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The Children of the Red King #3
Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy
The Barnes & Noble Review
Jenny Nimmo's spellbinding series continues with Charlie Bone setting out to help an invisible boy as the ominous presence of a new girl at Bloor's threatens to stop him. In Nimmo's third installment, Charlie's nasty aunts bring home a mysterious girl named Belle, whose eyes constantly change color and who has a knack for calling the shots. Charlie is wary of her, but when he learns that Ollie, an invisible boy, needs help regaining his shape, the adventurous descendant of the Red King decides to put his fears aside to help. Through a series of surprising plot twists, Charlie realizes that the new girl is more powerful (and older!) than he ever imagined, while Ollie's invisible plight has been caused by a magical snake. It's up to Charlie -- with the help of Skarpo, Uncle Paton, and his school chums -- to put things right, and readers are sure to have a blast until the last page. Nimmo keeps the suspense high and the action coming throughout the book, developing the story line by introducing striking new characters and delivering juicy plot morsels to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. For a great episode and more insight into the Children's history, don't pass this one up.
Matt Warner
Jenny Nimmo's spellbinding series continues with Charlie Bone setting out to help an invisible boy as the ominous presence of a new girl at Bloor's threatens to stop him. In Nimmo's third installment, Charlie's nasty aunts bring home a mysterious girl named Belle, whose eyes constantly change color and who has a knack for calling the shots. Charlie is wary of her, but when he learns that Ollie, an invisible boy, needs help regaining his shape, the adventurous descendant of the Red King decides to put his fears aside to help. Through a series of surprising plot twists, Charlie realizes that the new girl is more powerful (and older!) than he ever imagined, while Ollie's invisible plight has been caused by a magical snake. It's up to Charlie -- with the help of Skarpo, Uncle Paton, and his school chums -- to put things right, and readers are sure to have a blast until the last page. Nimmo keeps the suspense high and the action coming throughout the book, developing the story line by introducing striking new characters and delivering juicy plot morsels to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. For a great episode and more insight into the Children's history, don't pass this one up.
Matt Warner
Audio CD
First published July 1, 2004
211 people are currently reading
3651 people want to read
About the author
Jenny Nimmo
135 books962 followersJenny Nimmo was born in Windsor, Berkshire, England and educated at boarding schools in Kent and Surrey from the age of six until the age of sixteen, when she ran away from school to become a drama student/assistant stage manager with Theater South East. She graduated and acted in repertory theater in various towns and cities: Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, Hastings, and Bexhill.
She left Britain to teach English to three Italian boys in Almafi, Italy. On her return, she joined the BBC, first as a picture researcher, then as an assistant floor manager, studio manager (news) then finally a director/adaptor with Jackanory (a BBC storytelling program for children). She left BBC to marry a Welsh artist David Wynn Millward and went to live in Wales in her husband's family home. They live in a very old converted watermill, and the river is constantly threatening to break in, as it has done several times in the past, most dramatically on her youngest child's first birthday. During the summer they run a residential school of art, and she has to move her office, put down tools (type-writer and pencil, and don an apron and cook! They have three grown-up children, Myfawny, Ianto, and Gwenwyfar.
She left Britain to teach English to three Italian boys in Almafi, Italy. On her return, she joined the BBC, first as a picture researcher, then as an assistant floor manager, studio manager (news) then finally a director/adaptor with Jackanory (a BBC storytelling program for children). She left BBC to marry a Welsh artist David Wynn Millward and went to live in Wales in her husband's family home. They live in a very old converted watermill, and the river is constantly threatening to break in, as it has done several times in the past, most dramatically on her youngest child's first birthday. During the summer they run a residential school of art, and she has to move her office, put down tools (type-writer and pencil, and don an apron and cook! They have three grown-up children, Myfawny, Ianto, and Gwenwyfar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 546 reviews
May 13, 2025
While I am literally drowning in books, the Charlie Bone series are books I could never get rid off.
They simply meant too much to me as a kid.
Not surprisingly though, it is also a great series to read as an adult.
(what can I say? 8 year old me already had an impeccable book taste.)
