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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Hunchback Assignments - A Steampunk-tacular Read!, September 22, 2009
Arthur Slade's latest YA novel, The Hunchback Assignments, is steampunk-tacular. Hunchback AssignmentsModo, a disfigured hunchback, is born with a strange gift. He can twist his appearance to mirror any imaginable person. Modo can hide behind the countenance of a prince or pickpocket, if only for a few hours. His true face, the one reflection he avoids at all costs, masks a heroic figure. The enigmatic Mr. Socrates rescues Modo as an infant and trains him as an agent of a shadowy Victorian era organization. Modo's assignments thrust him into danger at every turn and pitt him against the mechanized villainy of a mad scientist. A monstrous enemy threatens the British Empire, and Modo must use every ounce of wit and skill he possesses to combat the forces of evil. Modo not only faces physical peril, he also wrestles with his feelings for Octavia, a beautiful and compassionate fellow agent. Although Modo longs to accept Octavia's affection, he finds it impossible to reveal his true face. He dreams of becoming the handsome knight who can win her heart. She longs to know the real man behind the mask. In the Hunchback Assignments, suspense builds steadily up to the ripping climax. Throughout the story, the audience feels Modo's heartache and witnesses his courage. After the final scene, the reader will be reluctant to leave his side. Assignments is a satisfying brew infused with crisp writing and high flying action. It reads as though Slade threw the machinations of a 007 caper, the intrigue of a Young Sherlock Holmes adventure, the gothic romance of a Victor Hugo tale, the clever gadgetry of an H.G. Wells yarn, and the thrilling horror of a penny dreadful into a blender and pressed pulse. Yes, it's that good. Read it.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Rating is For Adult Readers, add a Star for Kids, December 2, 2009
I have to admit that I didn't realize this was a children's book when I picked it up, but as a fan of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series (which is definitely not for kids), the book's steampunkish Victorian setting appealed to me. In the early pages, we meet the protagonist, a horribly disfigured young boy who is kept by gypsies as a freak show entertainment. A brisk gentleman named Mr. Socrates purchases him, installs him in a country manor, and keeps him there for 13 years, training him in the arts of espionage and in the control of his special ability. For it seems that the young boy (named Modo) has the ability to shift his physical attributes so that he can impersonate others, and thus Mr. Socrates intends to turn him into a secret agent. The Victorian British Empire of this book has all manner of nefarious enemies that Mr. Socrates and his top-secret "Permanent Association" work to stymie. In this first adventure in what looks to be a series, the villain is a mad scientist intent on creating hybrid mechanical-organic creatures. After being recruited by the mysterious Clockwork Guild (which is dedicated to destroying the British Empire) he sets about using kidnapped orphans to build a massive mechanized robot creature. Meanwhile, the Guild is also trying to use some combination of drug and hypnosis to turn several unwitting prominent men into assassins. Mr. Socrates sends Modo out to try and thwart some of this, along with another young agent named Octavia. They team up and Modo develops a crush on the intelligent, pretty girl. Once the initial background is established, the story races along pell-mell, with plenty of action, menace, captures and escapes. At times this can make the book feel rather rushed and unfinished, as if there's a layer of descriptive writing missing -- sort of shallow. There is a lot borrowing and referencing of classic genre work here, and at times it can feel like the book is written in shorthand. However, by the end, it seems evident that the Clockwork Guild will be back to fight another day, and that subsequent books will inevitably reveal more about Modo and how he came to have his powers. I suspect most 10-14 year-old readers with a taste for adventure will want to seek out Modo and Octavia's further adventures, but older readers such as myself may find it all a bit too thin.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Marvelous Superb!, February 17, 2010
others described the story so i won't. but i will say that i was engrossed start to finish, trying to figure out what would happen and dreading it once i did. for that reason i rate this five stars as a great original mystery. the author created such a weird world-- creepy like the London we have read about before but with super sinister villains (one with a mechanical arm!) and good guys that are kind of questionable. Modo and Ottavia are the real heros. i can't wait for book number two!
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