Thank you to Usborne Publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review
Synopsis:
JUNE, 1905.
Helena and her parrot, Orbit, are swept off to Cambridge when her father is appointed clock-winder to one of the wealthiest men in England. There is only one rule: the clocks must never stop.
But Helena discovers the house of one hundred clocks holds many mysteries; a ghostly figure, strange notes and disappearing winding keys… Can she work out its secrets before time runs out?
“Fans of Emma Carroll will adore this historical tale of derring-do and righted wrongs.” – The Times on The Garden of Lost SecretsUNE, 1905.
Helena and her parrot, Orbit, are swept off to Cambridge when her father is appointed clock-winder to one of the wealthiest men in England. There is only one rule: the clocks must never stop.
But Helena discovers the house of one hundred clocks holds many mysteries; a ghostly figure, strange notes and disappearing winding keys… Can she work out its secrets before time runs out?
“Fans of Emma Carroll will adore this historical tale of derring-do and righted wrongs.” – The Times on The Garden of Lost SecretsUNE, 1905.
Helena and her parrot, Orbit, are swept off to Cambridge when her father is appointed clock-winder to one of the wealthiest men in England. There is only one rule: the clocks must never stop.
But Helena discovers the house of one hundred clocks holds many mysteries; a ghostly figure, strange notes and disappearing winding keys… Can she work out its secrets before time runs out?
“Fans of Emma Carroll will adore this historical tale of derring-do and righted wrongs.” – The Times on The Garden of Lost Secrets
Review:
This is one of those books that is a quick, easy and enjoyable read. Something that the younger generation of middle graders would devour and hopefully came back for more.
There was a few things about this book that I didn’t find as enjoyable as I would have hoped but they didn’t take too much from the overall story nor rating.
I wasn’t a big fan of the parrot, I actually found that character to be annoying and you really find him, Orbit, consistently through the book. Whilst I understand that Orbit, the parrot, is there for physical and emotional support for our main character Helena, I didn’t really find the value of him there. But that’s just me being picky as hell.
I found that the start of the book used basic dialogue, the dialogue that you would out loud and slowly as if talking to a child. While the dialogue did mature to suit the characters through the book, the start of it felt as though it was too basic, it almost made me hesitate to read on further.
Whilst those were the only two things that I found annoying, it isn’t a reflection of the book, as I enjoyed the book. They were just two things that bounced around in my head like a bad smell.
After the first chapter or two the story really picks up and you get dragged into the pace of the book and find yourself immersed in an exciting tale.
Rating; 4/5
Publisher: Usborne Books
ISBN: 978147959568