The Dangerous Life of Ophelia Bottom - Susie Bower

Author: Susie Bower

Genre: Middle-grade fiction

Rating: 4.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: The child in me is happy with the book. The parent in me is happy with the book. The climate warrior in me is happy with the book. Just in case you aren’t clear about my opinion, I am delighted with the book!

Story Synopsis:

Ten year old Ophelia Bottom is a sad child. She hates her last name, for obvious reasons. While she loves her parents, she wishes they were more ‘normal’. After all, being the only child of travelling actors who roam around the countryside in their huge van putting up Shakespearean plays for a living doesn’t give one a traditional life. When the Bottoms halt in a town named Stopford for their next gig, things take a bad turn when Ophelia accidentally utters the jinxed word: “Macbeth!” Soon, there is one bad incident after another, and things become very dangerous. How will Ophelia save all those in trouble? How will she herself get out of trouble? Will she be able to get her wish for normalcy?

The book is written in the first person perspective of Ophelia.

Where the book worked for me:

😍 It is a very quick read despite being more than 300 pages long.

😍 I loved the main characters. Ophelia comes across as a clever and loveable girl. Her parents initially seemed slotted into clichéd roles as self-absorbed actors who don’t care about their daughter. But the author surprised me with her nuanced and realistic portrayal of the fairly unrealistic Mr. and Mrs. Bottom. (The minor characters are relatively more unidimensional but that is the norm in children’s fiction, so no issues.)

😍 The writing style, especially in the dialogues of the characters, was extraordinary and helped me not just visualise the character in my head but also hear them! For instance, Ophelia’s dad always speaks loudly using his actor’s voice and loves using big words. So his spoken lines actually have words in CAPITAL LETTERS. Similarly, her mum, who loves to stress on words to accentuate their importance, has italicised words in her lines. It was such a simple technique and yet served to well to understand not just what the character was saying but how it was being said.

😍 Not many contemporary children’s books cover the idea of travelling entertainers. This story offers a realistic glimpse into the difficulties of a nomadic life rather than romanticising the concept.

😍 Considering Ophelia’s dad’s PREDILECTION to use VERBOSE words, there are plenty of new words in the story. But this book doesn’t just throw big ne words at children. Each chapter title is a word/phrase (mostly difficult ones), with a simple definition written just below the heading. Thus, kids can learn vocabulary through meaning, context and usage! Might I add, the author’s vocabulary and word usage in the writing is impeccable.

😍 I don’t expect every children’s book to have a message/moral. Some books ought to be read just for entertainment. But this book delivers a whammy on both counts. It highlights the problem of plastic pollution throughout the story instead of raising it as a minor issue in a couple of chapters. The way in which this topic is incorporated seamlessly into the main storyline ought to be a lesson to children’s writers about how they can deliver a valuable message without compromising on the fun.

😍 There are some pretty scary scenes in the story, possibly leaving the readers biting their nails in worry. (Nothing paranormal though.) Always love it when children’s fiction keeps me that engrossed.

Where the book could have worked better for me:

😌 Teeny complaint: I would have loved seeing some illustrations. The story lent itself so marvellously to a graphical representation. That gorgeous cover made me expect more sketches inside!

All in all, this children’s book left me highly entertained and mighty satisfied. It is the perfect combination of David Walliams (horrifying situations), Tom Fletcher (sweet relationships) and Roald Dahl (brave and independent main character.)

Strongly recommended. The book would be perfect for tweens and teens, and for those adults who have refused to grow up (à la moi!)

My thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Dangerous Life of Ophelia Bottom”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Note to the adults: See the name of the place where the Bottoms have camped, and think of which movie it reminds you of. This will give you a big clue of the direction taken by the story. I am pretty sure most children haven’t seen that movie, but I enjoyed this indirect Easter egg.