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Darwen Arkwright #1
Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact
For fans of "The Mysterious Benedict Society"--now in paperback!
Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright has spent his whole life in a tiny town in England. So when he is forced to move to Atlanta, Georgia, to live with his aunt, he knows things will be different--but what he finds there is beyond even his wildest imagination!
Darwen discovers an enchanting world through the old mirror hanging in his closet--a world that holds as many dangers as it does wonders. Along with his new friends Rich and Alexandra, Darwen becomes entangled in an adventure and mystery that involves the safety of his entire school. They soon realize that the creatures are after something in our world--something that only human children possess.
Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright has spent his whole life in a tiny town in England. So when he is forced to move to Atlanta, Georgia, to live with his aunt, he knows things will be different--but what he finds there is beyond even his wildest imagination!
Darwen discovers an enchanting world through the old mirror hanging in his closet--a world that holds as many dangers as it does wonders. Along with his new friends Rich and Alexandra, Darwen becomes entangled in an adventure and mystery that involves the safety of his entire school. They soon realize that the creatures are after something in our world--something that only human children possess.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2011
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August 22, 2020y'all. THIS BOOK. it gave me more mysterious-benedict-society vibes than the actual mysterious benedict society books!!! to be honest, i don't remember much else about it, other than really REALLY enjoying it and checking the author/illustrator multiple times to make sure they weren't the team behind the great kate weather machine and george (sticky) washington.
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June 3, 2023R͎e͎a͎d͎ ͎d͎a͎t͎e͎:͎
R͎a͎t͎i͎n͎g͎:͎
O͎w͎n͎e͎d͎ ͎s͎i͎n͎c͎e͎: June 3rd 2023
P͎u͎r͎c͎h͎a͎s͎e͎d͎ ͎a͎t͎:͎ Goodwill
P͎r͎i͎c͎e͎:͎? 1.29
R͎a͎t͎i͎n͎g͎:͎
O͎w͎n͎e͎d͎ ͎s͎i͎n͎c͎e͎: June 3rd 2023
P͎u͎r͎c͎h͎a͎s͎e͎d͎ ͎a͎t͎:͎ Goodwill
P͎r͎i͎c͎e͎:͎? 1.29
March 13, 2023
2.5-3*
A low 3* because I was actually kind of bored and not very intrigued by the plot, but the round characters and the friendship between them felt very genuine, and that kept me going.
A low 3* because I was actually kind of bored and not very intrigued by the plot, but the round characters and the friendship between them felt very genuine, and that kept me going.
February 22, 2019
I was a little apprehensive to read a fantasy children’s novel because I can’t remember the last time I read something like this since reading Harry Potter in elementary school, but I was pleasantly surprised with this book. Darwen is a young boy who just arrived in Georgia after having to leave England because of his parent’s deaths. He learns of a magical world that is far far away from Atlanta and unknowingly is in control of not only the fate of the real world but also the world through the mirror. This book was very fantasy-like which made it at points a bit hard for me to follow but it turned out to be a WOW book for me because of the themes that really shine through during and especially towards the end of the book. It ends so perfectly and there is immense love and that’s personally how I think every book should end!
I don’t know if I would incorporate this book as a whole class just because of the length of it (it was around 450 pages) and it’s aimed for upper elementary, probably 5th grade. I do think that it would be a great book to have in a classroom library and I would especially encourage it for students who have either dealt with the death of a parent or who may be new to the area. It would also be beneficial to maybe use as a book club book! There is a lot that could be discussed throughout the text and there is a lot of inventions throughout the story, so I think it would be neat to have the students also draw up some kind of invention that they would like to one day make! The students in the book club would have to be able to handle a heavy text load during the meetings, so the groups would have to be chosen carefully but it would be a great book to use, especially if we had themed book club rotations and one was fantasy!
I don’t know if I would incorporate this book as a whole class just because of the length of it (it was around 450 pages) and it’s aimed for upper elementary, probably 5th grade. I do think that it would be a great book to have in a classroom library and I would especially encourage it for students who have either dealt with the death of a parent or who may be new to the area. It would also be beneficial to maybe use as a book club book! There is a lot that could be discussed throughout the text and there is a lot of inventions throughout the story, so I think it would be neat to have the students also draw up some kind of invention that they would like to one day make! The students in the book club would have to be able to handle a heavy text load during the meetings, so the groups would have to be chosen carefully but it would be a great book to use, especially if we had themed book club rotations and one was fantasy!
August 13, 2014
Darwen has just moved from a little town in England to Atlanta, Georgia. He doesn't really fit in. But when a strange man in the mall gives him a special mirror, he becomes involved in something much bigger than trying to fit into a new school halfway around the world. Another world exists beyond the mirror, and it is in dire peril. Can he save it?
What a slog. The book doesn't start too badly, or end too badly, but most of the middle was tedious to frustrating. Part of the problem is that the book is heavy-handed in dealing with a lot of Darwen's struggles. Darwen, a mixed-race kid from England, has gotten into a posh private school courtesy his aunt, who makes a lot of money. The book takes care to point out this school contains a hodgepodge of races and nationalities, whose only commonality is that they all have rich parents. So what does Darwen get bullied for? His accent. Despite the fact that Koreans and who knows all else attends the school, apparently Darwen is the only one with an accent, and furthermore everyone from the students to the teachers actively hates him for it. No one likes his accent or thinks it's cool he knows an entirely different set of slang. I have friends from other English-speaking countries. The reception they have generally gotten has been fascination with both the accent and the slang. Darwen's teachers publicly humiliate him for his accent and one even forces him to stay after class to teach him how to speak "proper" English.
Also, Darwen's big stand against being bullied by a teacher is standing up in algebra class defending why he is reading Treasure Island. It doesn't really work. Darwen is trying to be noble about being a bookish sort more than a math person, but he's defending himself for reading in class when he should be paying attention (which is a dubious place to call the moral high ground). And the teacher again ridicules him for his accent and Darwen fails to call him out on it. Come to that, the way the book portrays Darwen's accent is by writing his lines in American English and then having someone parrot them back to him spelled phonetically so the reader can get a feel for how it sounds. This happens multiple times.
