Customer Reviews

Lucinda's Secret (Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 3)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The mysterious tale of the Spiderwick legacy continues in the third installment of the Chronicles, as the twins Jared and Simon Grace and their elder sister Mallory run into more members of the faery world in their ongoing study of great, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Faery World.

After moving into the Spiderwick Estate with their divorced mother, the three siblings found the secret library of Arthur, who vanished several years ago, leaving only his comprehensive guide to the faery world that surrounds his home. It is this world that the Grace children are gradually getting to know, and already they have a couple of brownie/boggart and hobgoblin friends and an injured griffin in the barn. But it just so happens that after centuries of abuse and destruction, the faeries aren't so keen on humans learning about their world once more, and so are out to stop them by any means possible. Mallory and Simon are rather keen on ridding themselves of the Guidebook and thereby getting themselves out of trouble, but Jared, who feels the study of faeries is the only thing he's been really good at refuses, and instead suggest visiting great-aunt Lucinda, the daughter of Arthur Spiderwick, who might have some answers to their questions.

From the visit at the old person's home to the discovery of an old map in Arthur's libary, the three children decide to set out and discover what actually happened to Arthur. This leads them to the riddle-speaking Phooka (one of the book's best characters yet!) and the court of the noble, beautiful, but extremely suspicious elves, who are the guardians of the realm of faery, and not at all pleased that humans have breached their domain...

I am loving the Spiderwick Chronicles, and personally can't wait until the next installment "The Ironwood Tree" is published, as it promises even more faeries, including dwarfs! As the poem at the back of "Lucinda's Secret" says: "And beneath the old quarry, just outside of town, lives a king with a kingdom, but who wears the crown?" It is almost cruel that publishers make us wait so long.

To a point, "Lucinda's Secret" was not quite up to the success of the two previous books, as the story was quite clearly split into two: the visit to the nursing home, and the trek into the faery realms. Perhaps if they had found the map earlier, and shown it to Lucinda, the book would have felt more fluid. As such, I'm getting a tad concerned at the outcome of this series - its been established that there's only five books in the series, but so far more and more characters and situations are being introduced, with nothing really getting resolved. On top of the theme of the children inflicting on the secret world of the faeries (a theme I thought was more than enough to carry the series along) there were hints here that a good and evil plot strand is arriving soon, with mention of one Mulgarath the ogre gathering malevolent forces to him. Of course, its rather useless worrying about it yet, but I'd hate to be disappointed in this great series, and the sheer shortness of the books (I read "Lucinda's Secret in half an hour) means that there's a lot of ground to cover in the remaining two books, and I'd hate to see Thimbletack, Hogsqueal, Byron or the Phooka shortchanged in wrapping up the story.

Likewise, the promised "Lucinda's Secret" wasn't so much of a startling revelation than simply a little background to the Spiderwick family and reassurting what the children already know - not much of a secret! However, the faery lore that Holly Black places within the context of the story is truly wonderful - any long time scholars of faeries will delight in seeing the dangers of faery food, the technique of wearing one's clothes worn inside out, the faery use of stray sods and the power imbued in a name put to good use. And Tony DiTerlizzi's illustrations are an absolute delight. The beautifully clear and intricate pictures perfectly capture what the text describes, and creates what I consider the *real* nature of faery - not a silly, pretty little world, but quirky, intricate, and a little dangerous. Any fans of Brian Froud will adore Tony DiTerlizzi's drawings, and I myself almost wept with delight at his depiction of the unicorn - no sweet little pony, but small and stunted, with lion's paws and tail and a goat's beard: exactly how the original unicorns were depicted.

Finally, the presentation of the book is stunning, especially in regard to the way the author creates it as a 'real story', with the children of the story actually writing to the authors with their story (and their letter is included!) The Spiderwick Chronicles are perfect for bringing lore of faery to a new generation, and I can't wait for the next book!

This book will leave you gasping for air- on account you haven't been able to breathe through the adventures of the Grace kids. It leaves you wanting more. It leaves you with a hint of a mystery. And if you can, do take an hour or two to closely examine the exquisitely detailed pictures that Tony DiTerlizzi has created. If I were to compare this book to Harry Potter, as a better kids book, "Lucinda's Secret" would win.

