Customer Reviews

Skulduggery Pleasant

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Skulduggery Pleasant is a wonderful name, and the skeletal title character is a fun new addition to the children's fantasy genre. However, when I bought the book, the bookstore clerk told me she thought it read like a TV show, particularly because of its snarky dialogue, and she was right. After an early interlude in which main kid Stephanie seems like a relatively normal child, we discover that the rest of the book is written in that dialect known as Banter, herein practiced by a preternaturally adult child character having snippy-snappy conversations with a childish adult character (Skulduggery).

The clerk also said she's seeing more and more children's books written in this style. Is it because everyone's aiming for a movie someday, like the Harry Potter franchise? Or is it because we have a new generation of writers whose training stems as much from years of TV and movie watching as from reading--writers with an ear for TV-style dialogue and characterization?

The plotting, too, which other Amazon reviewers have described in some detail, feels like a movie or at least a Saturday morning cartoon, albeit a lively one. Evil-villain-takes-over-the-world-with-the-help-of-appropriate-traitors-and-henchmen has been done to death, but Landy does throw in a few fresh twists, though the character of Skulduggery remains his greatest accomplishment. I would like to tell you that I found Stephanie appealing, but her mall-speak didn't quite work for me.

That said, there's obviously a place in the world for rowdy, TVesque books--look at all these rave reviews! Skulduggery Pleasant will be an entertaining read for a lot of kids, and it may yet become a movie or at least a video game. Still, it isn't well crafted in a traditional (award-winning, vanishing-classic, literary) sense. Try Terry Pratchett's Wee Free Men, Tamora Pierce's Terrier, or Jonathan Stroud's Amulet of Samarkind if you want to see what I mean.

Some books you just know will be fun to read. It can be the title, the cover, the plot description . . . something that just makes your fingers itch to crack the cover. This is one of those books. His name is Skulduggery Pleasant. He's a snazzy dresser with a cool car. He's an elemental master who never has to find trouble, because it finds him. He's also a walking, talking skeleton. But that hasn't stopped him from trying to save the world. Derek Landy makes his debut in children's fiction with this delightfully action-packed romp about a skeleton detective and his strong-minded 12 year old sidekick.

The book opens with twelve-year old Stephanie Edgley receiving an inheritance from her recently deceased uncle. That inheritance includes, among other things, a mansion, money and entry into a deadly and fascinating world of magic and mayhem. Like, Harry Potter, Stephanie's about to discover there's a secret society of sorcerers and mages that the ordinary world doesn't know about. Unlike Harry Potter, she's a stubborn, smart-talking gal who won't take `no' for an answer, even when she's in mortal danger. The forces of evil are looking for a key that her uncle had, and they think she has it. They'll do whatever it takes to get it. Skulduggery and Stephanie have their hands full trying to stop them, because if they find what they're looking for, it just may be the end of the world. It's a high action adventure that readers will tear through to find out what happens, enjoying the witty dialog and colorful characters along the way. Derek Landy's first book for children is enjoyable, entertaining and vivid. In fact, it would likely make a good movie or television series without too much effort.

It's no surprise that Mr. Landy's past work includes screenplay writing--this story springs off the page in full 3-D action and thrills. However while the plot charges forward, the narrative doesn't offer much in the way of internal character thought or character depth. We really know very little about our main protagonist, Stephanie, other than that she despises school, is quick with a retort and doesn't flinch when the chips are down. While she's certainly fun to read about, her wit and flagrant disregard for rules a change from the usual, she doesn't really reveal much about herself and what makes her tick. Also, Stephanie's age is problematic. At times, she acts much more mature than a twelve year old would be expected to--she seems more like she's fourteen or fifteen. At other times, her lack of knowledge about Skulduggery's chosen words makes her seem younger than twelve. The story, while told in a fresh and exciting manner, is not all that new, or surprising: forces of evil want an object that will end the world, forces of good must stop them. Mr. Landry's sorcerous world builds on well-known conventions: complete with name magic, vampires, magical books, tentacled monsters and maniacal violent bad guys. This doesn't make it bad, but it's fairly predictable. And I can't quite forgive the author for naming the villains `Serpine' and `Mavolent'. It makes my teeth hurt when the baddies are so painfully obvious.

