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What Members Thought
Definitely a fun read. I didn't realize until I was finished that this book is the first of what will be a series. Not all of our questions have been answered and in fact none of the mystery set up in the book is really solved, but somehow that isn't really bothersome. It's just a fun little romp in old gothic style that's kind of a bizarre blend of Jane Eyre, Mary Poppins, and Lemony Snicket. Sort of. For most, this will be book-candy - a light and joyful read with characters that make you smil
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Jane Eyre meets Lemony Snicket (with perhaps a bit of Mary Poppins thrown in) is the best way to describe this new series about a girl hired to be a governess for a group of three children known simply as The Incorrigibles. The children were abandoned for reasons unknown, raised by wolves, and eventually found by a wealthy English landowner. The tone is set by the droll voice of the ever-present narrator. Readers will fall in love with Penelope, the fifteen-year-old governess trained by the Swin
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An "orphan teen turned governess to children who were brought up by wolves" tale. Penelope's good cheer and determination in bringing up the wild children is quite humorous. Alexander, Cassiopea and Beowulf attempt to learn Latin, Scottish dancing and chess but continue to be distracted by wanting to chase squirrels and howl. Underling all this activity lurks some mysteries, such as, Why is the coachman always lurking nearby? and Exactly who abandoned Penelope's charges? The cliff hanger at the
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Who can resist a governess who is so dedicated to her craft that even when faced with three charges who were apparently raised by wolves, she briskly resolves to delay their Latin lessons, just until they stop chasing squirrels. I never tired of the how the children translated language into their own wolfish dialect, and the narrator humorously guides you along through this whole fun set-up. I cannot decide whether I am annoyed with Maryrose Wood for ending the story just when it gets going, or
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Possibly four stars. I'm thinking about it. This was a real treat: smart, well-plotted, very much in the spirit of its times, fully tongue-in-cheek but also genuinely warm, full of book-love and anti-animal cruelty. In terms of how much I enjoyed it, it's a four-star book. In terms of its usefulness for readers' advisory, I'm not so sure. Pretty high vocabulary level, and the ironic comments (and comments about irony, some of which were themselves ironic) may go over kids' heads.
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Really loved this book, although I could have use more answers at the end. The voice is vibrant and fun, and it hits my Jane Eyre buttons without being nearly so creepy. The children are adorable and I love their tendency to add "-awoo" to everybody's names. Will definitely be reading the next.
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Love this first in a series. Very Secret Gardenish... victorian spooky. Love that! Looking forward to the next book!
HILARIOUS on audiobook! I'd pair this book with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken - wolves and governesses and England, oh my!
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What I wish Lemony Snicket had been.
A fun read that reminds me of the Series of Unfortunate Events. Can't wait to the next one. Geared for a young audience (3rd through 6th grades).
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Jul 09, 2010
Marianne
marked it as to-read
Jul 13, 2010
Caitlin
marked it as to-read
Apr 17, 2011
Malissa
marked it as to-read
Apr 26, 2011
Carol Royce Owen
marked it as to-read
Oct 12, 2011
Adam
marked it as to-read
Jul 03, 2013
clare o'c
marked it as to-read
Apr 03, 2020
Mindy
marked it as to-read
