Reviews

The Devil and His Boy by Anthony Horowitz

ali_w15's review against another edition

A lovely read for younger teenagers that will introduce them to life in Shakespearean England. Very historically accurate. An engaging read that keeps you guessing.

fennmidwinter's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

a_manning11's review against another edition

3.0

This is not my favorite 'Elizabethan' novel. In the beginning, Horowitz grabs at each chance to be disgusting, and the plot jumps in ways that don't seem plausible. However, it is a solid historical novel, one that actually features an aged, wigged and chalk-faced Elizabeth I. Tom is a likeable main character, and I could feel for him being thrown into the dangerous world of 16th century London, not knowing what to do. This might be more of a book for boys than, e.g. Gary Blackwood's series.

maireador20's review against another edition

3.0

3.5/5 An enjoyable read for kids (9-13) who like historical fiction. Well paced, with enough intrigue and suspense to keep its target audience interested this adventurous tale is an excellent option for more confident readers to tackle.

woolfardis's review against another edition

1.0

From time to time I enjoy a book written primarily for children. They are usually fun, mostly written with a slight adult leaning that means the author doesn't think the child reading it is an idiot and are quite often written better than a lot of adult books I read.

This, however, wasn't really any of it. I enjoyed that it was mostly based on true people from the Elizabethan period, but other than that I found it absolutely abysmal. There were typos all over the shop, the story itself was rather dire and the characters I found unbelievable and quite flat.

I don't think I am expecting too much from a "children's book", because I have read plenty that are wonderful, magical and sublime. This one is not any of those things.

santersgrotto's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny informative lighthearted mysterious 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? No

3.5

bethcartwright's review

adventurous dark informative medium-paced

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

2.0

jenpsz's review against another edition

5.0

Lots of fun, in true Horowitz style.

jojoreads89's review against another edition

2.0

Unfortunately this was a disappointment.
Apparently alot of the characters and places are based on real people and places and that's cool, but this was a very predictable story with a predictable outcome. It was a cute story I guess. Good plot and storyline for younger readers. I still want to continue reading more of Horowitz's books.