Middle Grade – Home | The Blind Scribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you all enjoy my book review of Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens.

I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try to keep this review as spoiler free as possible.

Murder Most Unladylike Plot:

This book follows Daisy and Hazel at Deepdean school, they are friends (who definitely have small arguments) who end up embroiled in a murder mystery when they find the body of their teacher, but then it suddenly disappears. I enjoyed the slightly cosy mystery feel that this book had, it was nice to see it from a younger child’s perspective than all the adult murder mysteries I read. It was still complex and a great mystery though which made it even better.

Murder Most Unladylike Character:

The novel is written from Hazel’s perspective. I liked her because she had an organised and investigative mind, she always looked for every avenue that could be and needed to be explored. Even though she is afraid she knows what she is doing is important. In this first book in the series I did not like Daisy, she is bossy and full of herself and it really grated on me throughout the novel. I know that is her character flaw but she barely listened to Hazel’s ideas and for a whole series I think I would find that hard to continue reading.

Murder Most Unladylike Writing and Dialogue:

I think generally the writing in this book is pretty good, it feels young but that is the age range it is catered to. Otherwise I don’t have a lot to say about the writing.

Murder Most Unladylike Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because it was an enjoyable mystery, and I am interested in reading more of the series.

Blurb/Synopsis:

1934. When Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong set up a secret detective agency at Deepdean School for Girls, they struggle to find a truly exciting mystery to investigate. (Unless you count the case of Lavinia’s missing tie. Which they don’t.)

But then Hazel discovers the body of the Science Mistress, Miss Bell – but when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now the girls have to solve a murder, and prove a murder has happened in the first place before the killer strikes again (and before the police can get there first, naturally),

But will they succeed?

And can their friendship stand the test?

I hope you enjoyed my book review!

Book Reviews

Book Review: Rose by Holly Webb

April 25, 2022April 4, 2022 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am bringing you my review of Rose by Holly Webb, a series about a young girl from an orphanage in Victorian London (I think) who goes to work in the house of a magician.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Rose Plot:

I like that the plot of this story really has three strands to it: Rose leaving the orphanage and entering the world of being an under-housemaid, Rose finding out new things about herself, and the disappearing children in the town.
This plot is one that I have reread multiple times because I love the worldbuilding aspects and the way that new information comes to light throughout. I also really enjoy the way that this plot tests the boundaries of children’s fiction and includes the darker elements alongside the fantastic magical elements. There is also a big theme of friendship in this book and being brave to protect your friends.

Rose Characters:

There are many well-crafted characters in this book but Rose is the protagonist. She is exploring the new, outside world that she hasn’t experienced because of being in the orphanage and it was fun to explore it with her, especially as she finds out more secrets about herself. Freddie is the Apprentice of the magician and he is stuck up and cold in the beginning but it was really nice to see his character develop throughout the novel. There is also Isabella, the daughter of the magician, she is prone to tantrums and is frequently described as spoilt, but she is also intelligent and an integral part of this book.

Rose writing and dialogue:

One of my favourite things about this book is how the writing stands the test of time. I enjoyed it when I was younger and I like it the same amount now, the writing style does not feel too young for me and because the plot follows child aged characters the plot doesn’t feel too young either.

Rose Overall:

I gave this book four stars because it is a book that I will happily reread multiple times.

Blurb/Synopsis:

The grand residence of the famous alchemist, Mr Fountain, is a world away from the dark orphanage Rose has left behind. For the house is positively overflowing with sparkling magic—she can feel it. And it’s not long before Rose realises that maybe, just maybe, she has a little bit of magic in her, too. . . .

The first book in an exciting, get-lost-in-the-world series about orphans, alchemy, magical powers and sinister child-catchers.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant

April 18, 2022April 4, 2022 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am bringing you my review of The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant, the second book in the Hatmakers series.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review. If you haven’t read The Hatmakers there is likely to be spoilers for that book here.

