The Nixie's Song (Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles, #1) by Holly Black

Mar 20, 2013 Littlebearries rated it 5 of 5 stars

Characters:
Nick Varcas ~ The main character, Nick narrates the story. He's just found himself with a new mother and stepsister (Laurie). Nick is an honest kid with a realistic outlook on his own place in the social pecking order. He's pissed off about having to give up his room for Laurie, and all in all, he's taking the barrage of new sister and new mother pretty well, in my opinion, especially when he's given the task of spending his time getting Laurie acclimated.
Laurie Varcas ~ The new steps...more Characters:
Nick Varcas ~ The main character, Nick narrates the story. He's just found himself with a new mother and stepsister (Laurie). Nick is an honest kid with a realistic outlook on his own place in the social pecking order. He's pissed off about having to give up his room for Laurie, and all in all, he's taking the barrage of new sister and new mother pretty well, in my opinion, especially when he's given the task of spending his time getting Laurie acclimated.
Laurie Varcas ~ The new stepsister in the Varcas house, Laurie seems kind of like a nerd, she's gangly and believes in faeries and magic. Don't be fooled though, Laurie isn't quite as square as she seems... and when reality hits, it hits her hard. She finds out quickly that fairytales aren't all cute and cuddly endings.
Julian Varcas ~ Nick's older brother, hasn't really come into play much other than giving them a lift to a bookstore. More of a jock type.
Taloa ~ The Nixie who enlists Nick and Laurie to help her find her kin.
Mr. Varcas ~ Nick and Julian's Dad, Laurie's stepdad, he's building a neighborhood in the area where all this is taking place, and he seems unreasonably harsh on Nick a few times, considering what a good kid Nick is supposed to be.
Charlene Varcas ~ Nick and Julian's new stepmom, Laurie's mom... she really hasn't come into the story too much yet.
Others ~ There were of course other characters, but I think they're better left undescribed, as they are fun little surprises in the book.

Story:
Being a middle grade book, this is a quick, adorable read. I was thrilled to see characters come back from the original series, as well as the introduction of new characters. There is also the addition of having the authors as characters in the book... unhelpful ones at that, which is great. For me, this addition of the real world (as well as the plugging of their Field Guide) really just adds to the fun and magic of the series. Brilliant marketing campaign? Well, yeah... but when you're a kid, you don't look at things that way, you look at this story, about faeries, and then you see all this supporting text, and you see the results of what happens when you try to find people who know something about it... and you know this magic is real, and you're just on your own. It's really pretty brilliant. I am all for keeping the magic in the world for kids as long as possible, and I think The Spiderwick Chronicles does an amazing job at this.
The story itself is pretty simple, but like the original Spiderwick Chronicles, has room to layer and layer and layer other stories around it. You can already tell that Laurie and Nick are in deeper than they even know, and the shocking ending of this first book really points out the facts that faeries aren't cute.
This is a great book to encourage kids to read on their own, or to read to them. There is opportunity to really get into the voicing and have fun with it.(less)

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Sep 15, 2012 Meghan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: shelf-of-a-friend, reviewed

Ha, well, with a story this short and a summary that long it doesn't leave me much to tell you about, but here it goes anyway.

This is the first book the the Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles trilogy, which is a sequel to the original Spiderwick Chronicles. It takes place, from my guess, only very shortly after the original series ended. We have some brand new characters, the main ones being Nick and Laurie. Nick's mom passed away a little while ago leaving him his dad and his older brother behind...more Ha, well, with a story this short and a summary that long it doesn't leave me much to tell you about, but here it goes anyway.

This is the first book the the Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles trilogy, which is a sequel to the original Spiderwick Chronicles. It takes place, from my guess, only very shortly after the original series ended. We have some brand new characters, the main ones being Nick and Laurie. Nick's mom passed away a little while ago leaving him his dad and his older brother behind. His dad has recently re-married and so now Nick has a new sister named Laurie. Nick is not to happy about his new family members, especially since he had to give up his room for his new step-sister. On top of that, she totally weirds him out. She has books on unicorns and seems to almost be proud of her nerdy/quirkiness.

Nick somehow get's suckered into showing her around the neighborhood and she takes him on a hunt for Faeries using The Guide. Nick finds a four leaf clover, but doesn't tell Laurie since he thinks she is just crazy. Later on he see's a pale form laying in his lawn. Henceforth, Nick and Laurie find themselves immersed in the world of faeries. Nick is in shock all this weird stuff is real, Laurie discovers that maybe she doesn't want the things she's believed in to be real after all once they discover a fire breathing giant right next to their house!

With no idea how to handle this situation they seek help from the authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black themselves, who just happen to be having a book signing close by. Who do they meet there but Jared and Simon themselves! Will they be able to convince the twins they're telling the truth?! Even if they can, will they be able to take down a fire breathing giant by themselves?!

