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crazygoangirl's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
3.0
saloniporwal's review against another edition
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sapphireee1's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
cultneophyte7's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, the nostalgia!
This was one of the very first mystery books I ever read in my life, when I was like 8 years old, and this still slaps almost 20 years later.
This was one of the very first mystery books I ever read in my life, when I was like 8 years old, and this still slaps almost 20 years later.
shadow_summit's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
claudia_mary's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
vikingwolf's review against another edition
3.0
I loved this series so much as a kid and it was weird going back to it as an adult. It was also a challenging read for anyone who has a bee in their whatevers about all things PC. Lets be honest, Enid Blyton is dated-in her books the dads work fantastic jobs, rich mothers either stay at home or get their servants to deal with childcare, and the kids pretty much run riot all over the place, trespassing in the name of adventure. The local cop as usual is a child-hating idiot who couldn't find his way out of a paper bag with full instructions. Adults in general are pretty dim and never seem to spend any time with their kids. In this book, there is also a fair amount of fat shaming as Fatty is mocked for his weight, but I liked him best because he is the smartest in the group and is nicer to Bets.
However, putting it all aside, it's still a fun adventure to read. Fatty and his rich parents, with Buster the dog, move into town and he tries to make friends with local kids Larry, Daisy, Pip and Bets, who don't initially like the loudmouthed boastful new kid. But when the cottage goes on fire, the kids band together to see if they can solve the crime before the police. This involves scouting the area for clues, talking to the people at the college and following up leads. Mr Goon is there purely for comic relief and telling the kids where to go, but he is mildly amusing. I liked the way they set about solving the crime, and how the story fell into place. Niggles for me, other than spelling and grammar, include Bets being able to know the word 'rheumatism' yet is somehow incapable of saying 'clues', instead continually calling it 'glues'. That drove me a bit crazy. But overall it was fun to read again and I will read the rest of the series again at some point.
However, putting it all aside, it's still a fun adventure to read. Fatty and his rich parents, with Buster the dog, move into town and he tries to make friends with local kids Larry, Daisy, Pip and Bets, who don't initially like the loudmouthed boastful new kid. But when the cottage goes on fire, the kids band together to see if they can solve the crime before the police. This involves scouting the area for clues, talking to the people at the college and following up leads. Mr Goon is there purely for comic relief and telling the kids where to go, but he is mildly amusing. I liked the way they set about solving the crime, and how the story fell into place. Niggles for me, other than spelling and grammar, include Bets being able to know the word 'rheumatism' yet is somehow incapable of saying 'clues', instead continually calling it 'glues'. That drove me a bit crazy. But overall it was fun to read again and I will read the rest of the series again at some point.
mcfade28's review against another edition
5.0
Enid Blyton was my favourite author growing up and I devoured everything she wrote. I decided to re-read a few of her novels as an adult and I wasn't disappointed with this first novel in the mystery series. Naturally the mystery of the burnt cottage was very straightforward as an adult, but as a child I remember marvelling at the twists and turns in the plot.
A must -read for children!
A must -read for children!