This is book 3 of the series and honestly it’s one of the best.
A new semester at the Bloor Academy begins for Charlie and his friends and of course things are not going well already as a new student with strange powers shows up.
Then there is also Ollie Sparks, a boy who disappeared a year ago, captured by the evil Bloor family and turned invisible.
Charlie finds the poor boy and makes the promise to rescue him, a task that turns out to be way more difficult than anticipated with half the school against him but of course Charlie has his friends who he can always count on with him.
Nearly all the Charlie Bone books are following the same formula. You know exactly who the good guys and who the bad ones are and that basically doesn't change throughout the whole series so there shouldn’t be anything surprising about this book, no?
Well, wrong.
It always manages to amaze me just how entertaining and different each of the stories is. There is just something so unique about every single book that immediately pulls you into it.
I mean in the last book we got a time traveler and in here we get a magical snake that can turn people invisible? You can’t tell me that is not cool.
But of course a good story is worth nothing without also having great characters, which luckily there are plenty - which honestly, there are so many characters in there that it should be confusing but somehow it’s not.
Turns out Jenny Nimmo doesn’t just have a gift for writing great stories but also for creating tons of interesting characters and making me care for every single one of them.
Honestly, the thing I love most about her books is how in the end everyone plays an important role, no matter their magical ability or if they have any at all.
I can’t wait to re-read the next one!
They simply meant too much to me as a kid.
Not surprisingly though, it is also a great series to read as an adult.
(what can I say? 8 year old me already had an impeccable book taste.)
This is book 3 of the series and honestly it’s one of the best.
A new semester at the Bloor Academy begins for Charlie and his friends and of course things are not going well already as a new student with strange powers shows up.
Then there is also Ollie Sparks, a boy who disappeared a year ago, captured by the evil Bloor family and turned invisible.
Charlie finds the poor boy and makes the promise to rescue him, a task that turns out to be way more difficult than anticipated with half the school against him but of course Charlie has his friends who he can always count on with him.
Nearly all the Charlie Bone books are following the same formula. You know exactly who the good guys and who the bad ones are and that basically doesn't change throughout the whole series so there shouldn’t be anything surprising about this book, no?
Well, wrong.
It always manages to amaze me just how entertaining and different each of the stories is. There is just something so unique about every single book that immediately pulls you into it.
I mean in the last book we got a time traveler and in here we get a magical snake that can turn people invisible? You can’t tell me that is not cool.
But of course a good story is worth nothing without also having great characters, which luckily there are plenty - which honestly, there are so many characters in there that it should be confusing but somehow it’s not.
Turns out Jenny Nimmo doesn’t just have a gift for writing great stories but also for creating tons of interesting characters and making me care for every single one of them.
Honestly, the thing I love most about her books is how in the end everyone plays an important role, no matter their magical ability or if they have any at all.
I can’t wait to re-read the next one!
Read
April 25, 2015I wonder how cook is doing these days.
October 19, 2019
I read all of the books in this wonderful series a couple of years ago! And found out that I hadn't rated them so here it is!
June 27, 2024
It's the beginning of the new semester, and Charlie's powers are changing while his uncle is away. Then they discover an invisible boy. Bad timing.
I've read far worse, but can't really recommend this.
I've read far worse, but can't really recommend this.
December 20, 2019
5/5 (keeping all the Charlie Bone series at five stars since thats how I rated it as a child; however, if I had read for the first time recently it definitely would be lower due to certain issues)
Overall, this is a really good book. I do think this book takes a vastly different approach and development of the plot and characters compared to the previous books. One of the stand out things was that there was more development between each of the characters. Charlie gets a better understanding of his own power and I think gets more brave to do the right thing. Lysander also learns more about his power and what it means to be communicating with his ancestors. I also really adored the scenes of the children with adults who encouraged and helped them rather than putting them down. I also think the plot was a fun ride all the way through.
My one gripe is the same as the past two books. The author definitely doesn’t know how to describe POC characters. for example, Bindi is completely gone in this book, and we don’t really get a good explanation for it. Sometimes, Lysander is just referred to as “the African” as if there isn’t more to his own personal style and look. This bothers me because she does a good job developing their character but doesn’t seem to have put the same thought into describing them as the white characters.
