Alfred and Guinevere by James Schuyler, 3/5

This short novel is told exclusively through the conversations and diary entries of eponymous siblings.  I am always suspicious of the words adults put into children’s mouths (they never seem quite authentic to me) and found this effort dull overall, despite a few amusing interactions.   Also, the consistent lack of dialogue tags made it difficult to keep track of who was speaking.  I could imagine this book appealing to some people, especially connoisseurs of literature featuring children, but it just didn’t interest me at all.

[Why I read it: While perusing actor Bill Nighy’s filmography, I came across the movie The Young Visiters (also starring the fantastic Hugh Laurie), which is rather unique in that it is based on a story written by a nine-year-old.  I loved the movie and, while researching the story, read a review that also happened to mention Alfred and Guinevere very positively, making me want to read it.]