Customer Reviews

Barnaby Grimes: Curse of the Night Wolf

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's About: A Victorian-era tick-tock lad named Barnaby Grimes, who- in the course of delivering messages as one of the few surviving highstacking couriers in London- uncovers a philanthropic doctor's fiendish secret. I have to tell you guys, I loved this book. I loved it like crazy. I finished it in one sitting, and seriously had to restrain myself from getting up to write the review just then. I intended to wait until my son- who is enduring Marching Band camp right now- could read it, but I just couldn't.

Seriously, I love this book. The language is challenging- both in reading level (herpetological, confidentiality, paramount,) but also in setting the era scene (medicaments, drayman, mudlarks.) But the beautiful thing is, the language is challenging in a way that it's exciting to read. Stewart and Riddell have brilliantly captured the breathless excitement of pulp novels and penny dreadfuls.

This book is full of brightly drawn characters, from Old Benjamin the coachman, to Henrietta the Landlady, who used to be the circus' Painted Lady; I especially enjoyed the wacky doctor PB, who hires Barnaby to spy on bullfinches, believing they may actually be vicious carnivores. Barnaby himself has exactly the right mix of invincibility and humanity to make a great pulp hero.

Anyone who knows how the old horror serials go can guess by the title the contents of the plot, but young readers especially, will love both how vivid the horror sequences are, and how much fun the action sequences are. The illustrations are pitch perfect, very Charles Gibson meets Edward Gorey, and the text is peppered with teases of other adventures that I look forward to reading about in future installments.

Would I Give This Book to a Kid: I plan to give this book to *several* kids, and a handful of teenagers.

Would I Give This Book to an Adult: Absolutely; I think my husband and my stepfather particularly will enjoy it.

Barnaby Grimes is a tock-tock lad. He'll deliver any message for any client, anywhere, anytime. He's the fastest messenger around and he'll even climb on rooftops to deliver his messages on time.

One night, while Barnaby is traveling by rooftop, he is attacked by a huge wolf-like beast. When Barnaby's friend, Old Benjamin, disappears, Barnaby suspects the wolf had something to do with it and sets out to discover the truth, meeting a cast of strange characters along the way.

CURSE OF THE NIGHT WOLF is the first in the new BARNABY GRIMES series from the authors of THE EDGE CHRONICLES. The story combines mystery, history, horror, action-adventure, and the paranormal into a perfectly scary story for tweens. The black and white drawings add a chilling effect to the story. The characters are brilliantly drawn and the villain is perfectly evil.

Barnaby's story will continue in RETURN OF THE EMERALD SKULL, and from the preview in my copy of CURSE OF THE NIGHT WOLF, his adventures are going to get much scarier!

Reviewed by: Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen

While this was an interesting book, it struck me as less attractive than the authors' other series (The Edge Chronicles, Far-Flung Adventures and Ottoline books...).

This was an very violent book, and also a minimally illustrated book. One of the charms of the Riddell/Stewart partnership has always been Chris Riddell's profuse and fabulous illustration, which adds so much to the characterization and sense of place. I wanted waaaay more illustration for this book, after reading their other work.

I also felt that this was more of a teenage boy book than any of their other books I have read-- I definitely would not give it to pre-teens.

SPOILER ALERT~~~SPOILER ALERT~~~SPOILER ALERT~~~SPOILER ALERT
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Here's a way to gauge whether or not this book is right for your child, in a nutshell: will he/she enjoy reading about people being transformed into werewolves and then skinned to be made into clothes for the rich? If so, buy this book. :) If not, be warned.

I am a huge, huge fan of the authors, but just did not enjoy this book at all. I had been excited to find a new series by them, but am not planning on reading any other Barnaby Grimes books.

Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell have been an awesome team in the YA fantasy field for a few years now. Their bestselling Edge Chronicles have ran ten books long. The last book in the series has come out only lately. I would be hard pressed to figure out who is more creative of the two. Stewart seems to pull weird species and events out of a magic hat somewhere, but Riddell brings them to vibrant life in pen and ink drawings all through the books. Their newest series, Barnaby Grimes, holds true to that concept.

The imagery and concept behind the Barnaby Grimes series is amazing. Young Barnaby Grimes is a tick-tock lad, a messenger who hires out to run errands across a large, sprawling city that at once puts me in the mind of Victorian London. Artist Chris Riddell's pen and ink drawings add insight to the images created by author Paul Stewart's words.

Barnaby Grimes: Curse of the Night Wolf is a simple story and I had most of it figured out long before I got to the end, but I'm not the target audience. The books are aimed at kids between the ages of 9-12, but the story can be easily enjoyed by us much older folks as well.

Barnaby is a likeable character and he narrates his own story in a down to earth and friendly style that gives access to him as well as his world. I love the whole idea of him jumping from rooftop to rooftop in an effort to get his messages to their destination in the fastest time possible. Of course, as Barnaby reminds his readers, such defiance of gravity is oftentimes dangers. As a result, several of his mates have gotten killed or grievously injured. Barnaby is one of the last few that still travels in such a manner.

Although the city isn't named, I kept thinking of London during the Victorian era. Riddell's amazing art carried out that impression. The city has different areas and districts that get mentioned in this book and I can't wait to explore them in the subsequent volumes.