This book carries on in the fun adventures of fantasy and faeries. As always, we got new creatures: Giants and a Nixie!A Nixie is a water creature that kind of seemed to me like a mix of a mermaid and a siren. I always enjoy these books, they are a fun, short and super easy read with playful illustrations placed throughout to make the read even more fun. Great for fantasy readers of all ages. If you liked The Spiderwick Chronicles, I'm pretty sure you will like this to :).(less)

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Aug 10, 2012 Vanessa Rivera rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book Spiderwick Chronicles is a great book ,and I will tell you why.This is going to be the first reason this book is really and truly amazing.There is this kid called Nick Vargas and he hates fairies lika a bunch this will help you figure out why he hates fairies a bunch, first evidence is that on the back of the book it says that his sister brought a book of fairies and he said to her that he didn't belive in stupid fairies,second evidence is that he thinks that the farieis are just fantas...more

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May 03, 2012 Steven R. McEvoy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved the original 5 books in the Spiderwick Chronicles. I also really enjoyed the 3 supplemental books and manuals by Black and DiTerlizzi, so to say I was looking forward to the Beyond Spiderwick trilogy would be to put it very lightly. I loved this first book in the trilogy. I really like the main characters, step- brother and sister, Nick and Laurie Vargas. This story, set in the Florida marshland, is a whole new approach to the fantastical world around us.

Both Nick and Laurie are fairly u...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Kathy added it

Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: The Nixies Song.
Reviewer: Luke LaShelle

In the beginning Nick finds out that he now has to split his room with his new stepsister Laurie who says she believes in faeries. Next Nick and Laurie go outside to look for faeries and Nick finds a four leaf clover and it start to rain and Nick runs off without Laurie. Then Nick sees a mysterious figure that lies down on the ground looking dead. When Laurie finally gets back Nick try’s to point out the mysterious figure t...more Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: The Nixies Song.
Reviewer: Luke LaShelle

In the beginning Nick finds out that he now has to split his room with his new stepsister Laurie who says she believes in faeries. Next Nick and Laurie go outside to look for faeries and Nick finds a four leaf clover and it start to rain and Nick runs off without Laurie. Then Nick sees a mysterious figure that lies down on the ground looking dead. When Laurie finally gets back Nick try’s to point out the mysterious figure to Laurie but she doesn’t see it, so Laurie realizes Nick has the sight and takes the four leaf clover from him. Laurie then sees the suffering water faerie and takes it to a pond. After that Nick and Laurie go to the pond the next day to see the faerie, and find that her name is Taloa. Taloa said she lost her sisters and that she needed Nick and Laurie to find them. Nick and Laurie look and look but can’t find her sisters, so Nick sits down and end up waking a giant that looked like a hill. Nick and Laurie run as fast as they can to get back home without getting burnt. Laurie suggests that they go ask the Author of her favorite book that taught her every thing about faeries for help. Laurie said she saw a flyer for a book sighing at the bookstore. When they get there they realize the Author is a fake and find a kid named Jared Grace, the kid from the book and he told them he knew a address for a man who was a Giant hunter. In the end Jared Nick and Laurie find a design for a giant trap and take the plans. When they get back to Nicks house they use the trap and take down the giant and Taloa reminded them that they had to find her sisters.

Nick is your average kid chubby and bad at sports and doesn’t like his new stepsister. Laurie is smart and brave and knows every thing about faeries. Taloa is a water faerie and loves to sing she is also missing her sisters.

The problem in this book is that a giant has come out of its 500 year rest and is waking up and causing havoc.

I like this book because it has fiction, action, and suspense.
(less)

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Aug 26, 2011 Brina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Die Spiderwick Geheimnisse gehen in die sechste Runde!

Laurie und Nick sind unglücklich. Nachdem Nicks Vater und Lauries Mutter zusammengezogen sind, sind die beiden Kinder genötigt, miteinander klarzukommen, was den beiden alles andere als leicht fällt. Allerdings haben die Zwei auch eine Gemeinsamkeit: Sie glauben fest an Elfen. Durch Zufall entdecken sie eine Kopie von Arthur Spiderwicks Handbuch und wissen zunächst nicht wirklich etwas damit anzufangen. Doch dann entdecken sie tatsächlich ein...more Die Spiderwick Geheimnisse gehen in die sechste Runde!

Laurie und Nick sind unglücklich. Nachdem Nicks Vater und Lauries Mutter zusammengezogen sind, sind die beiden Kinder genötigt, miteinander klarzukommen, was den beiden alles andere als leicht fällt. Allerdings haben die Zwei auch eine Gemeinsamkeit: Sie glauben fest an Elfen. Durch Zufall entdecken sie eine Kopie von Arthur Spiderwicks Handbuch und wissen zunächst nicht wirklich etwas damit anzufangen. Doch dann entdecken sie tatsächlich ein Fabelwesen, die ihre Hilfe braucht. Die Nixe Taloa steckt in großer Gefahr, denn sie droht auszutrocknen.
Aber das ist nicht die einzige Aufgabe, die Laurie und Nick bevorsteht, denn sie bekommen es auch mit einem Riesen zu tun...

Nachdem das Ende vom fünften Band recht stimmig und die Reihe eigentlich schon abgeschlossen war, habe ich ehrlich gesagt nicht mehr mit einer weiteren Fortsetzung gerechnet und war dementsprechend skeptisch, ob dieser Band überhaupt noch Sinn ergibt.

Leider waren meine Zweifel hierbei berechtigt, denn mit der eigentlichen Geschichte hat der 6. Band leider nichts mehr zu tun. Zwar müssen sich auch hier zwei Kinder mit einem Riesen und einer Nixe auseinandersetzen, aber mit den Grace Kindern hat es kaum noch etwas zu tun, was ich sehr schade finde.

