The Cabinet of Earths (Maya and Valko, #1)

Feb 03, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the middle-grade novel everybody's going to be talking about next year. It's *wonderful*. Here's the blurb I gave it (the author and I share the same publisher):

Reading this book is like discovering a treasure box full of rare and wonderful things. If you open it, you'll find a brave and good-hearted girl hero, the mysterious streets of Paris, and a magical cabinet full of life itself. The writing is luminous and absolutely compelling. It's the best thing I've read in a long, long time.

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Nov 30, 2011 D.J. Butler rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book, and it has some cool stuff in -- a family cursed to betray each other, a cabinet that stores the mortality of chosen people, rendering them immortal, and a keep of great secrets who has rebelled. For those virtues, and to reward a first time author generally, three stars.

But I can't give it more than that, because the book is kind of boring and really slow.

First of all, stuff happening is not a plot. A plot is a character who has a problem, and takes action to...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-mt-bookpile

What a fun, interesting twist on the idea of immortality and the marriage between magic and science. Maya is the bookish, normal daughter in the Davidson family; her mother is recovering from cancer, her father is a scientist and her younger brother, James, is one of those naturally charming, gregarious kids everyone loves. The family moves to Paris for a year while her father works with the Society of Philosophical Chemistry, and she's thrown into a school where she must speak French and is an...more

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Oct 14, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade, vine, for-review, fantasy

The Cabinet Of Earths, Anne Nesbet’s debut middle grade novel examines larger ideas. What would you sacrifice to live forever? What would you give for your sick mom to get better? These are the questions Maya Davidson, 12 year old protagonist of The Cabinet Of Earths grapples with.

Read the rest of my review here

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Feb 27, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 2 of 5 stars

Maya and her family, including five-year-old brother James, move to Paris. Her mother has cancer and has always wanted to go, so when her father gets a fellowship from the Society of Philosophical Chemistry to study there, Maya can hardly complain. Shortly upon arrival, strange things start to occur-- odd relatives show up, Maya's face appears on a statue, a packet of pictures appears. Maya and James spend a lot of time with their colorless cousin Louise, who is helping with their French, and th...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Pamela rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really dislike the current 'cartoonish' bookcover. It makes "The Cabinet of Earths" look like fluffy juvenile market stuff, which it's not.

I say this because Nesbet's story is nuanced, with subtle tensions and issues. It isn't a variation of Goose Bumps, or even an adventure like the Percy Jackson series. This is a sorta-creepy Steampunk-ish mystery book for people who like well written stories!

:::POSSIBLY SOME SPOILERS:::

Backstory begins the book. We are introduced to the Cabinet itself and...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Diana Renn rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was thoroughly enchanted by the story of Maya Davidson and her family. When the story opens, the Davidsons have just moved to Paris, to take advantage of a fellowship Maya's dad has been offered by the intriguingly mysterious "Society of Philosophical Chemistry." But as the story unfolds, we learn something deeper seems to have summoned the Davidson family there, including complicated ancestral ties, a tangled history of bad luck and betrayals, and a beautiful, magical cabinet. This story has...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Pamela Huxtable rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, kid-s

A curious book. Like the Lavirotte family in the book, who straddle both the world of science and magic, this children's novel also balances itself neatly between fantasy and realistic fiction.

The most compelling part of this story to me was the main character Maya's inability to speak of the magical things that were happening to here; the descriptions of her dilemma were terrific and made me feel very anxious for her.

Nesbit has some fantastic, original ideas in her book. A cabinet of earths is...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Ariel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mg