Which brings me to the second puzzlement. This school is so horribly dysfunctional I wonder why the teachers and the school bully can get away with being as bad as they are. So what if Nathan's parents are rich? Supposedly, everyone else's parents are in the same bracket, and it's hard to believe they would put up with having their kids in a school that's scarcely better than an inner city district. Darwen's math teacher, particularly, makes fun of him in front of everyone for not knowing algebra---did they not do placement tests when Darwen transferred in? Surely he at least had a transcript, which would have indicated he was not taking an algebra class. And all Darwen would have to do is actually tell his aunt what had happened for the potential of a lawsuit to exist (and we are talking about an income bracket with the means to fund legal vendettas, if they aren't lawyers themselves).
Third, the mirror-world is so thin it might as well not exist. It would really make as much sense for Darwen to have found some secret community in rural Georgia, because he sees basically nothing of the other world. He runs around in a circle in a forest. That's pretty much it (the train ride doesn't really add much new, except a train and a house). So in a way it makes sense that Darwen's real goal is more to save his own world from the scrobblers than to rescue the world behind the mirror. There is nothing to like behind the mirror except a little bit of scenery and an interesting little dellfey named Moth.
Fourth, the other characters. Rich was my favorite character in the book. He wins major props for being secure enough in himself to pursue his hobby even when everyone else thinks he's crazy and a science geek, and he doesn't let the bullies ruffle him. But as if to counter the sole bit of normalcy that is Rich, we have Alexandra. She's a complete brat who uses the fact that everyone is embarrassed by her behavior to manipulate people. She's loud, pushy, and obnoxious. I would never read a sequel for the sole reason that she would be in it. She's never sorry, either, for being such a jerk to everyone, so there's no indication she's actually reformed by the end.
Fifth, the villains. The scrobblers and the other grunts aren't bad as enemies---it's more of a horror story since they all seem to be slavering kill-on-sight type monsters. But the big reveal about the two who can think just felt like the book wanted to pick some of the only people who were nice to Darwen and turn them against him. Only one of those two even had any setup indicating this was a possible villain. The other one still baffles me. Both of them had to have infiltrated the school long before this book started---why? Why do it like this, when working in secret, after dark, would have seemed to be much more conducive to carrying out the ultimate plan of breaking through? What benefit does Greyling gain by having the job he has---and why does someone with his "I will rule the world" mentality put up with such a position? It would make far more sense for him to be the principal. He's helpful to Rich in a manner inconsistent with his character, since he never attempts to exploit that friendship the way he apparently exploited the Guardians.
Overall, I would not give this to someone to read. It's too rage-inducing, and a waste of time and shelf space. I rate this book Not Recommended.
What a slog. The book doesn't start too badly, or end too badly, but most of the middle was tedious to frustrating. Part of the problem is that the book is heavy-handed in dealing with a lot of Darwen's struggles. Darwen, a mixed-race kid from England, has gotten into a posh private school courtesy his aunt, who makes a lot of money. The book takes care to point out this school contains a hodgepodge of races and nationalities, whose only commonality is that they all have rich parents. So what does Darwen get bullied for? His accent. Despite the fact that Koreans and who knows all else attends the school, apparently Darwen is the only one with an accent, and furthermore everyone from the students to the teachers actively hates him for it. No one likes his accent or thinks it's cool he knows an entirely different set of slang. I have friends from other English-speaking countries. The reception they have generally gotten has been fascination with both the accent and the slang. Darwen's teachers publicly humiliate him for his accent and one even forces him to stay after class to teach him how to speak "proper" English.
Also, Darwen's big stand against being bullied by a teacher is standing up in algebra class defending why he is reading Treasure Island. It doesn't really work. Darwen is trying to be noble about being a bookish sort more than a math person, but he's defending himself for reading in class when he should be paying attention (which is a dubious place to call the moral high ground). And the teacher again ridicules him for his accent and Darwen fails to call him out on it. Come to that, the way the book portrays Darwen's accent is by writing his lines in American English and then having someone parrot them back to him spelled phonetically so the reader can get a feel for how it sounds. This happens multiple times.
Which brings me to the second puzzlement. This school is so horribly dysfunctional I wonder why the teachers and the school bully can get away with being as bad as they are. So what if Nathan's parents are rich? Supposedly, everyone else's parents are in the same bracket, and it's hard to believe they would put up with having their kids in a school that's scarcely better than an inner city district. Darwen's math teacher, particularly, makes fun of him in front of everyone for not knowing algebra---did they not do placement tests when Darwen transferred in? Surely he at least had a transcript, which would have indicated he was not taking an algebra class. And all Darwen would have to do is actually tell his aunt what had happened for the potential of a lawsuit to exist (and we are talking about an income bracket with the means to fund legal vendettas, if they aren't lawyers themselves).
Third, the mirror-world is so thin it might as well not exist. It would really make as much sense for Darwen to have found some secret community in rural Georgia, because he sees basically nothing of the other world. He runs around in a circle in a forest. That's pretty much it (the train ride doesn't really add much new, except a train and a house). So in a way it makes sense that Darwen's real goal is more to save his own world from the scrobblers than to rescue the world behind the mirror. There is nothing to like behind the mirror except a little bit of scenery and an interesting little dellfey named Moth.
Fourth, the other characters. Rich was my favorite character in the book. He wins major props for being secure enough in himself to pursue his hobby even when everyone else thinks he's crazy and a science geek, and he doesn't let the bullies ruffle him. But as if to counter the sole bit of normalcy that is Rich, we have Alexandra. She's a complete brat who uses the fact that everyone is embarrassed by her behavior to manipulate people. She's loud, pushy, and obnoxious. I would never read a sequel for the sole reason that she would be in it. She's never sorry, either, for being such a jerk to everyone, so there's no indication she's actually reformed by the end.
Fifth, the villains. The scrobblers and the other grunts aren't bad as enemies---it's more of a horror story since they all seem to be slavering kill-on-sight type monsters. But the big reveal about the two who can think just felt like the book wanted to pick some of the only people who were nice to Darwen and turn them against him. Only one of those two even had any setup indicating this was a possible villain. The other one still baffles me. Both of them had to have infiltrated the school long before this book started---why? Why do it like this, when working in secret, after dark, would have seemed to be much more conducive to carrying out the ultimate plan of breaking through? What benefit does Greyling gain by having the job he has---and why does someone with his "I will rule the world" mentality put up with such a position? It would make far more sense for him to be the principal. He's helpful to Rich in a manner inconsistent with his character, since he never attempts to exploit that friendship the way he apparently exploited the Guardians.