Das heißt aber nun nicht, das die Geschichte grottenschlecht ist, vielmehr ist sie sehr gewöhnungsbedürftig. Während ich Jared und Simon Grace als sehr angenehme Protagonisten empfunden habe, muss ich mich an die beiden neuen Helden erst einmal gewöhnen.
Im Prinzip gibt es kaum eine Verbindung zu der eigentlichen Spiderwick-Geschichte, die man aus den ersten fünf Bänden kennt.

Mit den Nixen lernt man hier ein neues Fabelwesen kennen, allerdings sind diese bei weitem nicht so spektakulär wie die Zwerge, Elfen und Kobolde. Auch der Gesang der Nixe hat mich nach einer gewissen Zeit genervt, weil man quasi sonst kaum etwas von ihnen erfährt, außer das sie eben singen ("Lo li lo li la") und weitere Nixen verschwunden sind.
Auch der Riese ist im Grunde genommen eine nette Idee, wirkt aber zum Großteil fehl am Platz.

Die Covergestaltung ist allerdings ein toller Hingucker. Abgebildet sind die beiden neuen Helden Nick und Laurie abgebildet sind. Tony DiTerlizzi hat hier mal wieder bewiesen, mit welchem Talent er gesegnet ist.

Insgesamt hat mich "Das Lied der Nixe" sehr enttäuscht und ich kann mich nur schwer an die neuen Protagonisten gewöhnen. Da meine Neugier jedoch geweckt ist und ich unbedingt erfahren möchte, ob sich Handlung und Charaktere noch steigern können, werde ich auch dem siebten Band eine Chance geben. (less)

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Jan 13, 2011 Alyssa rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book started with Nicholas Vargas getting a new step sister who is Laurie Varcas. She is very strange and seems to really believe in faeries. She has many books on them, and loves to hunt them. The family goes along with her "whims" because they think it is cute that she believes in faeries, but don't actually believe in them. Then when Laurie decides to go out and hunt for faeries, Nick is made to go with her so that she won't be alone. Laurie tells him to look out for a four leaf clover t...more This book started with Nicholas Vargas getting a new step sister who is Laurie Varcas. She is very strange and seems to really believe in faeries. She has many books on them, and loves to hunt them. The family goes along with her "whims" because they think it is cute that she believes in faeries, but don't actually believe in them. Then when Laurie decides to go out and hunt for faeries, Nick is made to go with her so that she won't be alone. Laurie tells him to look out for a four leaf clover that Nick doesn't take very seriously until he actually finds one. He puts it in his pocket without telling Laurie about it. Later when they are both at home, he happens to look out the window to see a shape moving on the lawn. He gets a closer look and it looks like some weird kind of faerie. He tries to get Laurie to see, but she of course doen't have the Sight, so she doesn't see it and at first doesn't believe him. After he pulls out the clover and gives it to her, she then can see and goes to help the faerie which she identifies as a Nixie. They drag the unconcious Nixie to a nearby pond where she regains conciousnesss and swims off in the pond. They go back to their house. Nick finds that Laurie didn't really believe in Faeries, and only acted like she did because she wanted them to exist so bad that she thought if she just believed in them, they would be real. The next day, Laurie goes to the pond to find the Nixie. After Nicholas finds her, the Nixie gives them the Sight permanantly. She then asks them to find her sisters. After they agree to help her, they find that a giant is destroying the area, and that some of Taloa 's(the Nixie's name)sisters were killed by the giant. After escaping the giant, they look up the writters of the Spiderwick series, Jared and Simon Grace, to help them get rid of the giant. When they get back to their house, they find the giant still there, under a trance by the singing of Taloa.

They go through some dangerous adventures including the burning of their house, not to mention the many houses their dad built in the area as part of his jobs being completely destroyed. The first book ends with another problem that is worse than their first problem were it continues in the second book.(less)

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Dec 03, 2010 Drebbles rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008

Eleven-year-old Nicholas Vargas has had to make a lot of adjustments since his mother died and their father remarried. For one thing, he has to give up his bedroom to his new stepsister, Laurie. Nicholas doesn't have a lot of patience with Laurie, especially since she believes fairies are real. He tells her that her book about fairies, "Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You" is fiction but she insists that fairies do exist. Much to his surprise, Nicholas finds out t...more

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Jun 14, 2010 Sarah W rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Nicholas Vargas resents his new stepsister. He had to give his bedroom up to Laurie and move in with his older, cooler brother Julian. Nick is also annoyed with Laurie's obsession with faeries and other mythological creatures. That all changes after he picks up a four-leaf clover and sees a figure lying unconscious in the yard of the development his father is building. Nick and Laurie haul the figure to the closest lake. This nixie, named Taloa, has been separated from her sisters. Taloa charges...more

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Mar 10, 2010 Kelley Ross rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids

I'm not sure where to place this series: kids or young YA literature? I think they would be appropriate for both elementary and young middle schoolers, although I see them being geared towards elementary.

The story starts out with a description (and lovely pictures) of a family, in which a new stepsister and stepmother have just become a part of. Nick, angry with his father for remarrying, decides right away that he will have nothing to do with his new sister Laurie. He claims that s...more I'm...more

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Mar 15, 2011 Drew Graham rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read the first five-book series of The Spiderwick Chronicles, and saw the movie when it was released a few years later, but until lately hadn't felt much interest for the follow-up series of three. It seemed like a opportunist spin-off, and it felt like the first one tied itself up pretty nicely. Besides, they didn't REALLY have that much of an effect on me, as books that I found to be, as a friend put it, Lemony Snicket Lite. Then when browsing at the library, I found all three just sitting t...more I read the first five-book series of The Spiderwick Chronicles, and saw the movie when it was released a few years later, but until lately hadn't felt much interest for the follow-up series of three. It seemed like a opportunist spin-off, and it felt like the first one tied itself up pretty nicely. Besides, they didn't REALLY have that much of an effect on me, as books that I found to be, as a friend put it, Lemony Snicket Lite. Then when browsing at the library, I found all three just sitting there, nice and small and very attractive in design, so I decided to pick them up.

