readingwithemmett's review against another edition
4.0
A great read for younger kids. This really captured my attention and took me on an adventure to a different land.
just_cress's review
4.0
Like it!
Hmm . I don't really know what to think of this book except I liked it . I wonder what the author was trying to portray or tell us because believe me apart from the adventures, I got nothing. But it was different and kinda okay.
Overall, 3.5 stars.
Hmm . I don't really know what to think of this book except I liked it . I wonder what the author was trying to portray or tell us because believe me apart from the adventures, I got nothing. But it was different and kinda okay.
Overall, 3.5 stars.
lynn_k's review
2.0
DNF at page 197 or around 75%.
I just didn’t care anymore. It started out great and then fizzled. The characters had no depth or growth, and the convo between Sarah and Jeb bothered me. Children need to learn critical thinking skills. I think it’s harmful for these characters to say that they believe everyone is good and wouldn’t lie to them.
I also didn’t like the thinly veiled heaven, hell, purgatory worlds. There are much more imaginative ways to do a story like this.
Also, what is with these first time authors writing the entire book except for one chapter from a single perspective? Why did we need one chapter halfway through from Billy’s perspective? Unnecessary. Just do dual perspective throughout otherwise it’s jarring.
I just didn’t care anymore. It started out great and then fizzled. The characters had no depth or growth, and the convo between Sarah and Jeb bothered me. Children need to learn critical thinking skills. I think it’s harmful for these characters to say that they believe everyone is good and wouldn’t lie to them.
I also didn’t like the thinly veiled heaven, hell, purgatory worlds. There are much more imaginative ways to do a story like this.
Also, what is with these first time authors writing the entire book except for one chapter from a single perspective? Why did we need one chapter halfway through from Billy’s perspective? Unnecessary. Just do dual perspective throughout otherwise it’s jarring.
our_bookish_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
3.0
I wholeheartedly disagree with the claim of this being for fans of The Twilight Zone. This wasn't that type of story in my opinion, so if you're going to read it based off that, you won't find what you're looking for and best continue the search. I will agree that if you are a fan of Alice in Wonderland and Coraline that you will enjoy this book.
There is potential to be a great book, don't misunderstand, I think for kids that this is a unique, fun, book with a few twists and turns along the way. However, there are a number of plot points that have gaping holes that never were delved into or continued, they just ended abruptly and seemed to have been tossed to the wayside like trash... which is disappointing as my kids (I was reading this to them) and I would have loved to have certain things explained more or better. Like There was quite a bit of thought put into making the worlds and I loved that. One of the things I look for in a book is how well the world is written and built, as well as the characters, but we'll get round to that in a minute. The details of each world behind the doors is amazing, I wish they'd been explored more though. None of us were pleased with how rushed the last 10 pages were and how abrupt the ending was. It's also highly disappointing because with all the things that got left open-ended and/or pushed aside, there isn't another book to answer these.
Now on to characters. I think the side characters, Jeb and B.B., had more thought put into them and their personality building. I felt like you get to know them more in the shorter time they get and I ended up really liking them both, although if I am to be honest, Edgar was my favorite character. I was highly suspicious of Jeb for a lot of the book The relationship between Sarah and her brother, Billy, was for the most part very spot on. There was a bit of termoil between them, which I fully expected. One of the more unrealistic parts (yes, I know it wasn't real) was the ending because they're all "buddy buddy" so to speak. Characters I wanted to see more of were Grandma Winnie, Edgar, Lefty, Balthazat, Dogsbody and the Cloud Queen. I felt that these characters were rather important to the parts they played in the story, but didn’t get put to use much.
