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The telephone cord was hanging from the receiver, wires sticking out of the broken, dangling end.
Time to go, Stuart thought.
And then the phone rang.
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Ten year old Stuart Horten considers himself a most unfortunate soul. He is unnaturally small for his age, a fact that is magnified by the combination of exceptionally tall parents and a name that shines a spotlight on his deficiency: S.Horton. His parents are extremely clever but not, as he puts it, sensible. People mistakenly believe he is younger than his ten years.
But it is the start of summer vacation and even Stuart feels like all is right with the world. Then the bottom drops out. Stuart Horton’s mom is offered a new job and the family up and moves to the small town of Beeton, leaving friends and familiarity far behind.
It is of little comfort to Stuart that his father hails from this area, that is until he discovers that there was a magician in the family, Tony Horton, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances many decades ago. Sometimes all it takes is a small spark to start fire, and this familial history strikes a match that sets young Stuart ablaze, sending him on an improbable and perhaps impossible adventure.
Lissa Evan’s first young adult novel, published last year in Great Britain as Small Change for Stuart, crackles with the energy of the endlessness of youthful summers and skillfully demonstrates why it was shortlisted for the 2012 Costa Award for Children’s Fiction and the Carnegie Medal.
Horten’s Miraculous Mechanisms came to my attention on a recent bookstore trip, when its Gorey-esque cover illustration drew me to it like a magnet. I promptly ordered a copy from the local library and was thrilled at its rapid arrival. Edward Gorey’s illustrations have always exuded an aura of delicious mystery for me and even though it may be unfair, my expectations upon seeing similar work is that a special story is waiting to be told. That expectation was answered when I discovered author Chris Priestley’s Tales of books and was answered yet again upon reading Horten’s Miraculous Mechanisms.
The story takes place in a contemporary setting, but having the plot center around WWII era coin-operated machinery and magical contraptions gives the story a much more nostalgic feel. This feeling is added to with the small town youthful innocence embodied by Stuart and by one important friend he meets along the way. The cast of characters, including Stuart’s eccentric parents, could largely be described as quirky and yet that quirk is woven carefully into the story so that it entertains without overshadowing the mystery of Tony Horton’s disappearance. And Horten’s Miraculous Mechanisms is highly entertaining. The story wraps up a mite too quickly but that is a very minor complaint. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially those who are fans of the Flavia de Luce mysteries.
The book itself is a lovely small package with an easily readable large font and fun illustrations at the start of each chapter, in addition to the nice back and front cover illustrations that I’ve already mentioned liking. It is a book I would like to add to my collection. I was thrilled to see that Lissa Evans has another Stuart Horton adventure in the works. He is a young lad that I would certainly like to accompany on another magical journey.
I absolutely shouldn’t be–but I am often surprised by how really good a lot of YA and Juvenile fiction is. I was also taken with this cover–when I was scrolling through my google reader feed I had to click out and read more! I am going to see now if my library has a copy–thanks for the heads up! (And I love Gorey’s artwork, too).
I am too, Danielle. Hope your library has a copy, it is a fun, sweet book.
I’ve been so curious about this book! I’m totally with you…it’s the Gorey like illustrations that have drawn me to this one too. Sounds like one that I really do have to check out!
It is! I didn’t mention it in the review, but another thing to love about the book is Stuart’s father. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you read it. I find myself with an urge to talk just like him. Fortunately for those around me, I am not intelligent enough to do so. 🙂
This sounds wonderful! I’m happy to see my library has it as well. I’ve put this on my to-read list and will save it for RIP. 🙂
That is a fun idea, Amanda. Glad your library has it.
This sounds really good! I will save it for RIP, too. Off to see if my library has it.
It was. It would be a fun RIP book. Also a fun summer book since the events take place over Stuart’s summer vacation.
I know a real fan of the Flavia series, so I will send this review to her. I’ll check it out myself. I adore Gorey illustrations.
Thanks Deb. I LOVE the Flavia de Luce books and I found myself making some favorable comparisons while I was reading this.
