Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today is Friday, and it’s time for another review. Today, I’m reviewing Eva Ibbotson’snovel The Secret of Platform 13.

The book was initially published in 1994. It is 162 pages long (at least that’s how many my ebook copy has).

The Plot
The plot centres on a disused platform at King’s Cross in London. Every nine years, a secret doorway, known as “the gump,” opens for nine days, connecting the mundane world to a magical island inhabited by mermaids, ogres, wizards, and other fantastical creatures.

Nine years before the main events of the story, the beloved baby prince of the island is kidnapped by a heartless London woman, called Mrs. Trottle. With the gump closed, the islanders have no alternative but to wait until it opens again to rescue him.

Characters
Raymond Trottle
Raymond is the son of Mrs Trottle. He is the sought-after stolen “prince” of the island, who has been spoiled rotten, raised with too many treats and not enough love, making him obnoxious—a perfect contrast to Ben.

Ben
Ben is a young servant boy who works for the Trottles. He is kind, friendly and supportive of the rescuers when they arrive—the antithesis of the spoiled Raymond. He is the story’s unlikely hero, who has a rough start to life, but with the help of his new friends, learns that there is more to the world than he ever imagined there could be.

Cornelius
Cornelius is an old wizard who is chosen as the leader of the mission to rescue the prince. He is chosen because of his intelligence and magical aptitude.

Hans
Hans is an ogre. He’s a big, strong giant who would draw attention to himself wandering in the middle of London, so he becomes temporarily invisible, apart from one eye.

Odge Gribble
Odge, a hag, who, just like her mother, is born the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, and as such, she was supposed to be special when she was born, but turns out to be quite ordinary compared to her family. She is scrappy, spirited and full of clever ideas.

Gurkintrude (Gurlie), the Fay
Gurkie is another member of the team of rescuers chosen to find and bring the prince back to the island. She’s a fey who has a deep appreciation for all things nature.

Mrs Trottle
Mrs Tottle is the person who steals the baby prince from one of his nannies to raise as her son. She is rich, unkind and spoils her son, giving him practically anything he wants.

Writing Style
Ibbotson’s writing style is delightfully witty, warm, and deeply imaginative. Her narration has a certain charm, blending gentle satire of social class and manners with heartfelt emotion.

She also has a lovely knack for painting vivid pictures of the magical island, London, and its inhabitants, using just the right amount of detail to fire the imagination without slowing the pace.

The biggest standout for me was the pacing. The narrative is brisk and engaging, with each chapter ending on a note that compels you to read “just one more”.

The book is also rich with playful, tongue-in-cheek humour that will appeal to both children and adults. Ibbotson pokes fun at the pompous adults and the quirks of each of her characters.

A couple of slight drawbacks, I think, are that the ending feels wrapped up too neatly, too quickly, and Raymond doesn’treally have any growth. This doesn’t really detract from the story—perhaps I’m interpreting this children’s story through my adult lens—but it would have been great, at the very least, to see how Ben handles all the changes to his life.

Final Thoughts
This is one of those fairly rare stories that is utterly timeless. It reminds us that our true value is not held within birthright or wealth, but in kindness and courage. But above all that, it is an excellently compelling story that left me, a grown man, with a smile on my face.

I am giving this a 7/10.

Have you read The Secret of Platform 13? What did you think?

Thank you, as always, for stopping by!

Until next time,

George

© 2026 GLT

Categories: Book Reviews, Reading

Tags: book review, Eva Ibbotson books, Fantasy, magic, mermaids, review, Wizards