Reviews

Cart and Cwidder by Diana Wynne Jones

wanderingstories's review against another edition

2.0

Cart and Cwidder is my least favourite work from Diana Wynne Jones.

This book was something like a melodramatic family drama with war and.... a Cwidder.
Sounds a bit like something of Game of Thrones? except for the sex scenes.

In this story I didn't feel any connection towards any of the characters and only finished it because i NEEDED to know what happens at the end and If the children will make it through the South Dales and into the North. Lucky, I have a great imagination and put this story more believable and interesting than it is.

The story gets 2.5 stars from me because I don't want to be unfair to Diana's writing and crafting

luca3's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

celiapowell's review against another edition

5.0

I love this book so much. Another re-read, and it retains the wondrous spell it cast over me when I read it as a kid. One of those books that I'm anxious for my kids to get old enough to read (and if they don't like it then I will be devastated.)

claire_84's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious sad medium-paced

3.75

applegnreads's review against another edition

4.0

For kids, but good beginning.

ohsarajay's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.75

It's like if a fantasy spy thriller was happening in a garden and this book was set on the porch next to it. Many exciting and tragic things happen but we're slightly removed from them because we mostly live in the perspective of an eleven-year-old who spends a lot of the book learning a skill and learning about himself in the process. That doesn't mean I was less invested - Jones has a knack for writing relationships that are complex and human and yet also slightly absurd. And the tragedy comes through - Moril may be straddling two worlds but he feels things deeply and vividly. When

Clennen died

I nearly wept with him, to say nothing of

Olob

. It does feel a little bit like this book is intended to set up later books in the series, so it's a bit more slowly paced than other DWJ books, and it feels like less payoff at the end than I'd hope for. As ever the worldbuilding is great.

thrym's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

sklepia's review against another edition

adventurous fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

callmeren's review against another edition

3.0

Coming from her other books, goddamn that was brutal

barnaclethereal's review against another edition

adventurous tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

The story seemed so slow to start and some of the prose just felt so grindy. I liked some of it, I'll continue on with the story. I felt like some of the heaviness was to easily skimmed over. Characters only called their parents by first names, just felt awkward at times.