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nooneyouknow's review against another edition
3.0
Not as strong as the first entry in the series but still fun.
bookchantment's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
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
deschatjes's review against another edition
3.0
The series continues as 11yo Flavia uses her wit and knowledge of science to solve criminal mysteries
svreads's review against another edition
5.0
Although I didn't love this second book in the series as much as the first, I still give it 5 stars. I find myself loving the setting and characters of these books, and I can't wait to read the others.
erickibler4's review against another edition
3.0
Take one part Agatha Christie murder mystery, one part Hermione Granger, and one part P. G. Wodehouse screwball comedy, and what do you get? The adventures of 11-year-old sleuth Flavia De Luce. Flavia is an odd little duck, but she can somehow charm her way into nearly every household of Bishop's Lacey, the small English town where she lives, and where a murder seems to take place every so often. Armed with that charm and her knowledge of chemistry, she tackles the mysteries that stymie the local police inspector. This book is Flavia's second outing.
I found this book likeable, but rather bloodless (as are the two murders she solves this time). In the first book ("The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie"), we sense danger closing in on Flavia as she gets closer to the killer's identity. But in this book, no such danger materializes. There's no climax. Merely an end to information gathering, and a recitation of the solution. Also lacking in this book was a sense of the creepy pleasure Flavia takes in poisonings, stabbings, and dark doings. She's a much nicer kid in this book, and her weirdness has been sanded down quite a bit. My hope for the next book as that Flavia can once again let her freak flag fly, and for more thrills, spills, and chills.
I found this book likeable, but rather bloodless (as are the two murders she solves this time). In the first book ("The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie"), we sense danger closing in on Flavia as she gets closer to the killer's identity. But in this book, no such danger materializes. There's no climax. Merely an end to information gathering, and a recitation of the solution. Also lacking in this book was a sense of the creepy pleasure Flavia takes in poisonings, stabbings, and dark doings. She's a much nicer kid in this book, and her weirdness has been sanded down quite a bit. My hope for the next book as that Flavia can once again let her freak flag fly, and for more thrills, spills, and chills.