Skulduggery Pleasant follows herione Stephanie Edgley, whose uncle–a famed horror author–dies mysteriously, leaving Stephanie with his fortune and mansion, but as Stephanie spends the night in her late uncle’s house, she is thrust into a magical underworld full of murderous hunters, vampires, ghosts and monsters that appear to mirror those written about in her uncle’s books. Stephanie meets Skulduggery Pleasant, a humorous skeleton brought to life with a special kind of magic, and the two will journey through present-day Ireland protecting the magical world from crime and learning more about her family’s truths along the way.
One of the reasons that I enjoyed this book was because of our main character, Stephanie. While the general appeal is–but not limited to–tween and teen boys, readers of both genders will enjoy Stephanie’s character: throughout the novel, Stephanie is portrayed as a strong female character who speaks her mind and is eager to make her own way in the world. Stephanie is a great role model throughout the series, demonstrating wit, nerve and intelligence far beyond her years.
Both young and young at heart readers will be able to enjoy this for its humorous dialogue; while the novel sometimes deals with macabre themes, such as torture, possession, and death, the anecdotes sprinkled throughout these scenes helps to soften the blow a little. Almost every phrase that escape’s the titular character’s mouth is laced with wit.
While this series can be considered rather violent for young readers, it is generally considered to be written for tweens; however, it is recommended that you read through the book before deciding if it is right for your child.
I enjoyed this book a lot, as it intertwines many themes, with fantasy (magic use, magical powers), mystery (detectives, crime), humour (general dialogue, delivery) and horror (skeletons, death, murder, blood.)
All over, this book is a fantastic read, and readers with the ability to read quickly will find themselves devouring this book, as the font is rather large in the original binding and is no more than three hundred and fifty pages.
Released to the public on September 3rd of 2018, Violet Grace’s novel The Girl Who Fell tells the tale of Francesca ‘Chess’ Raven, an adolescent girl living with a woman named Gladys after the death of her parents. Chess Raven is a hacker, and becomes swept away in a grand and interesting adventure after the …
Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series played a huge role in my love of Greek mythology – the modern take on heroes and myths make them easier for a young audience to understand, and there are plenty of Easter eggs for those who already know their myths. The Lightning Thief kicks off the series wonderfully, introducing …
In the final novel from the Magisterium series by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black, Callum Hunt is faced with the task of destroying Alex Strike and the chaos that followed in the wake of the events of the penultimate novel The Silver Mask. Callum Hunt is now entering his Gold Year, the final year of …
Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which has been deemed by both critics and the general public as a staple in both horror and gothic literature, readers are introduced to Jonathan Harker, who travels to the region of Transylvania to meet with Count Dracula in order to assist him in his real estate affairs. It is not long, …
GHOST BIRD follows the tale of Aboriginal twins Laney and Stacey, who grew up in their lower-middle-class rural Australian town. Their idyllic life, however, is thrown for a curveball when Laney mysteriously goes missing after going out with her friends. Through a bizarre series of premonitions that fringe on the supernatural, Stacey becomes obsessed with …
The Conference of the Birds offers readers with a fifth dive into Ransom Rigg’s world of the much-adored literary peculiars. In this novel, which carries on directly from ‘A Map of Days’–released as the fourth book in 2019–Jacob and his peculiar friends return to uncover the mystery surrounding their newest companion Noor, most namely piecing …
Book Review – Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
One of the reasons that I enjoyed this book was because of our main character, Stephanie. While the general appeal is–but not limited to–tween and teen boys, readers of both genders will enjoy Stephanie’s character: throughout the novel, Stephanie is portrayed as a strong female character who speaks her mind and is eager to make her own way in the world. Stephanie is a great role model throughout the series, demonstrating wit, nerve and intelligence far beyond her years.
Both young and young at heart readers will be able to enjoy this for its humorous dialogue; while the novel sometimes deals with macabre themes, such as torture, possession, and death, the anecdotes sprinkled throughout these scenes helps to soften the blow a little. Almost every phrase that escape’s the titular character’s mouth is laced with wit.
While this series can be considered rather violent for young readers, it is generally considered to be written for tweens; however, it is recommended that you read through the book before deciding if it is right for your child.
I enjoyed this book a lot, as it intertwines many themes, with fantasy (magic use, magical powers), mystery (detectives, crime), humour (general dialogue, delivery) and horror (skeletons, death, murder, blood.)
All over, this book is a fantastic read, and readers with the ability to read quickly will find themselves devouring this book, as the font is rather large in the original binding and is no more than three hundred and fifty pages.
Related Posts
Book Review – The Girl Who Fell by Violet Grace
Released to the public on September 3rd of 2018, Violet Grace’s novel The Girl Who Fell tells the tale of Francesca ‘Chess’ Raven, an adolescent girl living with a woman named Gladys after the death of her parents. Chess Raven is a hacker, and becomes swept away in a grand and interesting adventure after the …
Book Review – Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series played a huge role in my love of Greek mythology – the modern take on heroes and myths make them easier for a young audience to understand, and there are plenty of Easter eggs for those who already know their myths. The Lightning Thief kicks off the series wonderfully, introducing …
Book Review – The Golden Tower by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black
In the final novel from the Magisterium series by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black, Callum Hunt is faced with the task of destroying Alex Strike and the chaos that followed in the wake of the events of the penultimate novel The Silver Mask. Callum Hunt is now entering his Gold Year, the final year of …
Book Review – Dracula by Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which has been deemed by both critics and the general public as a staple in both horror and gothic literature, readers are introduced to Jonathan Harker, who travels to the region of Transylvania to meet with Count Dracula in order to assist him in his real estate affairs. It is not long, …
Book Review – Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller
GHOST BIRD follows the tale of Aboriginal twins Laney and Stacey, who grew up in their lower-middle-class rural Australian town. Their idyllic life, however, is thrown for a curveball when Laney mysteriously goes missing after going out with her friends. Through a bizarre series of premonitions that fringe on the supernatural, Stacey becomes obsessed with …
Book Review – The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs
The Conference of the Birds offers readers with a fifth dive into Ransom Rigg’s world of the much-adored literary peculiars. In this novel, which carries on directly from ‘A Map of Days’–released as the fourth book in 2019–Jacob and his peculiar friends return to uncover the mystery surrounding their newest companion Noor, most namely piecing …