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Freaks In Geheimer Mission (2013)

by Kieran Larwood(Favorite Author)

3.74 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

355152050X (ISBN13: 9783551520500)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Chicken House

review 1: Way Better Than ExpectedBetween a blurb that promised a cross between "X-Men" and "Oliver Twist" and the dismissive review from School Library Journal, (does anyone else notice how snotty the SLJ reviews can be?), I didn't expect a lot from this effort. I was wrong.Sure the premise is a stretch. Sideshow "freaks" with weird talents run around Victorian London foiling bad guys. What you don't expect is the good writing, gentle humor and air of grim hopefulness that underlies the action.We start with little Sheba, a fur covered "wolf girl" with the heightened senses of that creature. She is an orphan trapped in a dreary tiny freak show on the end of a pier in a nowhere village. She is spirited, bright and heart breakingly lonely. Her "owner" sells her to the proprietor of a ... morelarger travelling show, and the adventure begins. She is excited, frightened and on full alert as she is introduced to the world beyond. Her excitement turns to terror when she is tossed into a caravan with the other freaks.But wait. There is kindness among these sad souls, and a sort of tortured camaraderie and a healthy dose of gallows humor. At this point you think - hey, this has real potential. "Monkey Boy" is an over the top character whose role is to nail down the fart/potty humor readers, but the rest of the characters have a certain bedraggled dignity. Together they travel through and survive their surreal, grimy world.The three main protagonists - Sheba, Monkey Boy, and Asian fighting wonder Moon Girl - are soon on the trail of the villains who are kidnapping the poorest and most destitute of London's homeless children. There is action and suspense and close calls, and more action, and devious and sinister plots galore. This is a satisfying middle grade actioner.But what steps this up in class is the writing. There are some restrained and touching moments, some nice character touches, some whimsy and some heart sprinkled in along with the action. There is some funny byplay and a fair amount of sly humor sprinkled throughout the narrative. This is a fabulous book in all of the meanings of that word, and deserves a close look from any adventurous tween readers with a taste for the unusual.Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
review 2: A delightfully charming read, brimming with genuinely unique characters, who stumble onto an epic mystery and later embark on a fabulously frightening, daring adventure to solve it; with the entire tale brilliantly set in London, in 1851. The most unlikely of pals, our cast of characters have been tossed together due to circumstances far beyond their control. Despite the vast differences among them, and deplorable living conditions; they offer support and form a formidable team. Sheba, the sweetest, kindest, most compassionate little wolf-girl to ever walk the earth, narrates for us. Luckily, we have only a glimpse of her time caged with a sickly two-headed lamb for company before she is purchased to join a much larger Freak Show. Her new family consists of a spirited, smart-mouthed, bitter Monkey-Boy; Mama Rat, the pipe-smoking sweet-natured woman that appears to communicate telepathically with her “babies”; six giant rats that prove ingenious and endearing; Moon Girl, the soft-spoken, but surprisingly deadly ninja; a gargantuan hulk of a man, Gigantus and undoubtedly the most ornery, mischievous horse that has ever existed. If this hasn’t piqued your interest, the mystery certainly will. Our freaks aren’t the lowest rung on the ladder in London during these times. Mudlarks are beneath them. These people spend entire days trolling the filthy, slimy banks and bottom of the polluted Thames River searching for any scrap that could be sold for a penny or two. When the mudlark children begin disappearing, no one would care, if Sheba hadn’t met Till.The tiny, filthy mudlark stole into the show, marveling as Sheba, captive in her cramped quarters, frightened away grown men. For one fleeting moment, there were simply two little girls chatting. Sheba’s heart had never been so full as when Till slipped a chipped marble into her small, furry hand. What follows is a quick-paced, exciting escapade that reveals a plan so sinister and devious, this reader was floored. Packed with action, compassion, engaging and humorous dialogue and a mystery beyond belief, this is certainly one of the coolest books I’ve read.Although this is written for Middle Graders, and I am no longer even a “Young” Adult, I was completely immersed, in part, I think, because (as a teen) I actually visited a traveling Freak Show. I am curious to see how today’s American 10 – 14 year olds view this obscure concept. The astute addition of the author’s notes detailing that, while this is a work of fiction; the deplorable conditions of London during this time were very, very real. He generously includes pictures of London Street Children, along with brief biographies of historic figures mentioned. The combination of a truly ingenious, remarkable story; supported with stranger-than-fiction facts of a time so long ago it seems unfathomable, makes this a fabulously superb book that will be a treasure to any reader.This review was written for Buried Under Books Blog. less

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