What saves this book from being another clichéd contemporary fantasy for kids is the chemistry between Stephanie and Skulduggery. These two characters are made for one another--trading witticisms and retorts, disrespecting authority and watching each other's backs. Stephanie is a tough heroine who takes a licking and kicks evil in the shins. Skulduggery is a charming hero all the readers can cheer on. This is a fairly violent book with death and lethal threats at every turn for the protagonists. While this is handled well without becoming too dark, it may be a bit frightening for sensitive younger readers. For a quick read and a taste of action-adventure, this isn't a bad choice at all. There's no doubt that this is only the first story in a series of adventures featuring our cast of characters. With any luck, the author will explore his character in more depth while maintaining the excitement of this first book.

For readers 9-14 looking for some quick-moving enjoyable contemporary fantasy with a gothic twist, this will likely be just the thing. Readers who enjoy this book may also want to check out "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins and "Changeling" by Delia Sherman.

Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad

It all started when Gordon Edgley died. Well, it actually started much earlier than that. I mean, if you want to be picky it "all" started at the dawn of time. Or is that just when time started? Never mind. The point is, for Stephanie Edgley it all started when her uncle Gordon died. Gordon wasn't much of a family man; in fact, Stephanie was probably the one closest to him. Even saying that, though, is a bit of a stretch. It would probably be better to say that he tolerated her presence better and more often than he did the rest of his family. Which still doesn't completely explain why he left his house, his fortune, and his book royalties to her. Actually, there's a lot of unexplained things about Gordon, even more so now that he's gone. Like the strange man at the funeral. The one wrapped so tightly in a scarf, sunglasses, and an overcoat that you can't even glimpse an inch of his skin. That was the first time Stephanie had ever encountered Skulduggery Pleasant.

The next time they were in the same room was for the reading of Gordon's will. The one where he left most of his things to his twelve-year-old niece. Much to the dismay of Stephanie's aunt and uncle, who got a boat (Uncle Fergus gets seasick), a car ("We already have a car!"), and a brooch ("It doesn't even have any jewels on it."). Stephanie's parents, incidentally, got the villa in France. Skulduggery Pleasant received the strangest gift of all, which is some very cryptic advice. With which he was completely content. This was not to be the last encounter between Stephanie and Skulduggery.

Having spent most of a day exploring part of Stephanie's new house, she and her mother get in the car to go home and find that the car won't start. The mechanic that comes to fix it has to tow it back to his shop. Stephanie convinces her mother that she can stay at the house alone while the car is being fixed. But, the storm that started while they were waiting for the mechanic grows worse as time passes. It is eventually determined that the car won't be fixed until tomorrow, and the road to the house is flooded. Stephanie is stuck for the night. Though it takes some convincing for her mom to leave her there.

Freedom and solitude: Stephanie couldn't be happier! Which lasts all of a few minutes. Someone is trying to break into the house, and somehow Stephanie doesn't believe him when he says he won't hurt her if she just lets him in to get what he wants. Skulduggery Pleasant to the rescue! And what a strange rescuer he is. In the struggle with the intruder, Skulduggery's hat and scarf fall off to reveal only a skeleton! Stephanie is so shocked by this that she mostly forgets what he's done. Now she has a million questions: Who and what is Skulduggery? How did he know her uncle? Why was he at the house? How is it that he can throw fire? Can he teach her? And how does he stay upright when there's no skin and muscle to hold him together?

Stephanie is stunned, but oddly not frightened, by recent events. She was just contemplating how boring life was, and suddenly life got considerably more thrilling! Skulduggery isn't in the market for a sidekick, but he might just have gotten one. After one night in his world (he did have to keep her safe after all) Stephanie can't imagine pretending not to know what she knows. Besides, the bad guys are after her. Or at least something that belonged to her uncle, and now that she owns most of his things... Life, or death depending on who you are, will never be the same.

