Book Review: "Superior Saturday" by Garth Nix

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Arthur is ready to get the sixth key and find the next part of the will. But he has to deal with himself as his new nature appears and he becomes less and less human.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Arthur develops a new problem, mainly being dealing with new feelings and thoughts that are not his own. His nature is changing.

Suzy teams up with Arthur again, also meeting up with Leaf. She is still a source of humor, but not much else as she refuses to develop.

Leaf has her own story, but eventually her's merges with Suzy's. She is still brave but rather lacking in motivation or any depth. She has no contact with her family or any other characters she is close to. Perhaps that would have helped her seem less two dimensional.

Superior Saturday was the first denizen that the Architect made. Because of this, she believes the Incomparable Gardens that belong to Sunday should be hers. Her sin is envy.

PACING

The pacing is the same as the previous in the series. Not too fast or too slow. The story goes back and forth between Arthur and Leaf but I didn't feel like this increased the pace. I was more interested in Arthur's story than Leaf's. I just never felt any connection to her character. At one time I felt that with Arthur (mainly because of my sympathy for him).

THE CLIMBING TOWER

Because of her envy, Saturday has been building a tall tower for centuries. It's a weird system of moving offices, like building blocks. It was definitely original and detailed.

ARTHUR'S INNER CONFLICT

Arthur is now more denizen than human. Because of this, he has to fight his new thoughts. Ones of anger and condescension. He lashes out once at someone and starts ranting to Doctor Scamandros. But he usually keeps his new feelings quiet. I was disappointed he didn't share his struggle with Suzy, or anyone for that matter.

THE GARDENS

Turns out the Incomparable gardens where the first thing the architect made. I thought this was interesting as it copies many mythologies where the first thing created was a garden; paradise, as it were.

SUZY'S MEMORIES

There is a short scene where Suzy mentions her past. I was disappointed, as I had hoped we might have learned more about who she was when she was alive. But instead we quickly move on. Arthur doesn't even inquire about it. I had hoped she would develop if she remembered more of her past, as I had little hope otherwise.

ARTHUR'S BROTHER

One of Arthur's older siblings makes an appearance. He works in the military. But there isn't any real relationship between him and Arthur. Even though Arthur has referenced him vaguely in the past.

DAME PRIMUS' DECEPTION-SPOILERS

Arthur realizes that he is being lied to and that Dame Primus is hiding the atlas from him. Through each book we have seen how immoral she is and how controlling and manipulative she is. Arthur never trusted her but her lies have become more obvious.

ARTHUR TAKES CHARGE

Arthur stands up to Dame Primus again, telling her to split up and make multiple Dame Primus'. He has stood up to her before, but this felt more forceful. As he didn't stop her from doing something, he actually came up with an idea and made her obey.

THE OLD ONE

The old one asks what exactly Arthur is inheriting since he is the heir. This whole conversation seems more a philosophical one that a practical one. He says that even though the Architect likes to think she created mankind, she only created the possibility of them. And they are more than flesh. And he says that not everything that is not a human is not just a denizen.

ARTHUR'S NEW FEELINGS-SPOILERS

Arthur reveals to Leaf that he learned that he was going to die that day at school. So everything that has happened since then is a bonus. This is a different attitude then he had previously, where he just wanted to get this over with and go home. But now he seems resigned to the fact that he may die here, but at least he got to live longer.

But he also still asks the Old One how he can turn back into a boy again. So it's kind of confusing to understand what he is thinking.

FINDING THE WILL

Arthur hears the will speak to him, but only for a few seconds. It seems to have been cut off. Arthur finally realizes when he heard the voice when he hears it again. I thought the truth about this will was very inventive.

And in order to find him, he has to live Suzy behind as he goes into a body of water. It was important to see that there was still a large part of Arthur left as he was upset about Suzy.

MORE ADVICE

The sixth part of the will shares his philosophy. He says there is never an absolutely right thing to do. Just do what you believe and try to deal with the consequences.

I thought it was kind of vague and not helpful to Arthur. He didn't even bother debating him. And most would argue against it, as most believe killing an innocent person is absolutely wrong.

The idea that Arthur doesn't have any strong convictions to put his life on the line is not believable. No doubt he believes its absolutely right to attempt to attain the keys and the parts of the will. Or at least he did. And his motivation was quite clear, to keep his family safe which he believed absolutely.

GREAT REVELATIONS

Arthur learns the truth about the order of when the House and the Universe was made. As well as who is behind cleaning behind the ears.

CLIMAX

Arthur arrives in the Incomparable Gardens. He fights off some huge bugs and eventually gets the key from Saturday. But the story is cut off as Arthur seems to be in immediate danger.

CONCLUSION

The idea for the sixth part of the will is creative as is the tower that Superior Saturday works in. My favorite aspect is how Arthur is having to fight his new nature as he is turning into something akin to a denizen.

But the relationships are still shallow and refuse to develop. And Arthur's motivation is kind of confusing. I give “Superior Saturday” three stars.

Book Review: "Drowned Wednesday" by Garth Nix

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Arthur ends up at Sea in the House, but his ride misses him. Then he gets picked up by some salvagers. Instead of just worrying about his meeting with Lady Wednesday, he has to worry about Leaf (who he has been separated from) and a Pirate called Feverfew, who had a mark put on Arthur, for touching his treasure.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Arthur is still unsure of himself. But he does learn to be more forthcoming, as he eventually reveals his identity.

Leaf accidentally gets taken to the house when she comes to visit Arthur at the hospital. She isn't in most of the story.

Suzy is only the later half of the story. But she helps Arthur find the will and even has a part in the climax.

Drowned Wednesday is a slave to her gluttony (one of the seven deadly sins). The truth about her isn't explained right away. But people seem to fear her and we eventually learn why.

Dr. Scamandros is one of the residents of the ship that rescues Arthur. He has tattoos that move and change on his bald head according to his emotions.

The Will, part three is rather commanding and has a large group of followers. I found his scenes rather funny actually.

PACING

The story actually starts faster than all the others. To be fair, the last book set up this one. Arthur gets an invitation, so we understand he might be forced back into the House against his will. It was very reminiscent of “The Dawn Treader” by C.S. Lewis.

