Reading this book was kind of a dare. My friend (love you, Alisha!) and a guy at school struck a deal: they had to read each other’s favourite book. The guy told my friend to read Skulduggery Pleasant, as it was his favourite series. Not too enthused, because let’s face it, a skeleton detective that can use magic sounds lame and childish, she began it a little grudgingly. But she enjoyed it.Surprised? I was too, so I decided that I had to give it a go. Boy was I shocked when I was unable to put it down! I was captivated, utterly enthralled and enraptured. I was up to one in the morning pouring over its orange-tinted pages, incapable of stopping for even a second.The story of Skulduggery Pleasant follows the young Stephanie as she meets Skulduggery at her Uncle Gordon’s funeral and from there the real adventure begins, as she is thrown into a supernatural and magical world she never knew existed. She and Skulduggery band together to investigate her uncle’s death and along the way battle evil sorcerers, trolls and vampires, fight for revenge and, of course to save the world from a horrible end. They learn quickly the importance of friendship, who they can trust… and who will betray them all. Dramatic, right? You bet!Witty, charming and flat-out hilarious, Skulduggery is the first character that has actually made me chuckle, giggle and really, truly and literally fall off me bed with a bellyache from laughing so hard. Where to even begin expressing how funny this guy actually is… I have never, ever laughed so hard for a character, not ever! ”I once knew a fellow, a little older than you. He wanted to join me in my adventures, wanted to solve mysteries that beggared belief…. And we became partners.” [Skulduggery]“And did you go on and have lots of exciting adventures?” [Stephanie]“I did, He didn’t. He died on our very first case together. Horrible death. Messy too. Lots of failing around.”“Well I don’t plan on dying any time soon and I’ve got something he didn’t.”“And that is…?”“Your hat. Take me with you or I’ll stand on it.”Skulduggery looked at her with his big hollow eyes sockets, then held out his hand for his hat. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”And when Skulduggery did have me chuckling like a lunatic, he had me on the very edge of my seat, nervously biting my nails, wondering, waiting, anticipating, screaming with the suspense of it… what is going to happen?In the rest of the book - There’s more?, you ask. Yep! – I was absorbed with the new magical system introduced by Derek Landy, the new creatures and fresh versions of your typical clichéd ones, epic and totally kick-ass battles and the beautiful quotes that kept popping up… “ The world is bigger than you know, and scarier than you might imagine. The only currency worth anything is being true to yourself, and the only goal worth seeking is finding out who you truly are.”“ Every solution to every problem is simple. It's the distance between the two where the mystery lies.”Any negatives? Well, of course, no book is perfect… but this was close! There were two things that bugged me. One) Stephanie could have been more badass and she was a little wise beyond her years, and two) the names having magical properties and not knowing your “true” name has been done plenty of times, so many it’s become rather clichéd. But, let’s not dwell on the negatives….In case, you haven’t understood a single thing I have written I’ll end by saying that I loved this book. I didn’t expect to, but I did. If you’re looking for a light-hearted but suspenseful, quirky and gripping supernatural mystery that will leave you with a stomach-ache from all the laughing, what are you doing reading this review? Go out and get a copy now! You won’t regret it, I promise!
So deliciously entertaining!!! I really loved the whole experience of this book. The story is excellent, and the narrator is outstanding, bringing this to a solid five stars from me.This is the story of twelve-year-old Stephanie, who inherits her beloved but somewhat mysterious author uncle's fortune and estate after his sudden death. The unusual stranger at the reading of the will catches her eye--his voice, his mannerisms, his name (who is named Skulduggery Pleasant, after all!?), all so strange yet so interesting--not to mention his odd appearance muffled nearly head to foot in coat, hat and scarf even in doors! Soon, strange things begin to happen. Stephanie's life is in danger and it seems that Skulduggery Pleasant is just the person to save her... trouble is, he also leads her into a dangerous new world of magic and criminals, a world Stephanie feels drawn to, feels is so much more vibrant than her own. When they begin to realize that the world itself is threatened by some evil wizards, Stephanie and Skulduggery team up with a few other brave souls to help restore balance.I really loved the characters, the pacing, the action and the overall atmosphere and "feel" of the book. I guess I'm a fan of stories with living skeletons--I loved "He-Man" as a kid, though fortunately Skulduggery is a much more complex, interesting character than Skeletor was ;-p Stephanie is a thoughtful and complex character herself while still seeming true to her young age. The supporting cast of characters is also solid. I especially liked Stephanie's parents (so nice to see a happy home life portrayed, with mutual respect between parents and child) and loved-to-hate Stephanie's awful relatives! It was great how the plot twists kept me guessing, not only on the action but also on the "good"/"bad" of each character. While the Irish setting isn't too prominent, I did enjoy some of the little tidbits that reminded me this was set on the Emerald Isle, and I especially loved the Irish accent of the audiobook narrator.Speaking of which, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook. The story itself reads a bit like an old action-adventure film noir (but with much more complex characters and more lighthearted) and this is enhanced by the narration as well as the little musical interludes between the chapters (one can almost picture a skeleton jazz band playing!) accompanied by little "horror" sound-effects like a woman screaming or heavy footsteps walking away. I definitely plan to continue the series. My husband is two books ahead of me and says that the next two books are also excellent.Highly recommended. It's a fun, slightly spooky book, with a surprising amount of depth and it's just so well written and witty and engaging. There are a few "scary" and slightly gory parts so I would recommend this for the older middle grade set and above, but I have a pretty low threshold for that sort of thing and I was able to handle it.
