deidaq's review against another edition
3.0
I've been more impressed with Avi's other books. This was a cute story, and I enjoyed reading it, but it wasn't more than just a story.
cheryl6of8's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this book up at the library book sale because I was looking for another audiobook and I have read other things by Avi and enjoyed them. This had just enough suspense to have me yelling at the CD player in the car a time or two, and it was quick enough to not get old. I enjoyed the characters and thought the plot was interesting, but was a little frustrated by how long it took people to make up their minds given the stakes were life and death. I also enjoyed the reader and the way he was able to give different voices to each character -- and even different voices to the character who changed the most in the beginning vs the end. And, for better or worse, since I am a lawyer and hear about how hard the law is frequently, I will always remember the darn Reeve of Falmouth, Ambrose Bashcroft, and his multiple pronouncements of "dura lex, sid lex."
boureemusique's review against another edition
2.0
I want to give this 2.5 stars. I did like it, but it had a slow beginning and the characters often did things that didn't make sense. A friend correctly told me that Avi is hit and miss. This was certainly a miss, but it was a nice diversion. I do hate to leave a book by the wayside unless it's really awful. The Book Without Words is full of magic and, yes, a bit of fable. If you want, you could extrapolate Jesus or the present U.S. political condition or what have you. Avi's not dumb, he was just tired and lazy in this one.
bookdingo's review against another edition
2.0
The characters, even when motivations and exposition were provided, felt a bit stale to me, but that may be because I forget that the book is supposed to be a medieval fable. When you remember that fact, and compare it with character descriptions that a reader may find in Grimms' Fairy Tales, then this is excusable. Still, I can't help feeling greedy in that I wanted to know much, much more than the traits provided to me within these pages.
debz57a52's review
3.0
I have never been a huge fan of Avi, like some of my other middle-grade teacher friends are/were. Something about his writing seems too involved, and also too formulaic, and it's always been that way for me. However, I do try to test my theories when I have the inclination, so I picked up this book, which has been on my TBR for over ten years. It had a slow start, and I really didn't get into the story and connect with the character until about the middle of chapter 3 (of 5). After that, I was more interested in how everything ended up - if the bad characters were served justice and the good characters lived happily ever after - than any true enjoyment in the journey. I'm sorry to say that I'm still not a huge fan of Avi.
innae's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted this to be better than it was. I enjoyed the over all story, and the writing is beautiful, but it just wasn't as good as it could have been. Also, I saw this somewhere as a children's story, and while I know many older fables did have some disturbing things - this seems like something for older children...12 or so I think.
thesafasaga's review against another edition
5.0
Super fun! It's a simple story about a girl and a raven and a book. There's alchemy and magic, an evil old man, a sweet boy, a snarky boy, and absolutely no romance! I should read children's books more often. Honestly, the people who gave this a low rating seemed to forget that this is a kids' book. Or they have an issue with the narrator of the audiobook. In any case, if you want a quick, fun read as an adult, or a simple fantasy as a kid, this is the book for you!
jennanise's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. I didn't really like the characters. It was hard for me to get into this book. I finished it to finish it, not because I liked it.
williamsdebbied's review against another edition
3.0
This mysterious tale takes place in medieval times. Thorston uses a seemingly blank book as part of his evil plot to become young again. An old priest, a young servant girl, a green-eyed boy, and a talking raven join forces to stop Thorston. If he succeeds, Sybil and Odo will die.
The best part is this quote: "A life unlived is like a book without words."
Not my favorite book by this author, but good for younger readers.
The best part is this quote: "A life unlived is like a book without words."
Not my favorite book by this author, but good for younger readers.