The Mapmakers Plot:

So, in this series we follow Cordelia Hatmaker who is living with her family members in their hat shop and they are one of seven magical families, their hats are created using magic. At the end of the first book Cordelia has just found a map brought to her by a boy who was on the ship with her Father, who she still believes is alive. She thinks that the map will lead her to her Father.
I loved every part of this plot. There are brilliantly created villains, new allies, people who you might not be able to trust and people you might have misjudged in the previous book. One big part of this plot is the quest narrative which I really liked – you as a reader are discovering things along with Cordelia, finding out where the map leads to but the story is filled with intersecting plot points that build up to what happens at the end.

The Mapmakers Characters:

Cordelia Hatmaker is the protagonist of this story and she has to constantly find new levels of bravery to keep pushing forward. I felt like in this book you see Cordelia having to grow up a little bit more, and definitely before the time she should be growing up, because the world is changing and a lot of responsibility gets put on her shoulders.

The Mapmakers Writing and Dialogue:

I already knew I loved the writing style of this author. Her plots are so intricate and absolutely filled with magic.

The Mapmakers Overall:

I had to give this book four stars because I immediately got back into the hatmakers world and I was recruited to Cordelia’s character, I felt for her the whole way through.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Return to the spellbinding world of Cordelia Hatmaker in this soaring magical sequel to The Hatmakers. Perfect for fans of Nevermoor, A Pinch of Magic and Harry Potter.

Ever since Cordelia discovered the hidden map in her father’s precious telescope, she’s been searching the streets of London by starlight and trying to uncover its secrets. She’s sure that her missing father is out there somewhere, and that if she follows his map, she’ll finally discover the truth about his disappearance.

She never expects to stumble upon a secret society of Mapmakers – or to learn that magic isn’t limited to the few Maker families, but is instead is all around, if you just know where to look . . .

But danger is lurking around every corner, and Cordelia must convince the rival Maker families to work together for once – not only to bring her father home, but to save the very essence of magic itself . . .

A gorgeous adventure from exceptional new storytelling talent, Tamzin Merchant, featuring beautiful illustrations by Paola Escobar.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoy it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

April 11, 2022April 4, 2022 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. I will be sharing my thoughts on the book Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Rooftoppers Plot:

This is my first Katherine Rundell book and I was very excited to read it because it is set in Victorian (I think) Paris and and it features rooftoppers which are groups of children that live on the rooftops of Paris and rarely touch the ground.

I loved the atmosphere of this book, the sensory descriptions were engaging to the point that I could almost smell the smoke from the chimneys.

The main thing that I enjoyed about the plot was the focus on family. It wasn’t only biological family either, Sophie (the protagonist) is looking for her Mother, but also found family – the rooftoppers are family to each other and Charles is Sophie’s guardian throughout the book. It’s great to see wonderful children’s books featuring strong family bonds.

Rooftoppers Characters:

Sophie is the protagonist in this book, she lost her Mother as a baby and is being raised by a man called Charles, who raises her with curiosity, imagination and a love of wearing trousers. Sophie believes her mother is still alive. She is adventurous, brave and willful. I enjoyed seeing the development of the character as she found herself and what she would give to find her mother. Mateo is the main rooftopper featured in this book and the relationship between him and Sophie was one of my favourite parts of this book.

Rooftoppers Writing and dialogue:

I definitely want to pick up more books by Katherine Rundell after reading this one. The writing was whimsical and full of meaning. There was the perfect balance between sad tones and joyful tones throughout the novel.

