#21
Title: Charlie Bone and the Invisible BoyAuthor:Jenny Nimmo
Publisher
Year: 2004
Genre: Children/Fantasy
Title: Charlie Bone and the Invisible BoyAuthor:
Year: 2004
Genre: Children/Fantasy
408 pages
+ Some character development and interesting plot twists
- Generally emotionally superficial; action somewhat illogical and inconsequential
This is the third book in the Children of the Red King/Charlie Bone series. I'm ambivalent about this volume. On the positive side, we learn more about Charlie's history, the Bloors, and the legacy of the Red King. While many of the images and events, such as talking to a giant magical snake, resonate heavily with Harry Potter, it's also true that there are a limited number of motifs from which to choose when drawing on mythic imagery. Skarpo's reappearance has some unexpected twists, and Billie's character is fleshed out and made more complex.
On the down side, the book suffers from the flaws of the previous two in the series, which are in my reviews so I won't reitterate most of them here. While there is some effort at character development, the children all seem flat and the adults even moreso. The adults are cruel yet highly ineffective, raising the question of why they are still in charge. The plot is often illogical (for example, Ollie's explanation of why he never left the Academy; Mr. Bodova's sudden return to normalcy) or inexplicable (why Ollie never contacted his family) or insufficiently prepared for (Venetia suddenly is described as someone who makes magical clothes). I understand why Ollie might not want to be invisble, but it seems like an invisible boy could be very useful in the battle against the Bloors and the wicked endowed. As was the case in the second book, plot elements are discarded after they are nominally resolved. This lends a picaresque air to the enterprise and works against finding any satisfaction in a long story arc. Events are disconnected from each other and thus largely inconsequential. What of the knight and his casket from the first book? What of the dagger the villains hoped Charlie would pick up in the second book? What happened to Henry? While I hope that these questions are ultimately answered, I don't see much evidence that they will be. I think it is unlikely that the many dangling elements will be resolved by the end of the series.
Oddly, multiple official reviews of this book repeat the statement that Mr. Boldova is a new art teacher. However, he was introduced in the previous book. Also oddly, the book begins with a statement that the Red King's time twister can be dangerous and unpredictable; however, this has nothing to do with this volume, and appears to have been accidentally transposed from the second book. This contributes to the impression that these books are under-edited.
This is the third book in the Children of the Red King/Charlie Bone series. I'm ambivalent about this volume. On the positive side, we learn more about Charlie's history, the Bloors, and the legacy of the Red King. While many of the images and events, such as talking to a giant magical snake, resonate heavily with Harry Potter, it's also true that there are a limited number of motifs from which to choose when drawing on mythic imagery. Skarpo's reappearance has some unexpected twists, and Billie's character is fleshed out and made more complex.
On the down side, the book suffers from the flaws of the previous two in the series, which are in my reviews so I won't reitterate most of them here. While there is some effort at character development, the children all seem flat and the adults even moreso. The adults are cruel yet highly ineffective, raising the question of why they are still in charge. The plot is often illogical (for example, Ollie's explanation of why he never left the Academy; Mr. Bodova's sudden return to normalcy) or inexplicable (why Ollie never contacted his family) or insufficiently prepared for (Venetia suddenly is described as someone who makes magical clothes). I understand why Ollie might not want to be invisble, but it seems like an invisible boy could be very useful in the battle against the Bloors and the wicked endowed. As was the case in the second book, plot elements are discarded after they are nominally resolved. This lends a picaresque air to the enterprise and works against finding any satisfaction in a long story arc. Events are disconnected from each other and thus largely inconsequential. What of the knight and his casket from the first book? What of the dagger the villains hoped Charlie would pick up in the second book? What happened to Henry? While I hope that these questions are ultimately answered, I don't see much evidence that they will be. I think it is unlikely that the many dangling elements will be resolved by the end of the series.
Oddly, multiple official reviews of this book repeat the statement that Mr. Boldova is a new art teacher. However, he was introduced in the previous book. Also oddly, the book begins with a statement that the Red King's time twister can be dangerous and unpredictable; however, this has nothing to do with this volume, and appears to have been accidentally transposed from the second book. This contributes to the impression that these books are under-edited.
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