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David McK (3832 KP) rated Skulduggery Pleasant in Books

Jan 26, 2024  
Skulduggery Pleasant
Skulduggery Pleasant
Derek Landy | 2007 | Children
6
8.9 (15 Ratings)
Book Rating
The first in Derek Landy's 'Skulduggery Pleasant' series, which I decided to borrow recently from Kindle Unlimited.

I read (or heard) somewhere that this was attempting to be the heir to the Harry potter crown, and I can definitely see the similarities: a secret world alongside our own full of magic, where a dark sorcerer wants to gain control over the mortal world, and where a young pre-teen is introduced to the world and has (to them) unknown connections to it already, and some unpleasant relatives...

However, unlike the Harry Potter series, this is primarily set in and around Dublin (rather than London) - and so, to me, is closer to home - while the home life of the protagonist is far more settled: she's not an orphan, and lives with her family.

I also found Skulduggery Pleasant to be more of an interesting character than Dumbledore, as well as playing a far larger role in the proceedings.

Finally, I may yet read more of these.
  
40x40

ClareR (6253 KP) rated Lowest Common Denominator in Books

Feb 10, 2026  
Lowest Common Denominator
Lowest Common Denominator
Pirkko Saisio | 2025 | Biography
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I believe Lowest Common Denominator is going to be a trilogy, and after reading this, I’m all for reading the next two.

LCD bounces around somewhat in time from toddlerhood to the present day. It’s auto fiction, really, although I had to double check that. So I suppose it’s a mix of Saisio’s autobiography that has been fictionalised in places.

I found the details of a child growing up in Finland, Saisio’s communist parents, along with 1950’s Finnish life, fascinating. It also made me curious about the war and occupation of the Russians in Finland, and I consequently did a bit of background reading about that.

I love reading translated books, and the translator, Mia Spangenberg, has made sure that this has lost none of its humour. The relationships between the narrator and their family members are so well drawn. Their experiences, traumas, upbringings and their expectations of this small child make for an engrossing read.