Jester

Peter is an orphan who lives with an old soldier, Vilna Lutz. While on an errand at the market, Peter uses the coins the soldier had given him for fish and bread and spends them on a fortuneteller. He wants answers about his sister. The soldier had told him his sister was dead—a stillborn. But Peter, in his heart, believes otherwise. The fortuneteller gives him hope—though he doubts her at times—and tells him that to find his sister, he must seek out an elephant. That night, at the Bliffendorf Opera House, a failing magician performs a trick, a trick involving a bouquet of lilies. But instead, he summons an elephant that falls on top of a noblewoman.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. I wanted to, as I'm a fan of Kate DiCamillo's works. It did not keep me entertained, though I can see how it has such high ratings. It's a charming and heartwarming story about hope. The setting also adds to the atmosphere of the story. The story is whimsical at times, though I'm not complaining. Peter is a nice protagonist, and readers get a look into his life under the soldier's care. I liked almost all of the characters. The story is not just told through the perspective of Peter. It is also from the perspective of the magician who conjured the elephant, a small policeman who seemed to be the only police officer to not think the elephant was a criminal, the noblewoman the elephant fell on top of, and, of course, the elephant.

Declaimer: Using new rating system starting 2025.

This installment was written by a new writer. This one explored a world in which fiction is illegal, starring the Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Captain Jack Harkness. The concept was interesting. I didn't think I had read anything like that before. But I felt that the overall story was not as interesting as I would have liked. While reading, I waited for it to be over and considered DNFing it. Besides that critique, it did felt like an episode of Doctor Who, though it would have been better to watch on screen as an episode than to read as a novel.

Declaimer: Using new rating system starting 2025.

I borrowed this book from the library. The story was so beautiful and well-written. In this story, people have ‘Talent', and a person with no Talent is called Fair.

This story has many main characters. The character's backstory and choices untangle into one amazing story, with an unlikely occurrence.

In the beginning, I found some chapters useless, but as I read more I learned these chapters are all very vital to the story piecing everything together, with everyone's life intertwined, this really is A Tangle of Knots.

Aside from the story it also has the characters' cake recipes.

Not a fan of this one, particularly because of Benny's bratty behavior. Why is it that, in children's stories, boys are often portrayed as being allowed to behave disruptively, especially at their sisters' expense? This gender disparity in children's narratives needs to stop. Besides that, the art was nice. There isn't much more to say about it.

Declaimer: Using new rating system starting 2025.