Isn’t Edward Gorey the best?!?! I loved checking out ghost story books from the library when I was a kid with his illustrations in them. And I’m so glad that Masterpiece Mystery on PBS continues to use his art for the opening. I’ll be sad whenever they decide to move on from that.
This sounds fantastic! I, too, am very drawn by the cover and the title, but am thrilled to find that the story itself holds up to those. Will look out for it at my library.
I was too, Aarti. I would have been bitterly disappointed had they not, because the book looks so tempting.
My library system had 17 copies, all checked out. I’ve placed a hold, #3 of 3, so it should show up in a week or three, I hope. I love this kind of thing. If I like it enough, I’ll probably buy it, but I’m kinda on a thrift kick, as you know. Thanks, Carl, for finding yet another wonderful book!
I understand completely Richard. That is exactly why I did not give in to the urge to buy it and instead gave it a shot at the library first. I would like to own it now though.
I gather from your review that the illustrations are Gorey-like, not the genuine thing. So who did do them?
It did not say clearly in the book, but online research indicates that Lissa Evans did these herself. That bumps her up even higher in my esteem.
Have to love a book about a mysterious magical disappearance to be solved! Sounds like a fun adventure–and I LIKE quirky characters, so that’s not a problem at all…
It is very fun, and there is quirkiness in abundance. Having been away from it for a couple of days now I cannot help but continue to be drawn to the characters, particularly Stuart’s father who is a strange, delightful man.
I happened across this book while at B&N when I brought my daughter to storytime. The cover just draws you in! I need to get back to B&N and get a copy after reading your review.
It really does, doesn’t it? I had a hard time not picking up a copy of this last night when I was in BN but I need to at least wait to get a coupon to add it to my collection.
Z and I read this one together and both really liked it. I was thrown for a bit of a loop by the supernatural ending but I still think it was a good story. I need to write up our thoughts on it this week. I’m really hoping it gets some good exposure though because it’s the sort of book that kids SHOULD be reading right now instead of some of the ones they ARE reading.
I was too, but in thinking about it afterwards I actually liked it. I too hope it gets good exposure, and please let me know if you post a review on it because I’d love to read it. I recommended this one and The Freedom Maze to a couple of friends this week that I hope will read them. I’m right there with you, these are the kind of books that should be getting read, and I’m not hearing near enough about them.
I think this one looks wonderful. It’s definitely been added to my TBR list.
It really was great fun, I hope you enjoy it.
Just got it from the library yesterday and will start it when I finish the last couple of chapters of the book I’m reading now.
It will be really fun to see what your reaction to this one is, Richard, regardless of what it may be. I cannot remember if you read a lot of YA fiction or what your impression of it is. I think you’ll like the dad. Or maybe that is just me and I’m even weirder than I suspect.
Got it a couple hours ago and I’m already at 1/3 point (He’s about to go meet the blind lady at the bingo place). I’m enjoying it a lot, and already thinking I’d like to put a link to your review here in mine, if that’s all right with you? I’m a few books behind in writing up my reviews, so it could be a week or so, but I might not be able to wait.
I’m excited to hear that! And absolutely, feel free to use anything you want.
Finished it last night, and enjoyed it a good bit. My problem now is that I have 4 books in need of write-up and have just not been in the writing reviews mood. Instead I just want to curl up and read. Part of the reason for that is we’ve have a flip back to late winter/early spring, and it’s been stormy and cool. The roses which we thought were about to bloom have gone back to sleep, the slugs are having a field day in spite of our efforts to discourage them, and it’s just been good read-have comfort food-drink warm beverages weather. I’ll get back into the writing mood very soon, I hope!
I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed it. I know what you mean about not being in the writing mood. I have several books I’ve read this year that deserve reviews but they haven’t gotten them. Maybe we should do a post that is just a brief 1-2 paragraph round up of all the books we need to review.
i have to say this book is amazing i could read it over and over and over it is just very detaled and instersting i love this book