Tuesday, October 05, 2010

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Alan Bradley. 2009. Random House. 304 pages.

It was as black in the closet as old blood.

I really enjoyed this mystery. It's set in the 1950s and stars a young girl (just 11), Flavia de Luce. When she's not plotting revenge on her sisters, chances are you'll find her upstairs in her chemistry lab. (Sometimes you'll find her plotting there too!) When her father is accused of murder, Flavia is determined to find the real killer. With her trusty bicycle, Gladys, to help her get around town, Flavia goes about solving this crime. There may be more than one mystery to solve in this case--mysteries regarding the motive for the crime!

I liked this one. I thought Flavia was a great character, a great narrator! I thought it was well-written. Alan Bradley did a great job with the setting, the tone, and, of course, the eccentric characters!

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

9 comments:

Liz @ Cleverly Inked said...

This sounds great I love unique quirky characters

Book Bird Dog said...

I recently reviewed this one too and gave it a 4. I understand that the follow up book is even better!

Sharon said...

I listened to this book on audio. The woman who read it is fabulous. Great book.

Julie P said...

I almost bought this the other night at B&N. It was on their buy 2, get 3rd free table, but I didn't grab it. I am going to have to reconsider my decision!

Mrs. N said...

I definitely enjoyed it and will continue reading the series. Flavia is a pretty cool kid. I love books where kids are smart and interesting.

JaneGS said...

I've been hearing good things about this book--better put it on the list.

Carl V. Anderson said...

So happy to hear that you enjoyed this. It is a particular favorite and the second book in the series is just as fun.

Melissa said...

I enjoyed this one also. Have you got to the second book in the series yet?

Kailana said...

I finally read this, too. I will probably wait to read book two, though, because I have seen a few people not like it as much when they read it right after.