I've been committed to the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Mary Rose Wood since book one, The Howling. Though I've been frustrated because it's a hardcore serial, I enjoy the historical and literary references and its Jane Eyrish nature. Maybe a kind of parody Jane.
There's a lot of sly humor in these books, but it does involve understanding some of the literary works and ideas being parodied. I sometimes wonder if child readers appreciate all the little bits and pieces I like. For instance, I was taken with the flamboyant Russian family in The Unmapped Sea. Are they over-the-top enough that kids will find them funny even if they've never seen or read a heavy Russian drama?
I found this particular volume a little slower going than the others. That may not have been the case, if I'd been able to binge read these books. I'd pretty much forgotten what had happened in the last book, and this is, as I said earlier, a serial. There are story threads, as well as a mystery, that run from book to book.
The Incorrigible Children would have made such a wonderful binge. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how much I enjoyed binge reading when I was getting started reading them or that this was going to be a serial.
Nonetheless I must continue reading, because at the end of The Unmapped Sea our intrepid heroine... Well, let's just say I think I'll remember that when the next book comes out.
Thank you for the fun teaser at the end of this review.
ReplyDeleteI haven't started this series yet, so I appreciate your suggestion to set aside a chunk of time to binge!
ReplyDeleteLeanne--Unfortunately, you have to read a few books to get to the end of this one.
ReplyDeleteNancy--The world is so well done and the author does such a good job of maintaining it that I do think a reader can enjoy getting into it and staying there.