This first in the series was pretty weak. The characters are flat and have very little personality (and when they do, it seems pretty forced), and Nick, the main protagonist, is unpleasant throughout. The story doesn't really go anywhere to speak of, and it all seemed a little bit like an excuse to just drop the series in the new, interesting locale of Florida during the muggy summertime (the original series was set in Maine) and introduce a bunch of new creatures that they didn't get to use last time. Then, the story REALLY took a bizarre turn when the authors actually inserted themselves in the book, as writers of the original series and the spin-off Field Guide who do a book signing in Orlando. This self-inclusion works great for Lemony Snicket, since he's actually a character in the story, and of course a pseudonym besides, but in Spiderwick it comes across as gimmicky and self-indulgent. Then, don't let's forget to mention the appearance of the twin boys from the other books, whose names were apparently changed prior to publishing to protect their identities... Jared "Grace" has become a very nasty bully, and seems like a totally unnecessary addition to the book. Then, they arbitrarily introduce a brand new character in the very last few pages. The whole affair just seems kind of rushed and not totally thought-out. It also just seems like the authors don't really know what kids think or talk like, and they come across as kind of too grown-up and cynical. What age group is this book aimed at anyway? There's some pretty inappropriate language, and some pretty heavy subject matter. (I understand that divorce and adjusting to step-siblings is a topic that can be handled in kidlit, it's just a matter of whether or not the authors know how to do it right, and I don't think these quite do.) Just because a book is written for kids doesn't mean it can't be well-written.

I gave it a couple of stars, because the idea had potential, and the next two volumes might build on that. Also, the overall design is just beautiful. (Still, while I really do like the illustration style and a lot of the art, some of the drawings seemed sort of similarly self-indulgent, even to the point of including character portraits of the authors themselves. It just seemed sort of tacky.) I'll read the other two and see if this goes anywhere, but I'm not holding out much hope.(less)

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Feb 09, 2010 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mary by: NYRA 2011 nominee

I liked this book. I never read the Spiderwick chronicles. I don't understand why they had to use the term "Lard Ass" and use it as a caption for a picture. It was a cute little book. I don't think it should be a NYRA nominee.
The Spiderwick Chronicles leave the old-fashioned charm of New England far behind and head south for some fiendish faerie fun in the hot Florida sun. Eleven-year-old Nicholas Vargas only thinks his life has been turned upside down after his developer father remarries and mo...more

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Jun 27, 2010 marcosbooks rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010, book-reports, genre-middle-grade, 3-enchanting, lang-german, series, genre-ya

Hier werden zwei neue Hauptcharaktere vorgestellt: Nick und seine Stiefschwester Laurie, die fest an Elfen glaubt. Mit Hilfe einer Kopie von Arthur Spiderwicks Handbuch für die fantastische Welt um dich herum finden die beiden tatsächliche eine Nixe namens Taloa und bewahren sie vor dem Vertrocknen. Daraufhin verleiht die Nixe Nick und Laurie das zweite Gesicht.

Auf einer ihrer Entdeckungstouren wecken die beiden einen Riesen, der ihnen bis nach Hause folgt und nur vom Lied der Nixe beruhigt wird

...more

Hier werden zwei neue Hauptcharaktere vorgestellt: Nick und seine Stiefschwester Laurie, die fest an Elfen glaubt. Mit Hilfe einer Kopie von Arthur Spiderwicks Handbuch für die fantastische Welt um dich herum finden die beiden tatsächliche eine Nixe namens Taloa und bewahren sie vor dem Vertrocknen. Daraufhin verleiht die Nixe Nick und Laurie das zweite Gesicht.

Auf einer ihrer Entdeckungstouren wecken die beiden einen Riesen, der ihnen bis nach Hause folgt und nur vom Lied der Nixe beruhigt wird.