But after this, there is some waiting around to be rescued, so the pace slows back down. Although there are some good cliffhanger chapter endings that help. There is action in the book, perhaps more than the last two.

LEAF & ALBERT

When Arthur finally sees Leaf again she mentions the loss of her crew mate, Albert. She seems really sad about this, but to me, who had only seen him in one scene, I had a hard time feelings her sorrow. I wish more scenes of her experiences with him had been shown. Even if they were short scenes simply inserted between Arthur's main story.

THE RAISED RATS

The raised rats are rats that used to serve the Piper and were brought to the house him. Now they are messenger rats. They play an important part in the story.

MARK OF THE MARINER-SPOILERS

In the last book we met the Mariner, and in this book his mark ends up saving Arthur.

DROWNED WEDNESDAY-SPOILERS

Wednesday is different than the other morrow days thus far, because her sin has overtaken her so much that she cannot retain her form. Also she seeks out Arthur first, instead of the other way around and we meet her less than halfway through the story.

There is more suspense regarding her because we have to learn about her from other people, and what we do learn sounds horrific.

A WHALE OF A TIME-SPOILERS

I found it interesting that besides the fact that the morrow days each have a deadly sin they represent, we also have a whale in this story. And we end up re-enacting an old testament Bible story. You don't have to be religious to figure out which one it is. But I actually liked the idea, as instead of some allegory, its perhaps only slight inspiration for our story.

ADVENTURES OF THE HEIR

Arthur reveals his identity, only to be laughed at. Turns out there is a novel going around telling about how he defeated Monday and Tuesday. It describes him as some action hero, basically nothing like he actually is. I thought this was interesting, to see that people we making propaganda about him. But Arthur never gets to confront Dame Primus about it.

THE ARCHITECT

The raised rats inquire about the architect and he has to reiterate that he was told that the architect went away and was not killed. It's interesting to see that not everyone knows what happened to her.

LEAVE ME

When a bunch of people are trapped, with only one exit to escape, a side characters won't leave because of his stamp collection. I thought this was weird and out of place. He ended up dying but we don't really talk about it.

A GREAT REVELATION

Arthur already knew about the Piper and the Mariner being children of the Old One. But he learns about a third person he did not know of.

ARTHUR & LEAF

Since they spend most of the book apart, there isn't really any time to grow a relationship. Leaf may have helped Arthur in the last book, and he confided in her at the beginning of this one, but we don't actually seem them grow closer. And the time they spend together is always rather short.

CLIMAX

Arthur finds the will but has to face Feverfew. With the help of Suzy and Leaf, they defeat him.

CONCLUSION

The raised rats were unique and the salvagers that Arthur meets are interesting and often funny. I liked meeting one of the Morrow days that was different than the first two and we meet her much sooner.

The pacing was slightly better, perhaps because of the action regarding the ships and the ocean.

Suzy was her usual silly self but I wish that we had gotten some time with Leaf. I still feel like I don't really know her at all and couldn't feel any sympathy for her loss. Not to mention Arthur's motivation to find her is guilt, not friendship.

I give “Drowned Wednesday” three and half stars.

Book Review: "Lady Friday" by Garth Nix

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Lady Friday sends a message to Arthur regarding the fate of her key. But it might be a trap and he doesn't trust her. To complicate things, Leaf has been taken prisoner by Friday.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Arthur is much more forceful in this book. He has no problem standing up to Dame Primus, who still tries to bully him when it comes to the fate of the Piper's children.

Suzy's relationship doesn't develop with Arthur at all. She appears in the book less than half way through books.

Fred returns, arriving with Suzy. It was nice to see a side character that was male, but he doesn't to seem to have any real relationship with Arthur. But he does have an important role in the story.

Leaf is once again a main character. She is captured by Friday but doesn't escape because she needs to save someone.

Lady Friday is very beautiful and envious of humanity's experiences. So her sin is naturally, envy.

PACING

The story goes back and forth from Arthur to Leaf. Arthur as he tries to find Friday and Leaf as she tries to save someone. This helps the pacing slightly. But it's still not really fast paced.

LEAF'S QUEST

It's great that Leaf is so brave it's just that she is trying to save a character we never even see. And we have no real idea of the love she has for her relation. We never saw them in any scenes together before this book, so we only know that Leaf cares for her because she briefly tells us.

WHERE IS SHE?

A relative of Arthur's disappears, and isn't in the Secondary realm. Arthur freaks out but thinks he knows where they must be: with Lady Friday.

EXPERIENCING-VAGUE SPOILERS

Arthur soon learns that denizens can experience different people's existence from placing a piece of paper on their foreheads. Eventually this plays a bigger part in the plot.

REMEMBERING ALBERT

Leaf uses something she learned from Albert back in “Drowned Wednesday”. He taught her that if she has an item she can run around and explore a long time before anyone notices her. I thought it was nice that something from the past came in handy. I still wish we had actually gotten to know that character though.

SUZY'S DECEPTION-SPOILERS

Suzy and Fred both have necklaces that tighten whenever they badmouth the piper. It hurts them both when they meet Arthur. Later on, Suzy says something bad about the Piper causing Arthur to use his key, even though he didn't want to.

Fred points out that Suzy tricked him into using his power. She only apologizes because Fred says to but she came off as really selfish. And Arthur's reaction was rather underwhelming considering how important it is to not overly use the key.

UGHAM-SPOILERS

There is a third piper's child named Uggham. I don't know why was there, he didn't seem important at all. Perhaps he was there to cause trouble when he betrayed them? And he actually meets a dramatic end. But I felt nothing when it happened. No one had a relationship with him after all.

WINGED SERVANTS

Arthur and his friends meet flying denizens who cannot speak. Instead they use a type of sign language. Fred plays a key role here and the Servants eventually lead us to a crucial character in the book.

GILDED ONES

There are masked beings that used to be Piper's children. But somehow Grim Tuesday got a hold of them, and their not really people anymore. I kind of wished to learn more about them.

