notwithoutmybook's review
5.0
12 year old Charley is a viral singing sensation taking the world by storm; along with her best friend/cameraman/future comedian George, they are touring the world and having the time of their lives.
When a priceless painting goes missing whilst they're on tour, the duo are shocked to find themselves as prime suspects of the crime. It's down to the two rockstar detectives to prove their innocence when evidence of even more bizarre thefts seem to be stacking against them.
I love this book, it's hilarious and witty with a real mystery that kept me guessing. It also made me want to visit so many places in the world, I learned new things in the most fun way! The characters are so likeable, even the not so nice ones - I couldn't help but root for them at the end, that's the kind of story this this. I absolutely love that George being a wheelchair user is such a normal part of the story and isn't made into a big deal, it's exactly as it should be and I'm so happy his hilarious character is what shines through above all else. I hope there's going to be a second book, this was too funny for there to not be a follow up.
When a priceless painting goes missing whilst they're on tour, the duo are shocked to find themselves as prime suspects of the crime. It's down to the two rockstar detectives to prove their innocence when evidence of even more bizarre thefts seem to be stacking against them.
I love this book, it's hilarious and witty with a real mystery that kept me guessing. It also made me want to visit so many places in the world, I learned new things in the most fun way! The characters are so likeable, even the not so nice ones - I couldn't help but root for them at the end, that's the kind of story this this. I absolutely love that George being a wheelchair user is such a normal part of the story and isn't made into a big deal, it's exactly as it should be and I'm so happy his hilarious character is what shines through above all else. I hope there's going to be a second book, this was too funny for there to not be a follow up.
jess64au's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A reasonable detective who done it for younger readers.
librarianlayla's review
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Witty, heart warming and mysterious.
A fantastic middle grade book perfect for introducing young readers to the mystery genre. Filled with good humour and a wonderful friendship to tie everything together.
A fantastic middle grade book perfect for introducing young readers to the mystery genre. Filled with good humour and a wonderful friendship to tie everything together.
tansybradshaw's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
3.75
This is a wonderful story with diverse characters.
pagesandpaws's review
This book really was everything I could have hoped for and more, and I urge you to pick it up for yourself of someone in your life. Especially if they enjoy fast paced adventure stories filled with mystery, lovable characters and a bit of history sneaked in their in places.
The characters are lovable and show such great representation that kids need to see. They show great friendship and work together as a team. They have their own goals and aspirations and are actively working towards them in a great way.
I loved the illustrations and I think the cover design is perfect for the book itself. The storyline and pacing are also great so really I can't help but love it.
anni_in_wonderland's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
This was an adorable read. Perhaps I should preface my review with my background though: I’m an adult and definitely not the target group, so this is obviously something I’m bearing in mind as I read this review. Moreover, I received a free copy in advance but it was in exchange for an honest review and therefore has no impact on my rating.
Two things drew me to this book:
1) The inclusion of a character with a disability. My own disability is very different from George’s, but I would have given so much to read more stories with disabled characters when I was a child.
Two things drew me to this book:
1) The inclusion of a character with a disability. My own disability is very different from George’s, but I would have given so much to read more stories with disabled characters when I was a child.
2) I absolutely devoured all sorts of detective stories when I was a child and I’m not ashamed to say that I am still happy to re-read some of my favourites as an adult. I wanted to see how these sorts of stories are done these days.
Overall, this was a well-done children’s book with an interesting story line and a plot twist that I admittedly so coming from miles away as an adult reader but that would probably surprise younger readers. The following aspects stood out:
The writing & the illustrations: This was well-suited for the targeted age group. The only thing that bothered me a little was an overuse of brackets in places where they were absolutely not necessary. The illustrations were cute and fitting but also not overdone – perfect!
The characters: I thought the two main protagonists – Charley and George – were very likeable and I would have loved them as a kid! Most importantly, I can’t stress enough how much I loved seeing a children’s book with a disabled character that is not solely defined by their disability. I thought this was well done as George’s wheelchair does feature in the book and in some plotlines) in a tactful way) and this sense it’s always there but it’s not his defining characteristic/talent/problem as it sometimes tends to be in stories about disabled characters. More of this please, especially in children’s fiction!
Most of the adult characters remain stereotypes at best and are just utterly clueless at worst. It fits the book and its vibe overall – it’s not the most serious book in the world but meant to be a more fun and light-hearted romp. Nonetheless, I thought I should mention this in a review as I remember very vividly that when I was a child reading books it bothered me a little when adult characters were obviously a lot less well-rounded than the kid protagonists. This is down to personal taste though.
The plot: It was a fun romp, honestly, but even for a middle-grade book I found this a little far-fetched. The kids are being accused of art theft – but apparently the police never informed their parents but keeps threatening to arrest them. They take it on themselves to solve the crime but some of their suspects are so far-fetched you can’t even consider it circumstantial. For example, they suspect a friend’s father because he is a pilot and apparently that means he could have reached the international destinations that things were stolen from. It depends a lot on the child, they level or maturity and experience as a reader. However, personally, when I was middle-grade-aged I was already reading detective fiction with more realistic plotlines and suspects. I would, therefore, recommend this story for younger children and/or inexperienced readers. I did love the different places that the protagonists visited and the information on various European destinations & their history. This was very well done!
The writing & the illustrations: This was well-suited for the targeted age group. The only thing that bothered me a little was an overuse of brackets in places where they were absolutely not necessary. The illustrations were cute and fitting but also not overdone – perfect!
The characters: I thought the two main protagonists – Charley and George – were very likeable and I would have loved them as a kid! Most importantly, I can’t stress enough how much I loved seeing a children’s book with a disabled character that is not solely defined by their disability. I thought this was well done as George’s wheelchair does feature in the book and in some plotlines) in a tactful way) and this sense it’s always there but it’s not his defining characteristic/talent/problem as it sometimes tends to be in stories about disabled characters. More of this please, especially in children’s fiction!
Most of the adult characters remain stereotypes at best and are just utterly clueless at worst. It fits the book and its vibe overall – it’s not the most serious book in the world but meant to be a more fun and light-hearted romp. Nonetheless, I thought I should mention this in a review as I remember very vividly that when I was a child reading books it bothered me a little when adult characters were obviously a lot less well-rounded than the kid protagonists. This is down to personal taste though.
The plot: It was a fun romp, honestly, but even for a middle-grade book I found this a little far-fetched. The kids are being accused of art theft – but apparently the police never informed their parents but keeps threatening to arrest them. They take it on themselves to solve the crime but some of their suspects are so far-fetched you can’t even consider it circumstantial. For example, they suspect a friend’s father because he is a pilot and apparently that means he could have reached the international destinations that things were stolen from. It depends a lot on the child, they level or maturity and experience as a reader. However, personally, when I was middle-grade-aged I was already reading detective fiction with more realistic plotlines and suspects. I would, therefore, recommend this story for younger children and/or inexperienced readers. I did love the different places that the protagonists visited and the information on various European destinations & their history. This was very well done!
gb212's review
4.0
A lovely story that has a good moral basis, the a children’s crime novel! What’s not to love? The thing I loved the most was the way disability was not just tagged on, there was some exploration of it and cross over in history to the romans! Adam Hill’s is a man who is so talented and I didn’t expect such a good book from him! I really hope he writes another one as it’ll make such a difference to so many children
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