Lindsey's Library » spy http://www.lindseyslibrary.com Lindsey's Library is here to delight young adult literature readers of all ages as well as act as a tool for parents that is easy to navigate with reviews that are quick and easy to read but contain all of the relevant information for prospective readers. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:37:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 The Hunchback Assignments http://www.lindseyslibrary.com/2009/12/the-hunchback-assignments/ http://www.lindseyslibrary.com/2009/12/the-hunchback-assignments/#comments Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:21:29 +0000 lindsey http://www.lindseyslibrary.com/?p=1372
Overall Rating: 3.35 out of 5 stars
The Hunchback Assignments
Arthur Slade
Wendy Lamb Books, 2009
Historical Fantasy
ISBN: 038573784X
288 pages

Synopsis

The mysterious Mr. Socrates rescues Modo, a child in a traveling freak show. Modo is a hunchback with an amazing ability to transform his appearance, and Mr. Socrates raises him in isolation as an agent for the Permanent Association, a spy agency behind Brittania’s efforts to rule the empire. At 14, Modo is left on the streets of London to fend for himself. When he encounters Octavia Milkweed, another Association agent, the two uncover a plot by the Clockword Guild behind the murders of important men. Furthermore, a mad scientist is turning orphan children into automatons to further the goals of the Guild. Modo and Octavia journey deep into the tunnels under London and discover a terrifying plot against the British government. It’s up to them to save their country.

Critique

To be honest, I was a little disappointed in this book. Perhaps it’s that my hopes were so high to begin with, but they weren’t quite met. Given the overview, there was certainly a recipe for an excellent tale—steampunk, Victorian England, the hunchback of Notre Dame as the main character, but as a teenager, and having been raised completely differently—but the execution was a little lacking.

Specifically, I felt like the story was rushed, and Slade didn’t take the time to relish in the scenes, the action, the science, etc. Give it a hundred to two hundred more pages, and I think the whole story would really come alive. I would care more about the characters. They would have a bit more time to develop, especially Modo, who could use a lot more writing about his magical power as well as his training. We need more character backstory, more development, and more description about everything involved.

The ending certainly leaves it open for a sequel or a few, and I’m hoping they get better with each installment.

Rating Rubric

Enjoyable Read: 4 out of 5 stars
Original Fantasy: 4 out of 5 stars
Original Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Language: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Asthetics: 3 out of 5 stars
Depth In Characters: 3 out of 5 stars
Depth In Story: 3 out of 5 stars
Social Commentary: 3 out of 5 stars
Layers/Complexity: 3 out of 5 stars
Classroom Text: 3 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 3.35 out of 5 stars

For the Classroom

Since this text operates in a parallel world with separate cultures, societal issues, natural laws and histories than our own, there’s not much to use as a classroom companion.

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