I loved these books! They were so much fun! It was so exciting and it kept you on the edge of your seat.

...can be found in this truly entertaining children's book. This is a quick and easy read for even the most stubborn of readers. I thourougly enjoyed it and can't wait for the next book. I am intrigued and entertained by the Grace children and their meetings with the "mythical" creatures.
The creatures may be myth to most, but the Grace children know the truth.
The illustrations are gorgeous and descriptive. You don't need any descriptions with Holly Black's wonderful writing, but Tony Di Terlizzi just makes this book more amazing than it already does.
All children should be able to have books like this available for them.

The Spiderwick books are my new favorite series. I think they are the best because they have adventure and they are creepy and funny. I love all of the creatures like the faries and the elves.I have been asking for Book 4 every daybut it is not in stores. I can't wait until April when the book is out and that ois also when my birthday is and it will be the best present ever. Buy this book.You will love it!

My nine year old son has had such a hard time trying to muddle through the thick "Harry Potter"/"Lord of the Rings" books. He wants to read them but their just too difficult for him. He has been so discouraged about reading. I ran across these books for Christmas and bought all three. He thinks there so COOL and loves to read them! I haven't had to poke or prod him at all. The children in his 4th grade class have even begun passing them around. The school library has ordered them upon the kids request. Please keep them coming! Impatiently awaiting number four!!!!

I read this book in two reads, ok so it's suppose to be a children's series, that doesn't keep adults from reading Harry Potter, now does it. This is a fun quick series, I like that you could read them in a few doctors visits... heck take all the kids to the dentist and finish this great story while you wait! Not all classics and books worth reading need to be 3" thick! Alot of ground is covered and the imagination is delighted! Now if we could just get the authors to write faster and WHY is there only going to be two more books, boo-hoo! Waiting on #4 already! Excited Teacher!

In Lucinda's Secret we find the Grace children nursing a griffen back to health in the barn, Jared still suffering from the pranks of the house Brownie, and continued questions and secrets surrounding Uncle Arthur and the faerie world. They decide to visit their Aunt Lucinda in the sanitarium to see if she can provide any answers to these questions. She is able to give them a glimpse into the disappearance of her father, their Uncle Arthur. This leads them on another magical adventure in the area surrounding the Spiderwick Estate as they follow a map that could only have been made by Arthur himself.

This is anoher fun installment in the Spiderwick series. The Grace children continue to rely on each other and use their clever wits to get them out of problem situations as they encounter magical creatures. Some of the other fantasy series out there have a bit more depth to them, but this is a charming series with a lot of fun.

I must admit I am addicted to these books, read three of them in 2 days and will more than likely reread the whole series again and again. Some books are like a bottle of Gatorade that you just chug back, some like a nice cup of tea that you sip, and some like a fine wine that you savour slowly. Right now I am drinking these books back because I need to know what happens next. But I know I will go back and drink them in slowly like a big mug of Irish Breakfast tea on my second reading. Black and DiTerlizzi have written a wonderful series that I can highly recommend. Their books are very enjoyable, and much like the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis, will be enjoyed by both the young and young at heart!

In this book the Grace children, Malory, and the twins Jared and Simon, visit their Great Aunt Lucinda and discover that even though she is committed she is not really crazy. In this book we also meet more creatures from the other world, and find out that many different beings want Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide, and they all seem malevolent to some extent. We also discover that something lost for more than 70 years might really be close at hand. And Thimbletack does not appear, but signs of his mischief abound. In this book we meet a unicorn, fairies, and elves. It is another wonderful book in an awesome series.

My only complaint about this series is they end too quickly; but this is common for early reader-type books, and keeps you interested in what is happening in the next installment. Ms. Black has an innate understanding of fairy tales and knows how to portray the fae quite well. The Grace siblings' encounter with elves was riveting, as was the trick they played to earn Jared's freedom. I suspect their next encoutner with the sidhe will not go well.