Saturday May 19 2012
Art & Literature Archive
Village Art & Literature
Pleasantly surprised by complex stories
Posted on January 18 2009 at 4:52:56 0 comments
Natasha Hooper, aged 14, of Alvechurch, reviews Beatrice Beecham’s Fearsome Feast and Beatrice Beecham’s Fete of Fate by Blackwell author Dave Jeffrey.
I started the Beatrice Beecham books a little hesitantly as their overall design seemed quite dull in appearance, but I was pleasantly surprised.
The Beatrice Beecham Trilogy (the Fete of Fate concludes in Book Two), is set in the unusually named seaside village of Dorsal Finn. Young Beatrice Beecham and her family move there to live with Aunt Maud after Beatrice’s father loses his job.
The books have many riddles, twists, mysteries and adventures that lead Beatrice and her newfound friends on a quest to unravel the truth behind the town’s history, the longstanding Pontefract family, and a Viking relic.
I do think some nine and ten year old children might struggle to understand the books as they contain complex vocabulary and confusing story lines that I found myself getting muddled up over.
Personally, I found the original Beatrice book (The Fearsome Feast) a lot easier to grasp than Fate of Fete (Book One).
The books are written by local author Dave Jeffery who lives in Blackwell and who has certainly put a lot of time and passion into them, making sure to include local references such as Finstall (Beatrice’s original home) and Tardebigge (which is the surname of one of the characters).
His enthusiasm is reflected in his stories, and I found his choice of plots and twists interesting, the characters well described although the storylines unpredictable.
I quite enjoyed the books, but would only recommend them to confident readers who are prepared to give time and thought to their reading and who are willing to ask adults for help with understanding some of the unusual words and descriptions used.
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