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This a good series of books. I'm surprised I liked them because they are children's books in all the ways that the Harry Potter series is not. The storytelling is simple and straighforward, and while I was annoyed by the behavior of the children and the adults in the book, the young people in my family understood them perfectly. The author has written a story that kids get and don't question. The story sounds familiar but stands apart. At 11, Charlie discovers he is an "endowed" child - one born with a magical ability inherited from a distant ancestor called the Red King. He can hear the thoughts and voices of people in photographs. Since his father's death when Charlie was two, he and his mother and maternal grandmother live in a house owned by his paternal grandmother, a hard, cold woman, who has allowed them house room only on the chance Charlie would turn out to be endowed. His father, her son, was a gifted pianist but had no endowed ability. The last resident of the house is Charlie's reclusive uncle who never leaves his top floor bedroom in daylight. As soon as Charlie's gift is discovered he is shipped off to Bloor Academy. This is not a wondrous Hogwarts type of school. It is a harsh school for normally talented kids, that has a great interest in the descendents of the Red King. He makes some good friends at the academy even as he discovers not all endowed children are good. Some use their abilities for evil ends, and the owners of the academy, the Bloors, appear to be collecting endowed children for a nefarious purpose. Billy Raven, Gabriel Silk, Lysander Sage, Tancred Torsson, Fidelio Gunn, Benjamin Brown, Runner Bean and the Three Flames are only a few of the characters you will meet along with Charlie in this book. The wait for the last Harry Potter book has been especially hard for the young people in my family. In order to get their minds off the subject for a while I thought I'd look for other children's books in a similar field and give them something new to read. I'm glad I did. We've all discovered not only Charlie Bone, but also Artemis Fowl and Eragon, two other interesting characters that appeal to children. Thanks to them and the series of books devoted to them, we are all going to find the wait for HP 7 more fun.Read full review
Wonderful intro to this series for children not quite old enough to read Harry Potter. Bearutiful blend of quirky, talented, good, and evil characters.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Came as advertised which is a relief & hard to find on this site! These books are going into my collection so I'm glad I can have them clean like this.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I really liked the Harry Potter series and when I exhausted my collection I came upon the Charlie Bone series. I am just about done with the first book having had bought it just 3 days ago and already I have ordered the second. The reading is easy and the lines are double spaced which for me is great. I thought that reading the Charlie Bone books may have been a waste of time. Now, since I have started I can't seem to get enough. There are things sort of in common with the Harry Potter books but only on the surface. Charlie Bone is a world of it's own. I would definetly recommend this book to anyone.
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