You would think Petronellas more than one sixteen-year-old girl should have to deal with. But, truth be told, there is far more yet to come . . .
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reviews
Feb 02, 2010
Jennifer
rated it: 
I added this disclaimer to my review after a lively conversation with some angry readers who turned out to be the author's grandson and school friend. Out of that discussion I read a blog post by the author. She made several points including that I had missed the satire and was probably someone who just bought into theories without critical analysis. I am not sure about that but I did miss that this book was satire. I thought it was more a spunky heroine, playing around with historical setting t
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20 comments
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(8 people liked it)
Oct 16, 2011
Miriam
rated it: 
The cover and title were so cute that it wasn't a huge shock (although it was a disappointment) to find that the prose was much too precious for my taste. However, my main complaint was that Low has no feel for Victorian society and its mores, and clearly didn't bother to do any research. Probably she's read a couple of romances set during the 19th century and "knows" that people had coming-out parties and cared about their reputations. And wore fancy dresses, of course. That's the mai
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7 comments
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(18 people liked it)
Aug 04, 2011
A review on the back of The Entomological Tales of Augustus T. Percival: Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone, by Dene Low, describes the narrative as "frothy," and nothing could be more true. The plot (best approached without looking too closely at the details, or it might collapse under the weight of its own frothiness) concerns the kidnapping of two dignitaries on the eve of narrator Petronella Arbuthnot's sixteenth birthday. With the aid of her insect-ingesting uncle Augustus, bosom fr
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(1 person liked it)
Mar 23, 2011
DeAnne
rated it: 
I loved this book. Loved it. It is a spot-on Regency spoof, without being spoofy at all. The story itself is entertaining, the protagonist's voice is delightful, the action is hysterical. The shades of Jane Austin are impossible to miss, but it's a delicate lavender shading. Anything more (or less), would be unseemly.
This is a lovely, light afternoon romp through wondrous estates, The Home Office, the seedy docks of London and mad Selleresque plots to overthrow the Crown.
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This is a lovely, light afternoon romp through wondrous estates, The Home Office, the seedy docks of London and mad Selleresque plots to overthrow the Crown.
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(1 person liked it)
Dec 19, 2010
Erin
rated it: 
For some reason I feel a little confused by this one. For one, I feel like I should have been better amused by this book. I enjoy mysteries, historical pieces, and especially books with a heavy handed sprinkle of smart humour. All these things we're present and yet I still didn't feel drawn in by the inescapable charm of the book. The characters are rather shallow but make up for it in witty dialog. The requisite romance is there but seems rather static- Petronella is in love with James, wh
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Nov 08, 2010
Emily Michelle
rated it:
I struggled with what rating to give this book. The fact is, the plot is not brilliant. The kidnapping and the international intrigue weren't terribly compelling and were a bit hard to follow; I still have no idea why the Colombians were kidnapping the Panamanians . . . or was it vice versa? And I found Uncle Augustus's bug eating rather more annoying than funny, which is rather unfortunate because I think that's going to be the point of the entire series.
But for all this, I really l More...
But for all this, I really l More...
Oct 16, 2010
Kermit's BFF
rated it:
Picture Junior Asparagus from Veggie Tales saying "that is disgusting" and you have an idea what is running through my head right now. Wow.
I don't even know where to begin. Maybe with the title.
It comes across kind of childish..."Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone" and that is what first caught my attention. It was a quick read, with a most facinating and disturbing plot.
Petronella is a young lady in Victorian England whose guardian and uncle is hosting her More...
I don't even know where to begin. Maybe with the title.
It comes across kind of childish..."Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone" and that is what first caught my attention. It was a quick read, with a most facinating and disturbing plot.
Petronella is a young lady in Victorian England whose guardian and uncle is hosting her More...