Da die Geschichte der Grace-Kinder nun vorbei ist wird die Geschichte von Nicholas und Laurie erzählt. Zwei Geschwister die einander nicht besonders mögen und sich noch ziemlich fremd sind. Nicholas (Nick) fand ich zu Anfang der Geschichte nicht besonders sympathisch, ständig wird rumgemeckert und auch sonst hält er sich auß allem raus was ihm Ärger bereiten könnte. Ich muss leider dazu sagen, dass ich mich mit dem Charaktere auch gegen Ende des Buches nicht wirkich anfreunden konnte. Der nächste neue Charaktere ist seine Stiefschwester Laurie, anfangs fand ich sie noch relativ in Ordnung, da ich ja nicht wusste was auf mich zukommt. Aber leider auch bei diesem Charakere kam der Funken nicht rüber. Sie glaubt zwar an Fabelwesen und somit auch an eine magische Welt, das heißt aber nicht automatisch das ihr Charakter sehr lebhaft und voller Energie ist. Ich muss leider sagen, auch wenn das evtl. einige enttäuschen wird, das ich von den Figuren enttäuscht bin. Auch gegen Ende des Buches konnte ich mich mit vielen Figuren nicht anfreunden. Ich weiß nicht ob es daran liegt das ich die Grace-Kinder so toll fand und ich nun die neuen Figuren damit vergleiche, oder ob die neuen Figuren einfach nicht die Bringer sind... Um noch etwas zu den anderen Figuren zu schreiben, der Vater sowie die Mutter der Kinder fand ich auch unnerträglich. Ständig motzt der Vater rum, für mich persönlich, macht er aus einer kleinen Ameise einen riesen Elefanten, und das auf einer ziemlich übertrieben Art und Weise. Die Mutter von Laurie ist jetzt zwar nicht wirklich öde, aber auch nicht interessant. Das gleiche gilt für die Nixe Taloa und die Riesen. Die vielen neuen Figuren die in dem Roman auftauchen sind mir alle zu eintönig und nicht interessant genug gestaltet worden. Vielleicht ist es aber auch nur weil es der erste Band ist zu der Geschichte von Laurie und Nick, aber ich weiß das es bei dem Anfang der Geschichte der Grace-Kinder anders war. Ich war direkt gefesselt, und bei diesem Buch trifft das leider nicht zu. Die einzigen Charaktere die mich teilweise überzeugen konnten waren Nicks Bruder Julian (Jules) und der geheimnissvolle Black Jack.

Aber nun genug über die Figuren und Helden des Buches, kommen wir zu der eigentlich Geschichte des Romans. Die Gegend wo Nick und Laurie mit ihrer Familie wohnen, Mangrove Hollow wird von Riesen bedroht, wie es sich später rausstellt. In einer regnerischen Nacht finden die Geschwister eine Nixe die sie um Hilfe bittet. Das Schicksal der Nixe bzw. Wassergeister sowie der Kinder und der Riesen sind eng miteinander verstrickt. Und an dieser Stelle schreibe ich auch nicht weiter was in dem Roman noch so passiert da ich euch nicht das Lesevergnügen nehmen will ;) Aufjedenfall find ich die Story nicht schlecht aber auch nicht spannend genug das ich unbedingt weiterlesen musste. Ich fand die geschichte wurde zu langatmig gestaltet und geschrieben worden. Man hätte das Geschehene auch auf weniger Seiten hinbekommen. für mich persönlich ist nicht genug passiert in dem Band, und da ich die figuren auch nicht so toll fand hat mich die Story auch nicht umgehauen, nichts außergewöhnliches, war eher eine 0815 Geschichte. es tut mir leid auch hier wieder einige enttäuschen zu müssen, aber ich vergleiche den Band auch mit den vorigen Bänden und daran kommt dieser Band keineswegs. Zu wenig Rätsel und zu eintönige Handlungen machen das Buch nicht besonders.

Etwas positives kann ich aber dennoch über das Buch schreiben. Die Zeichnungen von Tony DiTerlizzi sind mal wieder sehr schön ausgearbeitet und gestaltet worden. Und ich finde das die Orte recht interessant sind von der Gegend wo Nick und Laurie leben, auch wenn man in diesem Band noch nicht allzuviel davon ihn Erfahrung bringt.

Kommen wir zum Fazit: Ein schönes Buch das man gut lesen kann. Jedoch fand ich die Figuren einfach nur eintönig und langweilig und manchmal sogar nervig, die Story ist für mich persönlich nicht interessant genug ausgearbeitet worden und wirkt eher eintönig als spannend. Zu wenig rätsel tauchen in dem Band auf und somit konnte das Buch mich nicht in seinen bann ziehen. Positiv ist zu erwähnen das die Orte in Mangrove Hollow recht interessant wirken bzw. klingen, aussehen und das die Zeichnungen mal wieder sehr schön anzusehen sind. Ich würde denjenigen die die vorigen Spiderwickbände gelesen haben raten, das Band als etwas eigenes zu sehen, da sonst die enttäuschung evtl. etwas zu groß ist. Und an jene die die vorigen bände nicht gelesen haben kann man mit dem Band gut einsteigen in die Geschichte von Nick und Laurie. Ich gebe dem Buch 3 von 5 sternen, wie ich finde eine doch gute Bewertung ;)(less)

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Aug 26, 2011 Brina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Die Spiderwick Geheimnisse gehen in die sechste Runde!

Laurie und Nick sind unglücklich. Nachdem Nicks Vater und Lauries Mutter zusammengezogen sind, sind die beiden Kinder genötigt, miteinander klarzukommen, was den beiden alles andere als leicht fällt. Allerdings haben die Zwei auch eine Gemeinsamkeit: Sie glauben fest an Elfen. Durch Zufall entdecken sie eine Kopie von Arthur Spiderwicks Handbuch und wissen zunächst nicht wirklich etwas damit anzufangen. Doch dann entdecken sie tatsächlich ein...more Die Spiderwick Geheimnisse gehen in die sechste Runde!