I love fantasies and I read so many of them that it's always surprising and exciting to find a really original vision like this one. For one thing the magic is French and it's set in Paris, which is a refreshing change from the English magic trope. For another, the "earths" themselves and how they work represent such a interesting reworking of a classic theme. Then there are the themes of the delicious anbar and the colorless cousins. AND the book is beautifully, whimsically, even deliciously wr...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Lauren Sullivan rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's been a long time since I've found a middle grade novel that I could parallel with THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER, but this title is it. Anne Nesbet does a fantastic job of weaving the protagonist’s touching personal development as a daughter, sister, and friend, with a fantastic, surreal adventure that is both heartwarming and non-stop exciting. It’s hard to stay fresh in the paranormal saturated book world we live in, but Nesbet does a great job of finding a premise that i...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Cabinet of Earths is a beautiful thing. A startling combination of glass, wood and metal – of sculpture, design and light that flows and buzzes with energy. In the beginning – in the 1890’s – it seemed like a good plan to bring magic and science together. The unity of the Lavirotte and Fourcroy families seemed to be a strong one. They discovered away to capture the sands of time and store the essence of life away. Granules of earth in a bottle, one for each person who would become immortal a...more The Cabinet of Earths is a beautiful thing. A startling combination of glass, wood and metal – of sculpture, design and light that flows and buzzes with energy. In the beginning – in the 1890’s – it seemed like a good plan to bring magic and science together. The unity of the Lavirotte and Fourcroy families seemed to be a strong one. They discovered away to capture the sands of time and store the essence of life away. Granules of earth in a bottle, one for each person who would become immortal and live as long as the keeper of the Cabinet of Earths was able to keep them safe. But in 1944, when brother betrayed brother and son killed son, the balance of life and time, of science and magic was upset. The Cabinet has been waiting and now that Maya is close by change seems inevitable.
After Maya’s mom’s battle with cancer she has the opportunity to fulfill one of her greatest wishes – to spend a year in Paris with her family. Maya’s dad was invited to work in a laboratory exploring his specialty, Physical Chemistry. The Society offered to pay their moving expenses and had given them an apartment. The offer was too good to pass up and that is how Maya and James, her five-year old brother, found themselves in Paris. That is how they discovered the Salamander House, the man with violet-blue eyes and The Alchemical Theater. That is how they discovered the fountain of the missing children, their long lost cousins, Henri-Pierre and seemingly invisible Louise and how they found themselves in a historical tangle of intrigue, science and magic.
Thank goodness for Valko, Maya’s school friend. He helps Maya negotiate the social circles of school, the confusing roads and squares of the city and keeps her grounded when she could easily be caught up in her worry and questions. Why does the brass salamander look at her? How can glass move and flow? What is anbar, the hourglass? How can people be unseen and invisible? How can people be perfectly beautiful? Valko helps her plan and establish priorities. But will he always be there? Read The Cabinet of Earths to discover what happens when captured time is let go and magic and science are released – does it end, does it change, what continues in its place?
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Dec 09, 2012 Charlyn Trussell rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Grades 5 and up

Shelves: family_story, fantasy, fiction, magic, strong-female-character, paris

Maya is a displaced youngster, arriving in Paris with her family and being thrust into a group of strangers who speak in a language she doesn't understand when her family moves to France for her father's new job. French relatives being to appear in her life, including Louise, a nondescript cousin who will tutor her in French. Then she meets a handsome uncle who lives in a mysterious house with a salamander door handle that turns its head to look at her each time she sees it. Something strange is...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bullies, families, fantasy, friendship, mysteries, ncbla2013, school, travel

There's a lot to like about this novel from a debut author--having the story set in Paris amid magic and some decidedly creepy individuals and the main character's concern for her mother who may or may not recovering from cancer. Twelve-year-old Maya and her younger brother James are likeable enough as both are drawn into magic that has been around for a long time. James is almost too sweet and innocent to be true, and Maya tries to fit in at school where the only friend she seems to make is Val...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, young-adult, fantasy, wifes-giveaway-wins

In full disclosure, my wife won a free copy of this book in a giveaway.

This book is really aimed at a middle-grade audience, there were times as an adult I felt parts of the story was over-explained as I had understood several paragraphs earlier. Although a child may need this level of explanation.

The story was simple but enjoyable, and made for a quick and fun read. Learning the family history throughout the book was good. I also enjoyed the realism of having ordinary things happen throughout t...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-ya, fantasy-fiction

Okay. I have now re-read this. It holds up pretty well. It is more like a 3.5. It is maybe not the most original thing thematically (Immortality Immorality being fairly well-covered ground), but it is still imaginative and entertaining.

Maya is a kickass big sister, and Valko is an awesome sidekick. Cousin Louise, oh my god, Cousin Louise. I like her more every time I re-read this. Maya's parents are somewhat oblivious, as parents in these sorts of stories often are, but Cousin Louise and (to a...more Okay. I have now re-read this. It holds up pretty well. It is more like a 3.5. It is maybe not the most original thing thematically (Immortality Immorality being fairly well-covered ground), but it is still imaginative and entertaining.

