The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Say it with me, folks. "FLAY-vee-ah duh LOOSE." Now, look at the character's name: Flavia de Luce. Now, go read the book. That's really all you need to know.

But, if you're looking for more...

Picture the 1950's and a British mansion that is deteriorating. Envision nasty sisters, and *gasp* unmentionable happenings in the cucumber patch. This book may just frighten the heebie-jeebies out of you.

But then along comes Flavia.

An eleven-year-old obsessed with chemistry and poison in particular, Flavia creates a world of heroism that is all her own. She is out to solve the mystery, and a hard one to crack, at that. But Flavia has one up on those stuffy old detectives. This is because Flavia is a GENIUS. Her quirkiness and intelligence also makes her such a solid character, that  you never doubt her authenticity for a second. 

 Alan Bradley's writing is not something that you can whip through in one night, however. It's more dense than most books. Sometimes I felt that I needed a break or a breath of fresh air because the writing felt more technical. However, this style also fits Flavia so well that anything else would feel unnatural. Flavia thinks through everything, as does the narrator. I can't imagine anything that would work better, but it's definitely not what I'm used to.

Also, be aware that there are (if I'm remembering correctly) more than three swear words in the book. They aren't frequent, though, and the first time I remember it occurring was actually with Flavia, and it took me so much by surprise that I laughed. 

Appropriate for ages 16+ (though on Alan Bradley's website, he says he knows of people from 8-95 who enjoy it).