Reviews

Benice: An Adventure of Love and Friendship by Metin Karayaka

leahbrarian's review against another edition

3.0

I think it's a particular young person who would really love this book. There's some awkwardness to the writing style (I kept asking myself whether it was translated) and a bit of silliness and old-fashioned sensibility that might not gel with current kids, though the fast pace and multiple points of view do keep things interesting. The "moral of the story" ending felt somewhat trite, and the relationships didn't feel overly deep. The illustrations do make it stand out, though. Perhaps for fans of other stylistic/atmospheric authors such as Colin Meloy and Catherynne M. Valente (for some reason The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place and The Mysterious Benedict Society are also springing to mind, but I think it might just be that the art style is reminiscent).

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

raoionna's review against another edition

4.0

Swashbuckling and silly, I loved this book. It is a great young reader tale with a sort of foolish, magical quality. Or rather, expect to suspend disbelief. The text is really good, with nice pacing and appealing turns of phrase, but the illustrations are wonderful. I finished this book quickly and am now planning to get the book for the young readers in my life.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy for an honest review.

mudder17's review against another edition

4.0

A cute little story about love and friendship, and also about judging based on appearances. I read it in two sittings and only because I had a schedule to keep. But as soon as I was able, I got back to it and finished it. I enjoyed the story throughout, although I wasn't entirely clear on everything that happened in the end. The lessons on friendship and treating others with kindness may come off as a bit heavy-handed/silly for some people, but it's a very positive book and we probably need more of those! At the end, I thought I might be missing something, but it didn't really take away from the rest of the story. I enjoyed the illustrations and thought they really added to the story. The characters are likeable, and there's enough pirate adventure to keep the action moving throughout. It feels a little bit like a cross between Treasure Island and a Chinese folk tale. There were a couple places in the book where some Chinese characters appeared, and I'm not sure if that was deliberate or an accident in this ARC since there was no translation that came with it.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this quick read. Thanks to #Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.