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A review by pacifickle
The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt
5.0
"Catch Me If You Can" meets "Encyclopedia Brown" in 1900. Great male protagonist with theatrical parents, who jump on an ocean liner, India-bound, and leave him behind. Chameleon-like in dress & manner, Mister Max uses his unremarkable looks to portray various characters and support himself as a detective. Stellar start to a great series. Rich characterization, lots of interesting hobbies & characters (bakers, librarians, artists, kitchen maids, teachers, tutors) make this a fascinating read. I can't wait for the sequel.
My two caveats - the plot "twist" is predictable to an adult, 200 pages before it's "revealed," and a special needs person is treated fairly but referred to as "simpleminded" towards the end- not sure how I feel about that. Kind of wish his last case was just eliminated in general.
My two caveats - the plot "twist" is predictable to an adult, 200 pages before it's "revealed," and a special needs person is treated fairly but referred to as "simpleminded" towards the end- not sure how I feel about that. Kind of wish his last case was just eliminated in general.