Maya is a kickass big sister, and Valko is an awesome sidekick. Cousin Louise, oh my god, Cousin Louise. I like her more every time I re-read this. Maya's parents are somewhat oblivious, as parents in these sorts of stories often are, but Cousin Louise and (to a lesser extent) Cousin Henri-Pierre make up for it. (Henri-Pierre may not be a cousin exactly, I can't remember and I don't feel like drawing up a genealogical chart just now.)

This book has a lot of things I like. Magic! Science! Paris, in all its nefarious historical glory! Including a real house with salamanders around the door, and an onomastic hat tip to the house's designer. Visiting the Louvre and seeing this painting. Being in a strange place, and having to get along in a strange language, and moving around so much you feel like you don't belong anywhere, and start forgetting how to speak your native language. (I also enjoyed the mention of the John Muir house, though it wasn't very relevant to the story.)

Sometimes it's funny how your fiction reading and your non-fiction reading dovetail unexpectedly. I had been doing a ton of reading about occupied Paris during World War II, and the fear and the worry and the trying to survive worked very well with this, especially since World War II matters to this story.

This could make a great movie, with the right screenwriter and director. I hope someone picks it up. I usually mean that in a somewhat derogatory way but here I mean it in a positive sense. So many scenes would be visually great, not just awesome action/things blowing up scenes, which is how I usually mean it.

There are times when Maya and Valko seem a little too wise and self-aware. The (view spoiler) at the end was maybe a little too convenient ... but I liked this books. If you are an adult who likes middle grade books, give it a try.

Also, note that a sequel is forthcoming: Box of Gargoyles.(less)

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Jul 19, 2012 Whitney rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Children ages 8-13

The last time I read a children’s book was circa January 2008, my freshman year of college. Over that bitter winter break, I read (and fell in love with) Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. After that, I was up to my ears in Modernist literature and 19th century Russian philosophy, with nary a moment to spare for anything unrelated.

As I was about to graduate, I discovered that a professor in my favorite department – Slavic Studies – was about to release a children’s book of her own in J...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Mirka Breen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I’m not one to go over the plots in my feedback. You’ll get that from others. But this book, which I *just* finished, cries for a little blurb from this reader.
Anne Nesbet’s prose and ideas are at a high level, not run-of-the-mill commercial kid-lit. In some ways this is exactly what I look for in every book: a thinker’s mind and an artist’s’ masterful styling.
And how Nesbet achieved this- while telling a tale so odd, so captivating, and completely appropriate for young readers as well as old o...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Alan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, fantasy

An interesting story about people who can live forever. The process of making them immortal produces a small vial of "earth" which needs to be kept save and sealed or "earths" will find them and a rapid aging will occur. These vials are kept in a special cabinet, the Cabinet of Earths, controlled by one person from the part of the family with magical powers. The keeper of this cabinet has become uncooperative to those who want to continue to make "immortals". He's old and needs to be replaced an...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-books, read-in-2012

I started this book thinking, "YES. I AM GOING TO LOVE THIS." and left it thinking, "eh, not bad!" At first the language got me -- it was lovely and quirky and unique, and I was sucked in by the setting.

And then the story started. It's so. Slow. A lot of nothingness happens in this book for a long time, and the main character meets a lot of people (some of whom have the same name, which is confusing), and then about 50 pages from the end things start to get interesting. Which is kind of annoying...more

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Sep 18, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure

This is a deliciously creepy tale about a magical cabinet full of jars of earth. Each jar belongs to a person who can live forever as long as their jar is not opened.

Some of the people who have jars are determined to make sure their jars are NEVER opened. Other people long to return to a more natural life, because as often happens in stories, eternal life isn’t as great as it sounds

Each group wants control of the cabinet to either keep the jars sealed or open them all. To keep the jars safe ther...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Immortality, wicked evil doers, children dealing with difficult circumstances and a sprinkling of French in this fantasy set in Paris. I loved the French influence of this book, but never bought into the fanciful premise. The reader needs to accept the fantasy as believable to the story presented, and I just never got there. The plot seemed contrived, and the characters just weren't believable enough. Maya is struggling with her mother's illness, a sudden move to Paris, and concerns about a fami...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Karissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-debut-author

I got an advanced copy of this book to review through the Amazon Vine program. This sounded like a fun and magical middle grade read. There were some neat concepts in this story but it takes a long time for the story to get moving. By the time things are really starting to get interesting the book is over. I had an absolutely awful time with this book keeping my attention; I am not sure why but my attention just kept wandering off.

