A review by katiethepenguin
The Bronze Pen by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

This is a reread for me. I used to love this book when I was in grade school. Reading it as an adult... It does not hold up. The main character Audrey holds so much shame and guilt for things outside of her control. I definitely related as a kid but now I think the author could have handled it better. Audrey discovers how to use her special pen wisely, but she doesn't actually work through her problems. She magically helps things get better for her parents. However, she still hides her wish to be an author. It's like she made things better for her parents so we should accept that as a happy ending. Even though she doesn't feel like they see her and are proud of her for who she is. 
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