Good start but weak finish
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really good summer read. keeps up its pace almost throughout the book until the ending. I thought the end dragged and it lost its pace as well as my will to carry on reading it.
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An excellent book
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Fantastically written, and wonderfully observational. I loved the characters of Montmorency and Scarper. I also thought that their split personality was very interesting and executed well. The description of London (and the sewers) was very done as well, and accessable. It is true that Montmorency lacked other strong characters, but the main character was so appealing that it hardly mattered.
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Difficult to classify but an excellent read
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It's difficult to work out which age group this book's aimed at. Children under 10 may be put off by the complexities of the plot whilst children over 10 may be put off by the fact that there's little dialogue to break up the action. It's not helped by the fact that the book revolves an adult amoral protagonist (something of a rarity in childrens' fiction). These might put some parents off from picking up a copy for their children, but I'd nevertheless urge them to give it a go.
Montmorency is a very well told tale of a convict who hits upon the perfect plan for robbing London's rich and privileged inhabitants by using the new sewer system. Montmorency himself is something of a split personality (playing both himself and his amoral manservant), which provides a psychological complexity missing in many childrens' books. There are some sly laughs (notably at the expense of the ghastly hotelier's daughter who takes a shine to the anti-hero) and Updale has produced a plot that doesn't patronise the reader (she includes scenes giving Montmorency an interest in opera and compares the wealth of the aristocracy to the poverty of London's underbelly). The end of the book gives a hint at redemption for Montmorency and sets up an intriguing premise for future adventures, which I'm very much looking forward to reading.
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An awesome read
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This is a page turner, both exciting and humourous the central character being more complex and interesting than would be expected of a children's book due to his two personalities. Although classed as a childrens book this book is definately as enjoyable at 17 as it was when i first read it at about 14. Despite his beginnings as a criminal you can't help but root for Montmorency and the vivid images of victorian life the book creates are facinating. The short chapters and pacy style make it a book that is hard to put down as you just "read the next chapter - oh and the next!!" I for one was delighted when i found there was another book in the series!
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Down in the sewer something stirs
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There seems to be a penchant for sewer-as-highway fiction at the moment, but no matter, this is absolutely one to read. I bought it for my eight year old as part of her read-a-million words project because I had seen it reviewed on the first edition of Blue Peter I had seen in years. It was roundly recommended by the jury of children, though I thought it might be a little old for someone of eight. So I thought I would read the first chapter, just to get a feel of it, and see if it would be within her capabilities. I read the whole book in one sitting, which I think qualifies it as a "Page Turner", and yes I think she could cope with it, though it would stretch her - no bad thing. Actually, I think I might just have to read it with her just to make sure she doesn't get stuck, but as she is about to undergo an operation I think I might leave it a while as I don't think she will take kindly to the doctor character! Fast paced without too much detail, this is unusal enough to engage the imagination of a wide range of readers. I really must check out the sequel......
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