Overall, I would not give this to someone to read. It's too rage-inducing, and a waste of time and shelf space. I rate this book Not Recommended.
March 3, 2012
Read the complete and original review at Word Spelunking
THREE WORDS: a Magical, Fun Adventure
MY REVIEW: A.J. Hartley’s Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact is a delightfully fun, suspenseful MG book full of mystery, magic, heart and laughs.
After the death of his parents, 11 year old Darwen must move from a small town in England to the US to live with his aunt in Atlanta, Georgia. On a shopping trip at the local mall, Darwen meets Mr. Peregrine, the eccentric owner of a mirror shop, who gives Darwen an old mirror. An old mirror that turns out to be a doorway into another world, Silbrica. Silbrica is full of wondrous, fascinating and even scary creatures, and Darwen, along with his new friends Alexandra and Rich, finds himself caught up in a dangerous adventure to save both his world and Silbrica.
Darwen’s adventure is a grand and fantastical one, and reading this book is an exciting adventure in itself! Fast paced and action packed, with a splendid mix of whimsy and real life situations, Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact will captivate readers from beginning to end and have them excitedly turning pages.
I found the story to be wonderfully original and full of imagination. The idea of visiting a whole new world by going through a mirror is reminiscent of Carroll’s Wonderland stories, but Hartley takes this idea and adds his own fantastical and inventive twists. Hartley’s writing is hip, smart and perfect for the book’s intended audience. The world-building is stellar; Hartley has crafted two worlds- the “real” world and Silbrica- that are both vivid and believable. The world of Silbrica is whimsical and unique enough to be enchanting, but mysterious and dangerous enough to be terribly exciting…which is the perfect combination for MG. While the real world Hartley has explored is relatable and thought-provoking.
I love the characters in this book; they simply shine! Darwen makes for an awesome hero and I love how “average” he is. Yes, he proves to be brave, capable and quick thinking and he possesses some special abilities, but his character isn’t over the top brainy or good looking or popular or athletic or talented…but this is what makes him so relatable, endearing and likeable. Darwen’s friend Alexandra is a complete gem of a character! She’s quirky, spunky, sassy and downright funny. And Mr. Peregrine reminds of other beloved, eccentric characters such as Dumbledore from Harry Potter or the Professor from the Chronicles of Narnia books.
I love the fancy, strict private school setting Hartley has created with Darwen’s new school, Hillside Academy. Younger readers will delight in being able to loath the teachers and mean kids alongside Darwen, while older readers will find Hartley’s teasing mockery of the school’s focus on memorization and order to be incredibly amusing and honest.
The ending of Darwen’s adventure in this book is explosive and thrilling, but Hartley leaves plenty of room for the adventure to continue…and I hope it does.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Just as Darwen crawled through his magic mirror and was reluctant to return to the real world, I loved falling into this book and didn’t want to climb back out. A.J. Hartley’s Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact is a fantastic MG read that will charm readers of all ages!
THREE WORDS: a Magical, Fun Adventure
MY REVIEW: A.J. Hartley’s Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact is a delightfully fun, suspenseful MG book full of mystery, magic, heart and laughs.
After the death of his parents, 11 year old Darwen must move from a small town in England to the US to live with his aunt in Atlanta, Georgia. On a shopping trip at the local mall, Darwen meets Mr. Peregrine, the eccentric owner of a mirror shop, who gives Darwen an old mirror. An old mirror that turns out to be a doorway into another world, Silbrica. Silbrica is full of wondrous, fascinating and even scary creatures, and Darwen, along with his new friends Alexandra and Rich, finds himself caught up in a dangerous adventure to save both his world and Silbrica.
Darwen’s adventure is a grand and fantastical one, and reading this book is an exciting adventure in itself! Fast paced and action packed, with a splendid mix of whimsy and real life situations, Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact will captivate readers from beginning to end and have them excitedly turning pages.
I found the story to be wonderfully original and full of imagination. The idea of visiting a whole new world by going through a mirror is reminiscent of Carroll’s Wonderland stories, but Hartley takes this idea and adds his own fantastical and inventive twists. Hartley’s writing is hip, smart and perfect for the book’s intended audience. The world-building is stellar; Hartley has crafted two worlds- the “real” world and Silbrica- that are both vivid and believable. The world of Silbrica is whimsical and unique enough to be enchanting, but mysterious and dangerous enough to be terribly exciting…which is the perfect combination for MG. While the real world Hartley has explored is relatable and thought-provoking.
I love the characters in this book; they simply shine! Darwen makes for an awesome hero and I love how “average” he is. Yes, he proves to be brave, capable and quick thinking and he possesses some special abilities, but his character isn’t over the top brainy or good looking or popular or athletic or talented…but this is what makes him so relatable, endearing and likeable. Darwen’s friend Alexandra is a complete gem of a character! She’s quirky, spunky, sassy and downright funny. And Mr. Peregrine reminds of other beloved, eccentric characters such as Dumbledore from Harry Potter or the Professor from the Chronicles of Narnia books.
I love the fancy, strict private school setting Hartley has created with Darwen’s new school, Hillside Academy. Younger readers will delight in being able to loath the teachers and mean kids alongside Darwen, while older readers will find Hartley’s teasing mockery of the school’s focus on memorization and order to be incredibly amusing and honest.
The ending of Darwen’s adventure in this book is explosive and thrilling, but Hartley leaves plenty of room for the adventure to continue…and I hope it does.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Just as Darwen crawled through his magic mirror and was reluctant to return to the real world, I loved falling into this book and didn’t want to climb back out. A.J. Hartley’s Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact is a fantastic MG read that will charm readers of all ages!
