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jehanne's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
cazinthehat's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderfully paced, great adventure - I wish I'd read it when I was younger.
maryehavens's review against another edition
3.0
The kids abandoned it about...100 pages from the end? I wanted to continue because this book (or maybe the series?) won the National Book Award and it seemed to have lots of the same elements that I've seen in fairy tales and even newer novels. I finished "The Book of Speculation" recently and, if this author was not inspired by this book, I would be surprised.
I could see some of the elements from a mile away but it was still enjoyable and, at 184 pages, it was easy to read.
This book, however, is the last "read to children" as my children are putting a pause on read alouds. 114 books, 6 years, it's been wonderful. Maybe we will pick it up again, maybe we won't. I've known that it would end someday. Bittersweet, sweet and bitter, bitter and sweet.
I could see some of the elements from a mile away but it was still enjoyable and, at 184 pages, it was easy to read.
This book, however, is the last "read to children" as my children are putting a pause on read alouds. 114 books, 6 years, it's been wonderful. Maybe we will pick it up again, maybe we won't. I've known that it would end someday. Bittersweet, sweet and bitter, bitter and sweet.
adamrshields's review against another edition
4.0
Short Review: Westmark by Lloyd Alexander - I am re-reading this 1980s series from my youth. It is not nearly as well known as Alexander's other young adult series that starts with The Book of Three and end with the High King. This series is set in a fictional 18th century european country. The King has become despondent and gone a little nuts since his only child (Augusta) disappeared 8 years ago. One of his advisors has weaseled his way into power and is trying to become the next king. But Theo, a young apprentice printer is just trying to do his job. When soldiers destroy the print shop and Theo gets blamed for shooting one of the soldiers in the malay, he goes on the run. He meets up first with a con artist and a girl that teaches him that all is not well with the world and later he falls in with revolutionaries.
This book is little more than a basic set up for the rest of the trilogy but it has a good basic story line and is a good book for 12-14 year olds.
My full review is http://bookwi.se/westmark/
This book is little more than a basic set up for the rest of the trilogy but it has a good basic story line and is a good book for 12-14 year olds.
My full review is http://bookwi.se/westmark/
amyappy's review against another edition
3.0
For ENG 540.
I remember really liking Lloyd Alexander, so I had high hopes for this one. It was enjoyable, but the plot felt a teensy bit too neat. (The basic premise/plot twist of the story feels both completely obvious and slightly improbable at the same time...) It's also quite glaringly just the first part of a series, and I felt frustrated at the end when I didn't get a real resolution. It does bring up some interesting questions about power, law, and politics, and Alexander's narrative voice is dry and rather amusing. I'll probably have to dig up the rest of this series somehow/where/when.
I remember really liking Lloyd Alexander, so I had high hopes for this one. It was enjoyable, but the plot felt a teensy bit too neat. (The basic premise/plot twist of the story feels both completely obvious and slightly improbable at the same time...) It's also quite glaringly just the first part of a series, and I felt frustrated at the end when I didn't get a real resolution. It does bring up some interesting questions about power, law, and politics, and Alexander's narrative voice is dry and rather amusing. I'll probably have to dig up the rest of this series somehow/where/when.
modernviking's review against another edition
5.0
Down with a cold this weekend and needed something extremely light. Found an ancient favorite
eacolgan's review against another edition
4.0
This book and its two sequels are like Les Miserables for teenagers. I loved these out-of-print books so fiercely as a middle-schooler that I never returned them to my library (in my defense, they had 3 copies of each book) and paid a month's allowance in fines just so I could own them. If you can lay hands on them, you should read them. They'll break your heart in all the good ways.
helenafaustina's review against another edition
4.0
I don't think I was paying as much attention to this as I should have, which is why it's only rated four stars by me. But it was a fun little adventure stories with many twists in it. If you want something simple, you should definitely try this book!
changeablelandscape's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I read this once or twice back in middle school and liked it well enough, although the 2nd book of the trilogy was always my favourite, and it was fun to revisit! I had forgotten that Florian & Justin show up in this book, and as a young teen I *totally* missed all the French Revolution parallels, but this time through I could see what Alexander was doing and enjoy it on an adult level as well as delighting in The Feelings.