This is the story of two children and a big secret surrounding the mysterious death of a magician (the kind that performs on a stage, not the kind that attends Hogwarts). The story is told by a narrator who claims to know the children but this character never actually shows up in the story. (Sound familiar? I thought so too.)
There are a few good chuckles in this book, especially in the first few pages. I only wish I could say the rest of the book was as good as its beginning. The nameless narrator with a fake sounding name who recounts the antics of two children who get themselves into a lot of trouble reminded me just a bit too much of another well-known series about unfortunate children. The plot of the book was bit uneven. There were parts of the story that made me laugh out loud and kept me on the edge of my seat, but other parts lagged and made me lose interest and I sometimes found myself skimming ahead to the more exciting parts. A cliffhanger ending alludes to the promise of future installments. A fun appendix at the back of the book gives more information about projects readers can try at home and codes they can learn. Overall, I think kids will like this book, but some adults might find it a little harder to get into. Anyone who loved the Series of Unfortunate Events and Mysterious Benedict Society will find this an enjoyable read.
There are a few good chuckles in this book, especially in the first few pages. I only wish I could say the rest of the book was as good as its beginning. The nameless narrator with a fake sounding name who recounts the antics of two children who get themselves into a lot of trouble reminded me just a bit too much of another well-known series about unfortunate children. The plot of the book was bit uneven. There were parts of the story that made me laugh out loud and kept me on the edge of my seat, but other parts lagged and made me lose interest and I sometimes found myself skimming ahead to the more exciting parts. A cliffhanger ending alludes to the promise of future installments. A fun appendix at the back of the book gives more information about projects readers can try at home and codes they can learn. Overall, I think kids will like this book, but some adults might find it a little harder to get into. Anyone who loved the Series of Unfortunate Events and Mysterious Benedict Society will find this an enjoyable read.
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