Book Review: The Dark Deeps by Arthur Slade

Book: The Dark Deeps (The Hunchback Assignments #2) by Arthur Slade, 2010 by Wendy Lamb Books, 316 pages.

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:
A fantastic Steampunk adventure in the deeps

Transforming his appearance and stealing secret documents from the French is all in a day’s work for fourteen-year-old Modo, a British secret agent. But his latest mission—to uncover the underwater mystery of something called the Ictíneo—seems impossible. There are rumors of a sea monster and a fish as big as a ship. French spies are after it, and Mr. Socrates, Modo’s master, wants to find it first. Modo and his fellow secret agent, Octavia, begin their mission in New York City, then take a steamship across the North Atlantic. During the voyage, Modo uncovers an astounding secret.

The Dark Deeps, the second book in Arthur Slade’s Hunchback Assignments series, is set in a fascinating Steampunk Victorian world. Modo’s underwater adventures and his encounters with the young French spy Colette Brunet, the fearless Captain Monturiol, and the dreaded Clockwork Guild guarantee a gripping read filled with danger, suspense, and brilliant inventions.

My Thoughts: 

This is a great series for kids - it has so much they will enjoy. There's interesting characters, mystery, adventure, cool steampunk ships...

Modo's mission this time was to find out about a mysterious underwater sea monster called Icitneo. It turns out that Icitneo is actually an ingenious submarine ship built by Captain Monturiol with an amazing mission. However, the devious Clockwork Guild is also after the ship.


I was happy to see Modo back again. He is such a loveable character in his innocence, emotional vulnerability, and strength. He is an exceedingly ugly hunchbacked character around the age of fourteen who can change his appearance at will and who has been trained as a British secret agent.


Modo is partnered up with Octavia, another great character. She is self reliant, feisty, and able to take care of herself. 

Slade is a great story teller with a wonderful imagination. Some of the ideas and evil plans in this book were ingenious. I also love how he pulls on the reader's heart strings, especially where Modo is concerned, making him the most human character of them all.

I think kids will really enjoy this series and the stories of perilous adventures will keep them turning the pages.



Here is the book trailer from YouTube:

Book Review: Dust

Book: Dust by Arthur Slade, 2004 by Laurel Leaf, 192 pages.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
SEVEN-YEAR-OLD MATTHEW DISAPPEARS one day on a walk into Horshoe, a dust bowl farm town in Depression-era Saskatchewan. Other children go missing just as a strange man named Abram Harsich appears in town. He dazzles the townspeople with the promises of a rainmaking machine. Only Matthew’s older brother Robert seems to be able to resist Abram’s spell, and to discover what happened to Matthew and the others.

My Thoughts:
This is a dark and mysterious book, one that is different from other books I've read. It completely drew me in and made me want to figure out what was going on.

It's the depression and there is a drought in Saskatchewan. Kids are going missing, including 7 year old Matthew. Then Abram Harsich comes to town, promising to solve all of their problems if they help him to build a rainmaking machine. It is clear that he can draw on mystical forces and has everyone under his spell, except for Matthew's brother, Robert. Everyone has forgotten about the missing children, even their own parents, but Robert can't forget. He knows that it all has something to do with Abram and he's determined to figure it out.

This was a book I could hardly put down. Slade describes the scene in Saskatchewan so convincingly and vividly. Then he adds the paranormal aspects and the mystery of Abram. I love how Slade uses the dust of the drought and the dust of the paranormal to hold the story together. 

I enjoyed Robert, how passionate and normal he was, how he liked to read books and didn't want his little brother hanging around, but then missed him terribly when he was gone. I loved his determination and resilience. 

I think kids who like historical like novels, but also books that are quirky and different will love this book.

Book Review: The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade

Book:  The Hunchback Assignments (The Hunchback Assignments #1) by Arthur Slade, Harper Trophy Canada, 2009, 275 pages, middle school steampunk.

Source:  Library.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
A gripping new series combines Steampunk, spying, and a fantastic Victorian London.

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.

My Thoughts: 
This is a fun steampunk novel for the middle school age group.  There is so much adventure and imagination in this book that is is sure to appeal to a wide range of readers.  

Book Review: Draugr by Arthur G. Slade

Book:  Draugr (Northern Frights #1) by Arthur G. Slade, Orca Book Publishers, 1997.  Middle school, young adult  horror.  171 pages.
Source:  Library.

Arthur G. Slade will present at the Shushwap Writers' Festival this May.

Fourteen year old Sarah, her twin brother Micheal and their cousin Angie go to visit their grandfather in Gimli, Manitoba for the summer.  They come prepared for a quiet vacation in the rural community and their grandfather's scary stories based on Icelandic mythology; however all of this changes when the stories start to come true and a draugr, a man who comes back from the dead, comes after them and their grandfather.

I found Draugr to be a quick read that will probably appeal to young readers (I would think middle school and the young side of young adult or those who like shorter books) who like a plot driven story with lots of excitement and supernatural elements.  The story was fast paced and interesting and I especially liked the Icelandic mythology element.  Each chapter ends on a tense note or a cliff hanger, which kept me reading "just one more chapter" in order to see what happens next.

One of my favorite things about the book is the character Sarah and how she has to learn to trust herself and the fact that she is strong in order to save her grandfather.  She initially sees herself as scared and on the weak side, but when push comes to shove, she learns about herself and what she is capable of.

Slade consistently uses slang such as "shoulda" and "wanna" in his dialogue.  I know this is dialogue and he is trying to be realistic, but it is one of those things that jump out at me, stop the flow of the book, and take away from my reading.  There are also quite a few sentence fragments, which are probably meant to increase the tension and pace of the book.

Overall, this is an interesting, faced paced book that I am sure children will enjoy, especially if they like to be a bit scared and enjoy supernatural book.

Also in the Northern Frights series:
The Haunting of Drang Island
The Loki Wolf

Friday 56 (2) & Book Beginnings (2)

Hi everyone, Here are the Friday meme's I am participating in this week.
The first is Friday 56, sponsored by Freeda's Voice.

Here are the rules:

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post in Linky at Freeda's Voice .

It's that simple.

My book Is Draugr a middle school/YA novel by Arthur G. Slade:

Grandpa knocked on the door then poked his head in.  "Lock this tonight, will you? And if you hear anything... whatever it is... don't leave this room."  He paused.  "Goodnight."

~~~~~~~~~~

 The next one is Book Beginnings sponsored by A Few More Pages.

How to participate: Share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading on your blog or in the comments. Include the title and the author so we know what you're reading. Then, if you would like, let us know what your first impressions were based on that first line, and let us know if you liked or did not like the sentence. The link-up will be at A Few More Pages every Friday and will be open for the entire week.


I will use Draugr again for this one:

Grandpa was going to murder us.
Not with an axe.  Not with a shovel.  But with words.
"Sarah sit down," Grandpa said softly to me.  "I haven't even started my story."

When I read this, I thought it would be a creepy story but with a sense of humour.  This school is aimed (I think) at middle school and the younger side of YA, so I thought this was a catchy way to start the novel and get kid hooked.