Overall, I’m still enjoying this childhood book, but also noticing all the flaws I missed as a child as well.
Overall, this is a really good book. I do think this book takes a vastly different approach and development of the plot and characters compared to the previous books. One of the stand out things was that there was more development between each of the characters. Charlie gets a better understanding of his own power and I think gets more brave to do the right thing. Lysander also learns more about his power and what it means to be communicating with his ancestors. I also really adored the scenes of the children with adults who encouraged and helped them rather than putting them down. I also think the plot was a fun ride all the way through.
My one gripe is the same as the past two books. The author definitely doesn’t know how to describe POC characters. for example, Bindi is completely gone in this book, and we don’t really get a good explanation for it. Sometimes, Lysander is just referred to as “the African” as if there isn’t more to his own personal style and look. This bothers me because she does a good job developing their character but doesn’t seem to have put the same thought into describing them as the white characters.
Overall, I’m still enjoying this childhood book, but also noticing all the flaws I missed as a child as well.
September 15, 2018
Another wonderful return to the world of Charlie Bone and the Children of the Red King series. <3 While overall I still really enjoyed this book and gave it four stars, I have to say this wasn't my favorite in the series thus far. There were quite a few beloved characters from the series whose presence was noticeably absent or lacking in this book as well as moments where it just felt a bit... off. This mostly had to do with the writing either being choppy at times or reading a bit juvenile. Since this is a children's book, obviously, I can allow that to an extent, but in the span of the series so far, this book was mostly just middle of the road.
October 14, 2025
Considerably better than the 2nd one. Charlie and the gang are back with a nice adventure. I just love the simplicity of these books written for young minds. Appreciation and gratitude from a worn out brain.
November 4, 2022
An sich recht düstere Kinder-Fantasy, die aber ebenso lichterfrohe warmherzige Orte und Charaktere bereithält, so dass man diese turbulenten, oft schmerzhaft gemeinen Verstrickungen letztendlich verdauen kann. Charlies Tanten, nebst Oma Bone sind eine Zumutung. Hier innerlich ruhig zu bleiben, ist gewiss ein gutes Training für die eigene Mitte! 😅 Die Bone-Reihe hat eine ganz eigene Atmosphäre, die sich bislang von Anfang bis Ende durch jedes Buch zieht. Durch die Ideenvielfalt der Autorin steht Jedes aber auch für sich allein.
November 19, 2008
Charlie Bone and his friends discover an invisible boy living up in the music tower at Bloor's Academy. His name is Ollie Sparks, and they soon discover that Mr. Baldova, tier art teacher, is Ollie's father.
Ollie tells them that he had gotten turned invisible by a blue boa. Only his big toe remained visible.
The Bloors like to own people, so naturally they try to stop Charlie from making Ollie visible again.
Can Charlie and friends succeed in their quest?
I am already a fan of Jenny Nimmo's books, but I think I liked this one especially. It was filled with hilarious comments, and she did a fantastic job of describing the settings and people. I think, in this book, Billy was my favorite character; he played a huge role.
Billy can talk to animals. With some persuasion, the eight-year-old talks to the blue boa, convincing him to turn Ollie visible again: without Billy, the entire rescue would have been a disaster! Little, cute, helpful; Billy is my favorite character, even though, in previous books, he's made some dark choices. I also like this book because it reminded me of when I helped save some one from disaster..and succeed.
Ollie tells them that he had gotten turned invisible by a blue boa. Only his big toe remained visible.
The Bloors like to own people, so naturally they try to stop Charlie from making Ollie visible again.
Can Charlie and friends succeed in their quest?
I am already a fan of Jenny Nimmo's books, but I think I liked this one especially. It was filled with hilarious comments, and she did a fantastic job of describing the settings and people. I think, in this book, Billy was my favorite character; he played a huge role.
