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The Great Trouble: A Mystery Of London, The Blue Death, And A Boy Called Eel (2013)

by Deborah Hopkinson(Favorite Author)

3.84 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0375848185 (ISBN13: 9780375848186)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Knopf Books for Young Readers

review 1: This was a good book. I read it because I really enjoyed Ghost Map, which happens to be what inspired the author to write this book. She adds a nice human element to the story of one of the worst outbreaks of cholera in London which lead to the discover of it's cause and the beginning of epidemiology thanks to Dr. John Snow and others. I think kids would enjoy this book even more than I did if they did not know how the story ends. I think I would have been hooked on this book as a kid. The author also does a nice job of summing up information about the outbreak and it's key players and points readers in the direction of more things to read. I would like to read this author's other books for kids about historical events and people.
review 2: This book is a... more decent historical fiction novel that takes place in the mid 1850s during one of the largest cholera outbreaks in the history of England. The main character is a hardworking 12 year old orphan that goes by the name of Eel. One thing that I really liked about the book is that it's very well set in the time period. Still, it doesn't make up for the lack of a legitimate plot and a villain. In the description, it says that Eel is "being hunted by Fisheye Bill Tyler, and a nastier man never walked the streets of London." I thought that this villain would play a bigger part in the story, but he only makes an appearance once or twice. Fisheye Bill Tyler captures Eel, but he easily escapes and there is no mention of Bill Tyler for the rest of the book. An absence of a criminal has a big impact on the story, he's never in any real danger from him. Another thing I disliked was that for me, the characters never really had a urge to complete whatever they were doing. I didn't feel that gripping feeling that comes when I'm reading a suspenseful book: Will they make it? Or will they fall short of their ultimate goal. I think that this is a good book to read if you want to learn about the cholera outbreak and how they finally find out the real reason for the disease, but if you're looking for a thrilling novel, I'd advise you to look elsewhere. less

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