Maya just wants her mother to recover from cancer and be well aga...more I got an advanced copy of this book to review through the Amazon Vine program. This sounded like a fun and magical middle grade read. There were some neat concepts in this story but it takes a long time for the story to get moving. By the time things are really starting to get interesting the book is over. I had an absolutely awful time with this book keeping my attention; I am not sure why but my attention just kept wandering off.

Maya just wants her mother to recover from cancer and be well again. When Maya's father gets an offer to move to Paris it is a dream come true for most of the family. When Maya's brother is kidnapped it is up to Maya to scour the magical underworld of Paris for him. Little does Maya know two families are feuding (one believes in science and one in magic); at the center of it all is the Cabinet of Earths.

I stopped and started this book a couple times. I was finally determined to get through it, but it was still a slow read and I had trouble reading for very long without loosing my interest. It's not that this is a bad story, in fact it is a pretty neat idea...it just takes a very long time to set up the story and none of the characters were really all that interesting to me.

The story is somewhat complex. There are two families in Paris's magical underground. Both of them know the secret to immortality and at the heart of this secret is the Cabinet of Earths, an addictive substance called anbar, and a history of missing children.

Maya and the surrounding characters were all okay; they just seemed a bit two dimensional to me. None of the characters were all that interesting and, while I didn't mind reading about them, they never really captured my imagination.

The Cabinet of Earths and its purpose was a mystery for the first half or more of the book; why Maya was drawn to it and what it was used for was speculated about early on, but uncertain throughout. There are a lot of things going on throughout the beginning of the book that don't seem all that related. In the end they are all important, but rather than coming off as clever this just came across as kind of cobbled together.

Overall an okay read. I loved the Paris setting and thought the concept of the Cabinet of Earths was interesting. None of the characters really drew me in though and it took a very long time for the story to get to the interesting parts. I kept trying to read this book and my attention would wander because I just couldn't get engaged with the story. By the end, the story just wasn't that memorable and I was happy to be done with it. It is set up so that the characters could have more adventures in future books, but I wasn't able to find info on whether or not there will be another installment in this series. Middle grade readers who enjoy a magical realism type story set in a foreign country might find some here to love. I personally won't be reading future books in this series.
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Jun 08, 2012 Iwaswondering rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, fiction

Interesting and fresh ideas. A fascinating theory on the ideas of Personal Charm. A good read.

I personally enjoy books with some humor. The Cabinet if Earths does not have that.

I think this book could have been lengthened with more details that would add to the plot and make things more interesting. The climax is too short and quick. I am not one for drawn out stories. This is probably the first time I have said a story should be longer.

The bottom line is it is a good book. I don't think I wou...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, children-s-fiction

A middle school girl moves to Paris and discovers a secret society of immortals and her own magical inheritance, the Cabinet of Earths.

I enjoyed this book on several personal levels, since the main character, Maya, is alot like I probably was when i was 11, a quiet girl struggling with her charming younger siblings. I also have a romantic love of Paris. But the book is successful on other levels, since the plot is well-paced, and NOT OVERLY LONG! Under 250 pages! The ambiguitiy of the magic and...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Andrea J rated it 4 of 5 stars

As many reviewers have noted, I also had a hard time getting through the first half of the book. I think it has to do with the character, Maia, being very standoffish and suspicious about everything around her. In distancing her from everyone, she ends up being distanced from us, the reader, as well. And so it became a very passive story until it picked up in the second half of the book. Really, the only thing that happened in the first half are a bunch of 'mysterious details' that enhanced the...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Carina Olsen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I haven't read anything for more than two weeks. Then I suddenly noticed this book that I have had for many months. The Cabinet of Earths. And I wanted to read it right away. So glad I did. I was drawn to this book because of the cover. I really do love the cover :) It so pretty. And I adore middle grade books. I really do. They are just so magical and perfect. And this book is a very good middle grade book. Giving it four stars since I had a few issues, but mostly The Cabinet of Earths is perfe...more I haven't read anything for more than two weeks. Then I suddenly noticed this book that I have had for many months. The Cabinet of Earths. And I wanted to read it right away. So glad I did. I was drawn to this book because of the cover. I really do love the cover :) It so pretty. And I adore middle grade books. I really do. They are just so magical and perfect. And this book is a very good middle grade book. Giving it four stars since I had a few issues, but mostly The Cabinet of Earths is perfect. And so amazing as well.

