Sporeville (Wellborn Conspiracy) [Paperback]

Paul Marlowe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 2007 | Series: Wellborn Conspiracy

Elliott Graven was prepared to be bored by his new town, and prepared to be annoyed by it. After all, it was a run-down fishing village in the back woods, and moving there suddenly had been his father's idea, not Elliott's. But he wasn't prepared for the sleepwalkers. Or the mushrooms. Or the jars of eyes. At least the werewolves seemed to be on his side...

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I loved Sporeville! A well-written and entertaining story, this novel falls into the "new weird", a.k.a. speculative fiction genre. Fans of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy will certainly enjoy this novel. In fact, readers who like Gothic literature, science fiction, fantasy and history will relish this book....The writing is strong, with fresh figurative language, vivid imagery, and compelling characters. It is obvious that Marlowe enjoys playing with language and that he has a keen interest in both science and history. I cannot wait for the sequel to this book, and I highly recommend it. It was absolutely the best, most delicious thing I have read in some time." -- Resource Links, Volume 13, Number 1, October 2007 Reviewer: Bonnie Campbell

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Sybertooth INc (September 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0973950544
• ISBN-13: 978-0973950540
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,542,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, June 5, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sporeville (Wellborn Conspiracy) (Paperback)

Paul Marlowe's SPOREVILLE is a mysterious piece of historical fiction. It takes place in late 19th century Canada, but also has hints of fantasy and science fiction. The main character is a very logical and scientific fifteen-year-old named Elliot Graven.

Leaving a good medical practice in Kingston for Spohrville is one of the several odd things Dr. Graven has done since Elliot's mother died in a ship crash a year before. At first glance, Spohrville seems like a small sleepy fishing town, but almost immediately Elliot realizes that the town is just too weird to be normal. First of all, there is Paisley DeLoup (Loup is the French word for wolf), a girl who lives just outside the town, and has abnormally sharp canines and great night vision. She also believes in ghosts and séances. She reveals that the previous doctor had died under mysterious circumstances. Later, he goes to the yearly Eel Fair where there are prizes for Eel Bobbing and Eel Nibbling. To make things even worse, his watch gets stolen.

However, Elliot begins making connections between Spohrville's listless inhabitants, strange accidents, and the alarming number of fresh graves. When Elliot catches his father sleepwalking with the rest of the town, he knows that something sinister must be afoot. Together with Paisley and a shipbuilder's son, Denis Ludlow, they begin investigating and discover that their suspicions were very well-founded. In fact, they may now know too much to live.

SPOREVILLE is an unusual book. I don't think I've read many things like it and it has a lot of neat medical facts and information. Not all the questions raised in SPOREVILLE are answered and Paul Marlowe leaves plenty of room for a sequel, if not a series. A fun read!

Reviewed by: Natalie Tsang