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May 2020
5:14pm, 11 May 2020
10,582 posts
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mrs shanksi
I thought this was a lovely book, I do get the Harry Potter comparisons but don't you find most YA books have at least one dead parent? I think it's crying out for a sequel.
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May 2020
5:15pm, 11 May 2020
119,847 posts
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GregP
Re. McG a couple of posts back, I was disappointed even that the ‘no reflection’ thing got mentioned as it made it too obvious.
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May 2020
5:16pm, 11 May 2020
119,848 posts
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GregP
“ I thought this was a lovely book” is a perfect one-sentence review.
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May 2020
5:20pm, 11 May 2020
10,583 posts
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mrs shanksi
Thanks! I find it hard to write reviews of books. I enjoy reading, and reading reviews, but I need to get better at writing reviews for my job (school librarian). I compare myself unfavourably with people on Goodreads so I never put reviews on there.
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May 2020
5:24pm, 11 May 2020
45,214 posts
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McGoohan
It's a standard trope of YA/children's fiction - how to get the parents out of the way so the kids can have an adventure. Quite often that means killing them off on or before page 1. (See also, Lemony Snicket etc)
Yes, I could have done without the 'no reflection' thing too... on reflection.
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May 2020
9:34am, 15 May 2020
36,474 posts
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LindsD
Oh my goodness. Thank you. Never has a book been more perfect for the time that I read it. I loved this and gave it a 10. I think that's the first time I've given a book group book a perfect 10. Just adult enough, just dark enough, just nuanced enough. Happy ending, but not too unrealistic (I know, it's a book about ghosts....). I loved the way that although you wanted Scarlett to be Bod's friend for ever, Gaiman made her react to his acts in the way that felt real, but left the reader to draw the good/evil distinction. Or rather: good and evil is too simplistic and life's complicated. I loved the Silas character, and the fact that again, you wanted Ms Lupescu to survive, but Gaiman didn't go for the obvious children's book redemption. The love that the people of the graveyard had for Bod made me feel really nice, and I cried at the end. Perfect.
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May 2020
9:39am, 15 May 2020
36,475 posts
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LindsD
Read back. Agree with everyone apart from Columba, obvs. But I really don't agree with comparisons with HP. Yes, some story elements are similar, but JKR can't write anywhere near as well as Gaiman. She has great stories, but her writing is terrible. The only reason I could make it through her books was because my Dad was dying and I needed page-turners.The HP books are page-turners for plot reasons alone. Her writing makes me wince. I know this is not everyone's opinion  Obvs again.
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May 2020
11:46am, 15 May 2020
120,001 posts
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GregP
Linds wrote the review that I was too inept to write myself, so thank you.
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May 2020
11:48am, 15 May 2020
120,002 posts
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GregP
[the ‘wrong happy ending’ is something I thought only happened in La La Land (the fillum) until I read this here gravy book]
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May 2020
12:00pm, 15 May 2020
10,597 posts
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mrs shanksi
Excellent review Linds!
I don't think JK Rowling is a great writer, but I have been devouring the Harry Potter books. To make the experience last I've been reading other books in between but I am looking forward to starting the 6th one soon. Perfect escapism for the time. Joe Wicks even dressed as Harry Potter to do his session this morn.
I am currently reading The Hate U Give.
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