I just felt like this didn't make sense as a story choice for a children's book. Although the ending has a somewhat hopeful tone, the majority of the book is spent on extreme violence- I would have hated this book as a child. I didn't think the writing was particularly strong, either. It was over-the-top in the sense that the author was very clearly trying to add drama and intrigue to a story that would have probably felt sufficiently dramatic without the wordiness. I liked the art, though!