I really enjoyed this for what it was: a cute, light read in an interesting setting. I especially loved the crazy uncle's inventions. That chapter may have been my favorite. Oh, and the dodos. I loved the dodos. 
 Don't expect much depth from this story. The bad guys are bad and the good guys are good. The emotional development of the characters is definitely lacking, and the romantic relationships were nearly laughable (and I'm including the portrayal of Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester in that). 
 However, there are plenty of laughs and a fair amount of action, most of which is written well. The world is interesting and the pacing for most of the book is good, so it's still an enjoyable read. It's a good poolside book for the summer.