Rooftoppers Overall:

I gave this book four stars because it took me away to a different world, a world where I was living amongst the roofs of Paris and that for me is one of the best things that books can do.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Everyone thinks that Sophie is an orphan. True, there were no other recorded female survivors from the shipwreck which left baby Sophie floating in the English Channel in a cello case, but Sophie remembers seeing her mother wave for help. Her guardian tells her it is almost impossible that her mother is still alive, but that means still possible. You should never ignore a possible. So when the Welfare Agency writes to her guardian threatening to send Sophie to an orphanage, she takes matters into her own hands and flees to Paris to look for her mother, starting with the only clue she has – the address of the cello maker. Evading the French authorities, she meets Matteo and his network of rooftoppers – urchins who live in the sky. Together they scour the city for Sophie’s mother before she is caught and sent back to London, and most importantly before she loses hope.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review – Pages and Co: Tilly and the Lost Fairytales by Anna James

March 21, 2022March 2, 2022 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day so far. Today I am bringing you a book review for the second book in the Pages and Co series by Anna James.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Tilly and the Lost Fairytales Plot:

This book picks up from where the first book finished or very close to it at least. The idea of fairytales and fairy tale characters disappearing was what really caught my attention in this book, I felt drawn into the mystery of what was happening to them and I was invested in what the outcome would be. I liked that this book developed on plot points from the first book and that some of the things in the first book turned out to not be quite as they seemed. The world was also something that I loved being able to discover more of it, in terms of its rules and the politics surrounding everything, it added a lot of needed tension. At some points I felt that the mystery was too vague in a way and that there were a few things that needed to be explained more but I am hoping they will be in future books.

Tilly and the Lost Fairytales Characters:

Tilly is a great main character. She is headstrong and somehow finds trouble no matter what she is doing. I felt for her in a lot of ways, the first book left her with a lot of questions and this impacted her a lot throughout this book. The other main character is her best friend Oscar, and I love their relationship. They work great together but they also have differing opinions which keeps their friendship realistic.

Tilly and the Lost Fairytales Writing and Dialogue:

Anna James’ writing is a style that I enjoy because it doesn’t feel like it has been simplified for its intended audience of middle grade readers, some books I have read in the past have done this.

Tilly and the Lost Fairytales Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because its a very comforting series to dive into and I am excited to pick up the third book.

Blurb/Synopsis:

A magical adventure to delight the imagination. The curl-up-on-the-sofa snuggle of a series from a uniquely talented author.

Tilly Pages is a bookwanderer; she can travel inside books, and even talk to the characters she meets there. But Tilly’s powers are put to the test when fairytales start leaking book magic and causing havoc . . .

On a wintery visit to Paris, Tilly and her best friend Oskar bravely bookwander into the land of fairytales to find that characters are getting lost, stories are all mixed-up, and mysterious plot holes are opening without warning. Can Tilly work out who, or what, is behind the chaos so everyone gets their happily-ever-after?

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: Pages and Co by Anna James

January 24, 2022 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. I am all tucked up in bed not feeling too great but with a lovely stack of books next to me just waiting to be read. Today I am bringing you a book review of Pages and Co by Anna James.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Pages and Co Plot:

Pages and Co is a story that focuses on Tilly, a young girl who lives with her Grandparents in their bookshop, who finds that there is a lot more magic in books than she thought possible. I loved the magic in this story, it embodies the wonder that children feel when reading and living the enchantment of books. It also carries a childlike innocence throughout that gives the whole story a lighter tone despite the serious moments. The plot of this book was so unique and it drew me in from the very first chapter

Pages and Co Characters:

Tilly is the main character in this book, she is headstrong and adventurous. I loved following her as she discovers where her life is going. I felt that Tilly had a great character arc in this story but also I think her character still has a lot of room for growth in the rest of the series. Something else I loved about the characters in this book is the friendship between Tilly and Oskar.

Pages and Co Writing and Dialogue:

There’s not a lot that I can say about this other than it was clear and smooth and I felt that the writing helped to carry the plot on.

Pages and Co Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because I really enjoyed the story and I am excited to continue reading the series (at the time of reading this I have already read the second book in the series).

Blurb/Synopsis:

A magical adventure to delight the imagination. A curl-up-on-the-sofa debut from a uniquely talented author.

Eleven year-old Tilly has lived above her grandparents’ bookshop ever since her mother disappeared shortly after she was born. Like the rest of her family, Tilly loves nothing more than to escape into the pages of her favourite stories.