I love it! Not just a fun storyline, an exciting adventure, and a well drawn plot, although it does contain all of these things. SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT is one of the best written books I have encountered recently. Conversational and snappy, witty and self-deprecating, with a fantastically quirky cast of characters. This one has enough adventure to keep you on the edge of your seat, and random hilarity that makes falling off that seat a distinct possibility! I can hardly do it justice by merely describing it, so you'll just have to read it, and love it.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

It's always fun to find new book options for kids. A lot of students need to read over the summer or find a book for DEAR - Drop Everything And Read.

In case you are wondering the reading level of these books and the series order - here you go:

Book one - Skulduggery Pleasant - Scepter of the Ancients
Lexile = 760L

Book two - Playing with Fire
Lexile = 700L

Book three - The Faceless Ones
Lexile = 680L

Book Four - Dark Days
Book Five - Mortal Coil
Book six - Death Bringer
Lexile = No info on these last three. I'll fill them in later when they become available.

You can learn more about Lexile Measurements on Lexile . com. To over simplify it, the lower the number, the easier a book is to read. If your son or daughter has taken a standardized test at school, he or she will have a score. You can go up or down from this score. Up to challenge your young reader, down to give positive reading sessions and success.

Happy reading!!

First of all, don't laugh, but I'm almost 16. And this is still one of my favorite books ever. I read it at least three times a year.

This book contains everything a good children's book should: Ancient relics that possess sinister powers, a band of heroes and heroines who need to save the world, a creepy mansion, a unique system of magic, and even a scene of nice, old-fashioned spelunking. At the heart of the story is Skulduggery Pleasant, a character who's so good he deserves to have the series named after him. The witty, clever dialogue thrown back and forth between Stephanie and Skulduggery will bring nonstop entertainment.

While the book is lighthearted, I'm fascinated by the way Derek Landy has managed to subtly defy so many social stereotypes. Although this may not be an issue for everyone, it pleases me to read a story that rings with gender equity, yet doesn't contain a poorly developed in-your-face female lead. Stephanie Edgley is strong, intelligent, and precocious, which makes this book suitable for older readers as well as kids. It's also satisfying to read a book where the main character doesn't hate his or her parents, and the parents aren't oblivious idiots; in Skulduggery Pleasant, the Edgley family begins to notice when Stephanie goes out to solve mysteries with a skeleton detective.

The plot is highly original, the villains having been loosely based off of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. The action and fighting sequences are well-written, and it's clear the author knows what he's talking about; Derek Landy is a black belt, and still trains regularly.

This book deserves to be way more popular in the United States than it currently is. If you're looking for the next great adventure story, this is it!

I began Skulduggery Pleasant one night, after my power had gone out during a particularly rough storm, which was a fitting enviroment for the novel, I felt. I read it aloud to my mother, and together we entered the world of Stephanie Edgley and didn't look back.

Stephanie Edgley is your average twelve-year old girl who attends school, listens to music, and feels like she doesn't quite belong in her quiet and normal life. Oh, and her best friend is a talking fire-conjuring skeleton named Skulduggery Pleasant.

Derek Landy's debut novel Skulduggery Pleasant begins with a frenetic pace and doesn't let up for the length of the book. A worthy contender with the likes of Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket's works, it's the tale of a hidden family secret, a stolen sceptre, powerful magic, and darkness unseen. The dialogue is fast and witty, and written very tongue in cheek. Landy's style reminds me of a Christopher Moore for the younger set.

After the death of an author uncle, known for his tales of magic and darkness, Stephanie enters into his secret life led (reluctantly) by Skulduggery Pleasant. Landy's character of Stephanie Edgely is a welcome addition to the children's literature world. She's headstrong yet determined, and the dialogue is completely accurate for a girl of her age. She's a real child, still navigating the careful world between childhood fantasy and adult realizations.

Also notable is Skulduggery Pleasant. More than just a skeleton, he's a complex character with a rich and carefully-crafted history. But Skulduggery is only one great part of the novel. The rest of the world is just as enchanting, with a tailor who crafts clothes unique to the wearer and nearly invincible, vampires, and tricky trolls, not to mention a peculiar Canary Car.

