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almas's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
georgialouise's review against another edition
3.0
The beginning of this book was so good' I thought it was so creative and funny. A mix between Harry Potter and Matilda it had so much potential but the latter half just let it down.
I still enjoyed the book but I did find myself skipping a lot of the end.
I did however love the illustrations, they added so much to the story and made the reading experience much better.
I still enjoyed the book but I did find myself skipping a lot of the end.
I did however love the illustrations, they added so much to the story and made the reading experience much better.
saccalai's review
4.0
Clementine is kept locked up by her horrible aunt and uncle and only sees the outside by looking up her chimney to see a small square of sky. Despite this she has always dreamed of a place with huge mountains and green and wind, she calls this The Magic Place and it is what keeps her going even though everything at home seems so horrible.
I just knew this was going to be a magical book right from the start. I loved how the pictures weren't just illustrations but were actually a part of the story. Though I must say the vivid descriptions were quite expressive even without the pictures to look at. I could imagine the beetle-like Aunt Vermilia and crocodile Uncle Rufus.
Although Clementine doesn't seem to have much to hope for, she shows her strength and bravery. She manages to keep her defiance and gets back at her aunt and uncle is some small ways, even though she knows she will be punished. She always holds on to her hope that one day she will get away from them and find The Magic Place. I absolutely love a magical pet, and surely Gilbert is part magic as he is such a clever cat! He and a group of very persistent dogs actually play a big part in helping to save the day. With Gilbert's support, Clementine doesn't give up on her wish to escape.
I just knew this was going to be a magical book right from the start. I loved how the pictures weren't just illustrations but were actually a part of the story. Though I must say the vivid descriptions were quite expressive even without the pictures to look at. I could imagine the beetle-like Aunt Vermilia and crocodile Uncle Rufus.
Although Clementine doesn't seem to have much to hope for, she shows her strength and bravery. She manages to keep her defiance and gets back at her aunt and uncle is some small ways, even though she knows she will be punished. She always holds on to her hope that one day she will get away from them and find The Magic Place. I absolutely love a magical pet, and surely Gilbert is part magic as he is such a clever cat! He and a group of very persistent dogs actually play a big part in helping to save the day. With Gilbert's support, Clementine doesn't give up on her wish to escape.
ros_lanta's review against another edition
I really wasn't keen on either the plot or the writing style.
lilyp7's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you so much, NetGalley and David Fickling Books, for the chance to read and review this book!
TW: kidnapping and child abuse
Mistreated and abused by her wicked aunt and uncle, Clementine dreams of a magic place from her cellar bedroom, hoping she will, one day, escape the Great Black City. With the help of a peculiar and magical cat, Gilbert, one day Clementine decides to make her dreams come true.
With amazing illustrations, The magic place is a wonderful and lovely fairytale. funny and heartbreaking, intriguing and moving. Clementine was abused and hurt all her life and she's determined to survive and escape from her prison and her awful relative. I loved the descriptions, so evocative and intense and how the author and the illustrator describe the Great Black City, The magic place, the characters and their adventures.
Gilbert, the Grimbles, are intriguing characters, well written and rounded and I loved reading this book!
It filled me with hope and magic and it's absolutely splendid.
TW: kidnapping and child abuse
Mistreated and abused by her wicked aunt and uncle, Clementine dreams of a magic place from her cellar bedroom, hoping she will, one day, escape the Great Black City. With the help of a peculiar and magical cat, Gilbert, one day Clementine decides to make her dreams come true.
With amazing illustrations, The magic place is a wonderful and lovely fairytale. funny and heartbreaking, intriguing and moving. Clementine was abused and hurt all her life and she's determined to survive and escape from her prison and her awful relative. I loved the descriptions, so evocative and intense and how the author and the illustrator describe the Great Black City, The magic place, the characters and their adventures.
Gilbert, the Grimbles, are intriguing characters, well written and rounded and I loved reading this book!
It filled me with hope and magic and it's absolutely splendid.
_tirilu's review
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
When you read the synopsis you might expect that this book is somehow whimsical and full of magic. You might think it's full of adventure and maybe even fun. Truth is, it isn't. There is a lot of misery in this book.
The main character is Clementine, a young girl, that has lived with her abusive aunt and uncle all her life. She has never left the house, has to cook and clean and is mostly locked into a windowless cellar. She is physically and mentally abused (although nothing too graphic there.) The only creature who ever shows her any kindness is the family's white cat, Gilbert. (A smart but otherwise ordinary and not magical cat, in case you were wondering.)
The book is written in a kind of storybook fashion were the reader is a spectator. While the narrator often speaks directly to the reader, asking questions or referring to the images that are part of the story, you watch things happen to Clementine instead of with her. It made me feel rather detached from the story which is a shame. I couldn't really build any kind of connection to Clementine, since it was not immersive in that sense.
While I couldn't really connect, I'm pretty sure that young children will love this book. The story is simple and rather straightforward with a few twists and turns and has a lot of amazing artwork that I really liked and that are an integral part of the story. It's definitely a book you can read to and with children and I'm sure they will enjoy it.
The main character is Clementine, a young girl, that has lived with her abusive aunt and uncle all her life. She has never left the house, has to cook and clean and is mostly locked into a windowless cellar. She is physically and mentally abused (although nothing too graphic there.) The only creature who ever shows her any kindness is the family's white cat, Gilbert. (A smart but otherwise ordinary and not magical cat, in case you were wondering.)
The book is written in a kind of storybook fashion were the reader is a spectator. While the narrator often speaks directly to the reader, asking questions or referring to the images that are part of the story, you watch things happen to Clementine instead of with her. It made me feel rather detached from the story which is a shame. I couldn't really build any kind of connection to Clementine, since it was not immersive in that sense.
While I couldn't really connect, I'm pretty sure that young children will love this book. The story is simple and rather straightforward with a few twists and turns and has a lot of amazing artwork that I really liked and that are an integral part of the story. It's definitely a book you can read to and with children and I'm sure they will enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Kidnapping
albaginesta's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
mat_tobin's review
5.0
This was a delightful read that I completed in one sitting. It tells the story of Clementine, a girl whose life consists on living in a dirty cellar, attending to the whims of her ferocious aunt and devious uncle. Set within a Victorian-esque backdrop, Clementine seeks for a life beyond the confines of the house she is trapped in, she is looking for a home. When Gilbert, a cat far wiser than he might first seem, befriends her, he sets in motion a series of events that leads Clementine down a path of adventure that will change her life.
All the ingredients of the rags to riches story are here accompanied prolifically throughout by Wormell's illustrations which slip between realistic and farcical. Pages bedecked with animal helpers, smoggy, Victorian backdrops and colourful landscapes, Aiken-esque villains and a healthy dose of hope make up the ingredients of a most wonderful tale.
A welcome shift perhaps lies in our hero, Clementine, who celebrates the strong women of traditional tales who had always been there until the Grimms and Perrault shifted the narrative perspective away from them. She brims with hope, is defiant, smart and self-reliant. A great character for all children to encounter.
All the ingredients of the rags to riches story are here accompanied prolifically throughout by Wormell's illustrations which slip between realistic and farcical. Pages bedecked with animal helpers, smoggy, Victorian backdrops and colourful landscapes, Aiken-esque villains and a healthy dose of hope make up the ingredients of a most wonderful tale.
A welcome shift perhaps lies in our hero, Clementine, who celebrates the strong women of traditional tales who had always been there until the Grimms and Perrault shifted the narrative perspective away from them. She brims with hope, is defiant, smart and self-reliant. A great character for all children to encounter.
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