ARTHUR'S MOTIVATION

Near the end of the book, Arthur explains why he is risking his life and using the keys. He says it honor or responsibility but doesn't really sound inspired. I thought his motivation was to be able to go home. But now it's kind of unclear.

ARTHUR'S SPELL-SPOILERS

Arthur figures out a way to make a special compass that will point to the will. I thought this was inventive and smart on his part.

A HUMAN INVENTION

There is a scene where Dame Primus says that love is a human invention. She doesn't make a case to why it's a bad idea but simply states it as fact that they don't need it. Nor how the family unit grew out of biology, She seems ignorant and lacking in understanding of her own creation. I would have liked to have seen Arthur debate her.

THREE STRIKES-SPOILERS

The mariner finally makes an appearance. But he tells Leaf that he can only be summoned three times. And this is the second. I thought it was interesting that he could only be called so many times. I wish this was explained exactly why it was this way. But it sets up the Mariner to return for one last time.

CLIMAX

Arthur finds Lady Friday and she is defeated when he gets the key. A surprise enemy shows up; Arthur finds out about his lost loved one and Leaf returns home.

CONCLUSION

The world as detailed as ever and we meet new creatures, such as the Gilded ones and the Servants of the night.

Two stories may help the pace, but the relationships between the characters still feel shallow. And we are far along enough in the series where I think that should have changed. Along with the development of the characters themselves.

I give “Lady Friday” three stars.

Book Review: "Sir Thursday" by Garth Nix

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Arthur suddenly finds himself in the army of Sir Thursday with no way to avoid a hundred year sentence. To make matters worse, a copy of him as back on earth, preventing his return. Leaf agrees to help, since she can return home.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Arthur is still anxious about becoming a denizen, but he is still rather brave. He still wishes to finish this and eventually go home. And he shows leadership skills in the climax.

Suzy isn't in a huge portion of the story. She is there to get an item from Leaf and then give it to Arthur.

Fred is a fellow soldier that Arthur meets when he joins the military. He seems rather laid back and has no real memory of his past.

Leaf plays a more prominent role. She has the important task of finding the item stolen from Arthur and returning it to him so he can destroy it.

Sir Thursday suffers from the sin of Wrath. He easily loses his temper and takes it out on whoever is nearby. When we meet him it's a surprise, which was nice.

PACING

For the first time, we switch back and forth between two plots. Arthur's in the House, and Leaf, back on earth. Although Leaf's adventure is important, I was slightly more interested in Arthur's story. But Leaf's story isn't dull and actually has plenty of action in it.

LEAF & ARTHUR

Leaf is finally a main character, but she spends all of her time away from Arthur. I just feel like in order for them to have a real relationship, they should have spent some more time together.

Arthur did only save her because he felt guilty, not because of any closeness. And although Leaf volunteers to help him, her motivation is unclear. I am guessing she feels grateful to the boy who saved her and wishes to pay him back.

Again, not any real closeness between them. Arthur worries about her, but he never gets to know her. There are not any scenes of them discussing anything remotely personally.

HELP FROM A STRANGER

Leaf gets help from an older lady named Sylvie. I thought she was amusing but I wish I could have learned more about her. Better yet, I wish I had known more about Leaf and maybe she could already have had a connection to Sylvie.

CLEANING BETWEEN THE EARS-SPOILERS

Arthur learned about this long ago, but it turns it he may have to deal with it personally. It's interesting because it adds suspense. The reader wonders if Arthur will get around this, and if he loses his memory, how long will it take to get it back? Is there any real way to avoid it? And what on earth are the bathroom attendants?

WRITE IT DOWN

There is a scene where Fred writes down his favorite color so he won't forget. Arthur writes down his favorite color, but instead of writing down his name he just puts “real name?” I thought this was kind of silly.

I mean, I get he changed his name because the people in charge wanted him to be treated like everyone else. But he couldn't even risk writing down his own name? I felt he should have written it down, but still not remembered, or lost the paper. Something more believable.

THE RING

Arthur is worried about losing his humanity and becoming a denizen so Dame Primus gives him a ring shaped like a crocodile that will record who human he is and measure his change.

It was an interesting aspect of the book because it added suspense. Something that Arthur kept checking and the reader kept wanting updates on.

SPECIAL NITHLINGS

It seems that there is a new breed of nithlings (creatures created from nothing). And unlike any other nithling ever seen, these are not chaotic but organized. No one knows how this is possible. The truth isn't revealed near the climax of the story.

LIEUTENANT KEEPER

Suzy meets the Lt Keeper, who guards the entrance to the house. I think he was mentioned before, but he doesn't seem to have any personality. Even though he plays an important part.

ARTHUR'S SISTER MEETS SUZY

There is a scene where Michaeli witnesses Suzy and her giant wings. She also see's Leaf has sneaked into Arthur's room. I kind of hoped it would have involved her in the story. I knew nothing about her (nor the brother). So I was disappointed when she is never mentioned again.

MEETING SIR THURSDAY

When Arthur meets Sir Thursday, he is not sure what to think. He starts freaking out, wondering if Thursday is going to try and kill him then and there, and has to calm himself down. It was different then previous meetings. I could feel his panic and I kept thinking, calm down! But I felt anxious too.

CLIMAX

Arthur has to face Sir Thursday, while finding the Will at the same time. He debates whether or not to use the key. Then he meets the captain of the new nithling army to discuss peace. He learns of another claim on the keys and then has to face the new nithling army.

A HAPPY ACCIDENT-SPOILER

Sir Thursday says he didn't destroy something, so he sabotaged their plan. But Arthur accidentally destroyed the item by getting rid of his pocket (the item that the fetchers had taken in order to make a copy of him). I thought this was kind of convenient.

CONCLUSION

The world is interesting and original, and the story has plenty of action. Especially on Leaf's side. But I still feel the relationships are lacking as is character development. Certain things were silly, like Arthur not writing down his own name and Arthur lucking into defeating the army. I give “Sir Thursday” three and half stars.

Book Review: "Grim Tuesday" by Garth NIx

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Arthur has barely been home before he is called back to the House. There he has to face Grim Tuesday and claim his key. But first he has to get out of his new job. Not to mention finding the will.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Arthur reluctantly returns to the house. He is still rather hesitant but brave. He gets hurt badly in one scene as well as bruised quite a lot before then. His fragility is revealed by his reaction to his large injury.

