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The Clockwork Three

Kirby, Matthew J., 1976- Book - 2010 Kids Book / Fiction / Mystery / Kirby, Matthew J 1 On Shelf No requests on this item Community Rating: 5 out of 5

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Locations
Call Number: Kids Book / Fiction / Mystery / Kirby, Matthew J
On Shelf At: Traverwood Branch

Location & Checkout Length Call Number Checkout Length Item Status
Traverwood Kids Books
4-week checkout
Kids Book / Fiction / Mystery / Kirby, Matthew J 4-week checkout On Shelf

As mysterious circumstances bring Giuseppe, Frederick, and Hannah together, their lives soon interlock like the turning gears in a clock and they realize that each one holds a key to solving the others' mysteries.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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Summary / Annotation
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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

I actually really, really liked this book! submitted by sumnera on September 30, 2014, 3:29pm I actually really, really liked this book! It is the author's breakout novel, and for his first work it's pretty darn good. I am a fan of the steampunk style, and this novel definitely has some steampunk roots. Clockwork, a fancy opera, a medium, a lost treasure, a magic violin... it's all there! This novel definitely made me want to keep reading, and I zipped through it really fast (even for me!). I absolutely loved watching the three points of view slowly converge as the characters' worlds began to collide. It was a very unique writing style that really brought out the best in the characters and the mystery they were investigating.

The other thing I really liked about the novel is that Kirby based it off of a true story about a young musician in New York City, which Kirby heard about while studying history in college. The young boy was taken from his home in Italy to be a slave playing music on the streets of New York City. He eventually escaped his master and fled to Central Park. The young man even went on to testify in court against his master, freeing and protecting other boys like himself. The story became well known, and Kirby admired the boy's courage and strength and wanted to write about it.

My only complaint, and the reason I gave this book a four instead of a five, is that the conversations between the characters were a bit stilted and often felt forced. Taking into account that this is Kirby's first novel, I can understand that. Writing dialogue and making it sound genuine and not too scripted is a big challenge that authors face. And I think that as Kirby continues to write novels, his skills with dialogue will improve. I haven't checked to see if he's published since this book, but I sincerely hope he has because I think the guy's got talent! This was a unique and engaging story: something that is easier said than done these days.

My Rating
Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 hearts.

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PUBLISHED
New York : Scholastic Press, 2010.
Year Published: 2010
Description: 391 p.
Language: English
Format: Book

READING LEVEL
Lexile: 680

ISBN/STANDARD NUMBER
9780545203371
0545203376

SUBJECTS
Cooperativeness -- Fiction.