Tolog Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
by Alan Bradley
reviewed by Shanley Galanto

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a book that once you start; you will not want to put it down. It is mysterious, suspenseful, and surprisingly hilarious. This mystery is written in a unique way compared to most of today’s young adult books, so it was wonderfully refreshing.

The book starts off with Flavia de Luce, an eleven-year-old girl who has a highly developed scientific mind. When her cook finds a dead bird with a stamp in its beak on her family’s doorstep, Flavia doesn’t make much of it. When a mysterious stranger comes to visit later that day and is found dead soon after, Flavia begins to investigate. Most think that she is just playing around and that she doesn’t really know what she is doing. She goes through much difficulty to end up solving the murder on her own. By solving this murder, she is able to solve a previously unsolved murder that happened in her father’s time as a schoolboy.

This book is written in Flavia’s point of view; therefore, it created a unique balance of an immature worldview and an inspiring sense of perseverance. Her ability to keep trying and keep going even when there are multiple barriers is extremely motivating. Flavia’s personality reminded me of when children get up right away after they fall down, she didn’t let anything stop her. Many adults have lost that drive to keep going, that once they fall down, they have a need to complain about it. Flavia’s disposition creates an ambition within you to push harder and to persevere. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a book written by Alan Bradley that shows that children can be just as smart as adults and instills a motivation to keep trying and to continue to do what you think is right, even with problems in your way.