minhoca's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the story of The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden, but don't think the author carried it properly, it could have been more darker and some parts feels just unnecessary, but what makes me give this book 2 of 5 stars was the characters lack of feelings, especially Thomas and Deadnettle.
hannahh_munro's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
xandra_evelyn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was such an amazing story!! A little dark, but the theme of identity is so poignant
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping and Slavery
kidnapping and slavery: this is what happened to the faeries.samanthampg's review against another edition
2.0
When I first picked up this book I can't say I expected it to change my life and in reality it DIDN'T but I'm not upset about the book either. It was a short read but it ended up touching on some themes that actually went a little deeper than I expected for a middle grade novel.
The story centers around a boy named Thomas who is a graverobber with his father and one night they dig up a grave and inside is a boy who looks identical to Thomas. Thus starts the story of Thomas's introduction to the world of Faeries, learning about the secrets of his past and finding out who he really is.
I liked most of the characters in the novel, there wasn't much character development besides Thomas himself, but because it was a short novel I found that I wasn't expecting it to be anything more than that... if that makes sense. The book is very much what you expect it to be.
It did take me a long time to finish the book because I wasn't really into it, it was hard for me not to get distracted from the novel because I wasn't super invested, but it was cute and nice read ultimately!
The story centers around a boy named Thomas who is a graverobber with his father and one night they dig up a grave and inside is a boy who looks identical to Thomas. Thus starts the story of Thomas's introduction to the world of Faeries, learning about the secrets of his past and finding out who he really is.
I liked most of the characters in the novel, there wasn't much character development besides Thomas himself, but because it was a short novel I found that I wasn't expecting it to be anything more than that... if that makes sense. The book is very much what you expect it to be.
It did take me a long time to finish the book because I wasn't really into it, it was hard for me not to get distracted from the novel because I wasn't super invested, but it was cute and nice read ultimately!
froggylibrarian1's review against another edition
4.0
Can you imagine anything more creepy than being a graverobber, digging into a new grave, and finding a body that looks just like you?
That is exactly what happens to Thomas Marsden and that discovery leads him on an adventure where he discovers that he is not who he thought he was. You see, Thomas is a Changling. Thistle, the one in the grvae was the faery created at the Hatching who got double the magic and he was left to be discovered by a human family. But why?
As Thomas will find out - the faeiries have been stolen from their world and are being used and abused by a spiritualist to speak to the dead. It is up to Thomas - now that Thistle is gone - to figure out how to get the faeries back to their realm before it is too late.
So what did I think? I had a hard time getting into it. There was so much mystery to it - the faery world, their first communication with Thomas - that it was hard to figure out and keep going. About 1/2 through the book I really started to enjoy it. But the ending though - "he had a proposal for Jenson..." was almost the last line of the book. Sequel??? Just seemed a weird ending. Overall - good but it would take a strong reader to stick with all the uncertainties to get to the best parts.
That is exactly what happens to Thomas Marsden and that discovery leads him on an adventure where he discovers that he is not who he thought he was. You see, Thomas is a Changling. Thistle, the one in the grvae was the faery created at the Hatching who got double the magic and he was left to be discovered by a human family. But why?
As Thomas will find out - the faeiries have been stolen from their world and are being used and abused by a spiritualist to speak to the dead. It is up to Thomas - now that Thistle is gone - to figure out how to get the faeries back to their realm before it is too late.
So what did I think? I had a hard time getting into it. There was so much mystery to it - the faery world, their first communication with Thomas - that it was hard to figure out and keep going. About 1/2 through the book I really started to enjoy it. But the ending though - "he had a proposal for Jenson..." was almost the last line of the book. Sequel??? Just seemed a weird ending. Overall - good but it would take a strong reader to stick with all the uncertainties to get to the best parts.
cassie_reads's review against another edition
2.0
It's more like 2.5 stars, but I did not enjoy this one.
kimal25's review against another edition
4.0
This book was pretty good for a middle grade kids book. I liked the mystery of it all at first. Thomas finds himself in a grave! That was a cool concept. And it proceeds from there to faeries trapped by an evil man. Pretty cool book overall.
author_abz's review against another edition
3.0
The premise of the book is laid out very well and while it's fantasy, it almost reads like a mystery. I kept reading and kept wanting to keep going because I wanted to know more about where Thomas came from, what powers did the faeries have, how and why were they kept in London and how they could possibly get back to their own world.
