Instruct: Classify a given review into positive or negative sentiment.
Query: Wanted this to be good..

...but it simply wasn't. Not only did the author choose one of the least swallowable plots I've come across in the past many years, but he tried to present it in about 1/2 the number of pages it would have needed to be meaningful. Too many characters, too many shifts in perspective, too many sub-plots, and very little satisfyingly wrapped up. There were a few bright points - Granny and her pet dinosaur were cute and diverting, for instance, and some of the other characters were amusingly drawn - but these are not enough for me to recommend the book.