drearyletters's review
adventurous
dark
funny
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? No
4.0
alejandrasmith4's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
imgunnagetyou's review against another edition
2.0
it was ok but what the fuck was going on between the ghost and henry bruh
ehparrish's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ssham92's review against another edition
4.0
4.5
Mannn, this book was so fun!!
Elizabeth Webster is a normal middle schooler, or so she thinks. One day, Henry Harrison, the star swimmer, asks her to tutor him in math. Though suspicious, she agrees. What follows is a dark and wild ride full of humor, ghosts, monsters and the scariest of thing of them all: the law! I suggest going into this book semi blind, so you can feel excited about all of the twist and turns.
The characters were pretty standard, but likable. Elizabeth is kind of a brat, but she does acknowledge this. She grows into her own. Her friends are not very memorable. However, the law firm and court scenes are incredible! They are easily the best part. I could not flip the pages fast enough! There are tidbits of the law sewn into the story, but I can assure you, they are far from boring!
This book was imaginative, fast paced, and unique. As a horror lover, this book delighted me. It went very dark at some points. The blend of history and mythology didn't make me feel like I was reading a middle grade. The kids are young, and the reader can sense in the story. This book not juvenile at all. I would suggest this book for ages all across the board. It does not end on a cliff hanger, but ends in a way that the reader knows there is a second book. Man, I am thrilled!
Kudos to William Lashner. I can't wait for the second book! I also can't wait for a reread of this one! I recommend this for horror lovers, middle grade readers, readers looking for something different, and anyone looking for a memorable read!
Mannn, this book was so fun!!
Elizabeth Webster is a normal middle schooler, or so she thinks. One day, Henry Harrison, the star swimmer, asks her to tutor him in math. Though suspicious, she agrees. What follows is a dark and wild ride full of humor, ghosts, monsters and the scariest of thing of them all: the law! I suggest going into this book semi blind, so you can feel excited about all of the twist and turns.
The characters were pretty standard, but likable. Elizabeth is kind of a brat, but she does acknowledge this. She grows into her own. Her friends are not very memorable. However, the law firm and court scenes are incredible! They are easily the best part. I could not flip the pages fast enough! There are tidbits of the law sewn into the story, but I can assure you, they are far from boring!
This book was imaginative, fast paced, and unique. As a horror lover, this book delighted me. It went very dark at some points. The blend of history and mythology didn't make me feel like I was reading a middle grade. The kids are young, and the reader can sense in the story. This book not juvenile at all. I would suggest this book for ages all across the board. It does not end on a cliff hanger, but ends in a way that the reader knows there is a second book. Man, I am thrilled!
Kudos to William Lashner. I can't wait for the second book! I also can't wait for a reread of this one! I recommend this for horror lovers, middle grade readers, readers looking for something different, and anyone looking for a memorable read!
halfpintreads's review against another edition
3.0
Very good middle grade story. Had few inconsistencies regarding age of characters (8th grade swimming with hs to has a car? Did car have a driver because no 8th graders are legal to drive)
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
5.0
Elizabeth Webster hasn't seen her father in years. Her mother got majority custody after the divorce and her father only pops up marginally. She learns why after a new friend enlists her help in ousting a ghost from his home: He's secretly a lawyer to the dearly departed. Elizabeth finds herself following in his footsteps with interesting results.
What captured my attention the most when reading Court of Uncommon Pleas was how well fleshed out the characters were. All of the necessary players felt rounded out. The dialogue was funny in a natural way. Chemistry sparked between everyone - I really bought that the cast cared about one another.
The lore was equally as investing. It was absurd in many ways, but it was all a matter of perspective. I love a universe that can be totally off the wall yet remain consistent to its own logic.
The mystery is intriguing. I figured out what was going on only after I had most of the pieces altogether which made it very exciting to read through. Not knowing where the story is going isn't all that common for me as an adult reading middle grade. I don't expect to be surprised so I am especially tickled pink when I am.
My only grievance is Elizabeth's mother who I actively disliked for most of the book.