Billy can talk to animals. With some persuasion, the eight-year-old talks to the blue boa, convincing him to turn Ollie visible again: without Billy, the entire rescue would have been a disaster! Little, cute, helpful; Billy is my favorite character, even though, in previous books, he's made some dark choices. I also like this book because it reminded me of when I helped save some one from disaster..and succeed.
March 31, 2019
This book Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy is really good and interesting and adds on to the great series of Charlie Bone. It’s a good addition to the series and adds lots of details and depth to tiny parts of the story. I like it because it’s also mysterious and adventurous. If you like mysteries or adventures then I suggest you read the Charlie Bones series by order.
February 27, 2023
Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy is book 3 of The Children of the Red King series. In this installment, Charlie and his friends must rescue and restore Ollie, who was made invisible by the blue boa, all while defeating Belle (who is really Yolanda) and the rest of the Yewbeam aunts.
July 13, 2019
I didn’t like this one as much as the first two, but it was entertaining. It felt like a stand alone book, and not quite part of a series. The plot just wasn’t as interesting - boy is invisible, need to find a way to help. That’s fine, but it just didn’t grab my attention very much.
January 6, 2021
The writing is getting better, in my opinion. To sum up this book, I’ll just use one line from the book, “there’s a lot of puzzles”. Lots of puzzles throughout this book, but it was all very interesting and kept my focus the entire time.
November 16, 2017
I have a lot to say about this book. I just don't have time right now to type it.
March 30, 2018
I do wish the "bad guys" in this series were just a bit badder... the stakes need to be risen! Everyone seems to be mean, but then they end up cooking breakfast for each other anyway.
December 27, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It may be my favorite in the series so far. I like how so much of Charlie’s support network is taken away and he has to do things himself for most of the book, and I like how there are so many pieces of this book which all come together. Looking forward to the next installment in Charlie and his friends’ adventures.
February 7, 2019
I remember being OBSESSED with this one as a kid and now I remember why! Really good mix of scary, heartwarming, and mysterious. Here is where the books get darker, but in an excellent and not excessive manner.
October 1, 2021
This one was way better than the second one, way more interesting and attention-grabbing. It was way better than I remember it being, this was one that I was the least excited to reread but it went better than I hoped. But still not as good as the first one.
February 26, 2023
A fun adventure story. Some issues (the way POC characters are described being the big one). I read the first two as a kid, and it was nice to return to the world of Charlie Bone, but there are better kids fantasy books out there now.
July 17, 2023
Points off this one for one of the characters using fat as an insult. There were actually a few body image things in this book. Product of its time blah blah, it still was a negative for me.
I did notice, however, how overall comforting these books are. Things never get too bad because adults always just show up when needed. I don't care if it seems unrealistic or formulaic, I love knowing that nothing is ever too serious. Everything always just works out. Reading should be fun and comforting, not stressful.
I did notice, however, how overall comforting these books are. Things never get too bad because adults always just show up when needed. I don't care if it seems unrealistic or formulaic, I love knowing that nothing is ever too serious. Everything always just works out. Reading should be fun and comforting, not stressful.
February 10, 2024
love the lore
Charlie Bone and the magical world that keeps on giving. The world is expanded on from sorcery, magical animals, to ancient evils. All in a school year Paton rides like a phoenix, invisible boys are found, and two ancient sorcerers come out to play.
Charlie Bone and the magical world that keeps on giving. The world is expanded on from sorcery, magical animals, to ancient evils. All in a school year Paton rides like a phoenix, invisible boys are found, and two ancient sorcerers come out to play.
May 13, 2018
This is a good series for young readers. Similar to Harry Potter, but less complex.
August 23, 2020
Qué saga más infravalorada... La paso tan bien con estos libros!
July 29, 2024
The new characters (both good and bad) were refreshing. I enjoyed the little tidbits that allowed us to learn more about the overarching mystery.
November 24, 2023
I'm looking the series more as I continue through it.
December 4, 2024
A lovely read. I had to grow into the story a little but the end was rather captivating.