There is potential to be a great book, don't misunderstand, I think for kids that this is a unique, fun, book with a few twists and turns along the way. However, there are a number of plot points that have gaping holes that never were delved into or continued, they just ended abruptly and seemed to have been tossed to the wayside like trash... which is disappointing as my kids (I was reading this to them) and I would have loved to have certain things explained more or better. Like
Spoiler
where did Balthazar actually end up? How long were the kids actually gone for? How did time actually work there (I got the general gist, but require a pin-point of time)? What happened to grandma Winnie after Sarah,Billy and B.B. left her at the door leading to the Cloud World?Now on to characters. I think the side characters, Jeb and B.B., had more thought put into them and their personality building. I felt like you get to know them more in the shorter time they get and I ended up really liking them both, although if I am to be honest, Edgar was my favorite character. I was highly suspicious of Jeb for a lot of the book
Spoiler
I had nothing to worry about apparently, because he ends up being a good character
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death of parent, Death, Violence, Torture, Confinement, Slavery, and Physical abuse
bookishgrrrl's review
2.0
Meh...it was okay. I'm not a huge fantasy reader so it's really got to have something that is a wow factor to pull me in. While I like the premise of a secret world, a new 'spooky' home, a misunderstood, secretive grandmother and a brave, determined girl, I couldn't grab hold of anything to keep me excited. For me, it was too easy for the kids to be taken advantage of and too much of the story was explained through the characters. I would have loved to see the mystery develop at a slower pace, but I knew the story before I had gotten through half of it. Maybe for younger kids (1st grade) who are great readers, but not mature enough for more complicated fantasy.
wordnerd153's review against another edition
3.0
Decent fantasy adventure that will appeal to middle grade readers.
zelma's review against another edition
2.0
Cute but derivative story about a girl discovering a secret world and then trying to stop an evil creature from destroying her world. It felt like Coraline Redux with a dash of Alice in Wonderland. The familiarity of the story kept me from enjoying it more though young readers will probably like this one. Being so short and straight forward made me think this was geared toward the younger end of Juvenile readers (age 7-11). I found the parents a bit too naive and the plot a bit too easy to wrap up. Still, it wasn't bad.
rosepetals1984's review against another edition
3.0
"Behind the Bookcase" was a charming read when considered as a whole. I loved the illustrations and the fact that it was an otherworld type story with a colorful cast of characters and creatures. Sarah's a 12-year old who arrives at her mother's creepy childhood home. Her grandmother passed away not long ago. Sarah's family cleans up the house in order to sell it. The house has many secrets, but notably, Sarah realizes there's another world beyond a bookcase that has a secret opening.
The story feels like an attempted smorgasboard of Alice in Wonderland meets "The Nightmare Before Christmas" meeting something that Neil Gaiman would probably do. Only...the intrigue in this book is much lower than any of the aforementioned influences.
Sarah gets lost in a world called "Scotopia," and meets a cat named Balthazat, a one eyed hand called Lefty, and a boy with only half a face named Jeb among others. I'll admit I was charmed by the overarching story and the encounters that Sarah has, but at the same time, I think the story moved more slowly than I would've liked. I think for the narrative as a whole, it didn't completely immerse me into the realm it built, but I liked the overarching conflict and the imaging of the characters for the most part. I just wish I'd been able to connect with it a little more than I did. The construction of the story was fine, the execution and immersion left a bit to be desired. It felt meandering and not as concise as it could've been. If it had, I think I would've enjoyed it a little more.
Overall, I think it works fine as a middle grade story and there may be some readers who appreciate what this has to offer. I just wish it'd pulled me in a little better into the respective narrative.
Overall score: 2.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.
The story feels like an attempted smorgasboard of Alice in Wonderland meets "The Nightmare Before Christmas" meeting something that Neil Gaiman would probably do. Only...the intrigue in this book is much lower than any of the aforementioned influences.
Sarah gets lost in a world called "Scotopia," and meets a cat named Balthazat, a one eyed hand called Lefty, and a boy with only half a face named Jeb among others. I'll admit I was charmed by the overarching story and the encounters that Sarah has, but at the same time, I think the story moved more slowly than I would've liked. I think for the narrative as a whole, it didn't completely immerse me into the realm it built, but I liked the overarching conflict and the imaging of the characters for the most part. I just wish I'd been able to connect with it a little more than I did. The construction of the story was fine, the execution and immersion left a bit to be desired. It felt meandering and not as concise as it could've been. If it had, I think I would've enjoyed it a little more.
Overall, I think it works fine as a middle grade story and there may be some readers who appreciate what this has to offer. I just wish it'd pulled me in a little better into the respective narrative.
Overall score: 2.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.