October 3, 2017
This book is a true adventure for kids (too young for young adult readers), offering suspense, mystery, fantastic lands, and a lot of heart. Darwen is a young man relocated from England by the death of his parents. He is biracial and has a heavy northern England (not posh) accent. He is an instant outsider at school and a target for teachers as well. His relief comes in the form of two new friends and a mysterious mirror from an equally mysterious shop at the disused end of the local mall. Think of this mirror as you would the wardrobe to Narnia, a fascinating secret that leads to a wonderful but troubled world. Darwen is frustrated immediately by not being able to get answers either from Mr. Peregrine (the shop owner who gave him the mirror) or his own investigations in the land beyond the mirror. Soon his friends discover his troubles with this fantasy world and uncover some troubling parallels in their own. There is plenty of suspense in the book along with some action and danger sequences as well. The kids are all likable. Darwen's friends are all also outsiders, odd disparate characters who nevertheless form a strong bond that eventually leads to the Peregrine Pact, a team to save both worlds from a horrible destiny. I think kids will love the delicious sense of mounting dread in the book and be won over by Darwen and his friends. Some reviewers have complained that the world and it's creatures aren't explained enough, but they haven't considered the audience. Kids this age don't need fantasy explained; they just accept it. I think that, like Narnia, sequels will fill in some backstory of the magical world and its creatures. I'm sure kids will be eager to get their hands on the next book in the series!
November 2, 2021
Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact is a recipe for success.
Mix a bit of Roald Dahl’s fantastical creations, Neil Gaiman’s spark for what terrifies our inner child, add a dash of of Through the Looking Glass, and a pinch of Harry Potter and you get Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact.
Follow the young 11 year old boy, Darwen, as he is recently thrust into a new world - Atlanta, GA. After a family tragedy Darwen finds himself ripped out of the familiarity of his small northern English town and transported to live with his Aunt in the American south.
But unlike most of us, Darwen discovers he has a hidden power. The ability to travel through certain mirrors into another world called Silbrica.
It’s not all fun and games though. Soon Silbrica is brought to chaos by unimaginable creatures who now threaten our world.
It is up to Darwen and his friends to save the day while navigating not only Silbrica, but their ever stringent and didactic prep school, Hillside Academy.
Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact is a novel anyone can enjoy. It’s filled with thrills, heart, and even some Shakespeare references if you pay attention.
Enjoy the Ride! Looking forward to reading the sequels!
Mix a bit of Roald Dahl’s fantastical creations, Neil Gaiman’s spark for what terrifies our inner child, add a dash of of Through the Looking Glass, and a pinch of Harry Potter and you get Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact.
Follow the young 11 year old boy, Darwen, as he is recently thrust into a new world - Atlanta, GA. After a family tragedy Darwen finds himself ripped out of the familiarity of his small northern English town and transported to live with his Aunt in the American south.
But unlike most of us, Darwen discovers he has a hidden power. The ability to travel through certain mirrors into another world called Silbrica.
It’s not all fun and games though. Soon Silbrica is brought to chaos by unimaginable creatures who now threaten our world.
It is up to Darwen and his friends to save the day while navigating not only Silbrica, but their ever stringent and didactic prep school, Hillside Academy.
Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact is a novel anyone can enjoy. It’s filled with thrills, heart, and even some Shakespeare references if you pay attention.
Enjoy the Ride! Looking forward to reading the sequels!
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February 3, 2020Darwen Arkwright is a young boy from England who comes to live with his wealthy, work-a-holic aunt in America. She enrolls him in a stuffy boarding school where mean kids and mean teachers reign. Darwen is ready to begin life in America with low expectations, until he meets a man named Mr. Peregrine, who introduces him to a whole new world that can be reached through a mirror.
I found this book rather typical and cliché. Portals to different worlds where there are different creatures, unrealistically mean teachers and students, and then the typical nerds vs. popular kids, and good vs. evil. It was a fast read however, despite its length, and was just entertaining enough to keep my interest until the end. Still, it's definitely written for the middle school age. The plot was simple and the characters as well. It seems like Hartley just didn’t have enough details, though the ideas were there.
Recommended for younger children, though I would go with the Charlie Bone series for a bit more advanced/interesting reading... or even better, the Harry Potter series or Bartimaeus Trilogy.
I found this book rather typical and cliché. Portals to different worlds where there are different creatures, unrealistically mean teachers and students, and then the typical nerds vs. popular kids, and good vs. evil. It was a fast read however, despite its length, and was just entertaining enough to keep my interest until the end. Still, it's definitely written for the middle school age. The plot was simple and the characters as well. It seems like Hartley just didn’t have enough details, though the ideas were there.
Recommended for younger children, though I would go with the Charlie Bone series for a bit more advanced/interesting reading... or even better, the Harry Potter series or Bartimaeus Trilogy.
March 19, 2017
I hate having so much hope for something and then being completely let down. This can be applied at a deeper, more like, personal scale when it comes to things like relationships and work and success and all that, but at a more shallow level it bothers me when a book deceives me into believing it’s going to be great and then is completely the opposite. With characters’ names like Darwen Arkwright and Octavius Peregrine, I really expected this book to deliver some delicious literary punches that would leave me begging for more in the form of the second book in this series. And I started reading this one after the atrocity known as Forever which took, as we all know, FOREVER, so the prospect of reading something quick and fun and quirky was oh-so-appealing.
From the very beginning, I knew this wasn’t going to be good. For one thing, I’m either really slow or this book was poorly developed, as half the time I had no idea what was going on and why I should care about anything that was happening to poor Darwen. Sure, I understand there’s a magical mirror in his closet that allows him to go through to another world, but there was no REASON or EXPLANATION for really, well, ANYTHING in that fantastical world. What the heck was up with the dellfeys? What’s their deal? What do they even DO, why do they EXIST? If I was told, it obviously made no impact because I don’t remember in the slightest. And I have a HUGE problem with fantastical creatures that don’t seem to match each other or belong together in the same universe. Let me explain – in LotR, everything is humanistic in the sense that things like orcs and goblins and ogres stand on two legs and may or may not have been evolved or devolved from another human-like being such as elves or, well, humans. They share similar traits and abilities that make them almost a “set”; if one can survive there, so can others.
