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storm_37's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
ashmeanything's review against another edition
4.5
4.5/5 - I really enjoyed this! I loved this type of book as a kid and still do. It has some of my favorite tropes (smart kids as protagonists, found family, unlikely teams) and a lot of tight character development and plot work. I loved seeing a significant character with a limb difference, and there were some challenging but important themes for kids. I agree with reviews saying it was a touch too long, though.
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (weird ecology, hard mode); also fits standalone and family matters.
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (weird ecology, hard mode); also fits standalone and family matters.
itratali's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
angrynerd's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
librarian_lee's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 for this creepy story that fans of Neil Gaiman will love.
anna6482's review against another edition
5.0
Instantly one of my new favourite books. I knew I'd like it before I even read it, I found it on Goodreads and I thought it looked familiar, I think someone showed it to me years ago.
the entire story with the house, the family, the tree, the night gardener and the whole mystery of the book was engaging right to the end, starting and ending with two orphaned children looking for a new start. this story is a work of art and I highly recommend it.
the entire story with the house, the family, the tree, the night gardener and the whole mystery of the book was engaging right to the end, starting and ending with two orphaned children looking for a new start. this story is a work of art and I highly recommend it.
lalatut's review against another edition
4.0
Listened to this with my 15-year-old and we both loved it. Auxier’s book Sweep is one of my favorites and this had flavors of that but is much darker. 4.5 stars and I definitely want to read all his other books now.
linneamo's review against another edition
3.0
genre: fantasy/supernatural/horror
summary: Irish immigrant siblings, Kip and Molly, make their way to the Windsor Estate looking for work. The villagers in the town avoid the house as it is in the "sourwoods". The Windsor family (which included cold and sickly - Mrs. Constance Windsor, stuttering and secretive - Mr. Bertram Windsor, and their children tubby, bully - Alistair, and sweet,bubbly Penny) reluctantly allow the two children to work for them but there is an air of forlorn, foreboding surrounding the family and their home and there are things that go bump in the night! It is not long before the siblings catch sight of the "Night Gardener", a tall, sallow, specter that traipses through the house at night and tends to the large black tree (so old it has become part of the house).
Not only does this Night Gardener seem to have supernatural powers but the tree seems to have a power as well. A power that feeds off people's desires. A power that has destroyed countless lives. Do Molly and Kip have what it takes to defeat that kind of power? Especially when they have desires and secrets of their own?
notes: goes from creepy to morbid towards the end (with little humor) not for children easily scared ***A GOOD BOOK TALK BOOK***
for kids who like: the Thickety, the Riverman, Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy, the Secret Garden, & stories by Washington Irving & Ray Bradbury
age group: age 9+
my review: It's hard to read something that you've heard amazing things about because you always expect more from it. For the first two-thirds of the book I felt let down. It all seemed like unnecessary build up leading to a conclusion I could easily predict. Then, it changed. It got darker and wiser than I expected. A creepy tale with all the elements of an old Grimm story (orphans, cruelty, violence, fantasy) but it is also more than that. It is a story about greed and human nature. The most brilliant theme through out the book is that of storytelling and the nature of storytelling (specifically "What is the difference between telling stories and telling lies??").
summary: Irish immigrant siblings, Kip and Molly, make their way to the Windsor Estate looking for work. The villagers in the town avoid the house as it is in the "sourwoods". The Windsor family (which included cold and sickly - Mrs. Constance Windsor, stuttering and secretive - Mr. Bertram Windsor, and their children tubby, bully - Alistair, and sweet,bubbly Penny) reluctantly allow the two children to work for them but there is an air of forlorn, foreboding surrounding the family and their home and there are things that go bump in the night! It is not long before the siblings catch sight of the "Night Gardener", a tall, sallow, specter that traipses through the house at night and tends to the large black tree (so old it has become part of the house).
Not only does this Night Gardener seem to have supernatural powers but the tree seems to have a power as well. A power that feeds off people's desires. A power that has destroyed countless lives. Do Molly and Kip have what it takes to defeat that kind of power? Especially when they have desires and secrets of their own?
notes: goes from creepy to morbid towards the end (with little humor) not for children easily scared ***A GOOD BOOK TALK BOOK***
for kids who like: the Thickety, the Riverman, Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy, the Secret Garden, & stories by Washington Irving & Ray Bradbury
age group: age 9+
my review: It's hard to read something that you've heard amazing things about because you always expect more from it. For the first two-thirds of the book I felt let down. It all seemed like unnecessary build up leading to a conclusion I could easily predict. Then, it changed. It got darker and wiser than I expected. A creepy tale with all the elements of an old Grimm story (orphans, cruelty, violence, fantasy) but it is also more than that. It is a story about greed and human nature. The most brilliant theme through out the book is that of storytelling and the nature of storytelling (specifically "What is the difference between telling stories and telling lies??").