She lied to Elizabeth 'for her own good' her entire life about why her father wasn't around. She spoke negatively about him directly to Elizabeth in an attempt to misalign his reputation in her eyes. She also specifically would try to weaponize Elizabeth's current familial ties to manipulate her into prioritizing them over her father. Plenty of children have a parent with a dangerous job and there was no indication that Elizabeth was ever in any danger from the court or the undead so I had no idea why she wanted to hide his profession from her other than her own desire to keep the two apart. Especially when it was causing Elizabeth so much internal distress about her identity.
Worse yet it made her a massive hypocrite since it's highly implied that her father used his expertise to save her from her own ghostly situation when the two first met.
She might have had perfectly sound reasons for her choices, but there was never a point when she explained in detail so she just seemed selfish and nasty. You're expected to simply give her the benefit of the doubt. I am not Elizabeth here. Warbling cries about safety will not work on me. I do not have the emotional tie that would make me have faith in her regardless of how the situation looks. I need proof.
I would have preferred exploring it in this first book versus teasing it for the next one as it was crucial to her and Elizabeth's relationship development. As it stands it totally soured me on a character I am clearly meant to have empathy for. Walking back this level of parental failure is going to be extremely difficult already. Making me wait isn't going to help her case.
To be clear I don't think kids will take it that seriously or that it is bad to a degree that's harmful, but it certainly noticeable if you're paying attention so I'm mentioning it anyway. Really it's more frustrating than anything.
The ending left more to be desired, again because of the choice not to clarify what the deal was with her mother. I also think there should have been a heart to heart between Elizabeth and her father to cap off her arc. Elizabeth spent so much time chasing a shadow. Let's see how the reality compares to the dream.
Bottom line, I had a good time. I would read the sequel in general and I will read the sequel eventually.
What captured my attention the most when reading Court of Uncommon Pleas was how well fleshed out the characters were. All of the necessary players felt rounded out. The dialogue was funny in a natural way. Chemistry sparked between everyone - I really bought that the cast cared about one another.
The lore was equally as investing. It was absurd in many ways, but it was all a matter of perspective. I love a universe that can be totally off the wall yet remain consistent to its own logic.
The mystery is intriguing. I figured out what was going on only after I had most of the pieces altogether which made it very exciting to read through. Not knowing where the story is going isn't all that common for me as an adult reading middle grade. I don't expect to be surprised so I am especially tickled pink when I am.
My only grievance is Elizabeth's mother who I actively disliked for most of the book.
She lied to Elizabeth 'for her own good' her entire life about why her father wasn't around. She spoke negatively about him directly to Elizabeth in an attempt to misalign his reputation in her eyes. She also specifically would try to weaponize Elizabeth's current familial ties to manipulate her into prioritizing them over her father. Plenty of children have a parent with a dangerous job and there was no indication that Elizabeth was ever in any danger from the court or the undead so I had no idea why she wanted to hide his profession from her other than her own desire to keep the two apart. Especially when it was causing Elizabeth so much internal distress about her identity.
Worse yet it made her a massive hypocrite since it's highly implied that her father used his expertise to save her from her own ghostly situation when the two first met.
She might have had perfectly sound reasons for her choices, but there was never a point when she explained in detail so she just seemed selfish and nasty. You're expected to simply give her the benefit of the doubt. I am not Elizabeth here. Warbling cries about safety will not work on me. I do not have the emotional tie that would make me have faith in her regardless of how the situation looks. I need proof.
I would have preferred exploring it in this first book versus teasing it for the next one as it was crucial to her and Elizabeth's relationship development. As it stands it totally soured me on a character I am clearly meant to have empathy for. Walking back this level of parental failure is going to be extremely difficult already. Making me wait isn't going to help her case.
To be clear I don't think kids will take it that seriously or that it is bad to a degree that's harmful, but it certainly noticeable if you're paying attention so I'm mentioning it anyway. Really it's more frustrating than anything.
The ending left more to be desired, again because of the choice not to clarify what the deal was with her mother. I also think there should have been a heart to heart between Elizabeth and her father to cap off her arc. Elizabeth spent so much time chasing a shadow. Let's see how the reality compares to the dream.
Bottom line, I had a good time. I would read the sequel in general and I will read the sequel eventually.
whitneyc's review against another edition
5.0
listened to this with my kids. we all loved it and can’t wait for more elizabeth webster.
the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
5.0
With the debut of Marvel's latest series on Disney+, She Hulk, I thought there might be some interest in law-oriented middle grade stories, and this fits the bill, perfectly!