NOT IN SILBRICA. No, in SILBRICA #heavysarcasmanddisdain we have weird snuffleupagiss (dat spelling tho) creatures called scrobblers that are basically creepy scuba divers with tentacles on their face like that dude from Futurama, and pants with mouths. Yeah, that’s how I describe gnashers – pants with arms and a mouth in the middle. And then there’s the Shades, which actually sounded SICK but were not explored NEARLY ENOUGH and were so easily beaten that it was almost upsetting that I put so much time into trying to figure out what was going on. Tapeworms burrowing into people’s legs (ok, that part was sick actually, I enjoyed that gore – if this is kids’ horror, GIVE ME HORROR DANG IT!) and weird things hiding in people’s skin all Nagini-esque – THAT WAS ANOTHER THING. I HATE WHEN “WISE OLD MEN” SEND CHILDREN ON DANGEROUS QUESTS WITHOUT ANY FRICKING INFORMATION. CASE AND POINT: DUMBLEDORE AND OCTAVIUS PEREGRINE. Peregrine knew exactly what was going on in Silbrica but would he share this information? NO. Instead, he sent a poor defenseless child whose PARENTS JUST DIED IN A ROAD ACCIDENT (getting hit by a furniture truck, not just a truck, we had to specify that it had furniture in it) into a dangerous place with no equipment except a needlessly-complicated-sounding device that really didn’t help too much.
Another thing – why did every single device or weapon or instrument used have to be like, something weird? “OH NO! HE SLASHED HER WITH A SMALL METAL BOX WITH EIGHT BLINKING LIGHTS AND A WHIRRING SOUND AND A DIAL ON THE SIDE AND A POINTY BIT AT THE FRONT!” Why don’t you just say he had a knife in his cloak? That’s what it is, we all KNOW it’s a knife, just SAY IT’S A KNIFE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.
I feel I should clarify that most of these observations really came to light in the second half of the book, and from here on out there are spoilers so maybe turn away if you’re thinking of reading this ever, which you probably shouldn’t because it’s just nowhere near as good as series like The Unwanteds but ANYWAY:
The resolution of all of these issues was also so ridiculously cliché and stupid that I felt insulted on behalf of the 9-12 year olds this was intended for #dontjudgeme Instead of coming up with some cool, intense, almost complicated but not quite reason for scrobblers to hate children and need their energy and all that, and instead of coming up with a cool if not simple way to overthrow them, we’re going with love. LOVE. WHAT IS THIS, THE END OF FROZEN? LOVE WILL THAW, GET OUT OF TOWN. I was so mad at this point, I almost didn’t have time to laugh at the fact that THE JANITOR WAS THE BAD GUY AND IT BECAME THIS WHOLE, LUCIFER VERSUS THE ANGELS TYPE OF SITUATION WITH MR PEREGRINE JUST MAGICALLY COMING BACK FROM HIS COMA/SILBRICA. I also was reminded of, in 17 Again, when Mike realizes it might be the janitor and Ned just quietly gasps and goes “The janitorrrr” ohmylife I can’t even.
Darwen also totally over-exaggerated and hoped that Alex’s MINOR FLESH WOUND on her neck wouldn’t kill her. PLEASE the “weapon” she was assaulted with was an overzealous paper clip. Unbelievable.
Can you tell I didn’t think highly of this book? 9-12 readers can handle so much more than they were given here. It was just a really weak effort and a poor example of what 9-12 action/fantasy can be.
~*End Scene*~
From the very beginning, I knew this wasn’t going to be good. For one thing, I’m either really slow or this book was poorly developed, as half the time I had no idea what was going on and why I should care about anything that was happening to poor Darwen. Sure, I understand there’s a magical mirror in his closet that allows him to go through to another world, but there was no REASON or EXPLANATION for really, well, ANYTHING in that fantastical world. What the heck was up with the dellfeys? What’s their deal? What do they even DO, why do they EXIST? If I was told, it obviously made no impact because I don’t remember in the slightest. And I have a HUGE problem with fantastical creatures that don’t seem to match each other or belong together in the same universe. Let me explain – in LotR, everything is humanistic in the sense that things like orcs and goblins and ogres stand on two legs and may or may not have been evolved or devolved from another human-like being such as elves or, well, humans. They share similar traits and abilities that make them almost a “set”; if one can survive there, so can others.
NOT IN SILBRICA. No, in SILBRICA #heavysarcasmanddisdain we have weird snuffleupagiss (dat spelling tho) creatures called scrobblers that are basically creepy scuba divers with tentacles on their face like that dude from Futurama, and pants with mouths. Yeah, that’s how I describe gnashers – pants with arms and a mouth in the middle. And then there’s the Shades, which actually sounded SICK but were not explored NEARLY ENOUGH and were so easily beaten that it was almost upsetting that I put so much time into trying to figure out what was going on. Tapeworms burrowing into people’s legs (ok, that part was sick actually, I enjoyed that gore – if this is kids’ horror, GIVE ME HORROR DANG IT!) and weird things hiding in people’s skin all Nagini-esque – THAT WAS ANOTHER THING. I HATE WHEN “WISE OLD MEN” SEND CHILDREN ON DANGEROUS QUESTS WITHOUT ANY FRICKING INFORMATION. CASE AND POINT: DUMBLEDORE AND OCTAVIUS PEREGRINE. Peregrine knew exactly what was going on in Silbrica but would he share this information? NO. Instead, he sent a poor defenseless child whose PARENTS JUST DIED IN A ROAD ACCIDENT (getting hit by a furniture truck, not just a truck, we had to specify that it had furniture in it) into a dangerous place with no equipment except a needlessly-complicated-sounding device that really didn’t help too much.
Another thing – why did every single device or weapon or instrument used have to be like, something weird? “OH NO! HE SLASHED HER WITH A SMALL METAL BOX WITH EIGHT BLINKING LIGHTS AND A WHIRRING SOUND AND A DIAL ON THE SIDE AND A POINTY BIT AT THE FRONT!” Why don’t you just say he had a knife in his cloak? That’s what it is, we all KNOW it’s a knife, just SAY IT’S A KNIFE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.
I feel I should clarify that most of these observations really came to light in the second half of the book, and from here on out there are spoilers so maybe turn away if you’re thinking of reading this ever, which you probably shouldn’t because it’s just nowhere near as good as series like The Unwanteds but ANYWAY:
The resolution of all of these issues was also so ridiculously cliché and stupid that I felt insulted on behalf of the 9-12 year olds this was intended for #dontjudgeme Instead of coming up with some cool, intense, almost complicated but not quite reason for scrobblers to hate children and need their energy and all that, and instead of coming up with a cool if not simple way to overthrow them, we’re going with love. LOVE. WHAT IS THIS, THE END OF FROZEN? LOVE WILL THAW, GET OUT OF TOWN. I was so mad at this point, I almost didn’t have time to laugh at the fact that THE JANITOR WAS THE BAD GUY AND IT BECAME THIS WHOLE, LUCIFER VERSUS THE ANGELS TYPE OF SITUATION WITH MR PEREGRINE JUST MAGICALLY COMING BACK FROM HIS COMA/SILBRICA. I also was reminded of, in 17 Again, when Mike realizes it might be the janitor and Ned just quietly gasps and goes “The janitorrrr” ohmylife I can’t even.