May 20, 2021
After reading the last two books, this one is DEFINITELY my favorite in the series (so far)
to go on with a spoiler free review: It's a very engaging storyline with a lot of things going on in many different aspects of the lives of people around and including charlie bone, it's a thriller that i read in one go that will keep you on the edge of your seat screaming for charlie bone to just push his grandma down the stairs because she's really such a pain and deserves it, i'd recommend this book in a heartbeat
-spoiler territory-
(if you haven't read the book i suggest you stop reading this right now)
Man did i love this, FINALLY one of the characters listened to me and killed off one of the annoying
people who walk around bloor's academy, and it seems fitting it was done by my favorite character.
speaking of paton, him laying in his deathbed really had me worried, if he died
i would've yeeted that book i'm not even joking, i was so relieved the herb helped and him at the end marching to the aunts house because of what they did to Julia was really entertaining i enjoyed that thoroughly literally as soon as they were like "we'll finish off that bookseller!" i was like 'oh man, paton's gonna be in a fit of rage' and i was right :D meanwhile lets look at the other aspects of this book
1)there was one thing in this book about ollie that really bugged me the entire time because it seemed like a real hole, when Charlie gave Ollie the watch he explained that whatever he wore would turn invisible and one of the things that was prominent in this book was them trying to figure out how to hide Ollie's toe, but i kept wondering couldn't they just give him a new sock?? like literally just give him a sock, it'll turn invisible, and bam problem solved but, they didn't? it still worked out in the end but i feel like they could've been saved the hassle by just giving him a sock
2)WHAT WAS CHARLIE BONE THINKING????? page 70, Charlie is home alone with grandma bone and decides to visit his mom at the grocery store and tells her he's going to see emma then decides to instead go to HIS AUNT'S HOUSE. Like, these are the same aunts that tried to murder your uncle.... TWICE but no yeah it's definitely a good idea to go there by yourself, with no aid, while telling no-one where your going great idea like bruh????
and THEN he gets there and asa is like "then why are you snooping in the window instead of knocking?" he could've EASILY said "because there are 3 houses marked 13 and wanted to make sure this is the right one" but he instead is like "none of your business" like OH YEAH GOOD THINKING THAT WON'T MAKE YOU LOOK SUSPICIOUS AT ALLLLLL
3)They FINALLY revealed manfreds age after me wondering for the past 900 pages so that's cool (he's 18 for anyone who missed it)
4) i was yelling for charlie to get Julia to uncle paton on his death bed and FINALLY she showed up then Grandma Bone woke up and chose evil and chases her away and ho-boy did i want charlie to push her down the stairs SO BADLY
5)i absolutely LOVED paton and Skarpos interaction, i need more of that
' The sorcerer recoiled, saying, "Wha hast thou been?"
"if you mean what i think you mean i've been to yewbeam castle" said Paton
"God's teeth!" the sorcerer exclaimed "A dritful family- rogues, scoundrels, murderers. Woe to yee!"
"Woe indeed" paton murmured
6)why didn't they send emma to get the plant needed to heal paton in bird form? like all she had to do was become a bird, fly over, and pick the plant boom done but nono charlie has to fall into a trap
also the entire time the aunt was monologuing i was like "there are 4 endowed children behind you can they do like- idk, ANYTHING"
7) When Yolanda was in spider form after the kids came back with the boa..... NO-ONE THOUGHT TO SQUASH HER?? she changed into the easiest form to kill and no-one thought "gee let me kill this spider that has been causing us trouble" like seriously, she played herself and you didn't take the chance?
8)we love the Paton X Julia development in this household
9) i'm interested to see where they take the Billy arc
OK now i'm going to re-read this while waiting for the 4th book :I
#Patonsupremacy
to go on with a spoiler free review: It's a very engaging storyline with a lot of things going on in many different aspects of the lives of people around and including charlie bone, it's a thriller that i read in one go that will keep you on the edge of your seat screaming for charlie bone to just push his grandma down the stairs because she's really such a pain and deserves it, i'd recommend this book in a heartbeat
-spoiler territory-
(if you haven't read the book i suggest you stop reading this right now)
Man did i love this, FINALLY one of the characters listened to me and killed off one of the annoying
people who walk around bloor's academy, and it seems fitting it was done by my favorite character.