Suzy reveals her lack of awareness about Arthur, twice reacting ignorant to his needs. But she is still a source of humor and amusement. She is important because she reveals where the second part of the will has to be.

Grim Tuesday has Greed as his Deadly sin. He collects items from all over Earth and has a treasure tower where it all stays away from anyone. He has a bunch of indentured slaves that work for him, and there is no getting out of their jobs. He cares little for them and is cruel.

The Will, part two, takes the form of a sun bear. He doesn't' believe Arthur's claims about being the heir and wont until proper documentation is provided. His personality is different than the first part of the will.

The Mariner, briefly mentioned as Tom, is one of the Architect's children (which she had with the Old One). Turns out he had three children with mortal woman, so the world is slowly starting to resemble pagan mythology much more.

Japheth is an indentured servant of Grim Tuesday that befriends Arthur. He is the only one who is friendly and although he is barely in the story, he does show kindness to Arthur as well as serving as a guide.

PACING

The pacing starts slow, like the last book. But gradually it picks up. Although it isn't necessarily an action book it still has action scenes in it, but not till we reach halfway through the book. Although there are some suspense scenes that help the pacing. One near the end and one when Arthur first enters the Far reaches and has to fool a denizen.

BOB MEETS THE FETCHERS

There is a scene where Arthur sees the fetchers putting up a sign in front of house. His father Bob confronts them and is knocked out by their breath.

I thought it was interesting for him to get a chance to interact with them but it seems he couldn't see what they were and in fact forgets his encounter. So I was kind of disappointed. Although it was nice to see Arthur protective of his father, I still don't see much of a relationship between them.

LEAF

Leaf is barely in this book but she does play a small role. She ends up fighting a monster with Arthur and revealing where the new location of the House is. It moved from the hospital. Turned out that Suzy contacted her and told her while she was asleep. Leaf mentions she has had other dreams before and that her relative is a witch.

ARTHUR'S INJURY-SPOILERS

Arthur ends up breaking and leg and healing it, but healing it wrong. Turns out his healed leg is shorter than the Arthur. It's obvious that Arthur is really upset about this, thinking that he will never be able to run and play sports again. When he tells Suzy she just notes it like it's odd and interesting. Like a small child who doesn't understand what's going on.

I thought there should have been a moment where Arthur got mad at her and let his real feelings out. He hasn't seemed like a person who is afraid to reveal them, and I thought he would have revealed to Suzy how different she is than him, and humans in general. At least it should have been a source of conflict.

THE ATLAS

The atlas plays an important role, providing a compass when Suzy only knows what direction the tower is in, but not where that direction actually is.

NEW TOYS

When Suzy shows up, she brings wings, but ones that only go up. Also, this little finger puppet looking items called sticky fingers. You recite a spell and they stick to any item, switching from one hand to the other. I liked the idea of seeing more tools as well as contrasting how happy go lucky Suzy was compared to Arthur, and how it could get her in trouble.

For instance, Arthur points out his arms will come out of his sockets if he hangs upside down. Suzy admits she hadn't thought of his fragile human form.

There is also the mention if something called a weirdway that is used in this story.

SUZY'S BEACON-SPOILERS

Suzy had a spell put on her nail, so whenever she gets closer to Arthur, it will glow. Eventually this comes back, allowing Arthur to figure out where she is located when he loses sight of her in fog.

AN EYEBROW?

Suzy and Arthur meet a strange talking creature that claims to have been Grim Tuesday's eyebrows at one time. It is noted that his brows have been burned off. I thought it was really silly and felt kind of out of place. I understand it was so that Arthur and Suzy didn't wander aimlessly through a huge treasure tower and instead had directions to the will. But still, I thought it was kind of weird.

TRAVELING BY BOTTLE

Arthur has to find the will, but it's located on an island. In order to get there, they have to travel in a ship that is in a bottle. With help from the mariner they travel into the ship and from there to the island.

CLIMAX-VAGUE SPOILERS

Arthur finds the will and confronts Grim Tuesday. But he ends up up fighting him not physically, but through a contest decided by the will. Arthur does something interesting, but it felt out of the blue.

I felt it should have been mentioned before that he owned an instrument, and tried to play it. Maybe because of her father he wanted to be good at music or something.

That would have helped hint at the possibility of what he did. Then Arthur has to protect the Far reached from Nothing.

CONCLUSION

The creatures are interesting and so are the tools, not to mention the ship in a bottle. The world is expanded upon and Suzy is as amusing as ever. Arthur is certainly brave but still fragile, emotionally and physically, proving his is still a child. And Arthur doesn't just defeat Grim Tuesday, he also shows his mettle by protecting the Far reaches of the House.

But I still wish that there had been some conflict between Suzy and Arthur about her odd reaction to something huge and personal for him. As well as some hint about Arthur's mild talent that was used to win the key. I give “Grim Tuesday” three and a half stars.

Book Review: "Mister Monday" by Garth Nix

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When Arthur has an asthma attack while on a jog at school, he is saved by a strange man with a hand of a clock. He's healed, but forever changed. Eventually he learns just what role he has inherited when trouble follows him. In order to stop it, he has to go to a strange place with its own rules: the House, with it's own rulers: the Morrow days.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Arthur is a young boy who was adopted after his parents died from a deadly virus. He is asthmatic and doesn't usually fit in well.

Suzy Turquoise Blue is one of the piper's children, meaning she used to be human. She doesn't age, and still looks like a child. She is rather blunt and not easily afraid. She is also rather funny, and most of the humor in the book comes from her.

Mister Monday looks like a young man but is actually a denizen. He is lazy and has his servant push him around in a wheelchair.

The Will, is actually just part one of the will. He is in the form of a frog and if you look closely, made entirely of words. But he feels solid.

PACING

We start with a short prologue in the House, where the Will gets loose. So the story starts where it should, it just isn't fast paced. From there, we meet Arthur at his school, where he eventually meets Mister Monday and has an asthma attack.