It's also great for October, as it features ghosts and other paranormal ghoulies and it's a little bit spooky and kinda creepy, but not terribly.
Elizabeth Webster's step-father is an attorney, and so is her father, but she has no idea of her family heritage on the Webster, or her father's, side.
And she tends to be a bit…argumentative, shall we say? In a good way, though. A nerdy, book-ish way.
All she knows is she hasn't seen her dad in forever, years, in fact, and no one seems to know where he went after his last case. Her mom doesn't want Elizabeth to have anything to do with her father or the Websters. Period.
A star athlete at school, Henry Harrison, asks Elizabeth to tutor him. Elizabeth quickly learns he's haunted – by a beautiful ghost who whispered Elizabeth's name to Henry, which is why he really asked Elizabeth to tutor him. He wants her to get rid of the ghost, make her stop haunting him.
Elizabeth has no idea how to do that, but she tracks down her grandfather in an abandoned-to-all-except-the-damned building. He's the sole remaining member of the Webster family law firm, Webster & Son, Attorneys for the Damned. The lawfirm's name strikes Elizabeth as extremely sexist, but at least her grandfather tells her how to start the legal proceedings to evict the ghost from Henry's house.
That's right, there's a legal court for these paranormal disputes. An otherworldly court, one with judges, rules and procedures, precedents and case law. It's called The Court of Uncommon Pleas. And her father disappeared while on a case for it. One involving a demon, a very nasty, very litigious demon.
Once the ghost kisses Henry, he's besotted, totally against his will. Elizabeth must see Henry's ghost's eviction through to the end to free him and save her father from the demon's clutches, or it could be the end of the Webster law firm. Forever.
This book is well-written, and there's a lot of legal concepts (habeas corpus is the main one in this first book) that get explained and explored, without dumbing them down for young readers. Any reader who loves the law, or wants to learn more about it, will enjoy this!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
It's also great for October, as it features ghosts and other paranormal ghoulies and it's a little bit spooky and kinda creepy, but not terribly.
Elizabeth Webster's step-father is an attorney, and so is her father, but she has no idea of her family heritage on the Webster, or her father's, side.
And she tends to be a bit…argumentative, shall we say? In a good way, though. A nerdy, book-ish way.
All she knows is she hasn't seen her dad in forever, years, in fact, and no one seems to know where he went after his last case. Her mom doesn't want Elizabeth to have anything to do with her father or the Websters. Period.
A star athlete at school, Henry Harrison, asks Elizabeth to tutor him. Elizabeth quickly learns he's haunted – by a beautiful ghost who whispered Elizabeth's name to Henry, which is why he really asked Elizabeth to tutor him. He wants her to get rid of the ghost, make her stop haunting him.
Elizabeth has no idea how to do that, but she tracks down her grandfather in an abandoned-to-all-except-the-damned building. He's the sole remaining member of the Webster family law firm, Webster & Son, Attorneys for the Damned. The lawfirm's name strikes Elizabeth as extremely sexist, but at least her grandfather tells her how to start the legal proceedings to evict the ghost from Henry's house.
That's right, there's a legal court for these paranormal disputes. An otherworldly court, one with judges, rules and procedures, precedents and case law. It's called The Court of Uncommon Pleas. And her father disappeared while on a case for it. One involving a demon, a very nasty, very litigious demon.
Once the ghost kisses Henry, he's besotted, totally against his will. Elizabeth must see Henry's ghost's eviction through to the end to free him and save her father from the demon's clutches, or it could be the end of the Webster law firm. Forever.
This book is well-written, and there's a lot of legal concepts (habeas corpus is the main one in this first book) that get explained and explored, without dumbing them down for young readers. Any reader who loves the law, or wants to learn more about it, will enjoy this!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
suzannekm's review against another edition
4.0
How to you get rid of a ghost? Bring legal action against them of course! And how do you possibly get approved to argue such a case? Be born a Webster.
I liked this unusual middle-grade law thriller a lot. I think it's an interesting introduction to concepts of the justice system and also does some very interesting things with family ties and secrets as well.
I liked this unusual middle-grade law thriller a lot. I think it's an interesting introduction to concepts of the justice system and also does some very interesting things with family ties and secrets as well.