Author Topic: review: Midnight for Charlie Bone  (Read 1436 times)


Kuntrey_Pilgrum

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Re: review: Midnight for Charlie Bone
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2006, 10:35:08 PM »
I have to agree, exept on a few minor points.
#1. These books are really more of a 3-8 grades
 kind of thing. They were at my brother's 3rd grd book fair, and they sold alot.
#2   Though the writing is a little grade school, that's kinda where it Is selling best. I mean, you don't see Gemmel in the kids section, and you wont see this anywhere but there.
It is an vaguely entertaining read, and it DOES get a little better further in the series.  Compared with other books in the same isle at BAM, i'd give it 4 clocks.
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Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: review: Midnight for Charlie Bone
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2006, 03:07:11 PM »
This series is not good. I'd call it bad.

Character motivations make no sense. Why in the world are good parents continuing to send their children to a school run by evil people? And why are these people evil in the first place? They're not trying to take over the world like Voldemort. They just like being mean to kids and relatives for no reason other than that being mean gives them a power trip. They're just schoolyard bullies who never grew out of it. Boring.

And plotting? What about the book where they spend the whole semester preparing for this big end of the year play, and then at the end of the book...they all just go home? There's no mention of whether or not the play was even put on? I mean sure it's hard to put on the play without costumes that got destroyed the week before in the fire, but surely the kids worked hard enough on the play for it to go on anyway! But nooooo, there is absolutely no mention at all of if they did it or not! Bad writing.

The series has some interesting ideas, but the execution is very poor.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2006, 03:08:10 PM by OoklaTheMok »
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Chimera

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Re: review: Midnight for Charlie Bone
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2006, 12:44:40 PM »
Yay! Other people have actually read the book I reviewed!  ;D

Kuntry_Bumpken: I agree that the books are doing well among the Middle Grade set. That was one of the reasons I decided to read it. However, just because it is doing well doesn't mean that it is good. I gave it three stars because I felt it was...well...mediocre. Entertaining, but not memorable. Where Harry Potter (I think and I hope) will stand the test of time, I don't think Charlie Bone will. It is too similar and suffers far too many weaknesses. And I have found plenty of books for this age range that are FAR better--they should get 4-5 clocks.

Ookla: You've just convinced me not to pick up the rest of the series. In the first book, Nimmo's plotting was fine--she carried through on everything significant, I felt--but what you describe about the play in a later book sounds like very poor plotting indeed.
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Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: review: Midnight for Charlie Bone
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2006, 03:25:36 PM »
She also unfortunately makes poor use of the results of previous books. It's basically everything back to the status quo at the beginning of every book.

Mr. Onimous also starts out very mysterious, but by a couple books in it turns out there's really no mystery at all and he's just normal (if eccentric).
« Last Edit: August 19, 2006, 03:29:19 PM by OoklaTheMok »
All Saiyuki fans should check out Dazzle! Emotionally wrenching action-adventure and quirky humor! (At least read chapter 6 and tell me if you're not hooked.) Volume 10 out now!