Mar 05, 2010
J.Elle
rated it:
This was a quick read. I would consider some of the dialogue to be witty, but my impression was that the author tried to outdo herself and it became rather repetitive. When was the last time you read a book where the word hirsute was used? Try 3 times. That's overkill, in my opinion. I realized rather quickly that rather than being a book about a mystery with bugs thrown in, this was a book about bugs with a mystery thrown in. A young girl's guardian accidentally ingests a beetle and finds
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Oct 31, 2009
Sandra
rated it:
Petronella is preparing for her coming out party when disaster strikes. An unknown type of beetle flies into her Uncle's mouth. As her guardian she needs him to be there for her. He is suddenly behaving very peculiar. He is snatching bugs out of the air and eating them. As the party approaches her Uncle tries to behave himself. Unfortunately while trying to nab a tasty delight he causes the party tent to collapse on the guests. When everyone is removed they realize that the Count and Countess ha
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Jun 16, 2009
Books and Literature for Teens
rated it: 
What if your uncle (and guardian) started eating bugs? What if, on your coming out party, two important guest-and later, your dearest friend-were kidnapped? What if your heart's true love still treated you like a little sister? And finally, what if your pesky, insane relatives got wind of this scandal and came knocking at your door?
Preposterous you say! But it's exactly what happens to Petronella Arbuthnot. Now it is up to her, Uncle Augusts, the handsome Lord James Sinclair, several old biddy a More...
Preposterous you say! But it's exactly what happens to Petronella Arbuthnot. Now it is up to her, Uncle Augusts, the handsome Lord James Sinclair, several old biddy a More...
Feb 17, 2010
Maureen
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I really, really wanted to like this book. Really, really. And it was fun. A light, sparkling romp through English country houses and London, complete with spunky heroine and bug-eating uncle. I did appreciate that Petronella was spunky but also very concerned with society’s rules (at least at the beginning) and very interested in clothes. Because, honestly, most of us are somewhat concerned with society’s rules and interested in clothes. So she rang a little more true as a girl of her times (La
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Nov 03, 2009
Kathleen
rated it:
I remember hearing part of this book in a writers workshop and thinking it would be great fun to read once it was published. I was not disappointed.
This little story is about the struggles of a girl whose guardian uncle accidentally ingests a strange beetle on her 16th birthday and becomes a voracious insectivore, much to her chagrin. As she tries to protect his good name, and therefore her own, she also has to help solve the mystery of who kidnapped a couple of guests at her comin More...
This little story is about the struggles of a girl whose guardian uncle accidentally ingests a strange beetle on her 16th birthday and becomes a voracious insectivore, much to her chagrin. As she tries to protect his good name, and therefore her own, she also has to help solve the mystery of who kidnapped a couple of guests at her comin More...
Jun 17, 2010
Robin
rated it:
I liked this book more than I expected to. Of course, I'm a sucker for good titles and this one's very fun.
There is nothing earth-shattering or monumental in this book. You will not feel more intelligent after reading it. It's just for fun; perfect summertime reading.
I really enjoyed the writing style. It felt like a story from long ago; the author did that well. I think it would be a fun introductory mystery for a young girl. I also liked the way that the sixteen-y More...
There is nothing earth-shattering or monumental in this book. You will not feel more intelligent after reading it. It's just for fun; perfect summertime reading.
I really enjoyed the writing style. It felt like a story from long ago; the author did that well. I think it would be a fun introductory mystery for a young girl. I also liked the way that the sixteen-y More...
