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Average rating4
An eccentric like all Helmsleys, eleven-year-old Archer escapes his overprotective mother and recruits two friends, Oliver and Adelaide, to help him plan a rescue of his long-lost grandparents, world-famous explorers who disappeared atop an iceberg in the Antarctic.
Series
2 primary booksThe Doldrums is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2015 with contributions by Nicholas Gannon.
Reviews with the most likes.
I liked it. As others have said, nothing much happens and there is a whole chunk of time that is missing for no good reason. But the characters are endearing and the constantly witty writing made me chuckle a few times.
You know how the first few of the Harry Potter books have that childhood innocence about them? They're written through the eyes of a good natured, inquisitive boy and so as children we just went with it, and didn't question where the fuck the adults were... Well the Doldrums give me that same feeling. I think we need a lot more books with yound characters who are still pure and good and see the world as a generally safe place.
As an adult, I prefer to reading books with great parenting, like The House on the Cerulean Sea, but I don't think middle graders care much.
I also listened to this book and missed out on all of the lovely illustrations that come in print.