Since he gets about the city so much and does so much business with all kinds of people (including a very interesting scientist with strange ideas), Barnaby knows a lot of the citizens. I enjoyed how he interacted with them, and I lamented when he lost some of those that seemed so real. Some of them, I know, will return again and again, but Stewart has proven that his world can be somewhat heartless as well.

There's also a mix of mad science and the supernatural in this book. Judging from the covers of the other three novels already printed, that trend continues. Stewart and Riddell handle these elements very well, making them both exciting as well as frightening.

This is a short, quick read with a compact storyline that reluctant readers will enjoy. Barnaby is exactly the kind of kid young readers can look up to, whether he's bounding from rooftop to chimney stack, or if he's exchange sword strokes with the local toffs. I've already got the second book on reserve at my local library.

I completely agree with the other reviewers. I was bowled over by this book. The writing is brilliantly transparent -- vivid and direct. The book picks you up and catapults you through Victorian London, in all its creepy glory, by the side of a daring and clever young hero. It was almost too creepy for me in some parts, especially in the first few pages, but it's when they get to that razor sharp edge of comfort (Neil Gaiman's "Coraline" comes to mind) that thrillers really shine.

For a supernatural thriller, I defy anyone to beat Barnaby Grimes. (Not that I wouldn't love to see that, but you'd have your work cut out for you.)

BARNABY GRIMES: CURSE OF THE NIGHT WOLF
PAUL STEWART & CHRIS RIDDELL
Middle Grade
David Fickling Books

Rating: 5 Enchantments

BARNABY GRIMES: CURSE OF THE NIGHT WOLF hooks you from the start and doesn't let go.

Barnaby Grimes is a 'tick-tock-lad', a sort of cross between a messenger and a delivery boy, but a tick-tock has to be faster than a messenger and twice as sharp as a delivery boy. But when 'Old Benjamin', a former coachman and friend of Barnaby's suddenly disappears without a trace, Barnaby finds himself wondering what happened to the old man. The trail leads to Dr. Cadwallader, a physician who's giving his cordial to the poor of London. It seems to work all right, all the clients Barnaby finds himself delivering letters to for the good doctor rave about the man and his potion. Yet Barnaby still isn't convinced. It all seems too good to be true. Is it?

BARNABY GRIMES: CURSE OF THE NIGHT WOLF is a really enjoyable read. The level of detail makes you feel like you've stepped back in time to Old London and are highstacking right alongside Barnaby as he delivers the letters, fights off a wolf and travels to the seedier areas of London. Full of action, the pace is constant with barely a moment to catch your breath as the story moves at a brisk level.

A definite must read for those who enjoy a boy-centric middle grade and those who enjoy the mix of mystery and historical. Look for the next book in the series, RETURN OF THE EMERALD SKULL to release February 2009.

Paul Stewart is a highly regarded and award winning author of books for young readers. He lives in Brighton, England. Chris Riddell is an award winning illustrator and political cartoonist. He lives in Brighton, England.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
September 2008

Above the streets of the city, a tick-tock lad highstacks across the rooftops. The young man, Barnaby Grimes, like all other tick-tockers, spends his days delivering messages and running errands for the doctors, lawyers, professors and others who pay him for the service. Scruffy but charming, Barnaby is one of the fastest tick-tocks in the business. All is well with him until the night his friend disappears. That same night he meets a vicious wolf high above the city.

CURSE OF THE NIGHT WOLF, a fast-paced and sometimes violent chapter book, introduces readers to the latest creation of Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. Barnaby is a likable and fantastic hero who is as quick-witted as he is nimble-footed. While he has had many adventures before this one, he admits his encounter with the wolves stalking his city, and their sly creator, is his most dangerous yet.

It all starts when Barnaby's life-long friend, Old Benjamin, goes missing. He finds the battered chair in which Old Benjamin spent his days broken and blood-spattered but few other clues to go on. However, Barnaby does remember talk of "Doctor Cadwallader's Cordial," an elixir Old Benjamin took to ease his horrible cough. While the tonic seemed to be healing his friend, Barnaby doubted it was anything more than the typical syrup sold by unscrupulous quacks. But soon he rethinks that idea and finds himself in business with the strange Dr. Cadwallader himself.

As Barnaby delivers messages for the doctor, he continues to try to solve the mystery of Old Benjamin's disappearance. Soon he finds himself part of the violence and mayhem sweeping the city and learns the sad truth as to why it is all happening.

Stewart's prose is sharp and interesting. Barnaby's world is part Victorian London and part dystopian future, and the action is lively and page-turning. Riddell's black and white illustrations are fantastic --- creepy, lovely and detailed, perfectly capturing Stewart's spooky and exciting narration. While the large type and easily solved mystery imply a story for younger readers, the werewolf encounters are perhaps a bit too frightening and graphic for kids younger than 10 but is sure to entertain older ones.

There is even a bit of a romantic subplot that finds Barnaby fancying a young lady in the midst of the trouble herself.

CURSE OF THE NIGHT WOLF is the debut in a series of Barnaby Grimes books. While there are a few kinks here, the style --- both written and visual --- promises much fun, horror and originality in the future.