When I bought this book it was not a series. Thought it was a stand-alone. But yesterday, before I started reading this book, I learned there is a sequel coming out. And now that I have finished this amazing book, I am so thrilled that there is a sequel! I needs it. Because I loved this book. The story, most of the writing, and the perfect characters. I just need a lot more. And omg! Perfect name for the series. Hih. It says on Goodreads that it's called "Maya and Valko." It is perfect. Sigh. I need. Hope there will be lots of books like this one :)

This is a special book. Love that it is a middle grade book. Because I adore those. And The Cabinet of Earths is done really well. At first I thought Maya's five year old brother, James, acted too old. Then I remembered my nephew who is less than three also seems very much older. So I can understand that :) I liked the writing in this book. I really did. I just had some trouble getting into it at first, because there is a lot of words. Many descriptions. But really, I didn't mind that much at all :)

Before I mention the amazing plot I'm going to talk a bit about the characters and their lives. Because those were the most important thing in this book, at least to me. The main character in this book is twelve year old Maya. She's pretty amazing. She and her family have just moved from California to Paris. She's not happy about it. But she couldn't resist her mom, who just got well from cancer. I liked her mom a lot. Felt sorry for her a lot as well, but she was a great character. Curious to see more.

Anyway. Maya is awesome. She's very kind and sweet. And protective of her little brother, even if she is jealous of him. There was one thing I didn't like about her, and that was that she was a bit dumb at times. Slow to get things. But then, she is only twelve. So I can't really blame her for that at all :) I also loved her little brother. James was amazing. Very cute as well. Like a little brother should be. Some things happened to him that I did not like. But also loved to read about. Sigh. Excited for book two :)

Then there is Valko. This boy that befriends Maya. He's amazing. I actually think he will be a love interest in book two. Well, he better be. They would be so cute together :) And Valko is very kind and amazing. Wish he had been in the book more. But then, the book isn't that long, so I didn't mind all that much :) Then there is Cousin Louise. I hated how forgettable she was. Felt so sorry for her. But I loved her as well. It made so much sense, with the plot and all. Plus, she's pretty awesome herself :)

There were a lot of characters in this book. I can't spell the names, though, so I won't say them all (A) lol. But there was this old man that I really liked. He was kind and sweet. Liked him a lot. Then there was this young handsome man with purple eyes. My god, I hated him. He was awful. Hated what he did. But I also loved it, cause I love plot's like that. Hih. He has a big part in the plot. Which is so good. Sigh. The story in this book is perfect, and that is sort of rare these days. Glad it was so good :)

I can't say much about the story in this book. I don't want to spoil it all. Because it isn't such a long book, and I want you to read it. I want you to love it like I do. So yeah, you should do that :) But also. The story in The Cabinet of Earths is amazing. Some things scared me. And creeped me out. Many things made me happy. Some things made me sad. I loved reading about the Cabinet. It was unique and special, and so damn amazing. We need to know some more about it in book two; Box of Gargoyles.

Anyway. I thought that The Cabinet of Earths was amazing! And I think you should read it too. It is sweet, mysterious and a bit creepy. I liked the ending a lot. Because it isn't really an ending. Sigh. I am DYING to read the sequel. Is it May yet? <3 Cannot wait for that. Hoping it will be just as good :)(less)

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Aug 29, 2012 Ivie Isler rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids

This review also posted on Mind-Ventures

Well that was several hours of my life that I will never get back!

The things I love about kid's books are that authors generally draw readers in quickly and continue to hold their interest by sticking to the plot and not giving excessive amounts of irrelevent details/descriptions. Anne Nesbet definitely missed the mark when she wrote this.

