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Monstrous Devices
Author
Publication Date
September 03, 2019
Genre / Grade Band
Fiction / 4th − 5th
Language
English
Currently out of stock
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Description
"I enjoyed everything about Damien Love's debut--its title, its breakneck action, its sly sense of humor. I wish my first novel had been as imaginative and assured." --Anthony Horowitz, New York Times bestselling author of the Alex Rider series
On a winter's day in a British town, twelve-year old Alex receives a package in the mail: an old tin robot from his grandfather. "This one is special," says the enclosed note, and when strange events start occurring around him, Alex suspects this small toy is more than special; it might be deadly.
Right as things get out of hand, Alex's grandfather arrives, pulling him away from an attack--and his otherwise humdrum world of friends, bullies, and homework--and into the macabre magic of an ancient family feud. Together, the duo flees across snowy Europe, unraveling the riddle of the little robot while trying to outwit relentless assassins of the human and mechanical kind.
With an ever-present admiration for the hidden mysteries of our world, Monstrous Devices plunges readers into a gripping adventure that's sure to surprise.
Publication date
September 03, 2019
Genre
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780451478597
Lexile Measure
680
Publisher
Puffin Books
BISAC categories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV056000 - Juvenile Fiction | Robots
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV056000 - Juvenile Fiction | Robots
Kirkus
A well-knit debut generously stocked with chills, thrills, and chancy exploits.
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review
In an English suburb, 12-year-old Alex collects toy robots and tries to avoid relentless bullying at school. After his grandfather sends him an old tin robot with a note that says "this one is special," mysterious and frightening things begin to happen. Soon, Alex is swept along in his grandfather's wake, first to Paris and then to Prague, pursued by dangerous people and the animated robots they are capable of powering. Alex's grandfather has ebullient charm, and his humorous patter leavens a well-crafted adventure that's filled with desperate chases, narrow escapes, fight scenes, and twists. Over the course of the escapade, Alex struggles with doubts about his grandfather's remarkable--but perhaps less-than-reputable--past, his own possible connection to their pursuers, and the allure of power and the newfound autonomy it offers. Drawing on and modernizing stories of golems, debut author Love cleverly interweaves them with the history of robots and leaves some intriguing mysteries unresolved, hinting at further adventures to come. Ages 8-12. Agent: Catherine Drayton, InkWell Management. (Nov.)
Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission. Damien Love
Damien Love was born in Scotland and lives in the city of Glasgow, where, even as you read these words, it is raining. He has worked as a journalist for many years, writing about movies, music, TV, and other things for a variety of publications. He has the ability to talk to cats, but there is no evidence that they understand him. Monstrous Devices is his first novel. Learn more at damienlove.com.
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