What do You think about The Beasts Of Clawstone Castle (2006)?
Eva Ibbotsen is a good author, that's certain. I recommend her books to kids who like fun adventures or mysteries involving not-so-scary ghosts. In fact, one of the only books that A read voluntarily in the past two years was by this author. Clawstone Castle was not my favorite, but it did make an entire 6-hour drive go by quickly. The oddest thing about this book was that it seemed to have two halves that did not fit together. The first half, which the kids loved, involved kids and ghosts teaming up to save a beloved English castle from financial ruin. The second half, which the kids did not like, involved an evil plastic surgeon who performed wicked surgeries on animals to make money on the illegal market.
—Zoe
There are books for children that can be read by children and children only – for the author is using some kind of weird writing style that he or she believes is how kids talk and think. Fortunately, “the Beasts of Clawstone Castle” is not one of those books. The writing is beautiful and lovely, the characters are enjoyable in their own eccentric way.This book can be read by adults as well, if they fancy things like “Coraline” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. It was a quick and enjoyable read for me. Usually I like to mention in my reviews what I think the book is about (the moral of the story, if you want) but in this book there is a conclusion at the end and I don’t want to spoil things; besides, it’s the way that leads to that moral which is far more interesting.What I really liked was the way how the world of this book was painted, the characters were so alive (yes, the ghosts as well, hahaha); every side character was well described without drifting too far away from the main story. It’s the kind of story that touches you deep inside and very original in it’s own way. It’s a story about ghosts but by no means an ordinary ghost story.
—Martine
Readers are quickly immersed into this world—a world of ghosts, Wild White Cattle, and mystery. Eva Ibbotson does a brilliant job of characterization; Madlyn and Rollo have relatable personalities, while the ghosts of Clawstone are even more charismatic! The setting is well crafted as well. The castle is easy to picture, while the occasional illustrations in the book help bolster the images. I really enjoy how Ibbotson uses humor in sort of a quirky way. Even though the descriptions, such as the introduction of the ghosts, or events can be quite gruesome, she does it in a comical and witty way. The images can be quite terrifying, yet her syntax and tone give the book a much lighter tone.tI like how this book kind of has the “Harry Potter” feel. The reader is taken to an extraordinary world where he or she can engage with the supernatural. However, its spookiness won’t give you nightmares; instead it is interesting and comical. Ibbotson is consistent with her use of fantasy, so as to not leave the reader confused or distracted. This book is creative and descriptive. However, this book may be overly gruesome for some kids. Some of the content is a bit “mature”, such as Lady Trembellow’s marital issues and her husband’s constant push for her to surgically alter different parts of her body. I do think the clever humor and light-hearted tone overshadows the possibly mature content and that overall, this book is fraught with well-developed characters and an interesting plotline!
—Jenny Lu