The novel captivates the reader from start to finish and is the promising start to a seven book series.

I picked up this book at the book store yesterday knowing nothing about it, and have not been able to put it down since. It is a young reader book (which I didn't realize at the time) but I would highly recommend this book to anyone. My daughter cannot wait for me to finish so she can read it next! The characters are excellent and work well together. The story is seamless and Mr. Landy manages to keep the story not only interesting, but very funny.

I am loving every minute of it and cannot wait until the next one!

If you want a hilarious and heart-stopping mystery/adventure complete with evil villains, magic, and some of the wittiest banter this side of a Frank Capra flick, Skulduggery Pleasant is the book for you.

When Gordon Edgely, an eccentric author of horror/magic-themed bestsellers dies suddenly, he leaves the majority of his estate to his 12 year-old niece Stephanie. It is at his funeral that she first meets the mysterious trench-coated skeleton detective Skulduggery Pleasant. As she is pulled the strange world of magic, intrigue and evil that thrusts itself upon her soon after her uncle's death, Skulduggery becomes first her protector, and then her partner.

Their quest to stop an evil villain named Serpine from finding a magical artifact that he believed her uncle owned, and using it to overthrow the world and bring back the Faceless Ones, leads the reader on a scary, dryly witty, and definitely original romp through Dublin.

Stephanie is tough and smart, and the white-knuckled action and witty banter she trades with Skulduggery kept the me alternately on the edge of my seat and laughing my head off. Their relationship is really what makes this book (and the remaining books in the series) a winner. While the action can get a bit descriptive and inventive, the multi-faceted characters and tongue-in-cheek dialog balance out the thrills with plenty of comedy. I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook version narrated by Rupert Degas, which brings a whole new level to the action.

There are children's books and children's fantasy books which really only work for the target age group, and then there are children's books and children's fantasy books which adults will love just as much: Harry Potter is a prime example.

The Skulduggery Pleasant series is very much in that latter camp - the books say they're intended for the 9+ age group on the back cover, but they can be enjoyed equally well by those of us in their thirties and forties. I love them. My friends love them. There is just something about them that seems to work - especially in the latter books of the series, but to tell the truth, I was captivated from the very first page onwards.

It's probably not for everyone. If you loved Buffy; if you love fun, irreverent, occasionally rather gory humour, if you like some action and magic and over-the-top bad guys in your books, then you'll probably love it. If having the heroes trade witty one-liners and solve most problems by shooting at them or punching them in the face isn't your sort of thing, you'll probably not like it all that much.

But it's not all fun and games and gore. There's a lot of depth in these books (again, probably more in the latter books; this one is awesome in its own right but it is only the first book in a planned nine-book series). The truly bad guys may be pure evil, but the protagonists and their friends aren't nearly as one-dimensional - there is a lot of grey about quite a few of them. There's fighting and action, but there are also slower, more poignant moments.

I'm not going to try and come up with a synopsis, or talk a lot about the characters - other reviewers have done that better than I ever could - but really, this series is my absolute favourite discovery in the last year. Well worth a read, whether you're 9 years old or a grown-up still young at heart!

I was introduced to this series by a friend overseas, and while I'm beyond the targeted age group for this series I really enjoy it! It's fact paced, has lots of action- Landy certainly knows what he's talking about in regards to a fight scene. Not to mention the humor is simply fantastic- every book so far in the series has made my sides hurt from laughter.

The world in which the characters reside is very cool, and the characters use a neat magical system for their powers as well as the importance of everyone's names. Taking place in modern times, you get another magical view besides harry potter that is far from traditional. Its a very quick read and well worth it, I highly recommend it!

My only caution is that this series does not necessarily seem suitable for the targeted age group its listed under. As the series progresses some things occur to characters that I really don't think a 10 year old should be reading. It could be gory, startling or cause nightmares! I am not handing this series over to my brother until he is much older!

My best advice is to Read it for yourself first! It is undoubtedly an amazing series, but up to a parent's discretion on what sorts of things they deem ok for their kids to read. Its a blurry line, but don't let it stop you from picking it up and saving it for when they are older!