Gideon the Cutpurse [Kindle Edition]

Linda Buckley-Archer (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 5-8–Peter and Kate, 12, have literally stumbled from the 21st century back to 1763, and even though they are still in England, many things have changed. Their time travel must be connected to the antigravity machine Kate's father has been working on, but since it has been stolen by a vicious criminal called The Tar Man, they really have no choice but to trust Gideon, the stranger whose offer of help seems genuine enough, even if he is known as a cutpurse. Buckley-Archer may very well give J. K. Rowling a run for her money. This wonderfully rich and complex novel, written in lyrical and vivid language, is destined to be a classic. History interweaves with science, social issues in both centuries are thrown in; yet what readers will remember most is a fast-paced plot with a cliff-hanger ending and multidimensional characters who continue to inhabit their thoughts long after the book is closed. With appeal for reluctant and advanced readers, this novel is a rare gem.–Melissa Moore, Union University Library, Jackson, TN
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. To display this first novel, which sports an impressive die-cut peephole in the embossed case cover, will be to see it circulate. Despite the unusual packaging, though, the plot of book one in the planned Gideon Trilogy will strike many as familiar fare: 12-year-old acquaintances Kate and Peter are whisked back in time to the England of 1763 by an antigravity machine. Transcending the threadbare framework is the role of compassionate Gideon, a reformed cutpurse whose efforts to help the children bring him dangerously close to his ignoble past. As in Eleanor Updale's Montmorency series, the criminal seeking redemption makes a compelling character, and Buckley-Archer's inclusion of present-day scenes, mostly focused on Kate's and Peter's distraught parents, provides a realistic, suspenseful counterpoint to the fantasy. Running gags culled from the time-and-culture differential and de rigueur cameos by historical figures seem contrived, but the pistol-waving encounters with highwaymen and chases through London's underbelly will bring readers back for more. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 508 KB
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (July 1, 2006)
• Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000NY1264
• Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,506 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #50 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Children's Fiction > Historical Fiction > Medieval

More About the Author

Linda Buckley-Archer is the author of the critically acclaimed Gideon trilogy. Originally trained as a linguist, she is now a full-time novelist and scriptwriter. She has written a television drama for the BBC and several radio dramas, as well as various journalistic pieces for papers like the Independent. The Gideon Trilogy was inspired by the criminal underworld of eighteenth-century London.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

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

By 

Joni Graybill (Hilton Head, SC USA) - See all my reviews

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.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This just might become a classic, July 7, 2006

By 

Beth Bexon (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

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!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW. I loved this book., July 6, 2006

By 

Amy from Massachusetts (Boston, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

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.