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spacedout_reader's review against another edition
2.75
I really liked the general style of the writing, but I found some of the characters, including Flavia, to be a bit inconsistent, and I felt like the mystery wasn't as tightly worked as it could have been. also, in the middle section with the dad's backstory, the racism was pretty distracting. I get that it's a period piece in England, but as far as I could tell it didn't add any meaning to the story and overall just added unpleasantness. I'm really not sure if this book is meant for tweens or adults, so I've added content warnings to my review as if it were for tweens (otherwise most of it would be pretty much par for the course in the mystery genre)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide
Minor: Torture
sarahagna's review
Flavia in this book is a little bit racist. Nothing absolutely horrific, but there are some slurs and micro-aggressive comments. I think the author probably tried to stay true to the setting of the the book, with it being set in the 1950s. But if a book is fiction, then it’s absolutely unnecessary for there to be racist language. It’s not the worst racism I’ve ever read, and definitely not worse than what they made us read in school (I’m looking at you Huckleberry Finn), and it can probably be overlooked if things like that don’t bother you. But if I am reading a fictional book, I don’t want any unnecessary racism, especially if it is nonessential to the story. I did however love the chemistry references in the book, as well as Flavia’s commentary on things. I have heard that the rest of the books in the series do not have anything derogatory in them, so I might try to continue the series, but I haven’t decided yet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Racism and Racial slurs
bosco29's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Kidnapping
lilawsahar's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
3.75
This book read like a Wes Anderson film. Lots of dry humor and goofy moments —like her using poison ivy to get back at her sister. I also enjoyed her dark humor and curious disposition. Anyone who is fond of poisons can be my friend! You can definitely tell that this book was written by a man though.
Gripes with the book:
- Lots of description to the situation and scenery going on which makes it hard to read at times. I think the authors writing gets better as the novel goes on. The description about how Flavia was rescued at the end was so confusing.
- The conversations between Flavia and the detective seemed flirtatious.
- The author is American and is writing about Britain and their customs. Just seems wrong tbh. Do research.
Side note: I love how I read about poisons before this book and this novel references different types of poisons!
Gripes with the book:
- Lots of description to the situation and scenery going on which makes it hard to read at times. I think the authors writing gets better as the novel goes on. The description about how Flavia was rescued at the end was so confusing.
- The conversations between Flavia and the detective seemed flirtatious.
- The author is American and is writing about Britain and their customs. Just seems wrong tbh. Do research.
Side note: I love how I read about poisons before this book and this novel references different types of poisons!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death, Murder, and Torture
Minor: Racism
orchidlilly's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
4.25
An endearing and relatable character for young girls interested in science, plus she solves complex mysteries in a way that is scientifically accurate? Sign me up!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Medical content
Minor: Alcohol, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Classism, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Drug use, Grief, Sexism, Suicide, and Racism
kenderful's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Child abuse
Minor: Murder and Death
anniup's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, and Death
Moderate: Suicide
purplepenning's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Confinement
Moderate: Misogyny, Classism, Death, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal death, Colonisation, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Torture, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Sexism, Death of parent, and War
About halfway through the book there's a long monologue that features an extended depiction of racist stereotypes, with a few others scattered throughout.jchinzi's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent
emileereadsbooks's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I did struggle to get through it but that was more about me and my reading life than this book.
Pros: I like how spunky and confident Flavia is. She is smart and the mystery element was very interesting. I feel like there was a good setup for relationships between characters to grow in the following books (which I will be giving a shot).
Cons: Flavia is a bit too cocky at times for my liking and her contentious relationship with her sisters bothered me a bit.
The biggest reason I think this book is a "really liked" rating vs. a "loved" rating for me is that last year I read and fell in love with Myrtle Hardcastle. Myrtle and Flavia are very alike but Myrtle is more humble and virtuous, and I read her first, so I like Myrtle more. I do think that it would be a great book club for a group to read both the first Flavia and first Myrtle books and contrast and compare them. That being said, Flavia, because of the content, I would label as more young YA while Myrtle is firmly middle grade.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Bullying, Suicide, and Death