calistareads's review against another edition
4.0
This book has the magic. It was so good. It is set in Maine at a big mansion in the middle of nowhere. Johnny, the professor and Fergie need to spend the summer at this mansion so the professor can inherit it from his brother. Sounds like a nice summer to everyone. It is not so easy as all that.
I love John Bellairs. His writing style is so simple and straight forward. He seems like he was classically trained. He knows latin and the Roman emperor's and this time around Astronomy and Astrology. He seems to be a treasure trove of knowledge.
I like the character of Johnny Dixon. He is not your typical protagonist. He is meek and a little hesitant and afraid, yet he always faces his fears and jumps right into the scary. Things seem to happen to John anyway.
These books are fantastic and wonderful little stories of gothic occult for young readers and up. I'm so glad I am finally reading this series. I would love to go back and read these as a kid or when they came out. I hope new generations will continue to give these a read.
I love John Bellairs. His writing style is so simple and straight forward. He seems like he was classically trained. He knows latin and the Roman emperor's and this time around Astronomy and Astrology. He seems to be a treasure trove of knowledge.
I like the character of Johnny Dixon. He is not your typical protagonist. He is meek and a little hesitant and afraid, yet he always faces his fears and jumps right into the scary. Things seem to happen to John anyway.
These books are fantastic and wonderful little stories of gothic occult for young readers and up. I'm so glad I am finally reading this series. I would love to go back and read these as a kid or when they came out. I hope new generations will continue to give these a read.
williameldon's review against another edition
4.0
One of the more riveting and well told stories with Johnny Dixon and the Professor, a ton of fun and a good amount of spook and some mildly creepy & disturbing stuff for a kid's book.
kopratic's review
3.0
This book was good for a quick read, but I don't think it'll be one I think back to very often. I'm just going to do a very quick review:
Pros:
- atmosphere (spooky and eerie; very good)
- pacing (follows a standard "mountain path" plot, but it does so very well)
In the Middle:
- plot (pretty good for the most part, but some things felt a bit too convenient)
- writing (it did the job)
Cons:
- characters (pretty replaceable and flat for the most part)
Pros:
- atmosphere (spooky and eerie; very good)
- pacing (follows a standard "mountain path" plot, but it does so very well)
In the Middle:
- plot (pretty good for the most part, but some things felt a bit too convenient)
- writing (it did the job)
Cons:
- characters (pretty replaceable and flat for the most part)
audreyintheheadphones's review
2.0
Oh, 12-year-old self.
100 pages of awesome (eccentric WWI vet/professor whose brother leaves him a haunted mansion and a doomsday prophecy) followed by 55 pages of drek (slow pacing, too much Fergie, deus ex machina and bonus misogyny). But those first 100 pages do give good Maine, so there's that.
100 pages of awesome (eccentric WWI vet/professor whose brother leaves him a haunted mansion and a doomsday prophecy) followed by 55 pages of drek (slow pacing, too much Fergie, deus ex machina and bonus misogyny). But those first 100 pages do give good Maine, so there's that.
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