Apr 15, 2010
Stephanie
rated it:
I thought this book was really cute! It was weird, and that's what made it stand out and made it unique to me. I thought Petronella was a really intelligent, witty, slightly sarcastic narrator and that made her seem more modern to me. Their way of conversing in this book is hilarious, and I LOVED her uncle (: His affliction only made him all the more appealing and likable! I really enjoyed Petronella's story, though at times her vocabulary made her seem older than sixteen. Overall, funny charact
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Oct 21, 2009
Monica
rated it:
A most entertaining romp! The plot is a bit inconsequential, but the characters and setting are absolutely grand fun. There are a lot of books out there set in this time period with feisty female narrators, but too many are unable to sustain all aspects of it in the time. That is, I find anachronistic moments too often. Not so here --- Low keeps her characters Victorian, uses the right language, and circumstances too. This is the first, evidently, of a series so I'll be interested to see what
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Jun 17, 2010
Katy
rated it:
Have you ever been to a melodrama on stage where they exaggerate the villans and hold signs that prompt the crowd to boo and hiss and then exaggerate the hero and hold signs to cheer? When one reads this book one feels as though one is attending just such an event! (One also speaks this way when one is introducing every chapter!) It is light and funny, but the exaggeration and silliness keep you from ever really caring about the characters. Petronella never felt real to me, but I enjoyed the
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Sep 07, 2011
Ruth
rated it:
This is a frothy little yarn. Kind of bizarre in plot (great uncle Augustus accidentally swallows some sort of strange beetle that flies right into his mouth--and ever after that, he craves bugs to eat, but not human food). ICK!--and his niece Petronella has to help figure out how to save him, alongside two upper-crust muckity-mucks who happen to be kidnapped right during Petronella's official coming-out party ("coming out" in the archaic sense, not in the 21st century, of course).
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Sep 28, 2011
Vivian
rated it:
Something for the budding Jane-Austenette brimful of turn-of-the-twentieth century vernacular, sillyness, mystery, intrigue, friendship, scientific fantasy (an oxymoron?)-- all told with a flair for hyperbole. I kept visualizing this as a delightful movie--once I got past her Uncle's unfortunate transistion. A word of warning to the tweener: your vocabulary may swell a bit, if you stop to jot down unfamiliar words and later look them up.
Here is a running list of some of the vocabul More...
Here is a running list of some of the vocabul More...
Jan 21, 2010
Sandra
rated it:
Petronella is preparing for her coming out party when disaster strikes. An unknown type of beetle flies into her Uncle's mouth. As her guardian she needs him to be there for her. He is suddenly behaving very peculiar. He is snatching bugs out of the air and eating them. As the party approaches her Uncle tries to behave himself. Unfortunately while trying to nab a tasty delight he causes the party tent to collapse on the guests. When everyone is removed they realize that the Count and Countess ha
More...
Jan 14, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
Reviewed by Cat for TeensReadToo.com
All Petronella wants is for her sixteenth birthday luncheon, marking her debut into society, to be a success - but things go awry right from the start when her Uncle Augustus discovers a fondness for entomography (bug-eating).
Circumstances grow steadily worse when two important guests, Dame Carruthers and Generalisimo Reyes-Cardoza (a Panamanian dignitary) are kidnapped and held for ransom. It's just plain bad luck when Petronella's for More...
All Petronella wants is for her sixteenth birthday luncheon, marking her debut into society, to be a success - but things go awry right from the start when her Uncle Augustus discovers a fondness for entomography (bug-eating).
Circumstances grow steadily worse when two important guests, Dame Carruthers and Generalisimo Reyes-Cardoza (a Panamanian dignitary) are kidnapped and held for ransom. It's just plain bad luck when Petronella's for More...
Jan 26, 2010
catherine
rated it:
All Petronella wants is for her sixteenth birthday luncheon, marking her debut in society, to be a success; but things go awry right from the start when her uncle Augustus, discovers a fondness for entomography (bug-eating). Circumstances grow steadily worse when two important guests, Dame Carruthers and Generalisimo Reyes-Cardoza (a Panamanian dignitary) are kidnapped and held for ransom. It's just plain bad luck when Petronella's fortune-hunting relatives descend in the hopes of proving Uncle
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Jul 15, 2009
Timnah
rated it:
The author is my mother, and I read this book pre-publication. As manuscripts go through many changes during the publication process, I have held off on reviewing it until it was published, so that I could re-read it and review the published text.
Lest anyone think that I am biased in this review, let me include a reminiscence of my relationship with the art of writing and with my mother.
I was about seven years old. I took a story I had written into the kitchen and read it More...
