everthereader's review against another edition
4.0
Review Posted On: Marvelous Eden of Books
Spoiler Free Review:
A Pocket Full of Murder was exactly what I needed at the time. It's adventurous, suspenseful, mysterious, and even adorable at times. It has the entertaining fun that many middle grade novels have with a touch of thriller and magic. I really enjoyed this book and I think it's great choice to get out of a reading slump.
Although the storyline is not original, the author manages to make it unique by making the characters younger and innocent. Despite Isaveth and Quiz's age, the mystery was handled very well. Though the plot was a bit predictable towards the end, the story moved along very quickly and there were a few twists. In addition to the story, I loved the world. I didn't know that the city was based off of Toronto, Canada until after I read the book, but I think it's cool how the author got her inspiration.
The magic was a central part of the book, but not as much as the mystery. Personally, I enjoyed the mystery a lot more. The magic could be a bit confusing but things did clear up towards the end. As for the characters, I really enjoyed Isaveth's character. She was very clever, especially when solving the mystery. She is also very responsible and took good care of her little sisters. Isaveth did have her flaws, there was a specific scene where you could tell how naive and innocent she could be. I was glad she did have her weaknesses and wasn't all strong and wit. Additionally, I found it interesting that the author added discrimination in the book with Isaveth's religion. I loved how in the midst of the conflict, there was another serious and equally important topic. I absolutely loved Quiz's character which was expected. He was very inquisitive (obviously) and nosy, but charming and so sweet. There was obviously more to him than meets eye, and Quiz was defintely an intriguing character.
All in all, I would definitely recommend A Pocket Full of Murder and I'm excited to see what's in store for this series.
Rating: 4/5
Spoiler Free Review:
A Pocket Full of Murder was exactly what I needed at the time. It's adventurous, suspenseful, mysterious, and even adorable at times. It has the entertaining fun that many middle grade novels have with a touch of thriller and magic. I really enjoyed this book and I think it's great choice to get out of a reading slump.
Although the storyline is not original, the author manages to make it unique by making the characters younger and innocent. Despite Isaveth and Quiz's age, the mystery was handled very well. Though the plot was a bit predictable towards the end, the story moved along very quickly and there were a few twists. In addition to the story, I loved the world. I didn't know that the city was based off of Toronto, Canada until after I read the book, but I think it's cool how the author got her inspiration.
The magic was a central part of the book, but not as much as the mystery. Personally, I enjoyed the mystery a lot more. The magic could be a bit confusing but things did clear up towards the end. As for the characters, I really enjoyed Isaveth's character. She was very clever, especially when solving the mystery. She is also very responsible and took good care of her little sisters. Isaveth did have her flaws, there was a specific scene where you could tell how naive and innocent she could be. I was glad she did have her weaknesses and wasn't all strong and wit. Additionally, I found it interesting that the author added discrimination in the book with Isaveth's religion. I loved how in the midst of the conflict, there was another serious and equally important topic. I absolutely loved Quiz's character which was expected. He was very inquisitive (obviously) and nosy, but charming and so sweet. There was obviously more to him than meets eye, and Quiz was defintely an intriguing character.
All in all, I would definitely recommend A Pocket Full of Murder and I'm excited to see what's in store for this series.
Rating: 4/5
thechristined's review against another edition
5.0
There are people who finding out I, an adult, enjoy reading Middle Grade books for my own enjoyment are surprised, but A Pocket Full of Murder is an excellent example of why I love MG books so much. This story has elements of so many different topics including family, friendship, politics, poverty, and religious beliefs and discrimination all encompassed within a fantasy murder mystery. This book, like many others among my favorite MG books, shows that there is no topic that younger readers can't read/learn about when handled with a deft hand and that older readers can still enjoy stories labeled "for children."
selphin's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so adorable, I can't wait to read the sequel.
the_s_lightacademic's review against another edition
5.0
As soon as I finished I just sat for a minute hugging the book to my chest. never before has a book made me feel so genuinely happy and in love, had me feeling so heartbroken and sad, so mad and frustrated, and back to feeling happy and in love, like this book has.
Some positives I loved:
- a positive representation of religious characters and religion being actively practiced throughout the entirety of the book. yes yes yes yes yes
- the relationships between the characters and how genuine and real all the characters felt
- the slightest hint of romance sprinkled in
- such a despicable antagonist in such an unconventional way
- the implementation of magic and also how Anderson took real life words (days of the week, names of vehicles and other technology, etc) and tweaked them to make them unique to the story
The only big negative I have is that I definitely knew right from the beginning what the big reveal was going to be. However, that could just be because I've read and seen enough to be able to catch on to certain things, and in any case, it didn't deter me from the story whatsoever. it even succeeded in making me second guess myself a couple of times, which is excellent storytelling.
I would give this book 10/5 stars if I could. it has undoubtedly become my favorite middle grade, and is one of my all-time favorite books now. it is such an incredible gem of a story
Some positives I loved:
- a positive representation of religious characters and religion being actively practiced throughout the entirety of the book. yes yes yes yes yes
- the relationships between the characters and how genuine and real all the characters felt
- the slightest hint of romance sprinkled in
- such a despicable antagonist in such an unconventional way
- the implementation of magic and also how Anderson took real life words (days of the week, names of vehicles and other technology, etc) and tweaked them to make them unique to the story
The only big negative I have is that I definitely knew right from the beginning what the big reveal was going to be. However, that could just be because I've read and seen enough to be able to catch on to certain things, and in any case, it didn't deter me from the story whatsoever. it even succeeded in making me second guess myself a couple of times, which is excellent storytelling.
I would give this book 10/5 stars if I could. it has undoubtedly become my favorite middle grade, and is one of my all-time favorite books now. it is such an incredible gem of a story
juicelina's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so good! It was so much more than what I was expecting. It had so much political intrigue and the mystery was so complex it's hard to believe it's middle grade. It was a bit twisted and confusing towards the end when everything was getting tied up, but I wasn't too bothered about it. I loved Isaveth and Quiz. They were great, well developed characters. I loved Quiz from the second he was introduced. He's my sweet cinnamon roll. And Isaveth was brave and smart and precious. (Side note: I'm kind of annoyed that they didn't make Isaveth brown skinned on the cover like she is described in the book...)
Nobody should be put of by the fact that this is middle grade. It's so well-developed and the writing is great. I think anybody can enjoy this book. Not to mention it has important issues introduced such as police brutality and it includes racial and religious diversity which made me happy. I recommend this to everyone who's into mystery and magic. I loved every second of it.
Nobody should be put of by the fact that this is middle grade. It's so well-developed and the writing is great. I think anybody can enjoy this book. Not to mention it has important issues introduced such as police brutality and it includes racial and religious diversity which made me happy. I recommend this to everyone who's into mystery and magic. I loved every second of it.
drearyletters's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.0
xemilyx's review against another edition
3.0
It's a true mystery, although I was more interested in the mystery of Quiz's identity than in the murder investigation. Still, the family's plight feels real, and there's plenty of action. It left me wanting more.
inkygirl's review against another edition
5.0
Just finished this recently and thoroughly enjoyed it: a wonderful middle grade novel packed with mystery, magic and plot twists. And now I desperately want to learn how to bake spells!