Reviews

The Mystery of the Cupboard by Tom Newsom, Lynne Reid Banks

lovelife1008's review against another edition

4.0

I enjoyed this book and even though I didn't read the other books in the series I still felt connected to the characters. I enjoyed finding out the backstory of the cupboard. The way that the family interacted felt believable as I can see the way the siblings acted around each other as similar to the way I act with my own siblings. I loved finding out that the book allowed for the magic to happen in regards to the cupboard.

aotora's review against another edition

4.0

This one was different. I liked it- it still has that magic aspect where the figurines come to life but it explains the origins of the cupboard and how it came to be and how the magic works. It also dives more into the family history of Omri's family and I liked that a lot. The figurines are there at the end of the story- but they are barely there aside from Omri revealing them to his father who accepts the magic way too easily - but other than that, it's a good book. Probably my favourite in the series so far.

dr4manrx's review against another edition

5.0

I must have read this book a thousand times in middle school. I don't remember much of the plot, but I was fascinated by it.

herbalmoon's review against another edition

4.0

This is a really good book, even with the characters of old missing. Learning how the cupboard and the key came to be was fascinating. After re-reading the first book, I also discovered that my childhood belief that it was a "small cupboard" (as the book said) was all wrong, and that it was more like a regular-sized medicine cabinet! (Surely no smaller than the one in my grandparents' bathroom.)

One big question that bothers me (and I see it's been carried over to the final book)...why the change to Little Bull? I know that Natives taking new names to mark significant moments in their lives means that the change could've been brought about by Little Bear becoming chief, but why wasn't that done all the way back in the second book, rather than arbitrarily popping up in the fourth?

That (seeming) error and one more made me suspicious that books four and five might be ghostwritten: fortunetelling was illegal in England (and Great Britain later on) until the year after

Spoiler

Jessie died

. As I suspected, fortunetelling was covered under witchcraft laws in their various forms until the final one was repealed in 1951. (more info) A woman who has lived in the UK all her life would not only know that, she'd probably use it to have

Spoiler

Jessie put in jail a few times, thereby proving Maria's belief that she was "wicked". Or she'd talk about Jessie having to hide her work from the authorities.

Either way, someone who knew what they were doing wouldn't casually write that their secondary protagonist made a living telling fortunes without any significant legal repercussions.

thenschultz's review against another edition

Arguably the best of the series outside the first. We loved it.

jselliot's review

adventurous emotional lighthearted slow-paced

5.0

The first and the fourth are by and far the best books of this series that I've read, though I found out through StoryGraph that there even is a fifth book. Will have to check it out. As a series-wide review, though, the Indian in the Cupboard series firmly captures a sense of whimsy, adventure, and discovery while also holding a sense of wonder for the past and the people that came before the reader. It isn't necessarily perfectly historically accurate in the portrayal of those past characters, but it does endear the reader to them.

androidethics's review against another edition

4.0

I was obsessed with this book as a child. I lost my copy Of it, long after it had fallen apart and been taped back together from how often I read it. And I could never remember the name Of it, but after all these years I can across a copy Of it in a thrift store and recognized the cover immediately. This book holds up so well, even as it is technically a kids book. The story is so heartbreaking. It’s also probably why, to this day, I have an obsession with time travel books. This was the blueprint. There’s so many times in the story where I just get total body goosebumps. There’s no higher praise than a book you loved as a child still keeping you captivated when you pick it up again as an adult.

jessjess125's review

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

jossarian4's review against another edition

3.0

Yet another series that aided me in discovering my love of reading.

zeuspng's review against another edition

1.0

I give this book a 3 because it kind-of caught my attention, but in the end it probably wasn't my favorite. But if you like journal entries and tiny talking figures, then go ahead and read this.