Laurie und Nick sind unglücklich. Nachdem Nicks Vater und Lauries Mutter zusammengezogen sind, sind die beiden Kinder genötigt, miteinander klarzukommen, was den beiden alles andere als leicht fällt. Allerdings haben die Zwei auch eine Gemeinsamkeit: Sie glauben fest an Elfen. Durch Zufall entdecken sie eine Kopie von Arthur Spiderwicks Handbuch und wissen zunächst nicht wirklich etwas damit anzufangen. Doch dann entdecken sie tatsächlich ein Fabelwesen, die ihre Hilfe braucht. Die Nixe Taloa steckt in großer Gefahr, denn sie droht auszutrocknen.
Aber das ist nicht die einzige Aufgabe, die Laurie und Nick bevorsteht, denn sie bekommen es auch mit einem Riesen zu tun...

Nachdem das Ende vom fünften Band recht stimmig und die Reihe eigentlich schon abgeschlossen war, habe ich ehrlich gesagt nicht mehr mit einer weiteren Fortsetzung gerechnet und war dementsprechend skeptisch, ob dieser Band überhaupt noch Sinn ergibt.

Leider waren meine Zweifel hierbei berechtigt, denn mit der eigentlichen Geschichte hat der 6. Band leider nichts mehr zu tun. Zwar müssen sich auch hier zwei Kinder mit einem Riesen und einer Nixe auseinandersetzen, aber mit den Grace Kindern hat es kaum noch etwas zu tun, was ich sehr schade finde.

Das heißt aber nun nicht, das die Geschichte grottenschlecht ist, vielmehr ist sie sehr gewöhnungsbedürftig. Während ich Jared und Simon Grace als sehr angenehme Protagonisten empfunden habe, muss ich mich an die beiden neuen Helden erst einmal gewöhnen.
Im Prinzip gibt es kaum eine Verbindung zu der eigentlichen Spiderwick-Geschichte, die man aus den ersten fünf Bänden kennt.

Mit den Nixen lernt man hier ein neues Fabelwesen kennen, allerdings sind diese bei weitem nicht so spektakulär wie die Zwerge, Elfen und Kobolde. Auch der Gesang der Nixe hat mich nach einer gewissen Zeit genervt, weil man quasi sonst kaum etwas von ihnen erfährt, außer das sie eben singen ("Lo li lo li la") und weitere Nixen verschwunden sind.
Auch der Riese ist im Grunde genommen eine nette Idee, wirkt aber zum Großteil fehl am Platz.

Die Covergestaltung ist allerdings ein toller Hingucker. Abgebildet sind die beiden neuen Helden Nick und Laurie abgebildet sind. Tony DiTerlizzi hat hier mal wieder bewiesen, mit welchem Talent er gesegnet ist.

Insgesamt hat mich "Das Lied der Nixe" sehr enttäuscht und ich kann mich nur schwer an die neuen Protagonisten gewöhnen. Da meine Neugier jedoch geweckt ist und ich unbedingt erfahren möchte, ob sich Handlung und Charaktere noch steigern können, werde ich auch dem siebten Band eine Chance geben. (less)

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Jul 14, 2011 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, youth-childrens-titles, audio

I loved the Spiderwick Chronicles, and I really don't like Florida. The bugs, the roadkill, the overdevelopment of the state--well, enough of my attitude. If Holly Black can do fairies in Florida, she is true magic.

Nicolas has survived his mother's death by keeping a very low profile--not 'bothering' anyone. And then his dad goes and marries a woman with a daughter his age and life changes too much to suit Nicholas. His brand new stepsister takes his room over, Nicholas has to move in with his b...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Brina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Die Spiderwick Geheimnisse gehen in die sechste Runde!

Laurie und Nick sind unglücklich. Nachdem Nicks Vater und Lauries Mutter zusammengezogen sind, sind die beiden Kinder genötigt, miteinander klarzukommen, was den beiden alles andere als leicht fällt. Allerdings haben die Zwei auch eine Gemeinsamkeit: Sie glauben fest an Elfen. Durch Zufall entdecken sie eine Kopie von Arthur Spiderwicks Handbuch und wissen zunächst nicht wirklich etwas damit anzufangen. Doch dann entdecken sie tatsächlich ein...more Die Spiderwick Geheimnisse gehen in die sechste Runde!

Laurie und Nick sind unglücklich. Nachdem Nicks Vater und Lauries Mutter zusammengezogen sind, sind die beiden Kinder genötigt, miteinander klarzukommen, was den beiden alles andere als leicht fällt. Allerdings haben die Zwei auch eine Gemeinsamkeit: Sie glauben fest an Elfen. Durch Zufall entdecken sie eine Kopie von Arthur Spiderwicks Handbuch und wissen zunächst nicht wirklich etwas damit anzufangen. Doch dann entdecken sie tatsächlich ein Fabelwesen, die ihre Hilfe braucht. Die Nixe Taloa steckt in großer Gefahr, denn sie droht auszutrocknen.
Aber das ist nicht die einzige Aufgabe, die Laurie und Nick bevorsteht, denn sie bekommen es auch mit einem Riesen zu tun...

Nachdem das Ende vom fünften Band recht stimmig und die Reihe eigentlich schon abgeschlossen war, habe ich ehrlich gesagt nicht mehr mit einer weiteren Fortsetzung gerechnet und war dementsprechend skeptisch, ob dieser Band überhaupt noch Sinn ergibt.

Leider waren meine Zweifel hierbei berechtigt, denn mit der eigentlichen Geschichte hat der 6. Band leider nichts mehr zu tun. Zwar müssen sich auch hier zwei Kinder mit einem Riesen und einer Nixe auseinandersetzen, aber mit den Grace Kindern hat es kaum noch etwas zu tun, was ich sehr schade finde.

