Amy R. (AmyMarie) - , reviewed The Secrets of Drearcliff Grange School (Drearcliff Grange, Bk 1) on + 46 more book reviews
When you first start this book, you'll think "oh great, total Harry Potter knock-off." The main character is sent away (by train, no less), to a sprawling school for kids with special abilities. And of course the school is divided into houses. (Five this time, instead of four.)
Keep reading. It gets better, I promise. It's far more adult than Harry Potter, with some pretty dark themes (although also with some humor). Although the characters in this book are teens, and none of the situations are "adult" in the sexual sense, I think most teens would be bored with the long-windedness of it. I, on the other hand, had a hard time putting it down once it got going.
Do yourself a favor and keep a running list of characters as you read. There are a LOT of them. There's a school roster in the back of the book that can be used for this, but you'll want to notate every character's nickname(s) (many of them have more than one) and their special talents (magical abilities). My one huge complaint through this book was that at any given time, the author might call a girl by her first name, or her last name, or her "official" nickname, or her "unofficial" nickname, and frankly, it became very difficult to keep track of who was capable of what.
Other than that, my only gripe was that the ending felt really rushed and anticlimactic. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and intend to look for more by the author.
Keep reading. It gets better, I promise. It's far more adult than Harry Potter, with some pretty dark themes (although also with some humor). Although the characters in this book are teens, and none of the situations are "adult" in the sexual sense, I think most teens would be bored with the long-windedness of it. I, on the other hand, had a hard time putting it down once it got going.
Do yourself a favor and keep a running list of characters as you read. There are a LOT of them. There's a school roster in the back of the book that can be used for this, but you'll want to notate every character's nickname(s) (many of them have more than one) and their special talents (magical abilities). My one huge complaint through this book was that at any given time, the author might call a girl by her first name, or her last name, or her "official" nickname, or her "unofficial" nickname, and frankly, it became very difficult to keep track of who was capable of what.
Other than that, my only gripe was that the ending felt really rushed and anticlimactic. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and intend to look for more by the author.
