tessanie's review
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Fire/Fire injury
smurphy5337's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
taralorraine's review against another edition
informative
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
3.5
The interesting information about "Gas" was fun to learn and I enjoyed the main character.
maidmarianlib's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting combination of realism and mystery, a little predictable
snarlet319's review against another edition
2.0
I have enjoyed all her other books, but was really disappointed by this one. The here-and-now characters were not that believable. I had trouble empathizing with them or even caring about them. Plenty of bits of detail about Darwin, which was interesting, but not enough to carry the book.
jodilynclayton's review against another edition
2.0
This youth book by Blue Balliet is not near as good as her previous books. The lost item was intriguing, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about the characters. I love how Balliet introduces her readers to historical characters while mixing in puzzles, mystery, etc. It is because of her that I even know who Alexander Calder is! She does it again here, but somehow the magic just wasn't there for me.
gardenjess's review against another edition
5.0
Great book for kids and adults. Legally blind main character, Zoomy who must figure out the backstory on a box that appears in his town while a mysterious stranger lurks around.
repunzee's review against another edition
4.0
The additions of the mysterious elements were great. Each of the characters were well-developed. A good book that kept me on the edge of my seat, excited to see what would happen next.
nexttotheblues's review against another edition
5.0
Reminds me of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. Although it is never stated that the child has Asperger's Syndrome, I would say it's definitely a possibility. The way Zoomy thinks, lists, taps his chin and loses it when things change unexpectedly point to Asperger's for me. As I lay in bed after I finished this book though, I thought to myself about what it matters whether or not Zoomy has Asperger's, and for this story it really doesn't. He is also legally blind, which affects the way he sees the world. He mentions this many times. If Zoomy does have Asperger's, it doesn't matter at all. It's never mentioned but readers will be able to tell that he thinks and goes about life differently. Not bad, just different. This is also the point he tries to make about his vision. He sees differently, and better than some because he can see things up close and concentrate on them.
All in all, I loved this book and the slow quaint town feel to it. Kids will pick up some fun country phrases, and hopefully a lot of new info/respect about Darwin. Handles the subject of Charles Darwin beautifully, offending neither scientists or creationists, but making it obvious that it does not have to be one or the other.
All in all, I loved this book and the slow quaint town feel to it. Kids will pick up some fun country phrases, and hopefully a lot of new info/respect about Darwin. Handles the subject of Charles Darwin beautifully, offending neither scientists or creationists, but making it obvious that it does not have to be one or the other.
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