notthemonalisa's review against another edition
3.0
This book was pretty fun, and although I guessed the murderer, it wasn't until the end of the middle. Flavia was an interesting choice for a narrator. She is very unruly and consciously not very well behaved (riding your bike all over town chasing the newest lead in a crime is probably not a good idea when you are ELEVEN)- which is generally something I can't stand- but she has enough sass that I was willing to let it slide. Sometimes the technical chemistry jargon lost me, but in general, I enjoyed this book.
evenstr's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
batbones's review against another edition
5.0
Recommended for: unabashed, precocious females who have nursed a unquenchable love for knowing everything (science, literature, music, ingenious ways of getting into and out of trouble) and a bit of the old Sherlock Holmes spirit in them, who will find a kindred spirit in this novel's heroine.
Damn, this was good.
Damn, this was good.
abikennedy's review against another edition
4.0
This book was really fun. I got really into it and didn't want to put it down toward the end. Flavia is very funny and easy to love. I like her dry sense of humor and jokes put throughout the book. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series, and I'll be recommending this to friends.
tmdavis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
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
5.0
athoffman18's review against another edition
4.0
Flavian is an unexpectedly wonderful character, and a perfect detective. With such an unusual supporting cast of characters I look forward to the next book in this series. Bradley has hit on something fun yet a bit dark with his 11 year old female character, with a love of chemistry and a quick tongue and wit.
Quotes:
"communication was like exchanging cabled messages with a slow reader in Mongolia."
"...finger of friendship."
Quotes:
"communication was like exchanging cabled messages with a slow reader in Mongolia."
"...finger of friendship."
ms_westgate's review against another edition
I like this but just couldn’t get into it. Felt too mystery “light” - writing style wasn’t to my taste
alliepeduto's review against another edition
4.0
How can you not love Flavia? She’s a hoot and a half, and far too clever for her own good. But in addition to the hilarious anecdotes involving poison, it was actually a well plotted and believable mystery. It was mysterious enough that I didn’t guess the motive right away, but there were enough details there that you could figure it out if you thought about it enough. I actually kept pace with Flavia’s thinking, but considering she’s an 11 year old girl (albeit a very smart one) I guess I shouldn’t pat myself on the back too much. I know this is a much loved series, so I imagine I’ll be coming back to these novels very soon!
mroderique's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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? No
2.0
A delightful protagonist is wasted on this regrettable pacing
taiteli's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25