Lest anyone think that I am biased in this review, let me include a reminiscence of my relationship with the art of writing and with my mother.
I was about seven years old. I took a story I had written into the kitchen and read it More...
Jul 11, 2009
Alea
rated it:
This has got to be one of the strangest, cutest, most wonderful starts to a series I've ever read and I think I'm in love with it. The language, the characters, their behaviors to me everything was spot on.
Right off the bat we are introduced to Victorian manners and ways of doing things and then all of a sudden we find Uncle Augustus T. Percival having a bite to eat, a bite to eat of BUGS! His compulsion is just so hilarious, the way the author writes it, seeing him hopping aro More...
Jul 10, 2010
Cathy
rated it:
Great cozy for teens. Just prior to her big party, Petronella's uncle and guardian, Augustus, swallows a beetle from Central America and develops a taste for flies, butterflies and other insects. At her party a Central American count (?) and woman are kidnapped. Petronella, her uncle, friends Jane and James, who she wishes was more than a friend travel to London by train in search of the culprit. They are followed by Petronella's aunt's who keep interfering. A fun lark of a book.
Jul 05, 2011
Cheryl in CC NV
rated it:
3.5 stars - needed richer characters. Picked up from the library on impulse because of the utterly beguiling cover. The heroine is 16, but the book is ok for ages about 9 up. The story is an exciting mystery with a bit of romance and a lot of wonderful vocabulary words. I'd have loved it when I was 12. Don't be put off by the structure of the title - it may eventually become part of a series but for now it stands alone just fine as a charming debut.
Jun 17, 2010
Laura
rated it:
A book club read. I like to have a piece of fiction to fall back on when I am reading non-fiction that I need a break from. That was the case here. The 196 pages of this short piece of fiction was a delightful change of pace for me. Loved the title of this novel,indeed was intrigued, by the title. Liked the title character and enjoyed the syntax of this short little mystery as well as the time frame it was set in. A very pleasant diversion.
Aug 15, 2010
Vernon
rated it:
Fun mix of Jane Austen, Sherlock Holmes, Bram Stoker, and there may be a hint of a host of others. Written as if it were a period piece, while also making fun of period pieces. Unnecessarily big words are used surreptitiously for comedic reasons.
I was at a writers workshop with Dene Low, the leader of our group was Tracy and Laura Hickman. When he asked us what book we thought was the most commercially viable we all selected this one.
I was at a writers workshop with Dene Low, the leader of our group was Tracy and Laura Hickman. When he asked us what book we thought was the most commercially viable we all selected this one.
Jan 16, 2010
Phoebe
rated it:
A thoroughly entertaining mystery/adventure story set in England, 1903, narrated by intrepid heroine Petronella Arbuthnot. Her sixteenth birthday party is well underway when her uncle swallows a large beetle and soon thereafter begins to act quite strangely; then two of her noble guests are kidnapped. Petronella, with help from gorgeous James, is soon hot on the trail. Lots of fun. The publisher could have improved on the cover, though.
Feb 15, 2010
Sandra
rated it:
This delightful tale will appeal to readers from 10 years up. It has elements of silliness--an uncle infected with a curse/disease that makes him younger and nimble, but obsessed with eating insects. Its historical background (Edwardian England) includes good history, but also lots of fantasy. Obviously setting up sequel(s), the story features a delightful heroine, suitably spunky and resourceful. A fun romp
Mar 21, 2010
Douglas
rated it:
Witty, wry, delightful. This book had a very strong voice and an endearing main character. Definitely a new favorite. I am curious how my daughter’s will react to the book. The vocabulary is vintage Austen, which only added to the charm for me but may provide a barrier for those with a lighter lexicon.
Interesting that the book is referred to as the “…Tales of Augustus T. Percival” since clearly Petronella is the heroine and driving character. Dear Uncle Augustus provides flavor.
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Interesting that the book is referred to as the “…Tales of Augustus T. Percival” since clearly Petronella is the heroine and driving character. Dear Uncle Augustus provides flavor.
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