Darwen also totally over-exaggerated and hoped that Alex’s MINOR FLESH WOUND on her neck wouldn’t kill her. PLEASE the “weapon” she was assaulted with was an overzealous paper clip. Unbelievable.
Can you tell I didn’t think highly of this book? 9-12 readers can handle so much more than they were given here. It was just a really weak effort and a poor example of what 9-12 action/fantasy can be.
~*End Scene*~
July 19, 2017
Interesting premise, pulled me in, but didn't end up being compelling enough to make me want to read additional books in the series.
September 12, 2018
read this back in 9th grade. from what i remember, it wasn’t amazing but it was a bit enjoyable.
August 20, 2020
Started alright but got boring fast. Bullied didn't get what they deserved, they were pointless characters.
November 18, 2020
This book is super! I love all the twists and turns in the plot. And the mirror shop. This is a really interesting and engaging book.
January 28, 2024
Das Buch lässt sich flüssig lesen, hat zwar den ein oder anderen Spannungshänger und bedient diverse Clichés über High School, aber insgesamt ganz gute Unterhaltung.
June 7, 2015
Inhalt:
Der 11 Jährige Waisenjunge Darwen Arkwrigth staunt nicht schlecht als er im Einkaufcentre ein ungewöhnliches Flugobjekt entdeckt. Es scheint kein Vogel zu sein, denn dazu hat es zu starke ungewöhnliche Züge an sich, aber auch einem elektronischen Spielzeugflugzeug sieht es nicht ähnlich. Aber noch mehr erstaunt ihn die Tatsache, dass dieses Wesen allein nur seine Aufmerksamkeit geweckt hat und die Menschen um ihn herum ihren Weg gehen. Von der Neugier getrieben macht er sich auf den Weg um dem geheimnisvollen Wesen auf den Grund zu gehen. Die Spur führt ihn zu einem urigen, etwas angst einflößenden alten Spiegelladen von Mr. Peregrines führt, ahnt Darwin nicht welchen Einfluss diese Begegnung für sein restliches Leben nehmen wird.
Als der argwöhnische Mann ihm einen verschlissenen Spiegel zum Geschenk macht, spricht dieser zudem in Rätsel mit dem Jungen. Verwirrt und von seiner Neugier angepeitscht, entdeckt Darwen wenig später die wahre Botschaft hinter dem Rätsel des Spiegels und findet sich selbst in einer magischen Welt wieder.
Doch der schöne Schein der anderen Welt trügt, denn die Wesen dort sind nicht zu unterschätzen und Darwen wird schnell bewusst, dass eine riesen Aufgabe auf ihn lauert, die es zu bewältigen gibt!
Meine Meinung:
Das Cover hat etwas Magisches an sich, welches mich sofort in seinen magischen Bann gezogen hat und gekrönt wird das Ganze durch eine fantasievolle, spannende und abenteuerliche Handlung.
" Mr. Peregrines Geheimnis " ist ein gelungenes Fantasy-Abenteuer welches sich rund um den Vollwaisen Darwen Arkwrigth aufgebaut ist.
Etwas schleppend kam ich in die Handlung jedoch herein, da der Schreibstil des Autors A.J. Hartley führ mich etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig erschien. Zwar ist er sehr bildhaft gestaltet und führt dem Leser die Spiegelwelt in die Darwen eintaucht sehr schön vor Augen, so dass man sich mit seiner Fantasie selbst dieser aussetzen könnte, dennoch hat sie etwas stockendes und zu kindhaftes an sich, so dass bei mir kein flüssiger Lesefluss entstand.
Persönlich finde ich diesen Aspekt sehr schade, zwar wusste ich von vorne herein, dass es sich um ein Jugendbuch handelt mit dem Freigabealter von 10 - 12 Jahren, aber mit solch einem Verlauf habe ich dann doch nicht gerechnet, da ich sehr gerne Jugendbücher in diesem Genre und Altersbegrenzung lese.
Nichts desto trotz konnte zwar der Schreibstil mich nicht ganz überzeugen, aber die Handlung und deren Welt, Kreaturen und den sympathischen Hauptprotagonisten konnte mich dennoch von sich und ihren Stärken & kleinen Schwächen (im punkte Spannungsaufbau und einhalten) überzeugen.
Darwen Arkwright wird uns in der Handlung als Außenseiter vorgestellt, der als Vollwaise bei seiner Tante in Atlanta aufwächst und eine überteuerte Privatschule besucht. Doch sein Charakter kommt erst zu seinen vollen Zügen, als ihm im Einkaufcentre das ominöse Flugwesen begegnet und in den Spiegelladen des alten Mr. Peregrines führt. Erst mit dem wachsen seiner Anerkennung der magischen Wesen und auch der Aufgaben die ihm zu Teil werten, wächst auch er über seine schüchterne Art und Außenseiterrolle hinaus und entpuppt sich zu einem eigenständigen, charakterstarken und super sympathischen Hauptprotagonisten.
Mr. Peregrine fand ich auch echt klasse. Er hat eine geheimnisvolle und rätselhafte Art an sich und mir gefiel es welchen Glauben er in den kleinen Darwen steckt und ihn mit Rat und Rätsel unterstützt.
Fazit:
Ein gut umgesetzter und sehr unterhaltsamer Jugend-Fantasy-Roman mit kleinen Ecken und Kanten, welche jedoch eher in die Schiene " reine Geschmackssache ". Denn zum Glück sind Geschmäcker verschieden und somit ist das was mich als Leserin störte für den Anderen eher nicht erwähnenswert!
