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shadereads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Alcohol and Animal death
befrazzledenby's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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? No
4.0
This was cute! I picked it up thinking it would be more YA-Lemony-Snicket-esque, but it was definitely more MG, which is fine, too. Penelope was lovely and instantly close to my heart, but I really fell for the children. I'm a sucker for hurt-comfort and this played with that in a very gentle MG way. I'm definitely going to read the next book in the series, and then we'll go from there.
-1 star for some dullness, probably because I'm not the intended audience. I could've done with a little more action, especially in the first half--it felt a little too calm for me, but again, I kept going because of the emotions, not necessarily the plot.
-1 star for some dullness, probably because I'm not the intended audience. I could've done with a little more action, especially in the first half--it felt a little too calm for me, but again, I kept going because of the emotions, not necessarily the plot.
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Death, Child abuse, Abandonment, and Animal cruelty
antimony's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
last week i would have considered it unthinkable but for the first time in months, i've read three books in two days! yes they were all kid's books yes one of them was under 200 pages. but that's ok. anyway this was good! the writing style was so fun and i love the illustrations. and the ending was rather abrupt but it has done its job because i will be reading the next book. i'm left with the question of how i never found this as a kid bc i would have devoured it i'm sure.
Moderate: Animal death
bumblebroxbeeblebooks's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Confinement, Abandonment, Child abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Violence
There are some dark concepts in this novel masked by lighthearted jokes. It reminded me a lot of Mary Poppins if the children she was caring for were hidden away from the world and neglected by their adoptive parents. Don't read if you have any issues with the above content warnings even if they aren't always explicitly mentioned.
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