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40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Past Has Never Been So Close Indeed., June 25, 2006
This review is from: Gideon the Cutpurse: Being the First Part of the Gideon Trilogy (Hardcover)
I received an Advanced Reader's Edition of this book from the bookstore I work at in February of this year. I read it immediately and have been impatiently waiting for it to be commercially available ever since so that I could recommend it to other people.
Despite being an adult, one of my favorite genres to read is Young Adult Fiction, particularly titles that fall under the fantastical and adventure categories. However, as of late, there have been quite a few titles that seem to be barely disguised knockoffs of "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings". This book is different and it's like a breath of fresh air in the genre.
This book tells the tale two British teenagers who find themselves accidentally transported back in time to the year 1763 where they are befriended by kind gentleman cutpurse named Gideon and an upper class family he has recently been employed by. Of course, before long they are off on the adventure of a lifetime to get their Time Machine back from the creepy and powerful Tar Man (who has a tragic story of his own to be told), while all the while just trying to learn how to live in the 18th Century.
What I enjoyed about this book is that other than the Time Travel itself, the book has no magic and doesn't take place in an alternate land of fantasy. It's firmly grounded in history without the less pleasant aspects of the time being glossed over. That makes other readers' comparison to Mark Twain's work very accurate! It has a lot of gritty adventure including a confrontation with a Highwayman who is not the romantic figure he's often portrayed as. It's a great book for people who love "Harry Potter" dearly, but are looking for something a little different to enjoy until that 7th book comes out.
Gideon and the kids are likeable characters and the friendship they form with each other in spite of the differences in their ages and time periods is interesting. I don't want to give anything away, but the ending is particularly surprising since it's not the way the protagonists in these sorts of stories have ever behaved. It definitely left me eagerly anticipating the next book in the trilogy!
Oh, and on a last completely aesthetic note from someone who is a Graphic Designer by profession, this is one incredibly beautiful, eye-catching novel! It completely does justice to the story told on the inside.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This just might become a classic, July 7, 2006
This review is from: Gideon the Cutpurse: Being the First Part of the Gideon Trilogy (Hardcover)
A couple of weeks ago, I read a blurb about this book and was intrigued with the headline on the cover ("The past is closer than you think.") The book really has an epic sweep, from the fact that Peter, a young teenager, is clearly looking for his lost father and finds a substitute in Gideon to the fact that the teens who go back in time travel across the British countryside having some amazing adventures as they try to get home. The scene where they approach London,and see it from a distance as it was in 1763, is positively breathtaking. The villain, The Tar Man, well, I don't want to say too much except like the best villains we understand why he is so, and he's responsible an ending that takes your breath away. I've been trying to think about what makes this book feels so special, and I guess it might be that the storytelling is so convincing, and the setting and characters so real. The book doesn't feel gimmicky or forced at all like some books that feel like they are just trying to cash in on the current fantasy craze. Also, just holding GIDEON feels special because it's designed to look like a book from the 18th century. According to the back of the book there's a sequel coming next summer, and you can tell when you're reading it that, while the book was really satisfying, the whole story isn't over. I can't wait!
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW. I loved this book., July 6, 2006
This review is from: Gideon the Cutpurse: Being the First Part of the Gideon Trilogy (Hardcover)
I was looking for a good read over the 4th of July weekend, and this caught my eye in the bookstore. I'm an adult, but have always loved a good children's book. I thought this one had everything--great characters (you'll love Gideon, the hero), a really exciting plot (I don't want to give to much away, because there are twists, but the story really keeps up at a good clip) and I loved the sense of being in England in 1763. I also was intrigued that the kids, who go back in time accidentally, can blur into the current time, but not really stay there--so people keep seeing them and thinking they are seeing ghosts! I tell you, this book works on a lot of levels (just wait till they visit Dr. Samuel Johnson), and I really recommend it.
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