One day Tilly realises that classic children’s characters are appearing in the shop through the magic of `book wandering’ – crossing over from the page into real life.

With the help of Anne of Green Gables and Alice in Wonderland. Tilly is determined to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother all those years ago, so she bravely steps into the unknown, unsure of what adventure lies ahead and what dangers she may face.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Bookmas 2021

Merry Bookmas Day 20 – 20th December – BookReview: Mistletoe and Murder by Robin Stevens

December 20, 2021December 14, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! Merry bookmas day 20! Today I am bringing you a festive book review of Mistletoe and Murder by Robin Stevens. It is part of the Murder Most Unladylike Series.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Mistletoe and Murder Plot:

This book follows two girls, Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells, who normally attend a boarding school where they keep running into murder scenes. In this one book they are at Cambridge over the Christmas period and once again they get caught up in a murder. I loved the first half of this book. It had everything I wanted, a small cast of possible killers, the bedrooms and stairwell of the boys as location and all the cosy, wintry vibes I enjoy. It actually made me think of another children’s mystery series by Tanya Landman, the Poppy Fields mystery series. However, the ending completely ruined it for me. The end of the mystery was too neat and tidy, the motive just so happened to be what it was and it didn’t sit right with me. It was too conveniant.

Mistletoe and Murder Characters:

I really liked the two main characters. Hazel is much more quiet and reserved then daisy and I like the way their personalities bounced off of each other. Personally I don’t feel I would be friends with Daisy because she has a very outgoing personality and she can be quite bossy.

Mistletoe and Murder Writing and Dialogue:

The writing style in this book worked well for me. It was clear and flowed well, I read through it so quickly.

Mistletoe and Murder Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because I enjoyed most of the book and although the ending was not as satisfying as I would like it to be I would definitely still read the rest of the series.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are spending the Christmas hols in snowy Cambridge. Hazel has high hopes of its beautiful spires, cosy libraries and inviting tea-rooms – but there is danger lurking in the dark stairwells of ancient Maudlin College.

Two days before Christmas, there is a terrible accident. At least, it appears to be an accident – until the Detective Society look a little closer, and realise a murder has taken place. Faced with several irritating grown-ups and fierce competition from a rival agency, they must use all their cunning and courage to find the killer (in time for Christmas Day, of course).

The fabulously festive fifth mystery from the bestselling, award-winning author of Murder Most Unladylike.

I hope you all enjoyed this book review!

Book Reviews

Book Review: Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab

November 22, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday Bookish people! This is my second review for today, the first being City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab – the first book in the Cassidy Blake series. Tunnel of Bones is the second book in the Cassidy Blake series.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Tunnel of Bones Plot:

This second book takes place in Paris and it was very nice for me because I have been to Paris once and I recognised a few different areas and that made it even more spooky for me and added to the atmosphere. Also there was a part where they visited the catacombs and that was one of my favourite scenes in the book because of how it forced the characters to react. This one felt darker than the first book in the series which I enjoyed.

Tunnel of Bones Characters:

I have mentioned some of my thoughts of the characters in my review of City of Ghosts and the two main characters are Cassidy and Jacob and the main thing I like about them is the friendship, in this second book the dynamic of that friendship is changing a little bit and it gave the book a dramatic element.

Tunnel of Bones Writing and Dialogue:

I’ve also said this in my review of City of Ghosts but I love the writing of Victoria Schwab and I get along with it very easily so this series is very fun to read.

Tunnel of Bones Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because I enjoyed it just as much as the first book in the series and I gave that book four stars so I gave the same rating to this book.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual.

She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass’s parents are filming their TV show about the world’s most haunted cities. Sure, it’s fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there’s true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs.

When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter — and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger.