With only 258 pages, the story could be a quick read, but it was difficult to keep my attention, so it took me a while...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Jenn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I had three main reasons that I was not able to fully enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. 1) The Cabinet of Earths never made complete sense to me. I just never understood it enough to become attached to it. 2) It was a slow read. I had to force myself to keep reading. I feel that there is a lot of wasted time in the book. I normally don't mind some wasted time in book as it helps you to breath, slow down, and enjoy the book. This book had too much...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Lynne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-apocalypsies, fantasy, mystery, adventure, cultural, middlegrade, magical-realism, youngadult, family-ties, own, signed-by-author, won-offsite

I won an autographed copy of The Cabinet of the Earths from the authors website during the May 2012 ‘YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes’ event hosted by The Apocalypsies (at http://apocalypsies.blogspot.com/ ).
This book sounded soooo interesting when I first heard about it in the January 2012 YAmazing Race, so I was very happy to win a copy. I was even happier when it lived up to my expectations of being a really great book. yay! Also, the cover is truly amazing and one of the first things th...more I won an autographed copy of The Cabinet of the Earths from the authors website during the May 2012 ‘YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes’ event hosted by The Apocalypsies (at http://apocalypsies.blogspot.com/ ).
This book sounded soooo interesting when I first heard about it in the January 2012 YAmazing Race, so I was very happy to win a copy. I was even happier when it lived up to my expectations of being a really great book. yay! Also, the cover is truly amazing and one of the first things that drew me to this book, so I have to give kudos to the artist.

The characters were strong and fun to read.
Twelve year old Maya Davidson is the very likeable protagonist. She and her family have recently left America and everything she has ever known, her home town, her school and friends, even the family dog and they have just moved across the world all the way to Paris.
Maya's little brother, James, is a realistically precocious but adorable 5 year-old who has a noticeable and endearing charisma, even at his young age. In fact, people have been drawn to him all his life and Paris is no different. Like moths to a flickering flame.
Her father is a top scientist and the main reason for the move. He took a prestigious researching position in Paris on a medical grant from a mysterious, and as Maya soon discovers, possibly sinister group.
Her mom is still quite sick from a long bout with cancer but is trying to live as normally as possible and raise her two children. She employs a long lost cousin to help her oversee them. Cousin Louise is somewhat hard to see in the beginning; however she turns out to be quite an interesting character.

With the help from Cousin Louise, Maya discovers she has more long-lost family in Paris. She meets two older gentlemen (cousin/uncles?) who are both mysteriously odd in their own rights. As we soon learn, each one may have dubious agendas having to do with their young American ancestors.

Also, there is Valko, a cute boy from Maya’s new school, who quickly becomes a good and trustworthy friend as he helps Maya unravel the ancient mysteries of her family tree along with the nefarious pasts of the purple-eyed man, to whom appearances means everything and the other man, the current keeper of the Cabinet of Earths, who has also long guarded the family’s deepest, darkest secrets.

I loved the underlying storyline and can truly appreciate a heroine who is brave and smart. I loved that Maya was actually fond of her baby brother and when she discovers James is missing and may be in danger, she does everything within her powers to find him and bring him home safely.

To ultimately describe this book, in one word, "enchanting"….
The Cabinet of the Earths by Anne Nesbet is such a well-written story. Perfect for the targeted middle grade ages to tweens audience and still quite interesting enough for us older readers.
The author has given us a magical view of Paris and the peculiar residents living in this book. I loved her descriptions of the Parisian ways of life as well as the lovely architecture and unique characteristics of the homes and gothic buildings around the neighborhood Maya lives in and explores throughout the book. And oh! Not to be forgotten, the bronzed salamander door knocker that may actually be alive!? !

Here is very wise advise as per the authors signature on this book:
“Beware Beware Beware of magical salamanders!” –Anne Nesbet.

A lovely and enchanting story! Would easily recommend to ages 9 and up.(less)

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May 17, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

From the initial premise I was intrigued by The Cabinet of Earths. It felt freshly different than a lot of the other children's and young adult lit coming out these days. The premise is fun and interesting…Maya is a 13 year-old girl who moves with her family to Paris when her father is asked to take a new job. She feels isolated, awkward and nervous. Her mother has cancer and although she tries to put on a good face, Maya is very worried about her mother. Maya's younger brother James is magnetic...more From the initial premise I was intrigued by The Cabinet of Earths. It felt freshly different than a lot of the other children's and young adult lit coming out these days. The premise is fun and interesting…Maya is a 13 year-old girl who moves with her family to Paris when her father is asked to take a new job. She feels isolated, awkward and nervous. Her mother has cancer and although she tries to put on a good face, Maya is very worried about her mother. Maya's younger brother James is magnetically amiable and quickly fits into their new life. This makes Maya feel all the more isolated and gives us a good jumping off point for a somewhat standard coming-of-age tale.