Der 11 Jährige Waisenjunge Darwen Arkwrigth staunt nicht schlecht als er im Einkaufcentre ein ungewöhnliches Flugobjekt entdeckt. Es scheint kein Vogel zu sein, denn dazu hat es zu starke ungewöhnliche Züge an sich, aber auch einem elektronischen Spielzeugflugzeug sieht es nicht ähnlich. Aber noch mehr erstaunt ihn die Tatsache, dass dieses Wesen allein nur seine Aufmerksamkeit geweckt hat und die Menschen um ihn herum ihren Weg gehen. Von der Neugier getrieben macht er sich auf den Weg um dem geheimnisvollen Wesen auf den Grund zu gehen. Die Spur führt ihn zu einem urigen, etwas angst einflößenden alten Spiegelladen von Mr. Peregrines führt, ahnt Darwin nicht welchen Einfluss diese Begegnung für sein restliches Leben nehmen wird.
Als der argwöhnische Mann ihm einen verschlissenen Spiegel zum Geschenk macht, spricht dieser zudem in Rätsel mit dem Jungen. Verwirrt und von seiner Neugier angepeitscht, entdeckt Darwen wenig später die wahre Botschaft hinter dem Rätsel des Spiegels und findet sich selbst in einer magischen Welt wieder.
Doch der schöne Schein der anderen Welt trügt, denn die Wesen dort sind nicht zu unterschätzen und Darwen wird schnell bewusst, dass eine riesen Aufgabe auf ihn lauert, die es zu bewältigen gibt!
Meine Meinung:
Das Cover hat etwas Magisches an sich, welches mich sofort in seinen magischen Bann gezogen hat und gekrönt wird das Ganze durch eine fantasievolle, spannende und abenteuerliche Handlung.
" Mr. Peregrines Geheimnis " ist ein gelungenes Fantasy-Abenteuer welches sich rund um den Vollwaisen Darwen Arkwrigth aufgebaut ist.
Etwas schleppend kam ich in die Handlung jedoch herein, da der Schreibstil des Autors A.J. Hartley führ mich etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig erschien. Zwar ist er sehr bildhaft gestaltet und führt dem Leser die Spiegelwelt in die Darwen eintaucht sehr schön vor Augen, so dass man sich mit seiner Fantasie selbst dieser aussetzen könnte, dennoch hat sie etwas stockendes und zu kindhaftes an sich, so dass bei mir kein flüssiger Lesefluss entstand.
Persönlich finde ich diesen Aspekt sehr schade, zwar wusste ich von vorne herein, dass es sich um ein Jugendbuch handelt mit dem Freigabealter von 10 - 12 Jahren, aber mit solch einem Verlauf habe ich dann doch nicht gerechnet, da ich sehr gerne Jugendbücher in diesem Genre und Altersbegrenzung lese.
Nichts desto trotz konnte zwar der Schreibstil mich nicht ganz überzeugen, aber die Handlung und deren Welt, Kreaturen und den sympathischen Hauptprotagonisten konnte mich dennoch von sich und ihren Stärken & kleinen Schwächen (im punkte Spannungsaufbau und einhalten) überzeugen.
Darwen Arkwright wird uns in der Handlung als Außenseiter vorgestellt, der als Vollwaise bei seiner Tante in Atlanta aufwächst und eine überteuerte Privatschule besucht. Doch sein Charakter kommt erst zu seinen vollen Zügen, als ihm im Einkaufcentre das ominöse Flugwesen begegnet und in den Spiegelladen des alten Mr. Peregrines führt. Erst mit dem wachsen seiner Anerkennung der magischen Wesen und auch der Aufgaben die ihm zu Teil werten, wächst auch er über seine schüchterne Art und Außenseiterrolle hinaus und entpuppt sich zu einem eigenständigen, charakterstarken und super sympathischen Hauptprotagonisten.
Mr. Peregrine fand ich auch echt klasse. Er hat eine geheimnisvolle und rätselhafte Art an sich und mir gefiel es welchen Glauben er in den kleinen Darwen steckt und ihn mit Rat und Rätsel unterstützt.
Fazit:
Ein gut umgesetzter und sehr unterhaltsamer Jugend-Fantasy-Roman mit kleinen Ecken und Kanten, welche jedoch eher in die Schiene " reine Geschmackssache ". Denn zum Glück sind Geschmäcker verschieden und somit ist das was mich als Leserin störte für den Anderen eher nicht erwähnenswert!
July 23, 2012
Originally posted here.
Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact is an excellent example of middle grade fiction. There are spunky young folks, fantastical situations, evil grownups and adventures galore. I was entertained fully from beginning to end by Hartley's tale. This may be my first experience with Hartley but it surely will not be my last.
Y'all, one of my favorite things is that this book is set in Atlanta. That may not be an important point for most people, but this is my hometown and I loved being able to recognize some landmarks. There wasn't a ton of that, but there was enough to satisfy me. Darwen, who has moved from England to live with his Aunt Honoria, even comments on the absurd number of streets named Peachtree, specifically mentioning one I live super close to! Just in case you're curious, an Allstate billboard has informed me that there are 71 streets named Peachtree in Atlanta, which is less than I would have thought.
The fantasy elements of Darwen Arkwright are most reminiscent of Narnia. Darwen has the rare ability to travel through magic mirrors into alternate worlds. These worlds are completely different from ours, although not precisely like Narnia, but the whole traveling business totally brought that to mind. Towards the end there's an even more specific similarity. Either way, I really like the concept of Narnia, so I was totally cool with all of this.
In the real world, we also have school drama, as poor Darwen struggles to find his place in a pompous new school in his new country. His Aunt, a lawyer, signs him up for an exceedingly privileged academy, where the students are forced to march around and be incredibly obedient. He's behind in all of the coursework and the teachers are almost all completely awful. His English teacher constantly mocks his accent and attempts to train him out of it, claiming he doesn't speak proper English.
None of this sits well with Darwen, who has never been good at fitting in, being mixed race and the only British person in the school. He quickly settles in with the school's other outcasts, albeit somewhat reluctantly. I actually really liked the way the friendships developed in this book, because they weren't immediate and had to be built. Though Darwen and Rick formed a sort of bond right away, Darwen really didn't care for Alexandra for much of the book. To be fair, she's a bit hard to take at first, like Pinkie Pie on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. She's just so incredibly cooky and does what she wants, not caring about the opinions of others unduly.
