Review: Skulduggery Pleasant (Skulduggery Pleasant #1) - Derek Landy

Name: Skulduggery Pleasant (Skulduggery Pleasant #1)

Author: Derek Landy

General Release Date: 7th September 2007

Date I finished it: 4th September 2011

Type: Paperback

From: Bought from Waterstones

My Rating: 4/5 stars

This is another book series that I had bought the first book and had it sitting on my shelf for a while.

I wasn't entirely too sure what to expect from this book as I know it is aimed at a younger audience but I had heard only good things about it.

When I found out that Derek Landy was doing a book signing for the newest (6th) book in this series I decided I wanted to go, that meant reading at least one book from the Skulduggery series before it!

Skulduggery Pleasant follows twelve year old Stephanie, her uncle has just passed away and he has left her his house in his will!

After a few mishaps, some heavy rain and her mother's car breaking down later Stephanie ends up spending the night alone at what used to be her uncle's house.

During the night, someone breaks in and tries to kill her! Then her uncle's strange friend Skulduggery Pleasant comes barging in to save her from the attacker.

It turns out Skulduggery is a skeleton detective and Stephanie's uncle may have been murdered for a magical sceptre he was hiding. 

I did really enjoy this book, it was a nice taster into Stephanie and Skulduggery's world.

I did think that Stephanie seems to be a lot older that twelve however, maybe she is just smart and witty for her age though, but it did have to keep reminding myself this girl was only twelve!

I really loved the fact that this was a UK based book.

I do have trouble sometimes with US authors when they are describing places or talking about high school. I'll admit, I don't understand how the American school system works at all. How can you only have 3 years of high school when we have 6??

Anyway, I felt relieved in a way to hear Stephanie talking about secondary school, and see the characters visiting Dublin. I've actually been to Dublin a few times, so I could imagine the scenes in my perfectly when I was reading this book. It was also great to read a book written by a UK author as well, I was more comfortable with the language used in it.

Even though this is a book aimed at younger readers. I loved it!

There was so much action and mystery involved in the plot and some of the things that Skulduggery comes away with actually made me laugh out loud.

I love the banter between Skulduggery and Stephanie!

I really cannot wait to read the rest of this series now, especially after hearing some teasers after being at the Derek Landy signing last week!