He gets the first key but leaves it there and has to go back for it. He starts seeing things, like a huge, strange house, and then finally in chapter four: weird dog face people at his school.

The action doesn't really start before this. It felt slow to me, mainly because I didn't feel like all the information was crucial. We meet Ed and Leaf but they are not in this book at all. We get a brief description of Arthur's house and family, neither of which are very interesting.

THE WORLD OF THE HOUSE

The house is huge and has many different parts. It's a massive bureaucracy.

There are denizens, which are servants who live in a predictable pattern with few original thoughts and feelings. They don't marry or seem to have romantic thoughts. They are kind of just worker drones. And they cannot get sick nor do they need to eat. Although food and illnesses are fashionable.

Then there are Piper's children, who used to be real children, but have been in the House for hundreds of years, and never age. They can't remember their past much.

The Morrow days, are seven trustees who each hold a key which carries tremendous power. They are named for the days of the week.

THE ARCHITECT

Arthur eventually learns that the Architect is the one who made the world. He only gives it a moments thought, realizing that every religion in the world is wrong. Although he never says if he had any beliefs, or still does. Or if he is close to those that do.

I was just left surprised it seemed to have so little impact on him. I mean I know he is a child, but even children think of these things, or at least they witness adults thinking about it.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

Mister Monday is obviously sloth, being as lazy as he is. I think the word was actually used, so it became obvious to me that this was a reference to the seven deadly sins. All records and permits have not been attended to and he is in charge of them.

THE MYSTERY OF THE OLD ONE

Arthur discovers a denizen called the Old One, who is chained up and trapped on a clock. I thought it was creepy and unique. Also, it didn't reveal who he was, so it made me eager to learn more. Although we get hints as we learn that he was imprisoned for interfering with the Architect's project (earth).

SUZY'S PAST

Suzy cannot remember her past much, but one event allows her to learn what time period she came from. But I was disappointed, because we learn that basically her family has passed on.

She basically says, well, I guess I can forget about that. It has such a little affect on her. It seemed thrown out there just to get her past out of the way. Like, look, see, she has a history. But it has nothing to do with the story, so we're getting it over with fast.

ARTHUR'S FAMILY

Arthur points out that he was adopted. His mom is a doctor while his dad used to be in a rock band. His dad had three kids out of wedlock with three different woman when he was younger. And his mom had a kid in her first marriage then they had two kids together.

Then Nix proceeds to tell the reader that they all get along great, and don't think of each other as step-siblings. It comes across as forced and preachy, especially when Nix recalls that they don't explain why they all look completely different. They shouldn't have to explain what their dad did so why the defensive tone?

The idea that the family is perfect came off as unrealistic. None of this needed to be there. It didn't serve to do anything but pull me out of the story. I wanted to see the relationships in action, but the family is basically in the background and the description was cringe-worthy. This is a minuscule portion of the story, but worth mentioning because it's so awkward.

ADOPTED

Arthur mentioned he was adopted, and I couldn't help feel that this should have affected him in more ways. The only way it seems to have affected him, is his anxiety about viruses, since that's how his parents died. He has a photo of his parents, so he knows what they look like.

I felt like he should have mentioned it more, like maybe how he was nothing like his dad, who is laid back and musically talented. Or like his mom, who is super smart. He should have compared himself to his siblings, or something. All siblings do that, but Arthur seems to have no ill effects.

It just didn't feel real to me. I mean I know he was only a baby when he was adopted, but surely all adopted kids wonder what it would be like to have their real parents. Just not Arthur, I guess.

CLIMAX

Arthur, Suzy and the Will travel to Mister Monday's domain. Suzy defends Arthur from an enemy; Arthur goes on to confront Mister Monday, and figures out a clever way to defeat him, using his own power against him.

CONCLUSION

Nix creates a detailed world with interesting mysteries and weird creatures. Arthur is likable enough and Suzy is quite amusing. The climax is clever and the different troubles encountered are unique.

Although I do wish perhaps that I got to see Arthur's love for his family, instead of just being told how they had no problems at all. I give “Mister Monday” three and a half stars.

Book Review: "Half Moon Investigations" by Eoin Colfer

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Twelve year old Fletcher Moon is a detective who ends up getting his biggest case yet. He is investigates a stolen item by a fellow student and accidentally gets involved with a crime family.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Fletcher Moon doesn't act like a regular child. He is rather serious about his chosen profession. He tells the story so we get it from his unique and often hilarious perspective.

Hazel Moon is Fletcher's rather dramatic older sister. She trusts her brother's skills and loves to write, whether it be plays or poems.

Red Sharkey is the older son of the Sharkey family. He is a redhead, like all of them and isn't easily intimidated. He isn't considered good looking, but charming, as most girls like him.

Herrod Sharkey is the youngest son of the Sharkey family. He is already stealing and getting into trouble even though he is only in elementary school.

April Devereux is the classmate who hires Fletcher to find her lost item. She is snotty and girly, looking down any everyone else.

May Devereux is April's cousin. She is the nicer one of the two and seems to like Fletcher. She has been dancing for years but she has no skill.

PACING

The pacing is decent. Even though the story isn't an action orientated one, it starts fast. Once we meet Fletcher we learn about his skills and see them in action. Right after we get an invitation to solve another one. The chapter endings are good, usually ending at a cliff hanger, or some other significant event, like a dramatic realization.

STRUCTURE-VAGUE SPOILERS

The story starts out with an introduction of Fletcher's skills as he solves a mystery (we learn about the Sharkeys as well) and is invited by another student to see him later. After a scene where we clarify that the principal of his school is nuts, we learn about the case and the main part of the story starts.

From then on, Fletcher tries to investigate himself, but eventually ends up hurt and blamed for a crime. This leads him to a Sharkey, and together they investigate. This is the bulk of the book.

Eventually this leads to the climax where the connection of all the victims are discovered and the perpetrators are revealed and confronted.

A MYSTERY-VAGUE SPOILER

Fletcher starts out investigating one crime but suddenly finds there is a whole slew of crimes. He tries to figure out what they have in common. On the surface, they don't seem related at all. Just so the reader knows this is a real crime (and not April being nuts), Fletcher gets attacked at night.

