carlajo713's review against another edition
3.0
meh.... It was ok. I liked the beginning. I liked the parallel between other well known stories which was a great tie in with the books whispering to David. I liked the end. I liked the message. I found myself dragging about 60% in, wishing for it to be over. I am always glad to have read a book, but this is one I wouldn't reread.
kricketa's review
4.0
the setting of this book begins in england during world war II. david's mother has died, and his father's remarriage takes them out of the city to an old house with a rambling garden. as david struggles with his new family situation (stepmom & baby half brother) he begins suffering mysterious blackouts and notices that the old books in his bedroom are talking. also, a mysterious crooked figure is lurking around.
one night in the garden, david enters an entirely different world of fairy tale & horror. he meets many peculiar character and defeats terrifying creatures in his quest to go home, but nothing is as it seems.
it took me a while to get into this, but i really enjoyed the way connolly retells classic fairy tales in david's story. as my friend wingo points out, one can certainly recognize elements from the traditional versions, but at the same time he makes them new. my one complaint (which will be familiar to my friends) is the lack of strong female characters, but (and again i repeat myself) this is a matter of personal preference. i also enjoyed the interview with connolly included in my edition where he talks about he reason he wrote a story about a 12 year old for adults- he believes that adults will better recognize the pain and loss in the story. i'll add the exact quote later. all in all, a great book.
one night in the garden, david enters an entirely different world of fairy tale & horror. he meets many peculiar character and defeats terrifying creatures in his quest to go home, but nothing is as it seems.
it took me a while to get into this, but i really enjoyed the way connolly retells classic fairy tales in david's story. as my friend wingo points out, one can certainly recognize elements from the traditional versions, but at the same time he makes them new. my one complaint (which will be familiar to my friends) is the lack of strong female characters, but (and again i repeat myself) this is a matter of personal preference. i also enjoyed the interview with connolly included in my edition where he talks about he reason he wrote a story about a 12 year old for adults- he believes that adults will better recognize the pain and loss in the story. i'll add the exact quote later. all in all, a great book.
izzzyyy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
stephen11's review against another edition
4.0
Drawing on elements of old tales like Grimm's, the novel is quite dark, but I found it to be quite a good read. I will be exploring more of this author, as his word smithing and tale telling is excellent.
queenshrike's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Animal death, Grief, War, Child death, Torture, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
onehundredmarys's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-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? Yes
3.0
The beginning and the end were the best bits. It was oddly fatphobic. I was most excited about the communist dwarves but it was a letdown.
opheliablack's review against another edition
5.0
"Be careful what you wish for..."
That's the lesson being put to the boy in this story. Connolly does a fantastic job of putting just enough of the Grimm in this twisted fairy tale. Surreal references and echos of familiar childhood things litter this story and bring you back to memories of an age when you were still afraid of the dark and the most mundane things gave you the creeps.
I enjoyed this story immensely and the narrator did the whole reading justice, in my opinion. The setting and characters were really brought to life by Crossley and I'll be looking for more books that he's done the reading for.
I'm in the habit of searching out books that grab my attention, who's narrators I like in the sample reading and that are as long as possible (or are part of a long series). I'm glad I took a break and a chance on The Book of Lost Things. I in no way regret that I purchased it or that there are no other books to follow it. It's an amazing adventure and it reminded me to look a little more closely at that book with the strange cover and the interesting title. The story might be short but that doesn't mean it's not well worth it.
That's the lesson being put to the boy in this story. Connolly does a fantastic job of putting just enough of the Grimm in this twisted fairy tale. Surreal references and echos of familiar childhood things litter this story and bring you back to memories of an age when you were still afraid of the dark and the most mundane things gave you the creeps.
I enjoyed this story immensely and the narrator did the whole reading justice, in my opinion. The setting and characters were really brought to life by Crossley and I'll be looking for more books that he's done the reading for.
I'm in the habit of searching out books that grab my attention, who's narrators I like in the sample reading and that are as long as possible (or are part of a long series). I'm glad I took a break and a chance on The Book of Lost Things. I in no way regret that I purchased it or that there are no other books to follow it. It's an amazing adventure and it reminded me to look a little more closely at that book with the strange cover and the interesting title. The story might be short but that doesn't mean it's not well worth it.
scostanzo42's review
4.0
Grimm Brothers + Inkheart with a twist of "Into the Woods"...yeah, that about sums it up. To be honest I picked this book up on a whim. It had an interesting plot, some adventure, odd takes on Fairy Tales,very touching and sad at the finish. I am glad I read it.