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annashiv's review against another edition
4.0
I both really liked this book and got annoyed with it at the same time. I feel like there were a lot of things left unresolved or unexplained. Lots of loose ends and stuff. I was really into the story and characters for the most part, but I did get bored every now and then and the middle seemed to drag out. I couldn't help but wonder about the importance of some things (like the Magnus head) and so it felt unnecessary or misleading. Still it was entertaining, and different from other things and I did ultimately like it.
gmamartha's review
4.0
Interesting how cooperativeness helps all three solve their own challenges. These characters set in historical setting totally expand into characters that I felt close to. Doesn't seem like a first-time author. Where has he been hiding? I'd like more.
mary00's review
3.0
I felt that this book started off stronger than it ended. There were too many story threads left to tie up, resulting in a bit of a muddled and rushed ending. At times it also felt like the author couldn't make up his mind about what genre this book should fall in. However, the story was definitely original and most of the characters were likable and felt true to life.
jupitersuns's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I liked some of the writing style. But it fluctuated between good writing and what seemed more like a rough draft between chapters.
Good read-- But there were a few iffy moment that were questionable that made me rate it at 3.5 stars.
Good read-- But there were a few iffy moment that were questionable that made me rate it at 3.5 stars.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Body shaming, Child death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Racial slurs
Chapters that mention the Content Warnings:kamila_017's review
5.0
Good story of children who take high risk of their life. Inspiring and amusing
aoosterwyk's review
4.0
This was a really good middle grade book. The characters needed to work together to solve their problems and foil the bad guys. Trust was emphasized, as was kindness and truth telling. There was a strong art component as well, music, technology and gardening.
Just lovely.
Just lovely.
librariandest's review
5.0
Shades of [b:Hugo Cabret|67593|The Invention of Hugo Cabret|Brian Selznick|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170676646s/67593.jpg|527941], [b:Thief Lord|113304|The Thief Lord|Cornelia Funke|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1280990877s/113304.jpg|3313414], and [b:Oliver Twist|18254|Oliver Twist|Charles Dickens|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255733364s/18254.jpg|3057979], with a sort of Gangs of New York setting, brought together in a kind of magical, sad, but ultimately hopeful, plot. Once I was about halfway through, I found this big, ambitious first novel hard to put down.
It's basically about three kids with very hard lives wandering around a big 19th Century New England city (presumably New York, though it isn't actually identified as such). They're each deeply troubled in some way, and each yearns for a specific solution to their grief. As it turns out, the answers to their problems lay in working together.
Like another new book I read earlier this year ([b:Boys Without Names|6580712|Boys without Names|Kashmira Sheth|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1250894213s/6580712.jpg|6774144]), there is a lot of child labor in this story. We see how in early America children were kidnapped and sold into slavery, or forced to work long hours to support their struggling families. It's very sad and distressing. But our young heroes are resilient despite the burdens placed on them.
I don't want to give away the plot, which is actually pretty complicated and hard to sum up. Suffice it to say, this has the potential to be really popular, and deservedly so. Kirby has a gift for describing the emotional turmoil his three main characters struggle with, and he makes each of them likable and believable in their own way. Giuseppe is the youngest, a busker with a heart of gold. Hannah loves to read, but is forced to quit school and go to work as a maid when her father can no longer provide for his family. Frederick, the oldest, lives in relative ease as a clockmaker's apprentice, but his memories of living in a terrible sweat shop/orphanage haunt him. Throw in a golem, a spiritualist, a park warden, a mysterious treasure, and an old churchyard and you've got yourself plenty of material for a great story.
It's basically about three kids with very hard lives wandering around a big 19th Century New England city (presumably New York, though it isn't actually identified as such). They're each deeply troubled in some way, and each yearns for a specific solution to their grief. As it turns out, the answers to their problems lay in working together.
Like another new book I read earlier this year ([b:Boys Without Names|6580712|Boys without Names|Kashmira Sheth|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1250894213s/6580712.jpg|6774144]), there is a lot of child labor in this story. We see how in early America children were kidnapped and sold into slavery, or forced to work long hours to support their struggling families. It's very sad and distressing. But our young heroes are resilient despite the burdens placed on them.
I don't want to give away the plot, which is actually pretty complicated and hard to sum up. Suffice it to say, this has the potential to be really popular, and deservedly so. Kirby has a gift for describing the emotional turmoil his three main characters struggle with, and he makes each of them likable and believable in their own way. Giuseppe is the youngest, a busker with a heart of gold. Hannah loves to read, but is forced to quit school and go to work as a maid when her father can no longer provide for his family. Frederick, the oldest, lives in relative ease as a clockmaker's apprentice, but his memories of living in a terrible sweat shop/orphanage haunt him. Throw in a golem, a spiritualist, a park warden, a mysterious treasure, and an old churchyard and you've got yourself plenty of material for a great story.
dogtrax's review
4.0
This is a nice debut book -- the pieces slowly come together and there is a nice mix of mystery and magic in here. I think students will relate to the travails of the characters, even if the time period is very different than their lives right now.