PRINCIPAL CRAZY

In one scene scene in the beginning, we meet the woman who the principal of Fletcher's school. She comes off as completely crazy. It was supposed to be funny, but it was the only joke that flopped for me. It would have been fine to portray her as strange or eccentric, but she came off as mentally ill.

THE FLETCHER FAMILY

Fletcher's family isn't in the book a lot, but they do all have pretty distinct personalities. Mom and Dad just want Fletcher to have friends (while mom is a bit silly, but a very protective too). And Hazel trusts her brother's skills while at the same time has no problems making fun of him.

THE CHARACTER THAT LIKES HIS FAMILY

I can't help but compare Fletcher to Artemis Fowl, who continuously claimed to love his family, but never actually showed it. It's obvious that although Fletcher is embarrassed by his parents and annoyed at his sister, he loves them. When he investigates and sneaks away, he keeps worrying about them and what he is putting them through. And although there is conflict between them (like when dad says he want's his son to be normal) Fletcher still loves them.

HUMOR

The use of humor comes from the fact that Fletcher narrates the story. He has a dry sense of humor and a matter of fact way that makes him hilarious. Not that he tries to be. Although there are a few times that he is sarcastic, and I found that quite funny too.

RED & FLETCHER

Fletcher suspects Red might be the one committing these crimes. When Red finds out, he shows up, and eventually the two actually end up working together. Red wants to clear his name.

The two characters are nothing alike, but they compliment each other. Because of his time with Red, Fletcher learns that his previously held beliefs were wrong. And while Red is street smart and can be rather goofy, Fletcher is good at critical thinking and rather serious.

HELP FROM THE SHARKEYS

When Fletcher investigates with Red, he also gets help from the family. Turns out that Papa Sharkey knows all of the criminals in town, and can easily spot who did what. He in turn points out the one crime that this newcomer likely committed.

I like how Fletcher didn't just need Red's help, but got actual help from Red's father. It was a nice surprise and revealed more about Red, his sister, and his little brother.

RED'S PROMISE

Red could have easily been a shallow characters, but he admits its hard to be a Sharkey, because he was born into a crime family. Everyone prejudges him, and with Roddy it is no different. He admits his little brother is already in trouble and finally confides in Fletcher about his late mother.

CLIMAX

Fletcher proves who committed one set of crimes, then goes to prove who committed the rest. He and Red sneak into the school talent show where Fletcher makes an accusation that causes him to lose a friend. In the end, the person confesses. I was rather surprised at Fletcher's reaction.

CONCLUSION

Colfer creates a likable and funny characters in Fletcher and Red (not to mention the many side characters that surround them). They both develop and show different aspects of their personalities.

The mystery is interesting and silly for the most part, and I found myself laughing more times than I can recall while I read.

The ending was surprisingly good, and even sad. I give “The Half Moon Investigations” four stars.

Book Review: "The Beasts of Clawstone Castle" by Eva Ibbotson

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When their parents get a job overseas, Madlyn and Rollo are sent to live with their great uncle at Clawstone Castle. But the castle is old and falling apart and when the kids find out the real reason why it's being taken care of, they promise to help grow the business.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Madlyn is the eldest of the siblings. She is pretty and popular. She is more outgoing than her brother.

Rollo prefers animals over people and he is more quiet than his sister.

Sir George is an elderly man and the kids' great uncle, who runs the castle.

Miss Emily is an elderly woman who tries to make souvenirs for the castle, but she isn't very good at it. She is very sweet and does her job the best she can.

Mr. Howard is an older man who happens to be the kids' cousan. He keeps himself hidden away, as he is rather shy. He has a secret and the kids come to him when they need help saving the castle.

Lord Trembellow is the wealthy owner of a huge, nice castle. He doesn't' much take notice of the Clawstone Castle as it barely makes any profit and is no competition.

PACING

The story is not an action orientated plot. Although it's not overly slow, as we learn about the cows rather fast, by chapter four (and the chapters are small).

HUMOR

Ibbotson has her usual sense of humor throughout. The only time where I felt it wasn't quite funny was when it came to the villains. They just seemed very two dimensional.

THE COWS

Turns out (If you can't tell by the cover of the book) that white cows are the reasons that the castle is operating. They are a rare breed that need to be looked after. Rollo, loving animals, becomes happy to help the castle after finding out the truth.

GETTING GHOSTS

After finding out why their uncle and aunt run the castle, the kids turn to Howard. They ask him to help find some ghosts that would be willing to help out. This leads to a funny segment where we get to meet some ghosts.

A MYSTERY

Trouble is caused, thanks to Lord Trembellow. And the cows are taken. But instead of it being quite clear cut, the truth ends up being a mystery that leads the kids and ghosts on a trip in search of them.

BANSHEES-SPOILERS

One of the ghosts says the cows were not killed, and not buried where they were supposed to be. But it's not until the banshee's show up and reveal this that the kids finally realize the truth.

THE HOGGART

In the beginning we learn about something called the Hoggart (no one knows what it is). And it comes back into the story near the end in a surprising way.

THE KING

There is a story about a king from a far away land, who gets his own little backstory. I felt it kind of pulled me out of the story. I didn't need a specific reason as to why animals were being abused. It was obviously to make money.

THE MUNDANIANS-VAGUE SPOILERS

When the kids go to see the cows, they realize it was all a misunderstanding. Then they meet the workers on the island, a group of refugees. They find out the violence in their country has ended and their finally going home. They celebrate going home and tell the kids an important truth about the island.

LADY TREMBELLOW

The wife of lord Trembellow isn't treated very well and is unhappy throughout the book. But she is barely in it and like I said, the villains are shallow. Even so, it was nice to see her doing good in the end.

CLIMAX

The kids learn the truth about the cows and attempt a rescue mission. With the help of the ghosts, they succeed. Aunt Emily and Uncle George finally show up.

CONCLUSION

The story is silly and funny but the characters don't have much depth, although they do have personalities. The strength lies in Ibbotson's humorous narration, as well as the mystery regarding the cows. I give “The Beasts of Clawstone Castle” three stars.

