Recent Read: Splendors and Glooms

For her birthday, young Clara has the puppeteer she saw in the park come perform at her birthday party, accompanied by his two young orphaned assistants. Afterwards, when Clara disappears, it becomes apparent that puppeteer is at fault, but he's nowhere to be found. The two orphans flee north to the home of a wealthy woman, unknowingly walking into a trap set by a powerful witch.

Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz is a story reminiscent of a Grimm fairy tale, with setting, telling, and characters so Victorian I could practically smell the fog. I've seen the word "Dickensian" used multiple times in descriptions. It was obvious that Schlitz was painstaking not only in her research, but also in her construction and development of the story and characters. This book is complex--surprisingly so for a children's book. The pacing is slower than most, but the story is intriguing and the rounded characters likable, despite their imperfections. I liked that Schlitz did not shy away from the sinister--this is one of the things that gives it that Grimm feel. (But beware--I think parts of this book would have given me nightmares as a child). I just don't know how much kid-appeal this book has. At nearly 400 pages, it's long (and not Harry Potter, can't-put-it-down long). That combined with the pacing and density of it makes it a hard sell. But I think if you found the right reader, it could be a hit.

Review based on advanced reader copy.