhood. Baker had Nicholas refer back to this story later in the book, but it does not fit with what is happening in the book at the time.
In this story, Nicholas’ brother dies as a baby, and the family decide to bury his body in the backyard beside a tree. Not only would this type of activity be illegal, it is not really appropriate for a children’s book. Later in the book, someone wants to buy Nicholas’ house and build a pool in the backyard. This brings up another issue of someone digging and finding baby bones.
It was really difficult to get a sense of the characters in this book. The author tells us information about each character, but we don’t really see firsthand their motivations and feeling. The only strong characters were the grandfathers. Baker was successful at conveying their fears and feelings, and it was easy to understand the decisions they made. Nicholas’ mother and father were almost nonexistent, however. Baker did not really develop these characters at all, and it was difficult to get a sense of their relationship with Nicholas.
Nicholas plays the part of the stereotypical nerd, such as: eating in the bathroom stall and meeting his bullies after school. His character was very surface level, not very relatable, and he did not really change in any way. Baker tried to build up his character, by adding numerous aspects to his personality, but this just made Nicholas seem even more unrealistic. The bully characters in this story were exaggerated, which was most likely purposeful. This was not conveyed very successfully, however.
The ending of this book was somewhat weak and everything seemed to fall into place a bit too neatly. Although this book was not successful, I will be interested to see what Baker publishes next, because I believe it will be more focused and polished. Those seeking a true action-packed adventure should read The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch.
When Grandpa Rose suddenly returns from prison claiming he knows where the family heirlooms are hidden, Nicholas decides to help his grandfather in hopes of solving his family’s financial troubles. With help from fellow outcasts Jordan and Zeke, Nicholas follows the path he hopes will lead him to this treasure.
Review:
The beginning of this starts book stars with Nicholas telling the reader that he is writing an account of the events that have occurred, just in case something happens to him. From this, the reader is led to believe that a great adventure will occur. Unfortunately this does not happen, as very little action occurs in this book.
This story had a number of issues with plot and characterization. Baker had many good ideas, but they really did not work as a whole; instead they made the story seem scattered. He incorporated musical dynamics such as forte and piano, which was distracting and really served no purpose. Some of the transitions in this story were awkward. At one point Jordan’s grandfather starts telling a story about his childhood. Baker had Nicholas refer back to this story later in the book, but it does not fit with what is happening in the book at the time.
In this story, Nicholas’ brother dies as a baby, and the family decide to bury his body in the backyard beside a tree. Not only would this type of activity be illegal, it is not really appropriate for a children’s book. Later in the book, someone wants to buy Nicholas’ house and build a pool in the backyard. This brings up another issue of someone digging and finding baby bones.
It was really difficult to get a sense of the characters in this book. The author tells us information about each character, but we don’t really see firsthand their motivations and feeling. The only strong characters were the grandfathers. Baker was successful at conveying their fears and feelings, and it was easy to understand the decisions they made. Nicholas’ mother and father were almost nonexistent, however. Baker did not really develop these characters at all, and it was difficult to get a sense of their relationship with Nicholas.
Nicholas plays the part of the stereotypical nerd, such as: eating in the bathroom stall and meeting his bullies after school. His character was very surface level, not very relatable, and he did not really change in any way. Baker tried to build up his character, by adding numerous aspects to his personality, but this just made Nicholas seem even more unrealistic. The bully characters in this story were exaggerated, which was most likely purposeful. This was not conveyed very successfully, however.
The ending of this book was somewhat weak and everything seemed to fall into place a bit too neatly. Although this book was not successful, I will be interested to see what Baker publishes next, because I believe it will be more focused and polished. Those seeking a true action-packed adventure should read The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch.