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teapotmoon's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
tyler_17's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
lilac_moon125's review
3.0
Eeee I didn't like this book as much the Grandest Bookshop in the World, which is actually one of my favourite junior fiction books so
ella_jorg333's review
adventurous
funny
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? No
3.5
fhammond_36's review
5.0
I know it’s a kids book but it got me in and made me chuckle and fret about Billy until I just had to finish it to know what happened! Word games and puzzles and interesting characters and friendship and scary people. Brilliant. And Kezia is such an ally. Loved this.
kat_bookworm's review
4.0
The Bookseller’s Apprentice is the second (but first written) of Amelia Mellor’s middle-grade books set in Cole’s Book Arcade, Melbourne in the late 1800s. They are not linked, so you can read one without the other.
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I loved this one much more than ‘The Grandest Bookshop in the World’ for a number of reasons. Mainly because it didn’t centre around a child’s death- but also the riddles were fun, and it wasn’t as ‘dark’ as the other. There is plenty of educational history woven into the story, about the ‘temporary’ (there for years!) markets in Melbourne, and life on the goldfields during the gold rush. There’s great exposure of family life during these years - including having 8 siblings and having to leave school to find a job at age 12.
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Full of adventure, suspense and riddles- this is a great read (or audio listen) for kids or adults who are adventurous and love an immersive story.
Again, the authors note at the end with the explanation of the history, was just the icing on the cake.
ellyrarg's review
4.0
Cute, with a similar, but more interesting format to the former book. Quite fun, and I liked the market setting, very atmospheric! Also enjoyed how much was based on aspects of history, fun!
booksramblesandcoffee's review
4.0
[b:The Bookseller's Apprentice|62018008|The Bookseller's Apprentice|Amelia Mellor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1660876567l/62018008._SY75_.jpg|97762967] is an enchanting story of growing up, everyday magic and overcoming bad things (and people!) by Australian author [a:Amelia Mellor|20516533|Amelia Mellor|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. I haven't yet read [b:The Grandest Bookshop in the World|54588827|The Grandest Bookshop in the World (The Grandest Bookshop in the World #1)|Amelia Mellor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595146589l/54588827._SY75_.jpg|85172207] as I decided to read this prequel first. I look forward to seeing how the characters and story tie into Book 1.
Mellor as a beautiful writing style that captures the splendour of the magical and fantastical goings on of the imagination and I highlighted so many great quotes which I won't share here to avoid spoilers.
Even though I'm in my late 20s, I really related to Billy's frustrations as the eldest child being lumped with a lot of responsibility and things not being fair to the eldest child, but still having a fierce love for your loved ones. However, Billy goes through great character development and is a role model to younger readers.
Speaking of younger readers, the only reason I didn't give a 5-star rating was that the book didn't grip me in an "I-can't-put-this- book-down" kinda way, and that is probably due to me not being the target audience. However, I reckon that younger me would have loved this book as a quirky cross between a Harry Potter meets Matilda type of book.
One of my favourite parts of the book was the Bookseller's values of "Read for as long as you like. No one asked to buy." Something I would want to have painted on the sign of my own bookshop.
Mellor as a beautiful writing style that captures the splendour of the magical and fantastical goings on of the imagination and I highlighted so many great quotes which I won't share here to avoid spoilers.
Even though I'm in my late 20s, I really related to Billy's frustrations as the eldest child being lumped with a lot of responsibility and things not being fair to the eldest child, but still having a fierce love for your loved ones. However, Billy goes through great character development and is a role model to younger readers.
Speaking of younger readers, the only reason I didn't give a 5-star rating was that the book didn't grip me in an "I-can't-put-this- book-down" kinda way, and that is probably due to me not being the target audience. However, I reckon that younger me would have loved this book as a quirky cross between a Harry Potter meets Matilda type of book.
One of my favourite parts of the book was the Bookseller's values of "Read for as long as you like. No one asked to buy." Something I would want to have painted on the sign of my own bookshop.
fancyfroggie's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
4.0