m3l89's review against another edition
2.0
This was a great idea with good characters and intrigue. I got a bit bored towards the end which detracted from the whole.
blacksentai's review against another edition
3.0
It's a fairly decent children's book. The start is a bit rough, and the main characters are a bit to cliche for my tastes, but overall not a bad read.
corvusastrum's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.5 / 5
When I first read this book as a young teen I didn’t like it too much – actually I’m pretty sure that I didn’t even finish it – but rereading it now, I’m not quite sure what bothered me so much about it. All I remember is that it made me believe that unicorns had their horns on their noses for longer than I’d like to admit.
The concept is fairly creative, and although it’s still very clearly a children’s book, it’s still an enjoyable read. The mystery falls almost completely flat though, some of the build ups are just too obvious – looking at Walkwell’s secret and the black squirrel.
Most characters are either flat or stereotypical, but nothing too outrageous – and again, I don’t expect complex characterisation or motivations from a children’s book, although it’s always nice to see. Despite that I think we should have seen a bit more of Mrs. Needle, because so far I don’t really know what her deal is. I really like the dynamic between Walkwell and little Alma, and the bandersnatch (I hope that’s what it’s called in the English edition. If not, I’m talking about the mirror monster) was genuinely terrifying. Not quite sure what I’m supposed to think about the Jenkin’s siblings special abilities. They are oddly convenient and I have no idea why they have them other than they make for a great McGuffin.
Anyway, I’m definitely gonna read the second book to see where this goes.
When I first read this book as a young teen I didn’t like it too much – actually I’m pretty sure that I didn’t even finish it – but rereading it now, I’m not quite sure what bothered me so much about it. All I remember is that it made me believe that unicorns had their horns on their noses for longer than I’d like to admit.
The concept is fairly creative, and although it’s still very clearly a children’s book, it’s still an enjoyable read. The mystery falls almost completely flat though, some of the build ups are just too obvious – looking at Walkwell’s secret and the black squirrel.
Most characters are either flat or stereotypical, but nothing too outrageous – and again, I don’t expect complex characterisation or motivations from a children’s book, although it’s always nice to see. Despite that I think we should have seen a bit more of Mrs. Needle, because so far I don’t really know what her deal is. I really like the dynamic between Walkwell and little Alma, and the bandersnatch (I hope that’s what it’s called in the English edition. If not, I’m talking about the mirror monster) was genuinely terrifying. Not quite sure what I’m supposed to think about the Jenkin’s siblings special abilities. They are oddly convenient and I have no idea why they have them other than they make for a great McGuffin.
Anyway, I’m definitely gonna read the second book to see where this goes.
critter's review against another edition
3.0
This book was enjoyable. It was exciting at certain points, but got a bit slow at others.
kailey_luminouslibro's review against another edition
4.0
Tyler and Lucinda are dismayed that they have to spend the summer at the farm with their mysterious Uncle Gideon, whom they have never met. But when they arrive at Ordinary Farm, they find it full of mythical beasts and other-worldly people. The secrets go deep, and the past will threaten everyone on the farm, unless Tyler and Lucinda can navigate the mysteries of Ordinary Farm, warding off attack from the outside before it collapses from within.
I liked Tyler and Lucinda a lot, especially because they bicker and tease each other at the beginning, as all good siblings do, and then they have some wonderful character development. I love stories about siblings learning to appreciate each other!
The setting of an amazing farm for mythical beasts is excellently written. Barns full of weird animals, pens for basilisks, feeding times, grazing unicorns, and of course some wild dragons, all make for a fantastic setting.
The plot takes a little while to warm up, but then the secrets start coming out and the mystery heightens, culminating in plenty of action towards the end.
The supporting characters are all weird and secretive and snooping, each with their own history and their own agenda. I was intrigued by the variety of characters, and enjoyed finding out more about each one.
I liked Tyler and Lucinda a lot, especially because they bicker and tease each other at the beginning, as all good siblings do, and then they have some wonderful character development. I love stories about siblings learning to appreciate each other!
The setting of an amazing farm for mythical beasts is excellently written. Barns full of weird animals, pens for basilisks, feeding times, grazing unicorns, and of course some wild dragons, all make for a fantastic setting.
The plot takes a little while to warm up, but then the secrets start coming out and the mystery heightens, culminating in plenty of action towards the end.
The supporting characters are all weird and secretive and snooping, each with their own history and their own agenda. I was intrigued by the variety of characters, and enjoyed finding out more about each one.
sirah's review against another edition
3.0
Well, the first 150 pages or so were a confusing tangle of the main characters not getting any information. As an artistic piece, it was effective at causing me to feel the frustration the characters must have felt, but such a lack of real information is difficult to get into as part of a narrative. I appreciated the depth of character that the protagonists displayed, and the plot as a whole was likable once I got through the first half. It really picks up toward the end. I'm not sure if I'll be reading the sequel though.
wingedpotato's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, was not expecting this book at all. Much darker than I expected, but in a good way. Nice to read dragons portrayed as something you really don't want to mess with. Definitely not without flaws, but I'm completely hooked for the next book.
elephant's review against another edition
5.0
This is a fun fantasy/sci fi novel for kids. Tyler and his sister Lucinda are sent off to stay with an uncle they never knew that they had on his farm one summer and find that it is populated with odd people, unicorns, dragons and contains a gateway into another realm.
Despite the fact that a witch has a giant squirrel spying on Tyler and no one will tell them what is going on, Tyler and Lucinda find out many things about the mysterious farm and it's inhabitants. This is the first book in a series and I hope that the other books are as good as this one! I look forward to reading them.