speaking of paton, him laying in his deathbed really had me worried, if he died
i would've yeeted that book i'm not even joking, i was so relieved the herb helped and him at the end marching to the aunts house because of what they did to Julia was really entertaining i enjoyed that thoroughly literally as soon as they were like "we'll finish off that bookseller!" i was like 'oh man, paton's gonna be in a fit of rage' and i was right :D meanwhile lets look at the other aspects of this book
1)there was one thing in this book about ollie that really bugged me the entire time because it seemed like a real hole, when Charlie gave Ollie the watch he explained that whatever he wore would turn invisible and one of the things that was prominent in this book was them trying to figure out how to hide Ollie's toe, but i kept wondering couldn't they just give him a new sock?? like literally just give him a sock, it'll turn invisible, and bam problem solved but, they didn't? it still worked out in the end but i feel like they could've been saved the hassle by just giving him a sock
2)WHAT WAS CHARLIE BONE THINKING????? page 70, Charlie is home alone with grandma bone and decides to visit his mom at the grocery store and tells her he's going to see emma then decides to instead go to HIS AUNT'S HOUSE. Like, these are the same aunts that tried to murder your uncle.... TWICE but no yeah it's definitely a good idea to go there by yourself, with no aid, while telling no-one where your going great idea like bruh????
and THEN he gets there and asa is like "then why are you snooping in the window instead of knocking?" he could've EASILY said "because there are 3 houses marked 13 and wanted to make sure this is the right one" but he instead is like "none of your business" like OH YEAH GOOD THINKING THAT WON'T MAKE YOU LOOK SUSPICIOUS AT ALLLLLL
3)They FINALLY revealed manfreds age after me wondering for the past 900 pages so that's cool (he's 18 for anyone who missed it)
4) i was yelling for charlie to get Julia to uncle paton on his death bed and FINALLY she showed up then Grandma Bone woke up and chose evil and chases her away and ho-boy did i want charlie to push her down the stairs SO BADLY
5)i absolutely LOVED paton and Skarpos interaction, i need more of that
' The sorcerer recoiled, saying, "Wha hast thou been?"
"if you mean what i think you mean i've been to yewbeam castle" said Paton
"God's teeth!" the sorcerer exclaimed "A dritful family- rogues, scoundrels, murderers. Woe to yee!"
"Woe indeed" paton murmured
6)why didn't they send emma to get the plant needed to heal paton in bird form? like all she had to do was become a bird, fly over, and pick the plant boom done but nono charlie has to fall into a trap
also the entire time the aunt was monologuing i was like "there are 4 endowed children behind you can they do like- idk, ANYTHING"
7) When Yolanda was in spider form after the kids came back with the boa..... NO-ONE THOUGHT TO SQUASH HER?? she changed into the easiest form to kill and no-one thought "gee let me kill this spider that has been causing us trouble" like seriously, she played herself and you didn't take the chance?
8)we love the Paton X Julia development in this household
9) i'm interested to see where they take the Billy arc
OK now i'm going to re-read this while waiting for the 4th book :I
#Patonsupremacy
October 3, 2024
A wonderful third installment of The Children of the Red King series!
This is such a fun reread of a series that I loved when I was a child. I found myself enjoying the plot a little more than the last book - with the invisible boy, the trips to Darkly Wind and Paton's strange illness.
It certainly felt like the book had a bit of a darker element this time around and the series keeps getting a bit darker as it goes. I appreciate this as an adult listening to a middle grade audiobook.
Looking forward to starting the next one after finishing this one to see where Charlie Bone and his friends end up.
This is such a fun reread of a series that I loved when I was a child. I found myself enjoying the plot a little more than the last book - with the invisible boy, the trips to Darkly Wind and Paton's strange illness.
It certainly felt like the book had a bit of a darker element this time around and the series keeps getting a bit darker as it goes. I appreciate this as an adult listening to a middle grade audiobook.
Looking forward to starting the next one after finishing this one to see where Charlie Bone and his friends end up.
September 5, 2024
5 September 2024
Book Review on “Charlie Bone and the Blue Boa.”
