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rjdenney's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 STARS!
This was a pretty fun read! I loved how it jumped right into action on the first page, though I do have to say 100 pages could've easily been cut from this, it dawdled on in parts when things could've been wrapped up very neatly and quickly. As I said it was a fun read, it had an awesome 9 year old feisty heroine, supernatural creatures, and it took place in the Victorian era, which we all know I love. I read this on audio as well, though the narrator's version of the main character annoyed me at times, I still liked it. I'm interested in the rest of the series and hope to continue on very soon. - Richard :)
This was a pretty fun read! I loved how it jumped right into action on the first page, though I do have to say 100 pages could've easily been cut from this, it dawdled on in parts when things could've been wrapped up very neatly and quickly. As I said it was a fun read, it had an awesome 9 year old feisty heroine, supernatural creatures, and it took place in the Victorian era, which we all know I love. I read this on audio as well, though the narrator's version of the main character annoyed me at times, I still liked it. I'm interested in the rest of the series and hope to continue on very soon. - Richard :)
wrentheblurry's review against another edition
2.0
Disclosure: I stopped at chapter 17, about halfway through the book. I had been reading it aloud to my 12 year old son, who says that he would give it 3.5 stars, though he finds it difficult to rate a book midway through. He will continue reading it on his own.
The premise of a young girl helping a man, a professional Bogler, to catch nasty beasts for profit appealed to me, though the writing style did not. Maybe it was how the characters spoke that I found off-putting, though it's likely historically accurate. Had I been reading it on a Kindle, I would have many words to look up, and that's not really a bad thing. As it stands, I was too lazy to pause the reading, get off the couch and go look the words up.
Maybe I couldn't help but compare it to the much better written book, [b:The Screaming Staircase|13555073|The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co., #1)|Jonathan Stroud|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1369670906s/13555073.jpg|19125429]. I just didn't care about the characters, I fell asleep while reading way too often, I wasn't excited to read it every night, and I kept forgetting who was who, and...meh.
The premise of a young girl helping a man, a professional Bogler, to catch nasty beasts for profit appealed to me, though the writing style did not. Maybe it was how the characters spoke that I found off-putting, though it's likely historically accurate. Had I been reading it on a Kindle, I would have many words to look up, and that's not really a bad thing. As it stands, I was too lazy to pause the reading, get off the couch and go look the words up.
Maybe I couldn't help but compare it to the much better written book, [b:The Screaming Staircase|13555073|The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co., #1)|Jonathan Stroud|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1369670906s/13555073.jpg|19125429]. I just didn't care about the characters, I fell asleep while reading way too often, I wasn't excited to read it every night, and I kept forgetting who was who, and...meh.
leskit's review against another edition
4.0
Read this out loud to a 5th grade class (via Zoom). The kids really enjoyed it and it kept them engaged - which is great since I only read to them once a week. I had not read this before and I can't say it was a great choice for a once a week read from my point of view. But - as long as the kids like it that's a good thing. And they did! I enjoyed the book as well.
amelia_herring's review against another edition
4.0
Fun story of a plucky girl apprenticed to a bogler, one who kills bogles.
brandypainter's review against another edition
3.0
Originally reviewed here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
Historical fantasy is always a lot of fun, and Catherine Jinks certainly brings the fun (along with the slightly creepy) in her new novel How to Catch a Bogle. This will appeal to kids who genuinely like historical fiction as well as fantasy. It will have to be a reader who doesn't minds sticking with a story that doesn't seem like it's going anywhere though.
Birdie is a fierce, determined, brave heroine. She sings beautifully, which is what attracted the attention of Alfred the Bogler. He made her his apprentice because everyone knows there is nothing that a bogle likes more than fresh yummy kids to snack on. Birdie takes great pride in her work and does it well. For his part Alfred is a good master. (Minus the part where he regularly puts her life in danger.) The book has a cast of other colorful Victorian characters from the woman who runs the local den of thieves to a higher class lady interested in faerie lore.
