Reviews

Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge

jadedmist27's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

rosecarroll's review

4.0

4.5 stars

outoftheblue14's review against another edition

Ho letto solo il primo capitolo e l'ho trovato terribilmente creepy.
Mi fa troppo paura, ma magari tra qualche tempo troverò un po' di coraggio...

rachd24's review against another edition

DNF. I found this to be a very slow read, my brain felt like it was trying to run a marathon surrounded by syrup. The descriptions were overly long-winded and I felt didn't add to the (confusing) storyline. Intriguing, sure. But not a lot happened, and the things that did happen, just, what?! Not my cup of tea. I'd like to try it again at some point to see if it was just my mood at the time, but I fell into a serious reading slump after trying to get through this one.

pixie_d's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

A gem, perfectly written in all the ways: language, themes, story arcs and pacing. As the story features a young teenage girl (no spoilers), I guess it's considered a YA or even middle grade novel, but it surpasses a lot of the more-famous adult literary fiction I've read recently. A dangerous fairy tale adventure, but also mythic resonances, profound themes, apt characterizations, and relatable family dynamics. It is imaginative in ways that are surprising, but Hardinge's choices are always spot-on. Brava! 

Don't let the creepy front cover deter you from reading this fine tale. We had the cover with the cracked china doll face, and I had to keep it turned over because hubby thought it was too scary. Don't worry, it's not a horror story, and not about the china dolls 😄 If I may add, the Kirkus review clip on the back cover gave deserved praise but said it was a world "like no other," which is a bland, trendy phrase that doesn't convey the book's unique spark. So, ignore the cover. You'll love the book.

vicky97's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

4.25

em_kn0wles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad

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

4.0

epithet's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

piyumya's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

ignited_redqueen75's review against another edition

5.0

It was eerily interesting, a twisted tail of becoming real or something else. Definitely not what I had expected when I started to read this book but I rather quite enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who likes to read anything that is outside the norm.