And if Cass fails, the force she’s unleashed could haunt the city forever.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: City of Ghosts by V E Schwab

November 22, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! It’s time for another book review. This week I was updating my list of what books I have and haven’t written reviews for yet and I realised I had written a review for Bridge of Souls, the third book in the Cassidy Blake series by V E Schwab but I hadn’t written reviews for the first two books in the series. So today I will be posting reviews for City of Ghosts and Tunnel of Bones.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

City of Ghosts Plot:

This series follows Cassidy Blake and her best friend Jacob. Jacob is a ghost who has attached himself to Cassidy after something happens. This book is one of the first middle grade books that I have read since being an adult and it reminded me of how good the genre can be when it has a well thought out and intriguing plot. Cassidy’s parents are like a middle grade most haunted type thing, they travel to different cities and do documentaries about the history and the ghostly myths of places that are supposedly haunted. I loved the uniqueness of this part of the plot, I liked the irony of Cassidy seeing ghosts and her parents not knowing but they are doing a ghost show. The atmosphere of this book is perfectly balanced between the serious spooky nature of the towns and the things Cassidy and Jacob have to face and the relationships of family and friends.

City of Ghosts Characters:

The two main characters are Jacob and Cassidy. I have some similarities to Cassidy in that she can’t help herself but get dragged into different scenarios because of her curiosity and that would definitely happen to me, I have no control over my curiosity whatsoever. Jacob provides an interesting dynamic because he’s so real and they have a great friendship but as a reader you are being constantly reminded he is a ghost and Cassidy is being reminded too.

City of Ghosts Writing and Dialogue:

I haven’t got much to say here other than I love V E Schwab’s writing, I think I own nearly every single one of her books and her middle grade series is just as good. I don’t find the writing is too young for me or too simple which makes the reading experience enjoyable.

City of Ghosts Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because I thought it was a great beginning to an interesting series.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Cassidy Blake’s parents are The Inspecters, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.

When The Inspecters head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn’t sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn’t belong in her world. Cassidy’s powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

blog tours, Book Reviews

Book Review: How To Be Brave by Daisy May Johnson

July 19, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! It’s Monday and today is my spot on the book tour for How To Be Brave by Daisy May Johnson. Thank you to Poppy Stimpson for having me on this tour.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Onto the review!

How To Be Brave Plot:

The plot of this book was reminiscent of so many books that I read throughout my childhood, books like the Naughtiest Girl at School, Malory Towers, books with boarding schools as the setting. They were some of my favourites, there is something very intriguing about a boarding school and everything that goes on there, so I was especially excited to get to read this book. I loved that this story let the reader see some of the Mother, Elizabeth’s, story before focusing on the daughter Calla and her experience at the school. I loved that the duck (it will make sense if you read the book) was a thread that the author used to link all the stories together. This book is filled with fun, friendship and adventure that kept me hooked from beginning to end.

How To Be Brave Characters:

The characters in this book are well written and interesting. I found myself wanting them to succeed with their plans. I liked that this book was written in third person because it helped me to view the whole scene as well as the characters. I felt that this was one of the reasons I became so recruited to the characters.

How To Be Brave Writing and Dialogue:

I didn’t enjoy this part of the book as much, I still enjoyed it but this book has footnotes on some of the pages and for me I found this difficult to navigate but that is only my opinion, otherwise they add humour and I can see how they would help the reader understand some parts of the story. I also felt the pacing was a little fast for my reading style.

How To Be Brave Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because it was a fun, quick read full of heart and with a focus on family and friendships that I really enjoyed.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Calla North and her mother Elizabeth live a quiet but happy life together. Elizabeth happens to be the world’s leading expert on ducks—but unfortunately, being an expert on ducks doesn’t always pay the bills (no pun intended).

When Elizabeth is offered a well-paid research trip to the Amazon, it’s an opportunity too good to miss. But while her mother’s off exploring, Calla winds up at boarding school. No adventures are likely to find her there—or so she thinks.

Then Calla receives the terrible news that her mother’s plane has gone missing. Can Calla, her friends, and a motley crew of nuns defeat an evil new headmistress and find Elizabeth before it’s too late?

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!