novelesque_life's review against another edition
3.0
3 STARS
"Fourteen-year-old Anthony Monday of Hoosac, Minnesota, and his friend Miss Eells, the Hoosac librarian, try to stop an evil wizard from turning the world into an icy wasteland." (From Amazon)
A great mystery paranormal children's novel
"Fourteen-year-old Anthony Monday of Hoosac, Minnesota, and his friend Miss Eells, the Hoosac librarian, try to stop an evil wizard from turning the world into an icy wasteland." (From Amazon)
A great mystery paranormal children's novel
calistareads's review against another edition
4.0
This 2nd story in the Anthony Monday Series was better than the 1st one I thought. I thought it was exciting. They take a look at the Weatherend mansion that is empty and out of nowhere, someone is at the house. From there, things get weird. They meet the owner and he hypnotizes both Anthony an Miss Ells. They found a book of spells and it's taken from them.
Borkman is a sorcerer (John Bellairs loves a good sorcerer villain.) and he knows how to use the weather to end the world. Silly, but oh, the gothic content in the story is epic. Anthony and Miss Ells have to go up to Duluth to find the grave of old Borkman to end the spell. There is such a journey to get up there in some harrowing weather and then it's a puzzle to solve.
This is some fun stuff and I loved this story. I am thrilled to get another John Bellairs book to read. I'll do a re-read of the 3rd book, which I have read and then I will read my last book that John wrote for kids. I'm glad I have gotten through them all, but I will be sad to finish these stories. They are great for young readers and I think they can still entertain any generation. They are so good and creepy and spine tingly. It has been a treat and a pleasure reading these stories.
Borkman is a sorcerer (John Bellairs loves a good sorcerer villain.) and he knows how to use the weather to end the world. Silly, but oh, the gothic content in the story is epic. Anthony and Miss Ells have to go up to Duluth to find the grave of old Borkman to end the spell. There is such a journey to get up there in some harrowing weather and then it's a puzzle to solve.
This is some fun stuff and I loved this story. I am thrilled to get another John Bellairs book to read. I'll do a re-read of the 3rd book, which I have read and then I will read my last book that John wrote for kids. I'm glad I have gotten through them all, but I will be sad to finish these stories. They are great for young readers and I think they can still entertain any generation. They are so good and creepy and spine tingly. It has been a treat and a pleasure reading these stories.
vincent1126's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia
calistareads's review
4.0
This 2nd story in the Anthony Monday Series was better than the 1st one I thought. I thought it was exciting. They take a look at the Weatherend mansion that is empty and out of nowhere, someone is at the house. From there, things get weird. They meet the owner and he hypnotizes both Anthony an Miss Ells. They found a book of spells and it's taken from them.
Borkman is a sorcerer (John Bellairs loves a good sorcerer villain.) and he knows how to use the weather to end the world. Silly, but oh, the gothic content in the story is epic. Anthony and Miss Ells have to go up to Duluth to find the grave of old Borkman to end the spell. There is such a journey to get up there in some harrowing weather and then it's a puzzle to solve.
This is some fun stuff and I loved this story. I am thrilled to get another John Bellairs book to read. I'll do a re-read of the 3rd book, which I have read and then I will read my last book that John wrote for kids. I'm glad I have gotten through them all, but I will be sad to finish these stories. They are great for young readers and I think they can still entertain any generation. They are so good and creepy and spine tingly. It has been a treat and a pleasure reading these stories.
Borkman is a sorcerer (John Bellairs loves a good sorcerer villain.) and he knows how to use the weather to end the world. Silly, but oh, the gothic content in the story is epic. Anthony and Miss Ells have to go up to Duluth to find the grave of old Borkman to end the spell. There is such a journey to get up there in some harrowing weather and then it's a puzzle to solve.
This is some fun stuff and I loved this story. I am thrilled to get another John Bellairs book to read. I'll do a re-read of the 3rd book, which I have read and then I will read my last book that John wrote for kids. I'm glad I have gotten through them all, but I will be sad to finish these stories. They are great for young readers and I think they can still entertain any generation. They are so good and creepy and spine tingly. It has been a treat and a pleasure reading these stories.
manwithanagenda's review
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
2.0
There isn't much substance to this. Anthony Monday and his family were working class, concerned with money, and their world was all-too-real. Bellairs changes all of that when he has a weather-obsessed magician and his death-cult waltz into town.
The plot ticks away like a middle grade adventure-mystery should with some sufficient creepy scenes, Anthony at one point becomes possessed and walks halfway across town and wakes up with lost time, but this lacks the absurd wow factor and emotional character development present in Bellairs' other series. And of course, today's standards are much higher than they were in the 80s.
It was ok.
Anthony Monday
Next: 'The Lamp from the Warlock's Tomb'
Previous: 'The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn'
The plot ticks away like a middle grade adventure-mystery should with some sufficient creepy scenes, Anthony at one point becomes possessed and walks halfway across town and wakes up with lost time, but this lacks the absurd wow factor and emotional character development present in Bellairs' other series. And of course, today's standards are much higher than they were in the 80s.
It was ok.
Anthony Monday
Next: 'The Lamp from the Warlock's Tomb'
Previous: 'The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn'
pyrrhicspondee's review
4.0
A bit of a slow burn, but I made Jeff read aloud for two hours the other night so we could get to the climactic end, which involves the blood of Jesus. Correct, the blood of Jesus.
hawthornm's review
5.0
Another childhood favorite that I enjoyed re-reading as an adult. I read lots of Bellairs as a young person but this one in particular stood out.
sturg30n's review
4.0
I'm maybe not as big a fan of Anthony Monday as the other series, but a kooky old librarian is a fun companion.
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