The book starts off with a young man named Charlie Bone. He has to deal with a lot of issues. Like his Grandma’s attitude and his uncle Paton’s sudden departure somewhere. His uncle is the only family member that could stand up to Grandma Bone. As such, the uncle is hated. The Yewbeams’ (Charlie’s aunts) are evil and do some pretty dark things under their curtains. To state it simply, they have a pretty questionable family.
The things I like about the book are:
The book has a lot of animals. Even though the animals aren’t anthropomorphic, it seems as if they are because one of the characters, Billy, can talk to animals. You can feel the voice of the animals and their various personalities.
The powers given to the children are not too “OP” or overpowered. They have reasonable power caps.
But as for the thing I don’t like:
1. The book falls flat. It has a boring feel to it and makes it such a long read. It’s as if the book immediately pulls you into the action of the book but as soon as you start to get somewhere, it pulls you right back out. It feels like a slow day on a hot day.
2. Racism. On Page 90 during the second half, a micro-aggression can be found. To put a direct quote, “Lysander explained that he was experimenting. ‘Gabriel passed on the word about Ollie Sparks,’ he said. ‘Thought if I could, kind of, carve a likeness of Ollie, I might get the ancestors to give the invisible boy a bit of body - you know?’ Charlie didn’t know. He couldn’t understand what the African was talking about.”It’s pretty obvious why this excerpt is problematic. Firstly, the statement addressed him as just, “the African” when that “African” clearly had a name. Which was Lysander. Secondly, what brought his ethnicity into it? Was it the fact that Charlie didn’t understand him or something else? The third issue is that black people, specifically people of African descent have been portrayed to use various forms of dark magic. Even in instances like this where everyone’s powers have to do with their birth. In books and even anime’s, black people have always had contact with their “ancestors” who grant them “blessings” and power. They can’t just be normal like everyone else.
\]
I DNF’ed the book. But my rating from what I saw was a solid 2 stars. There were just too many problems with the literature mentioned.
Book Review on “Charlie Bone and the Blue Boa.”
The book starts off with a young man named Charlie Bone. He has to deal with a lot of issues. Like his Grandma’s attitude and his uncle Paton’s sudden departure somewhere. His uncle is the only family member that could stand up to Grandma Bone. As such, the uncle is hated. The Yewbeams’ (Charlie’s aunts) are evil and do some pretty dark things under their curtains. To state it simply, they have a pretty questionable family.
The things I like about the book are:
The book has a lot of animals. Even though the animals aren’t anthropomorphic, it seems as if they are because one of the characters, Billy, can talk to animals. You can feel the voice of the animals and their various personalities.
The powers given to the children are not too “OP” or overpowered. They have reasonable power caps.
But as for the thing I don’t like:
1. The book falls flat. It has a boring feel to it and makes it such a long read. It’s as if the book immediately pulls you into the action of the book but as soon as you start to get somewhere, it pulls you right back out. It feels like a slow day on a hot day.
2. Racism. On Page 90 during the second half, a micro-aggression can be found. To put a direct quote, “Lysander explained that he was experimenting. ‘Gabriel passed on the word about Ollie Sparks,’ he said. ‘Thought if I could, kind of, carve a likeness of Ollie, I might get the ancestors to give the invisible boy a bit of body - you know?’ Charlie didn’t know. He couldn’t understand what the African was talking about.”It’s pretty obvious why this excerpt is problematic. Firstly, the statement addressed him as just, “the African” when that “African” clearly had a name. Which was Lysander. Secondly, what brought his ethnicity into it? Was it the fact that Charlie didn’t understand him or something else? The third issue is that black people, specifically people of African descent have been portrayed to use various forms of dark magic. Even in instances like this where everyone’s powers have to do with their birth. In books and even anime’s, black people have always had contact with their “ancestors” who grant them “blessings” and power. They can’t just be normal like everyone else.
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I DNF’ed the book. But my rating from what I saw was a solid 2 stars. There were just too many problems with the literature mentioned.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2023
The kids and I are loving listening to this series together. This was the best one so far.
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