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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
Enjoyed this *very* much (and I'm a grown-up); I actually stayed up reading this, which hasn't happened for a while. Briskly paced with well-drawn characters and a very convincing setting, including natural-feeling (but not overwhelming) Victorian street slang--there is a short glossary of terms in the back for those who haven't watched as much Dickens and BBC as I have. Birdie is a strong, capable and clever character determined to maintain her place and take care of herself and her aging boss in the poor regions of Victorian London, but is facing the troubling prospect of soon growing too old to continue her job as bogle-bait. The bogles give an element of danger reminiscent of the classic monster in the closet/under the bed but, for younger readers, aren't graphically horror-movie scary. A straightforward, well-written, imaginative and engaging adventure.
It took me forever to read this book because I honestly thought it was a little boring. I really hope it circulates.
Read an advanced readers copy won through a Goodreads giveaway, and I already can't wait for books 2 and 3 in the series! This is a great story with wonderful vivid descriptions of the scenes and characters that easily pull you into the book. The target audience is likely middle schoolers, so it's an easy read, but never felt dumbed down because of it. It was suspenseful and intriguing and the use of different dialects really worked well to place the characters in their respective social standings.
The language and slang made it too difficult for my 9 yr old and I to get through.
Enjoyed this book following a gifted yet poor child prodigy and her caretaker out catching bogles (evil ghosts) in Dickensian Victorian England. Should be a good recommend for older elementary age children.
One Sentence Review: Top notch, thoroughly enjoyable, and the kind of book you just sink into and enjoy like a warm, hot bath.
I love Catherine Jinks so much, and this new fantasy of Victorian ghostbusters lived up to my expectations. Birdie the bogler's girl is a plucky, resourceful orphan with the perfect voice for luring bogles to their doom--but should she be in such a risky business? A delightful romp.