Customer Reviews
got here quickly 
2008-05-05
this product was mailed to me quickly and I'm very happy with the service I recieved
Not a horrible book; just not a very good one 
2008-02-23
(I read the first 3 Charlie Bone books, so this review is probably more of an indictment of the entire series in general rather than any one book in particular.)
It will be immediately obvious to anyone who reads the back cover that this entire series is nothing more than a Harry Potter knockoff. Personally, I don't have a problem with this. Congruent themes - or even glaringly overt similarities - between novels and/or characters is fine with me. Ergo, just as there is room in my heart for both Superman and Captain Marvel, Aquaman and Submariner, there is room for both HP and the endless series of inevitable clones that followed it.
That said, Charlie Bone falls well short of the Potter series in a number of ways. Like any xeroxed item, imperfections that were barely noticeable in the original (ie, the HP books) become gross and compounded in a copy. If I laid out all the flaws I'd be here all day, so I will just highlight a few.
First the characters seem underdeveloped. They all come across as simple constructs, and mostly one-dimensional. This leads to a fair amount of predictability in the series. In fact, with this series, readers will be able to see around corners in a sense because the level of predicatability is so high that you will know well in advance exactly what's coimg and exactly how things will shake out.
Next, all of the major characters seem to behave in ways that are so abominably stupid that it's hard for readers to relate or empathize. Information that should be held private is blurted out indiscriminately at the first available opportunity, whereas vital information that should be shared is kept locked up like gold in Fort Knox. Examples:
1) Charlie's great-uncle is injured - purportedly dying - but rather than tell what happened to him (or who did it), he just mopes around saying, "I'm done for...he's killed me...{blah,blah,blah}" He does this for DAYS, mind you, during which time he has multiple conversations with Charlie. But every time Charlie asks what happend, it's "Later..." or "Another time..." or "Charlie, I'm done for..."
2) The cook at Charlie's school is a friend who tries to protect Charlie and his friends from danger. She has a secret room that she asks Charlie not to tell anyone about. Next thing you know, he's not only telling people but showing them how to get in!
3) An invisible boy is not chained to a wall, locked up, ensorcelled or enchanted, etc., but yet is "trapped" merely by being invisible and forced to serve the antagonists in the series. Yes, he can go anywhere he wants, he can speak to whomever he wants, etc. But he doesn't even go so far as to let his family know he is even alive and (except for being invisible) well.
4) One of the people living in Charlie's house is his evil paternal Grandmother. She is always working against Charlie's interests, and he knows this. Yet, he will still live critical items just lying around, knowing that she constantly looks around his room and goes through his things.
Finally, the series is quite unsatisfying in the sense that villains never get their comeuppance. They constantly seem to have Charlie & Company on the ropes, while landing solid body blows. The end result always seems to be more that Charlie ducked a punch rather than landed a jab of his own. I'm not sayimg that I expect the bad guys to be utterly defeated, but it seems that they never get even so much as a bloody nose.
On the positive side, the books are a fairly easy read. The average reader can probably get through one of these books in a weekend. There are glimpses of how great the series could have been: Charlie's power - the ability to hear and interact with people in photos (or paintings, etc) is novel enough to have taken the series in all kinds of interesting directions. Some of Charlie's classmates have interesting powers as well.
All in all, I would say that the series simply suffers from a lack of development. Maybe it was rushed out to ride on the Harry Potter wave before things died down. Regardless, I think this series had a great premise, but never reached its true potential.
Familiar Territory, That Charms Without Much Depth. 
2008-02-13
I don't think I'd recommend this as a substitute or alternative to the Harry Potter books, but instead as a primer for some younger teens who aren't quite ready for Potter's world. Thematically is runs along a similar course: Boy who's lost his father in this case, comes to terms with the fact that he's has an extraordinary gift. Charlie is capable of looking at a photograph and hearing the voices within, and what was happening at the time the picture was taken. Soon his nasty Grandma Bone who is crafted from the same school of the Dursley's from Potter's world, ship him off to Bloor's Academy, a much less detailed and vague Hogwarts. A mystery is revealed that Charlie with his new friends must solve, while the various other characters align with either the good or the bad. Its charming, and engaging enough however simplistic much of the writing might be. Still for a younger teen there would be much to engross them, and with multiple subsequent books, the writing will hopefully mature along with Nimmo's protagonist.
No conflicts in book. 2007-12-27
This book has a good storyline but the book does not have any action. When that action does come, it is over in like a page. The author does a good job describing everything in detail but it does not give good details on the action parts.
Worst book I've ever read! 