Book Review: "The Ogre Downstairs" by Diana Wynne Jones

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When Caspar, Johnny and Gwinny's mom remarries, the kids can't stand their new stepfather and call him “the Ogre” behind his back. The ogre's sons, Malcom and Douglas, don't much care for their new step-siblings either. But when both sets of siblings receive a chemistry set as a gift, they discover it's no normal gift. And soon they are learning how to do amazing things, all while keeping it a secret from their parents.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Johnny is the younger son. He is more emotional and prone to acting without thinking.

Caspar is the oldest child of Sally.

Gwinny is the youngest child of Sally. She is less set on disliking her new family members and admits she used to like the Ogre. She is easily influenced by her big brothers.

Malcom is the younger son of the Ogre.

Douglas is the older son of the Ogre. He loves music and often borrows his step-siblings records

PACING

It's not really an action story, so the pacing is slower. But not to the point of dissuading you from reading. We get the kit right away, and not long after learn of what happens when its used.

DOUGLAS TO THE RESCUE?-SPOILERS

Due to their flying powder wearing off, the kids get stuck far from home. Douglas eventually decides to help out. He flies home and gets them the powder. But on the way home, his wears off. He has to come in through the door, so the Ogre finds him. He is furious...at the guys he helped.

I was confused. Douglas was the one who decided to help them. If anything, this event had been caused due to his kindness. All he had to say was that they owed them, or say nothing at all. This could have started some respect between the kids at least.

IS THE OGRE THAT BAD?

I read the book thinking there would be hints that the Ogre wasn't as awful as they thought. Some times where he was misunderstood, or it was obvious he regretted his actions. But this never happens. Instead he beats up his own son and gets mad at Sally for trying to stop him. He lost his temper pretty much every five minutes and basically had no good qualities.

SUDDENLY MAGIC

I thought it was funny that no one was shocked to find that magic was real, as this was clearly not science. Nor did they have any tough questions for the man who sold it the the Ogre. You'd think they'd be eager to learn more. But I kind of got the feeling that this was ordinary magic to them. Kind of weird.

A MAGICAL WORLD

A strong point of the story is all of the details regarding the consequences of magic. Items come to life, then refuse to be contained. There are floods, melted candy and messes created by flying. Gwinny is charming and sweet how she worries over her new “people”.

LIKE CATS AND DOGS

The two siblings get on like cats and dogs, but I couldn't really figure out why. They are shown yelling at each other over pretty stupid things. I get that Caspar and Johnny think Malcom and Douglas are proper and stuffy. But that doesn't seem to be an excuse to be such jerks to them. Not that they didn't come off unlikable, but so did Caspar and Johnny. They were all equally obnoxious. And since Douglas and Caspar have long been abused by the Ogre, I thought maybe there would be some sympathy for them.

CASPAR AND MALCOM-SPOILERS

Caspar and Malcom accidentally switch bodies. Through this ordeal Caspar learns that Malcom is bullied quite a lot, not just in school by his fellow students, but by his own brother. It was one of my favorite parts of the story, because it started to help Caspar feel sympathy for Malcom.

JOHNNY'S PRANK-SPOILERS

When Johnny decides he wants the Ogre to be gone for good, he tries to frame him for killing him. His brother points out that this will never work. So he kind of goes crazy and tries to hit the Ogre with a vacuum. It was kind of hard to feel any sympathy for Johnny at that point.

GWINNY'S DECISION-SPOILERS

When the kids think that Sally has been killed Gwinny decides to take things into her own hands. She bakes muffins and makes one with sleeping pills in it. But after she makes it, she panics, realizing how crazy that was (unlike Johnny). This is kind of extreme and uncharacteristic of her (she admits she used to like the Ogre). But she at least, develops slightly.

THE OGRE, A KILLER?-SPOILERS

The kids think the Ogre killed their mother, because she has vanished and the Ogre lied to them about her whereabouts. They eventually realize their wrong but their isn't any incident where they figure out that the Ogre isn't so bad. There is a moment where one kid realizes that the Ogre may be like Douglas, who is bossy but no real harm. And can't really help it. Not exactly insightful stuff.

CLIMAX

The kids prepare for their mom coming home but end up having to fight off some accidental creations. Leftover from the chemistry set is something that can help their financial problems.

CONCLUSION

The Story is coherent, unlike “The Merlin Conspiracy”. And it isn't so filled of details that you get lost in it like “The Dark Lord of Derkholm”. But the characters are not that likable and they feel rather two dimensional.

I never quite got why the Ogre suddenly stopped being so horrible. There was no moment where this occurred, suddenly they all just get along. I give “The Ogre Downstairs” two and half stars.

Book Review: "Ptolemy's Gate" by Jonathan Stroud

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Three years after the last book, at seventeen years old, Nathaniel is in charge of making propaganda for the war against the American colonies. He still employs Bartimaus, along with other demons but finds Bartimaus the most reliable. But someone else has an interest in Bartimaus, and he may not reciprocate.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Nathaniel is looked up to by some, but still looked upon as a rival by most. For for most part, he seems to have completely changed, no longer Nathaniel but completely John Mandrake. A series of meetings cause him to fall rock bottom, causing him to question what he believes.

Bartimaus feels the weight of his age. He has been away from the Other Place too long, and is exhausted. He also feels that Nathaniel has changed for the worse. All the while he shifts into Kitty to annoy his master.

Kitty has remained in London, and she has three different identities. She works at a bar while also working for free for an elderly magician. Her goal is unclear but eventually revealed.

PACING

Just like the last book, we go from Nathaniel, to Bartimaus to Kitty. This helps the story retain it's speed. There are plenty of cliffhanger endings for the chapters as well.

STRUCTURE-VAGUE SPOILERS

In Part one Kitty gets a new job while Nathaniel tries to catch the resistance. Basic introduction into their new lives.

In Part two Nathaniel sends Bartimaus to investigate a lead on suspicious activity. Kitty investigates Bartimaus and learns more about magic. We learn about Ptolemy and Bartimaus' investigation almost costs him his life. Nathaniel rescues him. Since we are still learning about our characters it is still slightly introductory.

