allinikol's review against another edition
Cute book. Different from classic tales. Enjoyed reading it. Good middle grade read.
sarahhoward's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
pixieprose's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
I really loved this book and would truly enjoy a sequel. The story is compelling and the characters are well built.
embe94's review against another edition
3.0
A bit of a slow start, and an awkward ending, but overall, a fun, magic filled adventure! Once the pace picked up, I was excited to see what happened next and where the next threat would come from. It did feel a little scattered, and the climax of the story felt like it came a little early, but it was interesting and there was a grand surprise at the end.
teatowel's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Curious events unfold as a boy takes up employment in the spooky mansion of a strange coastal town.
shipwrecksteph's review against another edition
3.0
I'm of two minds about this book.
On the one hand, I like the characters and setting. I want to read more adventures with them. I want to see what their next steps are. But the narrative has a very odd flow.
There are multiples turns to the story. It's not that the surprises are too much out of left field. But when there's three narrative turns, their placement will almost necessarily be awkward. The climax and long epilogue make this feel more like a prologue to an already existing story rather than a stand alone.
Much of the tension also has an odd balance. The protagonists are young. And given the rules of the world, there's a limit to what they can conceivably do. But they should still have some agency over what happens in order for there to be a victory. Instead, the main plot resolution is practically an accident, a trinket ex machina. Given their cleverness and how hard they worked, I felt the deserved better.
On the one hand, I like the characters and setting. I want to read more adventures with them. I want to see what their next steps are. But the narrative has a very odd flow.
There are multiples turns to the story. It's not that the surprises are too much out of left field. But when there's three narrative turns, their placement will almost necessarily be awkward. The climax and long epilogue make this feel more like a prologue to an already existing story rather than a stand alone.
Much of the tension also has an odd balance. The protagonists are young. And given the rules of the world, there's a limit to what they can conceivably do. But they should still have some agency over what happens in order for there to be a victory. Instead, the main plot resolution is practically an accident, a trinket ex machina. Given their cleverness and how hard they worked, I felt the deserved better.
fountain_ken's review against another edition
4.0
Great writing. Not as creepy as I imagined and the chosen one/special powers but at the end was a little zzz (also, while I expected Goldenrod to be, at least, a relative. I didn't expect him to show up. Idk if it would've been better without him.) Thin plot & characterization, but overall enjoyable!
[3.5 - 3.75 stars rounded up]
[3.5 - 3.75 stars rounded up]
alexandritewiz's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This book was so fast-paced that i felt like I couldn’t even keep up with what was happening. There was SO MUCH packed in here. I think the concepts are interesting and worth exploring further, but they’re so jammed together that it wasn’t super enjoyable.
latelykelsey18's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the concept of this, and I loved Izzy and Rory's friendship. But I felt like the actual execution of the plot was just kinda surface level. I wish we would have stayed longer at Foxglove Manor or focus on the mage stuff. I think in the end it just fell flat for me. It's still a cute book and I think there's some great stuff in it, I just wish there had been more!
rhappe13's review against another edition
3.0
I received this arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very fast read that I think I would have enjoyed a lot when I was younger. It's got an interesting magical mystery, two strong characters, and some fun plot points. The writing and plot were pretty simplistic but still conveyed a good story. This isn't among my favorites of the "children's books I read as an adult" category but I did enjoy the book.
This was a very fast read that I think I would have enjoyed a lot when I was younger. It's got an interesting magical mystery, two strong characters, and some fun plot points. The writing and plot were pretty simplistic but still conveyed a good story. This isn't among my favorites of the "children's books I read as an adult" category but I did enjoy the book.