In this slightly dark, very funny mystery novel, the protagonist, Flavia de Luce, is in fact an eleven-year-old girl who is wise beyond her years. This sneaky, precocious chemistry genius is admirable for her bold sleuthing, and she keeps you turning the pages. The author, Alan Bradley, is actually a man in his seventies. Hence while the Flavia is a youth, the voice is a bit more literary than a juvenile mystery book. It’s as if we’re pedaling our bikes right there beside her as she races to find the next clue. Nancy Drew definitely wears Flavia de Luce pajamas.
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Bantam
Content Analysis:
This story involves a murder, a kidnapping, and a suicide. So enter the violence and mature themes here. I don’t want to elaborate for fear of ruining the suspense. But again, it’s all written from the perspective of an excited eleven-year-old sleuth so details are more good-humored than graphic—she’s just the facts, ma’am.
As far as language goes, Flavia loves a good beaver dam and sprinkles them more than a few times throughout the novel, but it’s not over the top.
Mature Subject Matter:
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Alcohol / Drug Use:
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