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53rd out of 58 books
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394 voters
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Smudge's Mark
by
Claudia Osmond (Goodreads Author)
Simon is an OWNO (Orphan with No Options). He lives with his deranged grandfather and a horrible housekeeper, Griselda, who punishes him by making him trim her toenails with his teeth. Unable to remember anything about his mother or father, Simon is haunted by a dream of an eagle, a serpent, and an angel that smells like bubblegum. Then one night, his dreams change. The an
...moreHardcover, U.S. edition, 384 pages
Published
March 2nd 2010
by Simply Read
(first published September 9th 2009)
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Smudges mark is about the adventures of a boy named simon. Simonis an orphan who has no memory of his past or of his parents. His grandfather is named Horace Mugford and is the only family he has and lives with him and his housemade Griselda. His grandfather has always made Simon draw pictures from his dreams into his notebook. All of a sudden Simon has a strange dream about a woman who he thinks is his mother, telling him that he has a important task to fulfill.Then things get strabger as a str...more
When I started this book, I really did not think I was going to like it, but it turned out to be an outstanding book. Written in a style similar to the Magyk series, this is the story of yet another boy thrown into another world he knows nothing about who must save the world from destruction. However, there are some interesting twists that make this book different. Simon (nickname Smudge) is an orphan who has no memory of growing up. Evil forces are working to control the basic elements of t...more
Okay, so I gave it 5 stars in honor of what I learned:
1) Writing a book is no party at the beach. Unless, of course, you're attacked by sharks, step on a jellyfish, get a sunburn, and fall into the bonfire.
2) Editors are the ones who tell you that the waters are safe and to dive right in; tell you that no, silly, that only LOOKS dangerous, feel it with your toes - it's squishy; make the wooden lounge chair with slats for a seat look inviting and assure you that you're not...more
1) Writing a book is no party at the beach. Unless, of course, you're attacked by sharks, step on a jellyfish, get a sunburn, and fall into the bonfire.
2) Editors are the ones who tell you that the waters are safe and to dive right in; tell you that no, silly, that only LOOKS dangerous, feel it with your toes - it's squishy; make the wooden lounge chair with slats for a seat look inviting and assure you that you're not...more
This is one of those "orphan-who's-not-really-an-orphan-but-has-a-HIGHER PURPOSE" books. You know right away that there's something wrong with Simon, since his grandfather's nuts, the housekeeper's an incredibly ugly tyrant and he can't remember anything earlier than seven months before. On his birthday he's given a "twencil" (a twig/pencil) that enables him to do some interesting things with his drawings; and, of course, when he's sent away to a hellish orphanage, you just...more
It took me a little while to get through this book because of my school schedule, but I really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series. It held my interest, which is difficult to do when I am not able to read it quickly. The main characters were interesting and developed. The plot was easy to follow while quite detailed. All in all, I really enjoyed the book.
Anyone who enjoys the Series of Unfortunate events or other young adult fantasy will enjoy this book...more
Anyone who enjoys the Series of Unfortunate events or other young adult fantasy will enjoy this book...more
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This is almost a 3--Osmond writes plots that unfold like a fever dream, and that's a good thing. Reasoning is not necessary here, it's just a scrim to keep the images rolling and each action bumpily bleeding into the next. The worlds in the book have rough scrapey edges and it's satisfying.
However...
I would have liked to see this be a one-volume, self-contained story. It almost gets there. The characters themselves are a little one-note. So it was just okay.
However...
I would have liked to see this be a one-volume, self-contained story. It almost gets there. The characters themselves are a little one-note. So it was just okay.
I must say, I was super excited to happen by a Canadian author here on goodreads. And not just any Canadian kind of author, but a writer of fantastical fiction to top it off!
I Absolutely LOVED this book! It was an original and altogether fascinating tale. I am completely enthralled by Claudia's genuine characters. Stories like Smudge's Mark remind me just why I can't get my head out of the children's section of a bookstore. I highly recommend it!
I Absolutely LOVED this book! It was an original and altogether fascinating tale. I am completely enthralled by Claudia's genuine characters. Stories like Smudge's Mark remind me just why I can't get my head out of the children's section of a bookstore. I highly recommend it!
Simon has a problem with his memory, and according to his grandpa it is because he was in a terrible accident. One day while his grandpa was at work, Griselda sent Simon off to a school for orphans. There he meets and befriends Gil and leads his new friend into trouble and another dimension where they have to battle evil and save the world.
Smudge's Mark started off kind of slow and kind of weird. I felt that there was so much going on that it was just a mish mash of people and things...more
Smudge's Mark started off kind of slow and kind of weird. I felt that there was so much going on that it was just a mish mash of people and things...more
In pictures: http://bibliovermis.com/archives/412[return][return]Smudge's Mark was an okay juvenile fiction book. The plot wasn't especially newÑinvolving specially chosen heroic orphans, elemental magic, mystical alternate realms, and bad guys who spell out their every actionÑand the main character wasn't especially compelling. The ending sets the book up for a sequel. We'll see how it goes.
I will definitely not be interested in reading the sequel that the end of the book suggests is coming. Too many characters in Emogen to keep up with. I also could not stand Grandpa's accent. I get that he talks differently, but reading his speech slowed me down got to be rather annoying.
A lot of the lead-ins like the part where Smudge and Tessa go to face the Stone Dragon. It just seemed like something was missing and we jumped right into it.
A lot of the lead-ins like the part where Smudge and Tessa go to face the Stone Dragon. It just seemed like something was missing and we jumped right into it.
This book was a great read! It kept me interested from start to finish! I can't wait for this author to write her second book!!
Absolutely love this story, from orphan to hero - always a good read, with lots of hope and desire
A First Reads win! Can't wait to read it.
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Readers Also Enjoyed
Claudia wrote her first novel, Smudge’s Mark, in a closet. (see http://www.themagazine.ca/2011/06/20/smu...)
She's an only child.
She's a Canadian.
She's married, has three kids, two dogs, and a bearded dragon.
She loves caramel apples!
She's afraid of snakes, sharks and spiders. And the letter "S".
...more
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“Apparently she used to star in movies.
Probably The Bride of Frankenstein. - Simon Mugford”
—
3 people liked it
Probably The Bride of Frankenstein. - Simon Mugford”
“We weren't being mauled by lions.
We weren't being tortured with bamboo shoots shoved under our fingernails.
No Chinese water torture.
No burning at the stake.
We weren't even being interrogated under bright lights.
If only.
No, what we endured was a special kind of torture, designed especially for us by The Rat, that made me wish for a bamboo manicure. - Simon Mugford”
—
2 people liked it
More quotes…
We weren't being tortured with bamboo shoots shoved under our fingernails.
No Chinese water torture.
No burning at the stake.
We weren't even being interrogated under bright lights.
If only.
No, what we endured was a special kind of torture, designed especially for us by The Rat, that made me wish for a bamboo manicure. - Simon Mugford”