In Part three, Nathaniel goes to visit an acquaintance on a whim, where crucial information is revealed. Kitty and Bartimaus are reunited; Nathaniel meets someone who causes him to doubt his beliefs. Then he learns about the truth about Kitty and confronts Bartimaus; Kitty finds out about “Ptolemy's Gate” while Bartimaus and other djinn are sent on a retrieval mission. Kitty and Nathaniel are reunited. All the pieces to the climax are put into place.

In Part four, Kitty and Nathaniel are captured. We learn more about Ptolemy (that helps the ending of the book to become cemented). Bartimaus is dismissed but Kitty goes to find him. Nathaniel and Kitty separate but eventually meet back up. Nathaniel and Bartimaus fight back and Nathaniel reveals his drastic change in character. Loose ends regarding Kitty are wrapped up. Story is completed.

KITTY'S NEW JOB

Kitty ends up working for a magician where she learns a lot about magicans and magic. She ends up traveling to the library to get books for him, using that time to learn more about Bartimaus. Her goal is rather unclear at first but when she succeeds it's rather surprising.

SACRIFICES, PRIDE & HATRED

One theme of the book is making sacrifices. Both Kitty and Nathaniel make huge sacrifices, although Kitty had no idea what she was about to sacrifice, and Nathaniel perhaps didn't until the last second.

Another theme ends up being that pride goes before the fall. Because of their belief in their absolute power, the magicians eventually end up not only killing themselves, but letting in a great evil that could destroy the human race.

Lastly, a theme that becomes quite clear because of Bartimaus (surprisingly enough) is to not let hatred swallow you up. He also notes that hatred has distorted the djinni.

THE MEMORY OF PTOLEMY

Throughout the story, we get flashbacks of Bartimaus when he knew an egyptian boy named Ptolemy. We learn how their relationship formed and why Bartimaus always takes this boy's form. Kitty suspects as much and this pushes her forward. Because of her beliefs, she has faith that things can change between humans and djinni.

KITTY & NATHANIEL

When two of the characters meet again, they bring out the best in each other. Kitty reveals the truth about Ptolemy, causing Nathaniel to reveal how dense he has been. And that there is clearly more to the djinni than meets the eye. Also, unlike Nathaniel, Kitty is curious about djinni, where they live and what they are.

Kitty slowly softens Nathaniel and he starts to see things differently. But it didn't feel rushed or unnatural, because this had been coming a long time. Kitty was just the last part of his evolution.

BARTIMAUS & KITTY-SPOILERS

Kitty spends a large part of the book wanting to learn about Bartimaus. Ever since she met him he left a lasting impression on her. She used to think that demons were just as bad as the magicians, but Bartimaus proved she was wrong. Because of this, when she finally sees him again, she has high expectations.

The scene was interesting because it revealed a completely different side of Bartimaus (he had never had anyone inquire about his past). I was excited for Kitty and really impressed with her. It made the ending of their meeting all the more hard to bear.

DJINNI'S PHILOSOPHY

When Kitty finally finds Bartimaus, he reveals the difference between humans and djinni. He says they are all the same in the Other Place. This was kind of confusing, because if they were all the same why did it take so long for Bartimaus to come to her? And why didn't he stop her from being bullied?

Also, he says they have no desires, no need for a purpose. That's just how humans think. But this doesn't seem to reflect the reality that Bartimaus has displayed in these three stories. He admits that Ptolemy let him be free and explore earth and he saw amazing things. And Ptolemy clearly became dear to him, leaving a mark that would stay with him thousands of years later. Clearly he had found a purpose and found freedom on earth. And he couldn't have done that unless he was an individual who made his own choice and had his own personality.

He paints the Other Place like a collective, socialist utopia. And yet the relationships he has formed on Earth (even if they were only a few) are clearly more important than the other djinni. Even if they are all one being in one place, the fact that they can separate speaks volumes. It felt more like a place to regain your strength than anything else. Merely existing is better than being a slave I suppose but Bartimaus' explanations sounded hollow to me.

A HINT?

After Bartimaus is dismissed, Kitty thinks he left a hint, saying that their relationship has limitations. She thinks he meant it was her job to bypass those limitations. (I thought this was kind of vague.) But when she finds him, he never addresses if this were true and he wanted to be found. He actually seemed surprised she was there. But I guess that was because he thought she would fail, not that she didn't get the hint.

A SECRET REVEALED

After the ending of the last book, Bartimaus told a lie to Nathaniel in order to protect someone. Nathaniel eventually finds out and his reaction isn't just anger, he feels betrayed.

Bartimaus has been his one companion since he was twelve. He lost his teacher and Martha Underwood. He thought that he had someone who at least would tell him the truth. I thought it was insightful because it revealed that Nathaniel feels more then a begrudging respect for his captive.

CLIMAX-VAGUE SPOILERS

Kitty and Nathaniel are taken prisoner, along with many others. Eventually they evade their captors and separate. Kitty goes to free the others while Nathaniel and Bartimaus go after the main problem. Eventually Kitty and Nathaniel meet two more times before the story ends.

AN ENDING TO REMEMBER

When I first read the ending, it left a huge impression on me. I remember walking around at my job (I had finished it before I started my shift) and an hour later I was still thinking about it.

I didn't dislike it, but apart of me wanted it to end otherwise. I was shocked. That was it? There was no more? Another, more rational part of me knew it could end no other way.

It was the last arc of a character, that although it felt sudden, actually made perfect sense. All of the other Stroud books had ended too soon for me too (I wanted to see the characters' reactions). As soon as the action was done, the story was done. But this ending felt like a puzzle piece. It had to be this way. As much as I wanted otherwise.

CONCLUSION

The last story in the Bartimaus Trilogy finally reveals the mastermind who influenced Lovelace and the owner of the Golem. The story is fast paced and the humor is still there.

Both Kitty and Nathaniel fully evolve, both playing roles they probably never dreamed of. Kitty soften's Bartimaus' heart while Nathaniel finally decides once and for all who he wants to be. And the climax isn't to be missed.

My only criticism is rather subjective, as I didn't really find plausible Bartimaus' explanation of The Other Place. I give “Ptolemy's Gate” five stars.