Instead of following a traditional mundane path, the story takes all sorts of twists and turns. Maya catches glimpses of strange things happening around her. She slowly begins to piece things together and realizes that the world around her isn't what it appears to be.

The initial chapter of the book introduces the magical device from which the book derives its title. The "Cabinet of Earths" is quite literally a cabinet full of Earth. It has a shimmery glass front and is filled with jars and jars of Earth. The initial chapter borders on the gruesome side as we learn just what that Earth is all about…it hearkens back to the ancient adage "dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return." In a strange melding of magic and science, certain people have discovered how to remove the "Earth" from a person and thus grant them immortality. The Cabinet is the holder of these Earths.

As Maya stumbles on more and more aspects of the mystery we find more and more disturbing revelations. The author does a fabulous job of weaving together a very intricate story. There are times when things felt a bit muddled and I hoped for a little more clarity, but at the same time I felt like my own confusion mirrored Maya's unsettling situation and so came across as a sort of metafictional element.

The book is often slow paced which is both a boon and a detriment. Because of the twists and turns in the plot, it's helpful to have the pace slow enough to give you a chance to try and unravel the knots. At the same time, the slow pace can border on boring at times when you want to speed along and try to figure out what happens next. It's a tricky balancing act. For me it worked most of the time. Once you get a hold on the plot line, it is very compelling and interesting and made me want to rush on. The interweaving of the Cabinet, Maya's family and the family controlling the Cabinet were very fun and interesting.

I especially loved the characters and the setting. I felt that both were well handled and a lot of fun. I've never been to Paris and I have no idea how accurate this book does at representing the roads and buildings (though the acknowledgements did point out some research). Personally I found the Parisian setting very vivid and fun such that even though I didn't have a good point of reference for the places indicated, I quickly felt accustomed to the location.

The characters were especially fun. Maya is a well rounded and interesting character full of nervous curiosity and a growing sense of self amid the hesitation and self-doubt of growing up. Her brother James was a little more one-dimensional as far as characters go but his personality and mannerisms made him a lot of fun. Maya's friend Valko was intriguing and mysterious and while I thought he was well done, I kind of wanted a little more from him. I really loved her "invisible" Cousin Louise…not so much for her characteristics (which were invisibly average) but for the way aspects of the plot pivoted on her existence. All of the plot threads that wound around Louise were fascinating to me.

As should be apparent, I really enjoyed this book. I have three small hesitations about giving this a hearty recommendation to everyone. The first two I mentioned above: 1) The plot is a little complex and twisted and easy to get lost at times. 2) The pacing of the story is a bit slow and (when combined with the twisting plot) could be off-putting. Both of those hurdles could be easily overcome and I look forward to reading Nesbet's next book to see her style improve and become even more engaging. She has great creativity and style that with a little tuning could likely become a "can't put it down" sort of book.

My third bit of hesitance in giving this a full recommendation is that the book gets a little gruesome at times. The cartoony cover art will make it appealing to younger crowds. It is set as a "middle-grader" book and that's probably appropriate…but sensitive readers may squirm at some of the imagery (we're talking about taking the Earth from people to make them immortal). There are some historical segments that deal with the witchcraft around creating the Cabinet. While these scenes could be something kids might see in a "Scooby Doo" style cartoon sometime, it's a testament to Nesbet's writing that they actually come off as quite vivid and just a bit scary…certainly more so than Scooby Doo. As such, I'd be a little wary about which kids I recommend read this book. I'm sure my 12 year old would be fine and my 10 year old would probably be alright too. But I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone younger (they'd probably get lost in the plot anyway…but that would be after they read the first chapter, which is quite creepy).

Overall this was a very fun read. There were a few slow patches but the plot was compelling enough to not only help me push through but make me want to read even faster. The characters and settings were vibrant and alive. The plot felt fresh and new and was just a lot of fun.

****
4 out of 5 stars(less)

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The Cabinet of Earths (Maya and Valko #1)

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