2.75

This was fine, but I'd be lying if I said I was fully engaged and cared. I listened to the audiobook and if it weren't for using it as background noise while playing my switch etc. I'd probably have dnf'd as it just didn't grab me.
I don't think it was anything bad, it was just one of those books that didn't work for me - maybe just the wrong time. I'm sure it will be loved by many

This book is a great little book. It is so heartwarming. It is such an entertaining read. The friendships in this book are so sweet. The characters are lovely and sweet. A charming book about friendship and family.

A truly excellent story about a young Victorian girl called Minnie, who finds herself forced into an orphanage after being falsely accused of attacking a minister. this is all about the total unfairness of life for the working classes and how they contrast with the ability of the wealthier classes to 'play' the system. Thankfully Minnie has some great friends and we finally see justice done.

I blitzed through this book over the weekend as I just could not get enough. Light and witty I enjoyed every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Runaways of Haddington Hall is a fast-paced Victorian adventure full of fire and determination! Minnie O’Sullivan is the daughter of a washer woman who teaches her how to stand up for herself and make her own way in the world. When a series of small mistakes land Minnie in Mrs Haddington’s home for wayward girls, she isn’t going to put up with being maltreated. Together with her friends, Edith and Enry, nothing will stop her from revealing the villains’ secrets and proving she has as much value as any other child, no matter how much money she has.

This is a fantastic story of identity and self-worth. As a young girl in the 19th century, Minnie doesn’t have much of a voice. Everyone assumes she has little power and little to say for herself. Her pride might get the better of her at times but it is also the making of her. She won’t be pushed down. With so much spark, Minnie is a heroine readers will adore!

I love quirky, middle-grade adventures with a bit of a mystery thrown in and that’s the impression I got from the cover of this one. That is near enough what’s inside too!

Minnie is a diligent assistant to her mother, a washerwoman, but after getting into a few scrapes, Minnie finds herself being taken away to Haddington Hall. Mrs Haddington insists that she aims to improve the lives of the girls that she takes in but Edith Lavingley, a young wannabe philanthropist, suspects there’s something darker afoot.

Edith is a fantastic character but I wasn’t really sure of her age. I think she’s supposed to be around 14 or 15 but she read much older. She took on a big sisterly role for Minnie but it was suggested that actually they’re around the same age. It doesn’t matter too much but it made picturing Edith as a real person quite tricky. However I loved her personality, her dedication to doing the right thing and her fearlessness.

Haddington Hall sounds quite grand but actually the building is run-down and dirty. It’s the first clue that something about this project of Mrs Haddington’s isn’t quite legit. Minnie comes to Haddington Hall as an alleged criminal, so she has a much harder time than the other girls. The whole aura surrounding the house is gloomy and it’s staffed by some pretty nefarious characters too. I think the creep factor could have been amped up more because a proper Gothic vibe would have suited it perfectly.

Enry is a messenger boy who is a good friend of Minnie’s and instrumental in her rescue from Haddington Hall. I read him as a typical Cockney Victorian street urchin but the way that he speaks didn’t quite ring true. He felt very much like a fictional character and that was true for most of the characters in the book, sadly.

There is some discussion of class differences in Victorian society and of course, many of the inequalities are still evident today. I would have loved more exploration of this and perhaps a story that heavily revolved around overcoming them. While the story danced around it, I wanted more from this theme because the bones were definitely there.

The Runaways of Haddington Hall is a quick read but the characters aren’t particularly well-developed and it’s not a particularly memorable book. It’s unfortunate because it had a lot of great potential but it just needed a little more thought and creativity to bring the characters to life and give the story a bit more heart.

I love children stories and this one was good, riveting and highly entertaining.
It's a story about injustice, how friendship can help you to overcome injustice, and it's also a lot of fun to read.
It's fast paced, well written and the characters are fleshed out.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A week or two ago, I came across a thread on Twitter discussing how much influence the art on the front cover of a book influences the reader’s decision as to whether or not to pick it up. I’ve admitted before that that first impression on seeing a book is very likely to either make me read the blurb to better inform my decision as to whether I want to read it or, if I don’t find it appealing, to ignore it completely.

This is a book that I really loved the look of, and after reading the accompanying notes on Net Galley, immediately requested it and dived in shortly afterwards. I’ve not read any of the author’s other titles, and so had nothing to compare this to, but found this a cracking read, with a wonderful heroine who finds herself in rather a pickle after trying to make amends for something she has done.

