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lisawreading's review against another edition
4.0
"The Boggart and the Monster" by Susan Cooper is a fun romp which I found to be even better than its predecessor "The Boggart". In TB&TM, several years have gone by since Canadian siblings Emily and Jessup managed to send the wayward boggart back to his ancestral home in Scotland. As Emily, Jessup, and their parents head back to Scotland for a visit, they encounter a visiting scientist on his way to explore the mystery of Loch Ness.
The Loch Ness Monster, as it turns out, is a long-lost cousin of the boggart. Centuries earlier, Nessie got stuck in monster form and, depressed, has been sleeping in the muddy bottom of the loch, only wanting to be left alone. With help from Emily, Jessup, and their pal Tommy, the boggart must raise Nessie from the depths and convince him to reclaim his true boggart nature before the scientists and their underwater cameras invade the loch and destroy Nessie's peace forever.
My 9-year-old and I read this together, and found it fast-paced, funny, and exciting. The reading level is appropriate for middle grade readers, either as independent reading or as a read-aloud story. The plot zips right along, yet takes the time to establish the mythology of boggarts and old spirits of the highlands, as well as setting the scene with lovely descriptions of the loch and the surrounding area.
A key problem for me with the first book was the emphasis on gee-whiz admiration of the boys' computers. Given that the book was written quite a while ago, all the technology references were so outdated that they disrupted the flow of the story. ("Mom, what's a floppy disk?"!!!) TB&TM by and large avoids this problem by sticking to the story of the children and their adventure, and is a much better book as a result.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun adventure story to enjoy with children.
The Loch Ness Monster, as it turns out, is a long-lost cousin of the boggart. Centuries earlier, Nessie got stuck in monster form and, depressed, has been sleeping in the muddy bottom of the loch, only wanting to be left alone. With help from Emily, Jessup, and their pal Tommy, the boggart must raise Nessie from the depths and convince him to reclaim his true boggart nature before the scientists and their underwater cameras invade the loch and destroy Nessie's peace forever.
My 9-year-old and I read this together, and found it fast-paced, funny, and exciting. The reading level is appropriate for middle grade readers, either as independent reading or as a read-aloud story. The plot zips right along, yet takes the time to establish the mythology of boggarts and old spirits of the highlands, as well as setting the scene with lovely descriptions of the loch and the surrounding area.
A key problem for me with the first book was the emphasis on gee-whiz admiration of the boys' computers. Given that the book was written quite a while ago, all the technology references were so outdated that they disrupted the flow of the story. ("Mom, what's a floppy disk?"!!!) TB&TM by and large avoids this problem by sticking to the story of the children and their adventure, and is a much better book as a result.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun adventure story to enjoy with children.
gmkieran's review against another edition
5.0
I wish I'd found this back when I first read The Dark is Rising. The magic is here and it's beautiful but I have more trouble appreciating it now than I would have then. Still, the ending was well worth the time!
zfeig's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is one of my favorite books growing up, and it holds up well reading it as an adult. I was pleasantly surprised with the betrayals of female characters as well as a range of diverse characters. This book is nothing groundbreaking in that respect by but does a lot better than I expected most of the books from my childhood to do.
pedanther's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Car accident, Death, and Grief
thomcat's review against another edition
4.0
A fun sequel about the Scottish trickster spirit, Canadian siblings, and the Loch Ness monster. This book, like the first, is best for pre-teens, but was still an enjoyable read.
Perhaps the best part were the adults who know about the Boggart. In the first book, just the late owner of the castle. Here, we find out more about his life and the Boggart's also. The only minor quibble I have is the change in history - multiple documented photos of the famous beasty.
There is a third book, written 20 years after this one, and I will add it to my list. I would recommend the first two as read-aloud books to most parents, though this is the better of the two.
Perhaps the best part were the adults who know about the Boggart. In the first book, just the late owner of the castle. Here, we find out more about his life and the Boggart's also. The only minor quibble I have is the change in history - multiple documented photos of the famous beasty.
There is a third book, written 20 years after this one, and I will add it to my list. I would recommend the first two as read-aloud books to most parents, though this is the better of the two.
kcelena's review against another edition
5.0
A perfect follow up to it's predecessor, The Boggart and the Monster is sweet, heart warming, wondrous and magical. I loved it ❤️
octavia_cade's review against another edition
3.0
Fun children's follow-up to The Boggart, but like its predecessor it doesn't match up to Cooper's absolutely fantastic The Dark is Rising series. Still, if it's fairly slight it's still likeable enough, and there's a really interesting take on the Loch Ness monster that I haven't seen before. I won't spoil it here, but the Boggart takes centre stage dealing with the monster, and develops into a far more communicative character than he was the last time around. I'm not entirely sure whether I prefer him this way or the last, though - giving the Boggart the power to speak goes some way to making him seem more accessible and human-like, but that necessarily means a loss of the magic and alien nature that made him appealing in the first place.
pussreboots's review against another edition
4.0
When left to my own devices, I have this uncanny knack for picking the second book of a series instead of the first. That said, The Boggart and the Monster by Susan Cooper, though the sequel to The Boggart is still a delightful read as a stand alone.
In The Boggart and the Monster Emily and Jess return to their ancestral home in Castle Keep near Loch Ness in Scotland. There's a new owner who isn't as chummy with the Boggart and it's up to the siblings to sort things out. In the process they end up solving the mystery of the Loch Ness monster and I have to admit that connection took me by surprise, despite the "monster" in the title.
The book is a good mixture of haunted atmosphere and lighthearted adventure. There's an interesting family legend tied into the story that connects the boggart to the children and the castle that made things all the more interesting.
I enjoyed the book enough to track down a copy of The Boggart. It's now sitting on my massive to be read pile.
In The Boggart and the Monster Emily and Jess return to their ancestral home in Castle Keep near Loch Ness in Scotland. There's a new owner who isn't as chummy with the Boggart and it's up to the siblings to sort things out. In the process they end up solving the mystery of the Loch Ness monster and I have to admit that connection took me by surprise, despite the "monster" in the title.
The book is a good mixture of haunted atmosphere and lighthearted adventure. There's an interesting family legend tied into the story that connects the boggart to the children and the castle that made things all the more interesting.
I enjoyed the book enough to track down a copy of The Boggart. It's now sitting on my massive to be read pile.