novelswithnora's review
4.0
This was such a cute and fun read!
Same as with the first book in the series I guessed who the culprit was pretty early on but that didn't detract from my reading experience. The atmosphere of this book was positively magical! I loved the introduction of new characters and the way Goldie interacts with them.
Goldie seems like such a real person, she has traits that you would see in almost every kid out there. The only minimal issue I have with this book is that Goldie is supposed to be 16? She tends to act more on the younger side but can drive and is going out on dates. It is definitely a little odd but in no way detracts from the story.
Overall this is a really light quick read that left me feeling happy and hopeful!
Thank you Pride Book Tours for the ARC
Same as with the first book in the series I guessed who the culprit was pretty early on but that didn't detract from my reading experience. The atmosphere of this book was positively magical! I loved the introduction of new characters and the way Goldie interacts with them.
Goldie seems like such a real person, she has traits that you would see in almost every kid out there. The only minimal issue I have with this book is that Goldie is supposed to be 16? She tends to act more on the younger side but can drive and is going out on dates. It is definitely a little odd but in no way detracts from the story.
Overall this is a really light quick read that left me feeling happy and hopeful!
Thank you Pride Book Tours for the ARC
lebron_librarian's review
adventurous
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? No
3.25
sailormoon19's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bookishrealm's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
What a fun middle grade mystery! I'm familiar with the Goldie Vance comics so I was so happy to work with Little Brown Young Readers and Pride Book Tours in reading and reviewing this book. All thoughts are my own.
It's been a while since I've picked up a Goldie Vance comic, but I was excited when I found out that it was becoming novelized into a middle grade mystery series. While I haven't read the first book, I was more than happy to pick up Goldie Vance: The Hocus-Pocus Hoax. These books can be read as standalone, individual mysteries; however, I would recommend reading them in order so you have a better understanding of the character relationships. They are amazing relationships that are focused on friendship. There is a sapphic relationship that has made an appearance in the last book; however, we get the opportunity to see these two characters go out on their first date and it was so cute and charming.
One of the greatest things about this book is that it is fast paced. It is a classic "who dun it" plot that grabs the attention of the reader. When a magician conference is held at the hotel Goldie Vance and some of her other friends get excited to meet magicians and learn some things from their classes. Unfortunately, during the conference objects belonging to magicians begin to go missing. Goldie takes on the case and is followed (much to her dismay) by Derek, the son of a famous magician. I enjoyed following their thought patterns of who could be responsible for taking the objects. Goldie and Derek have a very strained relationship. Goldie finds him annoying and overbearing, but it is in this annoyance that she finds great character development. She has to take Derek's life and his experiences into consideration when evaluating his behavior and it honestly makes her into a much more empathetic person. While following the mystery, I didn't have a clue who could be responsible and I was genuinely surprised when the big reveal came.
This book has such a wide cast of characters in terms of diversity. It was great picking up a middle grade novel where the main cast was filled with BIPOC characters who weren't having to deal with racism or oppression. It literally was about having fun and enjoying the mystery. There is even a mini-comic at the end up the book that follows up the story. I will say that I think that the way in which this is written makes it a little hard to gauge the target audience. I had to do a little research to find out that the publisher markets it as middle grade, but it read a little more like younger YA and I believe that Goldie is supposed to be around 15/16 in the books. I'm hoping we get a little more clarity in future books, but so far I'm enjoying them!
It's been a while since I've picked up a Goldie Vance comic, but I was excited when I found out that it was becoming novelized into a middle grade mystery series. While I haven't read the first book, I was more than happy to pick up Goldie Vance: The Hocus-Pocus Hoax. These books can be read as standalone, individual mysteries; however, I would recommend reading them in order so you have a better understanding of the character relationships. They are amazing relationships that are focused on friendship. There is a sapphic relationship that has made an appearance in the last book; however, we get the opportunity to see these two characters go out on their first date and it was so cute and charming.
One of the greatest things about this book is that it is fast paced. It is a classic "who dun it" plot that grabs the attention of the reader. When a magician conference is held at the hotel Goldie Vance and some of her other friends get excited to meet magicians and learn some things from their classes. Unfortunately, during the conference objects belonging to magicians begin to go missing. Goldie takes on the case and is followed (much to her dismay) by Derek, the son of a famous magician. I enjoyed following their thought patterns of who could be responsible for taking the objects. Goldie and Derek have a very strained relationship. Goldie finds him annoying and overbearing, but it is in this annoyance that she finds great character development. She has to take Derek's life and his experiences into consideration when evaluating his behavior and it honestly makes her into a much more empathetic person. While following the mystery, I didn't have a clue who could be responsible and I was genuinely surprised when the big reveal came.
This book has such a wide cast of characters in terms of diversity. It was great picking up a middle grade novel where the main cast was filled with BIPOC characters who weren't having to deal with racism or oppression. It literally was about having fun and enjoying the mystery. There is even a mini-comic at the end up the book that follows up the story. I will say that I think that the way in which this is written makes it a little hard to gauge the target audience. I had to do a little research to find out that the publisher markets it as middle grade, but it read a little more like younger YA and I believe that Goldie is supposed to be around 15/16 in the books. I'm hoping we get a little more clarity in future books, but so far I'm enjoying them!
halfwaytoaugust's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
melaniereadsbooks's review
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Thank you to the publisher and to Pride Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book to review.
In this second installment of the Goldie Vance novels, Goldie is faced with another mystery as the Assistant House Detective at the hotel her father manages--the case of the missing props. So named by Derek, the son of the famous magician who is the headliner of the magicians conferences that is being held at the hotel. Goldie has to figure out who is stealing props and why, all while balancing her first date with Diane and also trying not to blow up at the annoying Derek.
This book could be read without having read The Hotel Whodonnit first, all though you would be missing out on some background and would receive slight spoilers about Goldie and Diane's relationship.
Some of the strong suits in this book are the humor, the acceptance of diversity and diverse character cast, and the relationships between characters. There is also one section of full color comic panels at the end that are absolutely gorgeous and really add to the story.
Some of the problems I had with the book were much the same as the first one: very little character growth/change, writing that was a bit too in your face and obvious about things, and a predictable mystery.
I definitely still think these books are worth a read and would be a great way to diversify your Middle Grade collection.
In this second installment of the Goldie Vance novels, Goldie is faced with another mystery as the Assistant House Detective at the hotel her father manages--the case of the missing props. So named by Derek, the son of the famous magician who is the headliner of the magicians conferences that is being held at the hotel. Goldie has to figure out who is stealing props and why, all while balancing her first date with Diane and also trying not to blow up at the annoying Derek.
This book could be read without having read The Hotel Whodonnit first, all though you would be missing out on some background and would receive slight spoilers about Goldie and Diane's relationship.
Some of the strong suits in this book are the humor, the acceptance of diversity and diverse character cast, and the relationships between characters. There is also one section of full color comic panels at the end that are absolutely gorgeous and really add to the story.
Some of the problems I had with the book were much the same as the first one: very little character growth/change, writing that was a bit too in your face and obvious about things, and a predictable mystery.
I definitely still think these books are worth a read and would be a great way to diversify your Middle Grade collection.
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