After skipping last month’s Collaboreads link up, I jumped back in this month. The category was a book recommended by a friend, so I sent out a text to my tribe. Emily and Lisa both came back with books I had already read, but Anna suggested (and not for the first time) The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.

RIVETING. What part of this book could you not get enough of?

The story started off quite slowly but then picked up with steam around chapter 5.  And though I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as my friend Anna, I did enjoy it.

The Amazon review reads:

It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath.

For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

ELEMENTS. How did you relate to/care for the characters? What’s your thought on the plot line?

Flavia is 11 going on 40.  I thoroughly enjoyed her character, full of curiosity and wit and wisdom.  I didn’t like the fact that she was allowed to roam wherever and whenever she wanted.  I always dislike that in books because it seems so ‘unreal’ to me. In reality, I know there are 11 year olds who have that freedom but I still don’t like it.

ASSOCIATE. What other books, movies, or tv shows remind you of?

This book loosely reminds me of Nancy Drew and the Boxcar Children.  All are series that involved kid-sleuths, but Flavia’s character is much more developed.

DESIGN.  What did you think of the cover?  

I think the cover could definitely be more interesting.  It is a bit plain.

STARS.  

4/5.  If I hadn’t been reading this for Collaboreads, it would have been hard to stick it out through the slow beginning.  I’m glad I did, because it got much better in the middle, but it was tough going at the start.

Don’t forget to check out Amber or Rachel’s page for more Collaboreads goodness.