2007-11-20
This book is just a copy of Harry potter. I didn't like any of the characters, and the story is inconsistent. The characters are either pretty smart, or really stupid. There is no transformational arch, and people only like it because of it's similarities to Harry Potter. I would rather read the back of a shampoo bottle. I speak as a writer myself.
SFC 4 star review 
2007-10-20
The fabulous powers of the Red King were passed down through his descendants, after turning up quite unexpectedly, in someone who had no idea where they came from. This is what happened to Charlie Bone, and to some of the children he met behind the grim, gray walls of Bloor's Academy. Charlie Bone has discovered an unusual gift-he can hear people in photographs talking! His scheming aunts decide to send him to Bloor Academy, a school for genius's where he uses his gifts to discover the truth despite all the dangers that lie ahead.
Bookmom's Review - Midnight for Charlie Bone 2007-10-05
[Fun: 4/5] [Learning: 3/5] [Suitable: 5/5]
I was pleasantly surprised by what I thought to be a Harry Potter knock-off. Though the Charlie Bone books certainly do tend to follow in the footsteps of the world-famous predecessor, Nimmo gives her own take on the "magic school" story. In Charlie Bone, students have specific magical talents, rather than everyone having the whole range; for example, Charlie's talent is to hear voices from pictures. As Charlie is shipped off to a magical academy he has no desire to attend, he discovers secrets and works to unravel a mystery. Though a work that definitely plays off of Harry Potter fame, Nimmo actually creates a book that is fun to read and, in some respects, cleaner and less dark than the Harry Potter series.
Audience:
* Middle Readers (Grades 4-7)
Positive Themes:
* Loyalty to family and friends
* Using ingenuity to do what's right
Objectionable Content:
* Use of magic
* Some dark and possibly frightening characters
My Recommendations:
* Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Matilda by Roald Dahl
Bookmom - Get involved in your child's reading!
Charlie Bone Audio Tapes 2007-09-23
My kids enjoyed these tapes. They also came right away which was an added bonus.
An ok read with several flaws 2007-08-12
As has already been mentioned in previous reviews, the similarities to the Harry Potter series are obvious, but Nimmo does not quite deliver.
The plot seems hard to follow in places and characters are at times introduced rather suddenly, deus ex machina fashion.
Still, I suspect children will be happy to read this - it is not a bad book by all means.
One thing made me quite unhappy, however and it is the reason why I gave the book only 2 stars: There is a marked absence of important, positive female characters.
Male characters:
hero - male
hero's best friend - male
first new friend at school (Fidelio) - male
group of children who save Charlie in the end (3) - male
boy who turns bad (Billy) - male
villain - male
villain's helper 1 - male
headmaster - male
helpful uncle - male
other children mentioned - mostly male
mysterious helpful stranger - male
three cats - presumably male
teachers - predominantly male
female characters:
second friend at school (Olivia) - female
girl who has to be woken (Emma Tolly) - female
her aunt (shopkeeper) - female
three evil aunts - female
evil grandma - female
mother - female
villain's helper 2 (Zelda) - female
Apart from Emma Tolly, who does not play much of a role until the end and Olivia, who plays a larger role then some of the children, but not as big as most of the boys, there are positive female characters in the book. There are a few positive adults (mother, grandmother, shopkeeper), but again these are outweighed by the males and balanced by a rather large amount of unpleasant female characters. In the final battle there are no girls involved.
All in all this is a book for boys, it seems - instead of a book for all children. Since it is a not unpleasing book it is to be hoped that the author will introduce more positive female characters in the future.
Another small caveat: The plot with Charlie's father is rather too obvious, even for kids. On the other hand, things get mentioned (such as Billy's past), but not followed up on. The author should take a leaf out of Rowling's book and use better foreshadowing techniques. Nimmo's are either too obvious or plain confusing.
Good read...if not a little confusing. 2007-07-10
For readers of Harry Potter you will enjoy Charlie Bone. Admittedly he does not have the same likeably qualities we have known Harry Potter for, but him and his family have the quirky quality that is somewhat lacking in other books.
In the book, Charlie Bone's grandmother and her sisters are insisting that he attend a boarding school on the other side of town because of his gift of hearing pictures talk. The school he attends is dark and foreboding, also holding a mystery that does not become clear to the reader in this single volume.
For older readers Charlie Bone will disapoint, but younger readers will delight in the new magic and mystery Charlie Bone offers them.
All and all, it was a fast read that kept me up at night...but only for one night. The reading is easy and though good, very geared towards children. I have a feeling character development will come along more in the next few volumes and some of the mystery that came along with this book will become clear in the next of the series.
