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What Members Thought
I really need to hear what kids think of this book, because I don't know exactly who its audience is supposed to be. It's got some references that might make it too old for the CATHERINE CALLED BIRDIE set, but it wasn't super-compelling for me as an adult reader?... If this snags a Newbery, I won't be surprised, but I also don't know who's going to actually pick it up.
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Aug 15, 2012
Dest
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
british,
historical-fiction,
fantasy,
siblings,
middle-grade,
tween,
families,
newbery,
magical-realism,
scary
I'd recommend this book to kids looking for something challenging, spooky, and full of mystery and magic. The length (400 pages) and font size (too small) were, at first, daunting and put me off starting the book, but by the end of the first chapter I was hooked.
Splendors and Glooms begins with a witch, a rich girl, and puppets. It's set in the Victorian era, when London was a dirty, frightening place, especially for an orphan. Our heroes, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall, are two orphans with the sam ...more
Splendors and Glooms begins with a witch, a rich girl, and puppets. It's set in the Victorian era, when London was a dirty, frightening place, especially for an orphan. Our heroes, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall, are two orphans with the sam ...more
The fact that this took me a while to read should in no way reflect on its quality (I have a love/hate relationship with reading books on my phone, which is currently my only way to read ebooks). In fact, each time I opened it up again, I immediately knew where I was and what was happening in the story, with the whole thing as vivid as if I'd read it over just a few days.
'Splendors and Glooms' is really the perfect description of the story - the gloom is easy to spot, in the downtrodden lives of ...more
'Splendors and Glooms' is really the perfect description of the story - the gloom is easy to spot, in the downtrodden lives of ...more
As an adult, I absolutely loved this book - the magic, the darkness, the plot, how different characters are highlighted, the cliffhangers, the story plots that are so intricately woven together. All amazing! That being said, I'm not sure how I would use this book my 5th grade students.
Schlitz is a master storyteller, though. ...more
Schlitz is a master storyteller, though. ...more
This book never really grabbed my attention, perhaps because no character grabbed me from the start. Okay but not the best in its genre...
Really enjoyed this Victorian-era thriller. Two street children are taken in by a crafty puppeteer. They learn his trade (pick-pocketing and entertaining crowds) but he's cruel and devious. Meanwhile, a "witch" is tormented by a magic stone that burns her soul. When the puppet troupe are invited to rich girl, Clara's, home to perform, a chain of events is set into motion. What follows is bizarre, magical, mysterious, and loaded with secrets.
I read this more slowly than usual, maybe hoping to sa ...more
I read this more slowly than usual, maybe hoping to sa ...more
Rather dark and macabre - but in the end a sweet story about friendship and loyalty.
Finally...it took longer than I expected to finish this book. It's engaging in the beginning, a bit boring in the middle, but very captivating at the end. I love the main characters: Lizzie Rose the good girl, Parsfall the naughty boy, and Clara, with the secret she hold. I love the puppetry setting, it's very unique, especially with ancient London as the background. All in all, a great book! No wonder Newbery fell in love with it.
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Historical fantasy. A Dickens-esque tale of poor orphans enslaved by an evil puppet master magician, manipulative witch trying to use the orphans to free herself from a curse and a sad, wealthy girl trapped in the body of a marionette. Was a little slow getting going for me, but couldn't put it down by the second half.
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Apr 04, 2012
Megan
marked it as to-read
Jul 16, 2012
Laurel
marked it as to-read
RL 670
Oct 26, 2012
Ellie
marked it as to-read
Dec 07, 2012
CLM
marked it as to-read
Jan 01, 2013
Marcie Flinchum
marked it as to-read
