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hheelloo's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
A fun, quick read. The characters are lovable and the story easy to get into.
kongart's review against another edition
1.0
this seems like a book i'd like. unfortunately, it's hot garbage.
livlosiewicz's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Pros:
•I thought this book was really fun! The narration is quirky in a way that reminds me a bit of Lemony Snicket, with lots of silly dramatic irony. The twins and Nimrod are endearing and easy to root for.
•The world building was a nice balance of simple while also being detailed/well thought-out. Fantasy which takes place within the bounds of our world seems to be the only type of fantasy I can buy into, and I liked learning about the rules of being a djinn with Philippa and John. (I noticed that the focus on world building over action was a con for many reviewers but I found the beginning of the book to be more interesting and was glad the action was limited to the end)
Cons: as some other reviewers point out, there’s some anti-French xenophobia in an effort to be funny, some fatphobia, and no diversity. I will say that while I don’t think these things are okay, they are fully in line with what you’d expect from a children’s book written in 2005. John and Philippa also exhibit a lot of gender stereotyped characteristics
Recommendation: I recommend for anyone looking for a fun kid’s adventure book! I wish I’d read these as a kid; it shared a bit of what I used to enjoy about Harry Potter and a Series of Unfortunate events (though it’s not quite on par with either of those). I honestly had a lot of fun with this as an adult; there’s enough easy to follow world building and quirky characters to keep me entertained and invested. I generally don’t enjoy when books are too action-packed, so I liked that that was confined to the end, but if you’re looking for a really action-driven book or heavy fantasy, this might not be it.
•I thought this book was really fun! The narration is quirky in a way that reminds me a bit of Lemony Snicket, with lots of silly dramatic irony. The twins and Nimrod are endearing and easy to root for.
•The world building was a nice balance of simple while also being detailed/well thought-out. Fantasy which takes place within the bounds of our world seems to be the only type of fantasy I can buy into, and I liked learning about the rules of being a djinn with Philippa and John. (I noticed that the focus on world building over action was a con for many reviewers but I found the beginning of the book to be more interesting and was glad the action was limited to the end)
Cons: as some other reviewers point out, there’s some anti-French xenophobia in an effort to be funny, some fatphobia, and no diversity. I will say that while I don’t think these things are okay, they are fully in line with what you’d expect from a children’s book written in 2005. John and Philippa also exhibit a lot of gender stereotyped characteristics
Recommendation: I recommend for anyone looking for a fun kid’s adventure book! I wish I’d read these as a kid; it shared a bit of what I used to enjoy about Harry Potter and a Series of Unfortunate events (though it’s not quite on par with either of those). I honestly had a lot of fun with this as an adult; there’s enough easy to follow world building and quirky characters to keep me entertained and invested. I generally don’t enjoy when books are too action-packed, so I liked that that was confined to the end, but if you’re looking for a really action-driven book or heavy fantasy, this might not be it.
atlantic_reader_wannabe's review against another edition
5.0
This book was very good. Two children find out they are djinn (or genies) and learn to use their magical gifts. I was hard pressed to pit it down! It was fun to read!
soulmeltdown's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up, some plot points were quite fast for the adult reader that i am now but i remember going absolutely feral over this book when i was in middle school
moyerholly's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A classic children’s book! Definitely some problematic aspects upon re-reading as an adult, but still a great concept and good execution.
thomcat's review against another edition
4.0
Read aloud with daughter; this book has strong main characters and a great mythology, along with excellent descriptions of the locales (New York, London, and Cairo). It is the first of a series, and we plan to dig into the next book very soon.
This story is mythological fantasy, with magic, but set in our modern day world. This element, along with what is clearly well thought out folkore of the djinn is excellent. I also appreciated references to other books - Tales from the Arabian Nights and [b:The Oxford Book of English Verse|199009|The Oxford Book of English Verse|Christopher Ricks|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347624482s/199009.jpg|39907033]. The two main characters (twins) show excellent problem solving skills and teamwork. The supporting characters, while mostly caricatures, provide both knowledge and humor.
So why wasn't it awesome? The first part of the book felt very slow, with not a lot going on. If not for the humor and occasional in-jokes, we probably would have put the story down. Perhaps that was needed for the first book in this series - a lot of exposition.
Overall result, recommended!
This story is mythological fantasy, with magic, but set in our modern day world. This element, along with what is clearly well thought out folkore of the djinn is excellent. I also appreciated references to other books - Tales from the Arabian Nights and [b:The Oxford Book of English Verse|199009|The Oxford Book of English Verse|Christopher Ricks|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347624482s/199009.jpg|39907033]. The two main characters (twins) show excellent problem solving skills and teamwork. The supporting characters, while mostly caricatures, provide both knowledge and humor.
So why wasn't it awesome? The first part of the book felt very slow, with not a lot going on. If not for the humor and occasional in-jokes, we probably would have put the story down. Perhaps that was needed for the first book in this series - a lot of exposition.
Overall result, recommended!
m3l89's review against another edition
2.0
Not the best junior fiction fantasy adventure I've read, but not the worst either.