Grim Tuesday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 2) (Paperback)

by Garth Nix (Author) "I've made you my Steward," Arthur said..." (more)
Key Phrases: sun bear, indentured workers, supply clerk, Grim Tuesday, Dame Primus, Lower House (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–Just 15 minutes after Mister Monday(Scholastic, 2003) ended, with Arthur Penhaligon cleaning up the mess the slothful Mister Monday made of Earth, the asthmatic orphan is summoned again. His new adversary is Grim Tuesday, and once again he finds himself in a battle to the death to get the Second Key. If he gives in to the errant Days or loses the battle against them, he knows they will destroy his own home on Earth as well as the Denizens and inhabitants of the magical House, including his new friend and stalwart companion Suzy Turquoise Blue, one of the children spirited away from plague-ridden Europe by the Pied Piper centuries earlier. Grim Tuesday's weakness is greed, and the themes running through this book all revolve around excesses of manufacturing, copying, and accumulation. As before, Nix creates unusual characters, artifacts, and settings. Once again, Arthur proves himself a worthy hero as he overcomes his fears, weaknesses, and setbacks in order to save the people and the worlds that are depending on him, whether they know it or not. But of course, there will be more challenges to come. The series is aimed at a younger audience than Nix's masterful Sabriel (HarperCollins, 1996) and its sequels. While occasionally longer than they need to be, Arthur Penhaligon's adventures are absorbing and entertaining, with worthy characters and thought-provoking situations.–Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA
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Review
"[Garth Nix is] the coolest read in the playground." Amanda CraigPRAISE FOR MISTER MONDAY:"I just loved Mister Monday, which is an amazing, no-holds-barred fantasy by Garth Nix. This is destined to be a cult series. Every chapter seems to bring something new and wonderful and ends with another surprise. In all honesty, I've never read anything quite like it and I simply can't wait for Tuesday." Anthony Horowitz"Magic splashes across every page... With a likeable unlikely hero, fast-paced plotting and a plethora of mystical oddities, this series is sure to garner a host of fans." Publishers Weekly starred review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439436559
• ISBN-13: 978-0439436557
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #67,882 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 2 in The Keys to the Kingdom Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deeper into the House, January 14, 2004

By	claire de lune (Bellevue, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This is the second installment in Garth Nix's series, Keys to the Kingdom. In Grim Tuesday, the Grim himself has found a way to claim the Lower House in payment for a millennia of unpaid bills. However, once again Arthur's conflict with the Morrow Days spills into his life at home when Tuesday also threatens to collect from Arthur's world as well, by threatening to tear down Arthur's house to build a giant shopping mall. Arthur, unprepared for the assault must enter Tuesday's realm, the Far Reaches of the House to find the second part of the Will and claim the second key of the house and once again save his world and family from the denizens of the house.

Grim Tuesday is very different in plot and feel from Mister Monday. Tuesday's Realm is darker and less orderly. Instead of being in charge of keeping the records of the Secondary Realms (aka the Universe)the Grim mines the Nothing in order to make things that he then sells to the other Realms in exchange for denizens who he uses as miners in the mine of the Nothing. However, Tuesday has delved so deeply into the mine that the mine is threatening the foundations of the house. Arthur, unarmed and keyless, has to enter this realm.

We learn a lot more about the Nothing in this book, and even the possible origin of the mysterious suited men who always appear in the prologues of Mister Monday and Grim Tuesday. There are many more interesting characters to meet, such as Japeth the former Thesaurus, and several other characters make reappearances, most prominently Suzy Blue, now Monday's Tierce.

However overall I found myself slightly dissatisfied with this book, by the end I was wishing that Arthur would just accept his part as Heir of the House and the fact that he will have to fight all of the Morrow Days and that they are not going to leave him alone until he grows up. This is made especially clear at the end. I also wished that Leaf and Ed were more than just peripheral characters, Leaf only appears for a few seconds and Ed isn't there at all, they seem very intriguing, and I wish Nix did more about them.

Overall though, Grim Tuesday is an excellent read, we learn more about the world of the House, the Old One, the Nothing, and many other things besides. I can't wait for Drowned Wednesday.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nix holds the Key to open the imagination, August 23, 2004

By	Jilly Copperplate "Jilly Copperplate" (Sunrise, Fl USA) - See all my reviews

I truly enjoyed both Mister Monday and Grim Tuesday and I'm looking forward to Drowned Wednesday. I'm an avid reader and a mom. This series may have been recommended for young children but I borrowed the books from my 15 year old son. He loved them and so did I. Garth Nix is the first author my son ever chose to read for fun. I think this is due to Mr. Nix vivid descriptions of the surreal, supernatural and odd environments, characters and situations. His stories are well thought out and he keeps you on the edge of your seat. In this series he's chosen a hero in an intelligent young boy who happens to be hindered by asthma. In the beginning he believes himself to be a loser, but eventually he becomes our modest hero. I think Arthur's a character that all teenagers can relate to. Even the most athletic and popular teenager can feel isolated by their own insecurities. I also appreciate the message behind the strong, loving family that treats Arthur no differently even though he's adopted. They aren't the focus of the story but they are the backbone of Arthur's strength. This is a great series for drawing kids away from the TV and video games and into the wealth of their own imagination. And its not a bad escape for parents still in touch with their inner child.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not like the first one, August 15, 2004

By	Kevin Thomson (Vancouver BC) - See all my reviews

When I read the first book of the series, I wasn't quite sure how Garth Nix would pull off the rest of the series while still maintaining to create a new plot for each and every one of them. While I was impressed at what he managed to accomplish with his sequel, I still thought it lacked a bit. What Nix needs to do more is think outside of a set series, which he's done so brilliantly in the past. This is just a wild guess, but at the end of each book, I'm guessing there will be the same outcome.