The plot is interesting. Who doesn't want to read about a brave, intrepid team catching demons and how they do it? The first two thirds of the book is a bit repetitive. They catch a bogle and the process is detailed. They do it again. Again it's detailed. They do it again. More detail. And....you get my point. It isn't until about 180 pages before the end that the story takes off in the direction of finding what happened to the missing boys. Then we get a good old fashioned villain. I loved the last 100 pages. The getting there was a bit rough I will admit. Add to that there is a lot of Victorian London slang and dialect, and this book is going to appeal to a very specific group of kids. Those kids are out there though in every classroom and school, and when they find this they will clutch it to their chests with joy. It has all the elements to make it a favorite with the right reader. In fact, I have students who I'm already planning on nudging in this direction.
I received an e-galley from the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, via Edelweiss. How to Catch a Bogle is available for purchase on September 3.
Historical fantasy is always a lot of fun, and Catherine Jinks certainly brings the fun (along with the slightly creepy) in her new novel How to Catch a Bogle. This will appeal to kids who genuinely like historical fiction as well as fantasy. It will have to be a reader who doesn't minds sticking with a story that doesn't seem like it's going anywhere though.
Birdie is a fierce, determined, brave heroine. She sings beautifully, which is what attracted the attention of Alfred the Bogler. He made her his apprentice because everyone knows there is nothing that a bogle likes more than fresh yummy kids to snack on. Birdie takes great pride in her work and does it well. For his part Alfred is a good master. (Minus the part where he regularly puts her life in danger.) The book has a cast of other colorful Victorian characters from the woman who runs the local den of thieves to a higher class lady interested in faerie lore.
The plot is interesting. Who doesn't want to read about a brave, intrepid team catching demons and how they do it? The first two thirds of the book is a bit repetitive. They catch a bogle and the process is detailed. They do it again. Again it's detailed. They do it again. More detail. And....you get my point. It isn't until about 180 pages before the end that the story takes off in the direction of finding what happened to the missing boys. Then we get a good old fashioned villain. I loved the last 100 pages. The getting there was a bit rough I will admit. Add to that there is a lot of Victorian London slang and dialect, and this book is going to appeal to a very specific group of kids. Those kids are out there though in every classroom and school, and when they find this they will clutch it to their chests with joy. It has all the elements to make it a favorite with the right reader. In fact, I have students who I'm already planning on nudging in this direction.
I received an e-galley from the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, via Edelweiss. How to Catch a Bogle is available for purchase on September 3.
rdyourbookcase's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so much fun. I really liked the main character. I’m glad she was spunky, smart and strong. I liked the fact that the best apprentice Alfred found was a girl. I wish I would have known about the glossary before I started reading, though. Most words can be figured out through context clues. I liked how there was something much more sinister going on in the book than bogle catching. That extra mystery really added to the story.
helenfromalex's review against another edition
5.0
Winner of the Children's Book Council of Australia's Best Book for Younger Readers (under its Australian title "A Very Unusual Pursuit"), this is a ripping yarn & a well-deserved winner. Despite the potential for gore, it is just gruesome enough to keep the kids aghast but not too horrified. They absolutely devoured this & are pestering us to get the other titles in the City of Orphans series (very happy to indulge but I want 1st read!!!). A fantastic read.
turrean's review against another edition
3.0
A solid fantasy for those who love tales of Victorian London, orphans, and monsters served with a little thrill of horror. I was looking forward to this, because I enjoyed the author’s [b: The Reformed Vampire Support Group.]
I found Birdie’s relationship with Alfred a bit incomprehensible. He completely lacked any warmth or tenderness toward her. He was a good bogler, rigidly determined not to lose another apprentice, and the text is clear that he does not use his fists on his young charge. But that’s about it for his virtues... Birdie is at first worried about her employment prospects, when Alfred begins to question the wisdom of continuing to be a monster slayer. But when it became clear she could enjoy a far, far better life, I am unconvinced she would be so resistant.
I found Birdie’s relationship with Alfred a bit incomprehensible. He completely lacked any warmth or tenderness toward her. He was a good bogler, rigidly determined not to lose another apprentice, and the text is clear that he does not use his fists on his young charge. But that’s about it for his virtues... Birdie is at first worried about her employment prospects, when Alfred begins to question the wisdom of continuing to be a monster slayer. But when it became clear she could enjoy a far, far better life, I am unconvinced she would be so resistant.
lynnmarie78's review against another edition
4.0
Described as Dickens meets Ghostbusters. Some of it is pretty intense for younger readers. After all the bogles hide in dark places, reach out and snatch children, who are never seen again...