Stephen K. (havan) reviewed on 11/27/2012 + 138 more book reviews

I'm not sure why this schadenfreude for the pre-clearasil set has become so popular but then I never understood the overwhelming popularity of the Harry Potter books. (I was whelmed but not overly so)

This book has it's moments but is dark without the underlying sense that "all will come right in the end" that one gets from other children's books of this type. I particularly liked Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book but in many ways this story is darker, bleaker and less hopeful than that.

I've often thought that younger children can be quite savage in some ways and this book has an appeal to a savage mind. No orphans were harmed in the telling of this tale so I'm guessing that it is acceptable reading for such children but I feel that in some ways it's a surrender to our baser urges and should be discouraged.

I'm a completist and I may read more of this series to fill out my knowledge but I'm NOT sold that this book deserves the popularity that it has gained.

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