Das heißt aber nun nicht, das die Geschichte grottenschlecht ist, vielmehr ist sie sehr gewöhnungsbedürftig. Während ich Jared und Simon Grace als sehr angenehme Protagonisten empfunden habe, muss ich mich an die beiden neuen Helden erst einmal gewöhnen.
Im Prinzip gibt es kaum eine Verbindung zu der eigentlichen Spiderwick-Geschichte, die man aus den ersten fünf Bänden kennt.

Mit den Nixen lernt man hier ein neues Fabelwesen kennen, allerdings sind diese bei weitem nicht so spektakulär wie die Zwerge, Elfen und Kobolde. Auch der Gesang der Nixe hat mich nach einer gewissen Zeit genervt, weil man quasi sonst kaum etwas von ihnen erfährt, außer das sie eben singen ("Lo li lo li la") und weitere Nixen verschwunden sind.
Auch der Riese ist im Grunde genommen eine nette Idee, wirkt aber zum Großteil fehl am Platz.

Die Covergestaltung ist allerdings ein toller Hingucker. Abgebildet sind die beiden neuen Helden Nick und Laurie abgebildet sind. Tony DiTerlizzi hat hier mal wieder bewiesen, mit welchem Talent er gesegnet ist.

Insgesamt hat mich "Das Lied der Nixe" sehr enttäuscht und ich kann mich nur schwer an die neuen Protagonisten gewöhnen. Da meine Neugier jedoch geweckt ist und ich unbedingt erfahren möchte, ob sich Handlung und Charaktere noch steigern können, werde ich auch dem siebten Band eine Chance geben. (less)

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Mar 29, 2009 Robert Beveridge rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cuy-co-pub-lib, finished

Holly Black, The Nixie's Song (Simon and Schuster, 2007)

Holly Black and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi, having made something close to a mint with the Spiderwick Chronicles books, return to the scene of their respective greatest successes with, of course, Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles, a projected trilogy of which this is the first volume. The action has shifted southward to Florida, where a newly-minted stepfamily finds one son and one daughter at odds with one another until the two of them go...more

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Apr 08, 2011 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I haven't read or heard the Spiderwick Chronicles so to listen to the story "Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles" seemed like I lost a few ideas and concepts but it was a good story and one that I found very interesting. I guess the kids had heard enough of the previous stories for they didn't feel at a loss at any time.

It starts in Florida with Nicholas who is angry that his father has remarried and now he has to share a room with his brother so his step-sister Laurie can use his room. Nicholas a...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Emmanuel rated it 5 of 5 stars

In Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicle - The Nixie's song, the author does a very good job on how he writes and puts the story together from describing the setting and the characters in details. He will make you imagine you are one of his main characters.

The story begins when a boy named Nick and a girl named Laurie end up living together after each of their parents get married. As soon as Laurie steps into the house and Nick sees her, he doesn't like her at all. Laurie tries to befriend him by aski...more

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Feb 10, 2010 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

I've heard people rave about the series, but I don't see much in the first book. Maybe the others are better.

Although it is interesting to some level, several details seem forced and added as an afterthought. All the elements seem loosely lumped together, and the ending....agh. The first thing that entered my mind was, "Yeah, sure, whatever." Nick's character development somehow just didn't seem convincing enough for me to believe that "he had to change, too." I personally struggle with what I'...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Nick Jessop rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Nixie's Song by Holly Black is about Nick and Laurie trying to find evidence of mystical creatures and them exploring in the woods. My favorite part of the book was when they searched the man's house trying to find out how to kill giants because it it was intense because the man could have came back to the house any second. Holly Black wrote this book because she likes writing about fantasy. Overall it is a very good story line.

I connected with the book because there are woods around my ho...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Nicole Hale rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, fantasy, review

My Spiderwick-loving heart was delighted to discover that Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi had teamed up again for another small series set in the Spiderwick world. This trilogy begins with a new family, different from the Grace children in character and personality, but similar in messed up family dynamics. The third person narrator focuses on Nicholas's perspective. He and his older brother Jules and his father have dealt with the death of Nick's mom, but now Nick's dad is moving on; in fact, h...more My Spiderwick-loving heart was delighted to discover that Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi had teamed up again for another small series set in the Spiderwick world. This trilogy begins with a new family, different from the Grace children in character and personality, but similar in messed up family dynamics. The third person narrator focuses on Nicholas's perspective. He and his older brother Jules and his father have dealt with the death of Nick's mom, but now Nick's dad is moving on; in fact, he has remarried, and Nick is not too happy about having a new stepmother and stepsister. Especially since Laurie, his sister, is his age and completely unlike him. Nick likes to play video games and Laurie is into fairies. He likes his old room and Laurie has taken it. Worst of all, she seems excited about the new marriage, and Nick just wishes that it had never happened.

His dad wants Nick to play nice, though, so he has to join her on her fairy hunt through their new housing development that his dad is building. Laurie owns the Spiderwick Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You, and is using information from the book to search for clues to any fairy presence. When Nick finds a four leaf clover (which Laurie told him will give him the Sight) he decides to keep it a secret. He skips out on Laurie because her antics become too far-fetched for him to handle, but later that night, when he sees a body on the lawn, he worries that Laurie may have been hurt in his absence. He dashes outside, only to discover that the body is not Laurie's, and is not even human. It's a water nixie. For help. he has to enlist the only person who has any knowledge about this crazy stuff: his stepsister. Suddenly they are bound together in their secret knowledge. After rescuing Taloa, the water nixie, she entreats them to find her missing sisters. Nick wants to refuse, but that becomes difficult when Taloa summons a wakened giant with her singing. Now Nick and Laurie have no choice but to agree to help Taloa, along with dealing the giant sitting in their backyard.

