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.
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