Reviews

As David Walliams first book, this is remarkable in character of both narrative and story. Focusing on Dennis and his journey with his own sense of visual identity and his family situation, this is a flawed but deeply, deeply sad novel. Dennis's family situation is so common and seeing it portrayed in such a stark way for a children's novel is heart-rending but it makes Lisa's character and her use of fashion and colour all the more impactful. While the end of the novel slightly contradicts what its central theme is, I still think this is a decent novel for children. Its messaging about self identity, not judging people, different religions and family are all worth while. Raj however is a slightly sour note on this story, many clichés involved with his character but I genuinely cannot say if it was done maliciously, especially because he is a pillar of refuge for Dennis. Not bad, especially for a debut.

lydiesquid's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

hestu_korok's review

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5.0

Started this just to get me reading again and ended up really enjoying it. I thought it was really funny, heartwarming and just feel good. So, would definitely, recommend it to anyone interested in it.

kay_23's review against another edition

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funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

daria_nedelcu19's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

notinjersey's review

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4.0

I would call this book a lower middle grade read, as it was more like something my 4th grader would read than my 7th grader. And in fact, Simon did read this after I finished! I suppose this book was a bit ahead of it’s time, being that it was published 11 years ago. This funny and easy to read book is about a boy who likes fashion and enjoys how it feels to wear a dress. He finds support in a new friend and a local shop owner. He is on the soccer team, and he isn’t sure how his teammates will react when they find out how different he is. And what about his dad and his brother? The acceptance that Dennis finds is heartwarming and Simon and I both enjoyed this book. Simon found that the writing was similar to other books that he likes and he would like to read more books by David Walliams!

evanfairfull's review

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adventurous challenging funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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