That something is ruining the shirt of the Reverend Obadiah Marpike, whilst trying to assist her washerwoman mother, and results in our heroine Minnie trying to apologise whole-heartedly in the hopes of her mother not having to compensate her client for his loss. Unfortunately, despite being a man of the cloth, Marpike is not the forgiving kind and following an argument with Minnie after she accidentally catches sight of some of his private papers, he decides to have the girl sent to Haddington Hall – a newly founded charitable establishment run by the self-absorbed Mrs Haddington – for correction.

Mrs Haddington has the grandest of plans for her latest endeavour, and in the hopes of landing herself some wealthy patrons has involved Edith, daughter of Lady Lavingley, in her plans. Edith, however, is not as stupid as Mrs Haddington believes and when Minnie arrives takes a keen interest in her, quickly realising that the girl has been wronged and that something deeply suspicious is going on.

As Minnie tries her hardest to settle into her new life, both her old friend Enry and new friend Edith try to find out just what Marpike is up to in order to set her free. But faced with the cruelty not only of Mrs Haddington, but also her staff and the other inmates of the hall, Minnie has no option but to run away. Will Enry and Edith be able to track her down before Mrs Haddington does? What is Marpike really up to? And just what secrets do his papers hide?

I don’t think I will ever tire of stories like this one – ones where some poor unfortunate child has a wrong committed against them and with the assistance of friends, one of whom needs to be well-heeled, overcomes adversity. If that makes this sound rather formulaic, it is not intended to. The plot here is as fresh and original as any read in this genre needs to be and when the basic idea is a winning one and is as well-written as this, it cannot fail to entertain its audience.

While Minnie and her friends are determined and resourceful, in Marpike they have a worthy opponent. Thoroughly nasty, selfish and prepared to do whatever he feels necessary to further his own good fortune, he is as rotten as rotten can be and is a cracking baddie as a result. By operating together with Mrs Haddington, a rather naïve woman of a certain age, and her staff at the hall, Marpike ensures that Minnie’s situation appears to be entirely helpless initially, but he has reckoned without her and her friends and I delighted in watching the plot unfold and his world crash around him.

I really enjoyed this book. Suitable for Year 5 upwards, it is a brilliant adventure that I know many of my class would enjoy with enough danger to keep them hooked but not so much that it will cause those who are more sensitive to abandon it, as some of the books on my shelf have done. Enormous thanks go to Walker Books and Net Galley for my advance read ahead of publication on November 4th. 5 out of 5 stars.

Sometimes children's books speak to you just as strongly as an adult as when you were a child, and and sometimes they don't. ⭐⭐⭐/5

The Runaways of Haddington Hall is a brisk, lively story about young Minnie O'Sullivan, the daughter of a hard-working but poor washerwoman. Minnie helps her mother or bread in the table but often has to contend with her own temper. After an accidental with a mangle Minnie comes to the notice of Obadiah Marpike, a shifty priest and his associate Miss Haddington who runs an institution to "improve" young girls. Minnie is caught up in a Dickensian world of corruption and Victorian sensibilities with her loyal friend Enry and Edith, a well-to-do young woman, keen to do good in the world.

It's a great-paced story that young readers will enjoy, full of dastardly adults and plucky youngsters who band together to help their families and improve their lot. There was something a little flimsy about the writing which meant I didn't fully engage with the story but it addresses important issues of class and charity and is an enjoyable MG romp.

This was a really charming middlegrade adventure. We follow Minnie, the daughter of a hardworking washerwoman trying to provide for her family. We also follow Edith, brought up in a privileged household and looking to help at a charitable organisation to fill her day.
Minnie makes the mistake of crossing Reverend Marpike and finds herself whisked away to Haddington Hall - a run down house pretending to educate poor girls. Edith meets Minnie and after hearing about her unfair imprisonment decides to hatch a plan to get her out.
I thought the pacing of this story was excellent, nothing was dragged out and it was so easy to keep turning the page. The setting was reminiscent of Victorian England and nothing seemed out of place. As an adult, I loved how social class was addressed and discussed in a way that most younger readers would be able to understand. I don’t have any criticisms of this book and would look forward to a continuation of the series in the future!
✨Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! ✨

Full of loveable characters, and with a fast paced storyline I really enjoyed reading this book. I particularly liked the spirited Minnie and her friendship with roguish Enry. The family dynamics and relationships were brilliantly portrayed. A great book to prompt conversation and discussion about turn of the century society.