Charlie Bone and the Red Knight

Charlie was standing against the wall staring at the window pane. He was waiting for a voice, Matilda's voice. Matilda was the girl from Badlock who was watching over Billy. Suddenly a mirror appeared. It was a magical mirror and it sucked Charlie into Badlock. The fantasy book, Charlie Bone and the Red Knight, by Jenny Nimmo is a continuation of the book Charlie Bone and the Shadow. Many magical things are happening are happening at Bloor's School and it is up to Charlie and his friends to stop the magical nonsense, Charlie is hoping that all of the talents that he and his friends have will be enough to rescue Billy and put things back to normal or as normal as things normally are.

I would recommend this book for middle school students show more that like Harry Potter. Jenny Nimmo describes the setting and the characters so clearly that it feels like you are right there with them. I loved this book because of the suspense and the the dramatic plot. I would definitely recommend this book to other people. show less

I can't quite believe it's over. At least, I assume the Charlie Bone series is over, although there's room to continue the story. As enjoyable as that might be, I kind of like the thought of ending here, with everyone where and with whom they should be. I certainly don't mind imagining for myself what might happen in Charlie's future....

This was a satisfying end to the series, but felt like it was a bit slim in story. Primarily this novel was about the final wrap-up of all the story lines that have twined through the last seven novels. I was pleased to see that Charlie's father didn't just abandon him in the face of the dangers that were swirling around the children of the Red King. One thing I liked about this series was how people could change - they could start out on the "bad" side and then switch to the "good" side.

The eighth and final book in the Charlie Bone series was full of surprises. I noticed that the book is the darkest one in the series. Dark forces such as Lord Grimwald and the knight ally themselves with the Bloors in order to find a will. The book is so dark that during one scene, Maisie tells Charlie that he can't go visiting friends due to recent activity. It's not until Charlie convinces Uncle Patton to accompany him, he is allowed to go.

I also noticed that Charlie is more assertive. In one of the early chapters, Charlie opens the dorm window and refuses to close it and refusing to listen to and take orders from Dagbert Endless and his cronies. It's also amazing that all eight books have taken place within a two year time span, show more showing Charlie's growth and development.

Jenny Nimmo's writing style increased in Charlie Bone and the Red Knight. While the series is geared for children ages seven to 10, this book is more for the elder of that range.

In this exciting conclusion, fans will discover the answer to several questions: Why did the Bloors keep Billy Raven a prisoner? Why did Grandma Bone (and her sisters and the rest of the Bloors) want Lyell Bone (Charlie's father) to remain hidden? show less

The Good:
Billy Raven and His Rat - It may seem weird to list this first, but Billy and his rat saved this series for me personally. Though he's just a kid, the author provided a deep family history that was slowly revealed throughout each of the books. I really loved seeing his transition from the bad side to the good side, as well as his journey to find a permanent home. His characterization wasn't as deep as I would have liked it to be, but his connection to animals quickly created a soft spot in my heart toward him.
The Concept of the Varying Plots - I really loved the varying plots throughout each book. Though some were not as well-executed as others, I still believe the concept behind each was really great.
The Varying Abilities of show more Each Child - I really liked that each child had a different ability related to their ancestors. Seeing each develop throughout the series was nice and even refreshing when it came to some of the powers.

The Bad:
Lack of Explanation - The author really held off on explaining certain events for too long. I don't believe an explanation as to why the children even had to attend Bloor's Academy (the overall base for the story, basically) was given until the fifth book, when it really should have been explained in the first book. I would understand if the lack of explanation was to add an element of mystery, but, in most cases, it was not.
Flat Relationships & Characters - I feel like a large portion of the characters in this series were stock characters. Their characterization was hardly ever touched on and could change drastically just to fit a scene. Additionally, the relationships between varying characters could have used some more development.
Unchanging Pace - While I enjoyed reading this series, I can't deny that I became quite bored of it by its ending. Whatever excitement I felt at the beginning of the series quickly died down as each book failed to improve on the faults of the former. The writing held a monotone feel and the excitement was under-exaggerated. I mean, if Charlie got stabbed he would probably just be like, "Oh no, I suppose I will miss school on Monday."

Though I do think 3 stars may be a bit of a stretch, I enjoyed reading the series overall so I don't mind being a bit generous. I think that the younger you are, the more you can enjoy the series. show less

Oh spit. There's a week of my life gone. From book one I wasn't sure I wanted to keep reading, but I kept waiting for shadow characters to become real, and the coming epic battle to be world-changing, and for main characters to be more fully developed. But here's the final chapter, and the series just stumbles to a close. I'm sorry Nimmo, but I bet you could have done better if you weren't just trying to write for Rowling's fans.

Charlie Bone and the Red Knight, by Jenny Nimmo. The conclusion to this wonderful children's series. Filled with the usual cast of characters, magic and adventure, this last book earns the same high marks as previous works. The basic plot is good vs. evil at a school for the magically gifted. Time travel, shape-changing, ancestral ghosts, power over water -- each child has a special talent and uses it to fight to save their home. The end felt a little rushed, as all the pieces fell into place domino-style, but just a minor criticism. Read Out Loud with child #2. Four stars.