What do You think about Skulduggery Pleasant (2007)?
Interesting odd little book, a dead wizard...sort of. Well, I mean he's a skeleton, and you know, no skin or organs...but he's not really dead. Sort of.Is this a kids book? It did strike me as odd how the reaction to a walking, talking skeleton didn't freak Stephanie out more completely.Not a bad book, help track down the Faceless ones...if you dare. hee hee hee ... (or is that bwa-ha-ha?)Some have suggested that there are some similarities between the Faceless Ones and Lovecraft's Great Old Ones...interesting in a youth book don't you think?If you're a parent, maybe you want to read this one first, just a thought. Not great but not bad. Will I read the sequels? Don't know yet. Just an update. I haven't.
—Mike (the Paladin)
This should really fit into the three and a half stars category...As far as children's books are concerned Skulduggery Pleasant is an interesting and different read. However as far as an older audience it lacked a little. Hopefully the few cracks I detected were mainly due to this being the opening story for the series.There were sections where the writing was superb and brilliant. It was witty and it was fun. The opening sentence was particularly well structured and really drew me into the plot. However this brilliant wit and flair with language was patchy. That is the prose would fluctuate between being long and drawn out and short and sharp sentences. I felt the use of the short sentences and the descriptions worked best for the style Derek Landy was writing in.The concepts of the novel: the magic, the fairytale creatures, the Will of the Elders, the book of names, the three names; are all to be praised because they reveal the imagination of the author. The humor was great and the flair at times brilliant. There were some interesting characters which I began to care about. Enough at least to keep reading and see how the series develops. And from the looks of things if the writing develops into a more fluid read I may even begin to rate subsequent novels higher.What you would enjoy about this is the fantasy, the characters and the fight scenes. Yes the fight scenes are well done. And now I'm rambling and talking to myself. Time to end thi...
—Jonathan
“Doors are for people with no imagination.”Initial Final Page Thoughts.When I grow up I want to be Stephanie Edgley. High Points.Skulduggery Pleasant. Stephanie. Banter, so much banter. Dublin. Witty prose. Canary Cars. Supporting characters. Cloak and daggers shizz. Willpower. Magic. Raising Cain. The Girl from Ipanema. A fantastic start to a promising series. Low Points.As much as I love Skulduggery and Stephanie, I would have liked there to have been more time spent with the other characters. Tanith Low and Ghastly to be precise… but I’m guessing this is where the other books in the series come into it…Heroine/Hero.Stephanie was a brilliant heroine and I wish I was like her when I was twelve. Heck, I wish I was like her now. She’s smart, she’s cute, she’s a warrior and she is the master of the deadpan. She’s practically my idol. And, of course, Skulduggery. I liked to imagine that he would be voiced by Colin Farrell because he has one of the only Irish accents I can understand a nice voice.These two had such a cute dynamic that regularly had me wishing I was cool enough to be part of their gang laughing out loud. “So you won’t keep anything from me again?”He put his hand to his chest. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”“OK.”He nodded and led the way back to the Bentley.“Though you don’t actually have a heart,” she said.“I know.”“And technically, you’ve already died.”“I know that too.”“Just so we’re clear.”Their conversations were by far my favourite part of this whole book, I have a feeling they’ll get better and better as the series progresses. Baddies.Yeah… I would not like to meet a Hollow Man in a dark alley.Theme Tune.Bones- The Killers.Um… I may have a wholly appropriate inappropriate crush on Skulduggery. But it’s totally fine, I mean… it’s not as if I fancy dead guys all the time. What? I don’t..... BE QUIET. Angst Level.4/10. Seeing as this is the first book of a series, it’s difficult to really gage this level seeing as we don’t really know much about the characters and their past just yet. Mr Landy does a great job of hinting to some really grim stuff, but not divulging any more than he needs to. Recommended For.People who are looking for a new magical series to get stuck into. People who wish their lover partner in crime was a skeleton with great fashion sense. People who prefer yellow cars to Bentleys. People who ever wonder what their reflection gets up to when their back is turned. People who still haven’t forgiven their brother for buying them a dodgy copy of Grim Fandango for their twelfth birthday. You can read this review and other exciting things on my blog here.
—Jo