Spoilers:
I liked the beginning much more than the end because I could really identify with Thomas and the uncovering of clues that Deadnettle left for him, and seeking out answers. Once he had fully bought into the idea though, the pace and tone seemed to really change, so it felt like Thomas was running off saving the faeries as a new king with lots of plans and I was left hearing everything second-hand. It went from a book that was very immersive and I felt in-touch with the main character to a book that was just filling me in on the plot points so the book could end with the conclusion it wanted. So many details were left out - what did Marigold say at Jensen's? How did they get from point a to point b to then point c? I kept double-checking I hadn't missed a page because everything was jumping forward so fast. It felt better once Thomas got to Hellebore's grave and started digging - it felt personal again and I understood Thomas and was truly in his head again. Then he got the ring and it was all action and no depth. Also what does Thomas intend to do with Jensen? It was such an abrupt ending I wanted more of what would happen now that he had found his bones.
Overall I liked the themes and the writing - particularly in the beginning - was pretty good. The descriptions of places and things and people to set up the story were all top notch. Once everything was magic it was downgraded.I like that Thomas was different and that was what made things work out. I like that stories don't always get all the facts right, and sometimes they do. I like that Wintercress had her own secret agenda that she never told Deadnettle about. I liked how Thomas being a grave-robber and respecting the graves and the people buried there was tied into his eventual ability to speak with those beyond the grave. I liked the twist that Mordeci had a connection to the faeries, I liked that it involved a love story, and that Thomas could be somebody who existed in both worlds. I did not really like that in the end Thomas also got all of Thistle's memories - especially since it was kind of established that they were distinct people (otherwise how could Marigold prefer Thomas?).
A great build up, and a great plot, the depth just sort of fell out at the end in lieu of keeping the action going.
Spoilers:
I liked the beginning much more than the end because I could really identify with Thomas and the uncovering of clues that Deadnettle left for him, and seeking out answers. Once he had fully bought into the idea though, the pace and tone seemed to really change, so it felt like Thomas was running off saving the faeries as a new king with lots of plans and I was left hearing everything second-hand. It went from a book that was very immersive and I felt in-touch with the main character to a book that was just filling me in on the plot points so the book could end with the conclusion it wanted. So many details were left out - what did Marigold say at Jensen's? How did they get from point a to point b to then point c? I kept double-checking I hadn't missed a page because everything was jumping forward so fast. It felt better once Thomas got to Hellebore's grave and started digging - it felt personal again and I understood Thomas and was truly in his head again. Then he got the ring and it was all action and no depth. Also what does Thomas intend to do with Jensen? It was such an abrupt ending I wanted more of what would happen now that he had found his bones.
Overall I liked the themes and the writing - particularly in the beginning - was pretty good. The descriptions of places and things and people to set up the story were all top notch. Once everything was magic it was downgraded.I like that Thomas was different and that was what made things work out. I like that stories don't always get all the facts right, and sometimes they do. I like that Wintercress had her own secret agenda that she never told Deadnettle about. I liked how Thomas being a grave-robber and respecting the graves and the people buried there was tied into his eventual ability to speak with those beyond the grave. I liked the twist that Mordeci had a connection to the faeries, I liked that it involved a love story, and that Thomas could be somebody who existed in both worlds. I did not really like that in the end Thomas also got all of Thistle's memories - especially since it was kind of established that they were distinct people (otherwise how could Marigold prefer Thomas?).
A great build up, and a great plot, the depth just sort of fell out at the end in lieu of keeping the action going.
teacher2library's review against another edition
4.0
Grave robberies, adventure, fairies and mystery in the middle of London... does it get any better?