Once again, Black does a fantastic job of melding together fairy adventures with family problems that are real issues for many children in today's society. The result is tension that impacts not only the plot of the novel, but the characters themselves. I was just as eager to see how Nick and Laurie would resolve some of the issues in their relationship as I was to see how they would fix their giant situation. Also, the family background makes the children more likable, because we can relate to them, we can see where their flaws are coming from, we know that they are good people dealing with some bad history, and we want them to grow past it. I like stories where people rebuild a family structure after life has shattered what they once had; I like the hope and the love that is integral to that process. Since this is the first in a trilogy, I know I'll have to wait until the conclusion of all three books to see significant changes in the family dynamics, but the story rightly starts with Nick and Laurie's relationship, as these two are at the core of the action.

And the action is wonderful, too. The integration of fairy world into a new housing development in Florida is just fun. The author does a good job of making me believe that kids could really find these kind of creatures. The giant looks like a hill to anyone else, and the nixies hide in ponds and lakes and streams, and their songs sound like the chorus of outdoor animals. That is, to people without the sight. Once Nick and Laurie find the secret, their world is transformed. Lucky for the reader, we get the sight along with them, thanks to DiTerlizzi's beautiful drawings that liberally accompany the story. His artwork is fantastic. I am probably using too many positive superlatives, but they are indicators of how much I like this book, and all the Spiderwick entries. I saw on DiTerlizzi's website that he and Holly Black are too busy with other projects to consider any new collaborations, and that makes me sad, because I would be ecstatic to see more stories set in the Spiderwick world. Other children could buy the Field Guide and find fairies, all over the place. The possibilities for ideas are abundant! I hope some day the writers have just as much a desire to create more books as I have to read them.(less)

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Sep 18, 2012 Tiffany rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-with-my-boys

Not quite as good as the original Spiderwick books, but my son really enjoyed the nixie and the giant. I have to echo some other reviewers in asking why the term "lard ass" was thrown in this one, especially in a captioned picture. I don't have a problem with using the same language kids use, but it honestly seemed out of place and awkward here. I don't want to be overly PC or prudish, but schools would probably consider it a form of bullying if one child said it to another, so I just don't thin...more

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May 11, 2012 Leila rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Shelves: children-appropriate

***RATED PG***

Nick and his older brother Julian have just gained a step-sister, Laurie, when their father marries Laurie's mom. Even though Nick and Laurie are the same age, they have absolutely nothing in common until the day Nick finds a four leaf clover and discovers that the world of faeries Laurie obsesses over is actually real and that there is a giant living very close to their house. Now, these reluctant siblings must band together if they hope to save their home and family as well as k...more

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Feb 27, 2012 The Airship Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I love Holly and Toni. I especially love how they make an appearance in the book.
Also, Nick and Laurie are utterly lovable.

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Jul 24, 2012 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars

The 3 books in the Beyond Spiderwick series are not going to be recommended here. Poorly written and with less imagination than the original books. The children have bad attitudes and bad language. The young girl in the story is constantly lying to her parents, and the other children are impressed by how well she does it. The parents fight and the impression is given that because they aren't getting along, then they should get a divorce. This very weighty issue is handled irresponsibly by the au...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Magila rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-middle-readers, chapter-early-reader-books

This is an example of the rating being just right, 3.5. I rounded down because the story is no longer original, given the world of the Spiderwick Chronicles already exists. There was no substantive expansion or anything really gripping, it was just short and fun enough.

The book is a quick read, and those who enjoyed the SC and need more will want to get started on this miniseries. The characters are interesting enough, but not super captivating. The story is interesting enough, but not amazing....more

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Sep 29, 2012 Lunática Pirate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lo compré pensando que sería la saga original y me encuentro con que no, que es una continuación de la pentalogía original... Así que me embarqué en su lectura sin tener este dato mucho en cuenta, y puedo asegurarles que pueden leerlo tranquilamente, claro que sigo queriendo conseguir la original.
Es un libro entretenido y rápido de leer, las imágenes que adornan el libro ayudan a imaginarte las cosas más realmente.
Los personajes no son algo especial, pero al menos me parecieron reales y bien def...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Kiersten added it

Definitely not as good as the Spiderwick Chronicles. I have several qualms: Laurie lies too easily and always gets away with it, there's language (albeit brief), and Jared (my favorite character from the original series) reappears as a total jerk. And somehow The Nixie's Song is, overall, just much less engaging. It's missing some of the magic from the original books. I'm a little bit curious to read the following two books, mostly because I'm wondering about Jared, but I don't know if I will. I...more

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Jan 05, 2009 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s, sf-f

Listened to on audiobook read by Andrew McCarthy - not such a hot narrator (hard to understand at times and odd emotional emphasis at others) but the story was good. Set in Florida, a step-brother and sister are learning to live together after their parents' recent marriage. She believes in faeries, he doesn't, until the day a giant starts to chase him through the swamps! Features guest appearances by the authors and characters from the original Spiderwick Chronicles. Fun, looking forward to the...more

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The Nixie's Song (Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles #1)

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