Despite the fact that a witch has a giant squirrel spying on Tyler and no one will tell them what is going on, Tyler and Lucinda find out many things about the mysterious farm and it's inhabitants. This is the first book in a series and I hope that the other books are as good as this one! I look forward to reading them.
hayesstw's review against another edition
2.0
Lucinda and Tyler Jenkins go to spend the summer holidays on their great uncle Gideon's California farm, but they find it has weird animals and even weirder workers.
The book has some quite interesting ideas, but many of them are hardly developed, and there are too many inconsistencies in the plot, characters and dialogue.
In children's books, the age of child characters is often quite significant. The story opens with a boy called Colin eavesdropping on his elders. From his behaviour it seems he is about 7-8 years old. The great niece and nephew, we are told, are about his age. But when they arrive, it seems he is much taller than them, and to them he seems almost grown up. So physically his age moves to about 14, but mentally he still seems much younger. Lucinda therefore must be about 12 and her "little" brother about 9 or 10. Except that Tyler, we later discover, was given a watch for his 12th birthday, so that bumps Lucinda up to 14 or so, and Colin to about 16 or 17, especially when he starts pretending to be a businessman.
Lucinda and Tyler later meet three children from a neighbouring farm, the older two are about the same age as them, but the third is younger. But when they appear in the dark, they can't be adults, because they are small children. In my experience, 14-year-old girls are often as tall as or taller than their mothers. If, as in [b:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|6324090|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Lewis Carroll|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1391204048s/6324090.jpg|55548884] growing and shrinking children is part of the plot, fine. But if it isn't, it's just a distraction.
The characters are inconsistent in other ways, too, almost manic-depressive (or whatever that is called nowadays). The farm has secrets, like the origin of the weird animals, which the visiting children are supposed to be told some time, but have to discover for themselves, and at times are kept almost as prisoners. Sometimes interesting information is revealed about the characters, in a way that looks as though it is going to be significant for the plot, but it is then never mentioned again.
One of the characters is revealed to be a tutelary spirit, the genius loci of the farm. Lucinda and Tyler do not question this, or ask what it means. Presumably they know already. Perhaps that information was put in for didactic purposes -- get the readers to look up "tutelary" in a dictionary, or Google for genius loci. But there's little point in doing so, because no more information is imparted, and no use of it is made elsewhere in the story.
Another rather annoying thing is that though the book is obviously set in America, the British publishers have rather insensitively and inconsistently changed the language and spelling for British readers -- rather as the Harry Potter stories were changed for American readers. So there is lots of schoolkid slang that sounds horribly inauthentic because it has been changed in this way and so belongs to neither one place nor the other. There also references to computer games and the like which will probably make the book appear dated in a very short time. Too much use of contemporary slang can make a book quite unreadable after a few years.
So I can liken the book to a partly complete jigsaw puzzle, which has quite a lot of pieces that belong to a different puzzle altogether -- the things, like the genius loci that are introduced in the story, but not subsequently used.
The book has some quite interesting ideas, but many of them are hardly developed, and there are too many inconsistencies in the plot, characters and dialogue.
In children's books, the age of child characters is often quite significant. The story opens with a boy called Colin eavesdropping on his elders. From his behaviour it seems he is about 7-8 years old. The great niece and nephew, we are told, are about his age. But when they arrive, it seems he is much taller than them, and to them he seems almost grown up. So physically his age moves to about 14, but mentally he still seems much younger. Lucinda therefore must be about 12 and her "little" brother about 9 or 10. Except that Tyler, we later discover, was given a watch for his 12th birthday, so that bumps Lucinda up to 14 or so, and Colin to about 16 or 17, especially when he starts pretending to be a businessman.
Lucinda and Tyler later meet three children from a neighbouring farm, the older two are about the same age as them, but the third is younger. But when they appear in the dark, they can't be adults, because they are small children. In my experience, 14-year-old girls are often as tall as or taller than their mothers. If, as in [b:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|6324090|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Lewis Carroll|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1391204048s/6324090.jpg|55548884] growing and shrinking children is part of the plot, fine. But if it isn't, it's just a distraction.
The characters are inconsistent in other ways, too, almost manic-depressive (or whatever that is called nowadays). The farm has secrets, like the origin of the weird animals, which the visiting children are supposed to be told some time, but have to discover for themselves, and at times are kept almost as prisoners. Sometimes interesting information is revealed about the characters, in a way that looks as though it is going to be significant for the plot, but it is then never mentioned again.
One of the characters is revealed to be a tutelary spirit, the genius loci of the farm. Lucinda and Tyler do not question this, or ask what it means. Presumably they know already. Perhaps that information was put in for didactic purposes -- get the readers to look up "tutelary" in a dictionary, or Google for genius loci. But there's little point in doing so, because no more information is imparted, and no use of it is made elsewhere in the story.
Another rather annoying thing is that though the book is obviously set in America, the British publishers have rather insensitively and inconsistently changed the language and spelling for British readers -- rather as the Harry Potter stories were changed for American readers. So there is lots of schoolkid slang that sounds horribly inauthentic because it has been changed in this way and so belongs to neither one place nor the other. There also references to computer games and the like which will probably make the book appear dated in a very short time. Too much use of contemporary slang can make a book quite unreadable after a few years.
So I can liken the book to a partly complete jigsaw puzzle, which has quite a lot of pieces that belong to a different puzzle altogether -- the things, like the genius loci that are introduced in the story, but not subsequently used.