hh78's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jesseking10's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Wasn’t a massive fan of this book. I know it’s probably supposed to be aimed at children, but still, very one dimensional characters, predictable plot which involved morally awful approaches to fighting the bad guys (think arson, violence and lying).
mat_tobin's review against another edition
5.0
This was a great read from start to finish and make no mistake, the beetles are the stars of the book. Leonard writes with a good pace, has a broad range of interesting characters and is, I think, a master of plot: you get a strong feeling that she knows where this series of stories is going and this, the first book, is setting the scene for later stories.
The heroes themselves, led by Darkus, are engaging and diverse and the bad characters are stock enough to almost seem to pop out of a Dahl book which is a very good thing indeed. The chapters themselves are never too long and I really believe that the beetles themselves, as protagonists, are almost guaranteed to bring any reader into the story.
The heroes themselves, led by Darkus, are engaging and diverse and the bad characters are stock enough to almost seem to pop out of a Dahl book which is a very good thing indeed. The chapters themselves are never too long and I really believe that the beetles themselves, as protagonists, are almost guaranteed to bring any reader into the story.
ruthie_the_librarian's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
A bit more fantastical than Twitch (which I *love*) so I didn't get on with this one quite as well. But still a good adventure story.
hegeleen_kissel's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.0
puckhoos's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
yellowhighwaylines's review against another edition
3.0
When his dad goes missing in mysterious circumstances, Darkus Cuttle is determined to discover the truth. And then he finds a mountain of beetles next door who appear to be communicating with him...
Beetle Boy is a very engaging read, engagingly written and balanced well with a dark humour. Looking forward to the next in the series!
Beetle Boy is a very engaging read, engagingly written and balanced well with a dark humour. Looking forward to the next in the series!
bookmadbarlow's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A brilliant middle grade read about beetles and bugs and how they change a boys life.
Darkus has to stay with his uncle Max as his dad has gone missing, but one day discovers a beetle that seems to understand him and this starts in motion an adventure to find his dad.
Darkus along with his new friends learn to love the beetles and make plans to solve the mystery.
Didn't expect to love this as much as I did, M G Leonard can make me love beetles and much as she did trains.
Darkus has to stay with his uncle Max as his dad has gone missing, but one day discovers a beetle that seems to understand him and this starts in motion an adventure to find his dad.
Darkus along with his new friends learn to love the beetles and make plans to solve the mystery.
Didn't expect to love this as much as I did, M G Leonard can make me love beetles and much as she did trains.