The cast of characters is one of the most important aspects of any novel, and, if anything, I think this is even more crucial in middle grade fiction, although I couldn't really say why. Hartley's cast is excellent I think. He also avoids a common middle grade issue, which is making the solutions too easy so that the audience is headdesking at the kids' inability to figure anything out. What was cool, too, was that adults literally could not have solved the problem had they been told, because Darwen was the one who could get into the mirror world. Plus, the kids really did have the resourcefulness as a team to figure out what to do. I do think the final battle's resolution was really lame, not to mention clearly drawn from another really popular book, but it wasn't a huge detractor.
Darwen Arkwright had everything that I want out of a middle grade novel: quirky characters, a realistic depiction of school cliques, and humor. If you like middle grade novels, definitely check this one out!
Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact is an excellent example of middle grade fiction. There are spunky young folks, fantastical situations, evil grownups and adventures galore. I was entertained fully from beginning to end by Hartley's tale. This may be my first experience with Hartley but it surely will not be my last.
Y'all, one of my favorite things is that this book is set in Atlanta. That may not be an important point for most people, but this is my hometown and I loved being able to recognize some landmarks. There wasn't a ton of that, but there was enough to satisfy me. Darwen, who has moved from England to live with his Aunt Honoria, even comments on the absurd number of streets named Peachtree, specifically mentioning one I live super close to! Just in case you're curious, an Allstate billboard has informed me that there are 71 streets named Peachtree in Atlanta, which is less than I would have thought.
The fantasy elements of Darwen Arkwright are most reminiscent of Narnia. Darwen has the rare ability to travel through magic mirrors into alternate worlds. These worlds are completely different from ours, although not precisely like Narnia, but the whole traveling business totally brought that to mind. Towards the end there's an even more specific similarity. Either way, I really like the concept of Narnia, so I was totally cool with all of this.
In the real world, we also have school drama, as poor Darwen struggles to find his place in a pompous new school in his new country. His Aunt, a lawyer, signs him up for an exceedingly privileged academy, where the students are forced to march around and be incredibly obedient. He's behind in all of the coursework and the teachers are almost all completely awful. His English teacher constantly mocks his accent and attempts to train him out of it, claiming he doesn't speak proper English.
None of this sits well with Darwen, who has never been good at fitting in, being mixed race and the only British person in the school. He quickly settles in with the school's other outcasts, albeit somewhat reluctantly. I actually really liked the way the friendships developed in this book, because they weren't immediate and had to be built. Though Darwen and Rick formed a sort of bond right away, Darwen really didn't care for Alexandra for much of the book. To be fair, she's a bit hard to take at first, like Pinkie Pie on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. She's just so incredibly cooky and does what she wants, not caring about the opinions of others unduly.
The cast of characters is one of the most important aspects of any novel, and, if anything, I think this is even more crucial in middle grade fiction, although I couldn't really say why. Hartley's cast is excellent I think. He also avoids a common middle grade issue, which is making the solutions too easy so that the audience is headdesking at the kids' inability to figure anything out. What was cool, too, was that adults literally could not have solved the problem had they been told, because Darwen was the one who could get into the mirror world. Plus, the kids really did have the resourcefulness as a team to figure out what to do. I do think the final battle's resolution was really lame, not to mention clearly drawn from another really popular book, but it wasn't a huge detractor.
Darwen Arkwright had everything that I want out of a middle grade novel: quirky characters, a realistic depiction of school cliques, and humor. If you like middle grade novels, definitely check this one out!
May 21, 2017
Die Rezension zum Buch findet ihr hier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV3of...
October 2, 2011
Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact by A.J. Hartley starts off with with one of the most intriguing middle grade beginnings I've read lately; Darwen spies a strange creature flying through the mall which no one else can see and upon following it, leads him to an odd, out-of-place store:
"There was one more shop, right at the end of the corrider beside the exit sign, a tiny ramshackle place that looked like it had been lifted out of an entirely different location and dropped in... The exterior was made of chipped brick and ancient wood---the varnish stained and peeling---and little windows crisscrossed with lead. It looked like a shop from another age. Above its door, suspended from two chains, was a faded wooden sign with gold lettering:
"Mr. Octavius Peregrine's Reflectory Emporium: Mirrors Priceless and Perilous
"Clinging bat-like to the sign, its head cocked in Darwen's direction, was the little winged beast. It blew a raspberry at him, then hopped onto the wall of the shop and through a half-broken diamond of leaded window glass.
"Darwen ran to the door but hesitated as he put his hand on the tarnished brass handle. There was something odd about this place. He could feel it. The window displays were dusty, full of antique mirrors in ornate frames, many of them faded, speckled, and scratched, some with obvious cracks.
"'And how,' he wondered, 'could mirrors be "priceless and perilous"?'"
What those unusual mirrors hold are in fact portals to Silbrica, an enchanted world with creatures as charming as the fairy-like dellfeys, but also sinister, deadly ones like scrobblers, gnashers, and the Shade. And they really are as terrifying as they sound!
Silbrica becomes a refuge for the lonely Darwen, an outsider at his new school. He escapes to Silbrica through the mirror given to him by Mr. Peregrine. However, once the scrobblers and gnashers discover that a human child has entered Silbrica, they set about capturing him in order to find a way to enter this one.
Hartley is very successful in making the nightmarish creatures scary enough (one scene really had me trembling) but he is not quite as adept in depicting the not-so-scary aspects of Silbrica. As a result, this world didn't seem as real to me as it could have been.
I loved Darwen's character - fish out of water and trying to be stoic - my heart just went out to him as he bravely tried to manuever strange customs of his American school. Darwen's also dealing with the loss of his parents, and there comes a moment in the book when his grief comes to the forefront of the narrative and I thought it was going to go the way of a Harry Potter-esque treatment. How Hartley depicts this somber moment is just right, imbuing this fantasy novel some grounding in reality.
Darwen's camaraderie with Rich and Alexandra, other outsiders at his school, was convincing and made for some funny moments. These are kids you'd need if you ever get stuck in an enchanted world with scrobblers and gnashers after you!
Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact by A.J. Hartley is a solid middle grade fantasy adventure story with some scary thrills!
"There was one more shop, right at the end of the corrider beside the exit sign, a tiny ramshackle place that looked like it had been lifted out of an entirely different location and dropped in... The exterior was made of chipped brick and ancient wood---the varnish stained and peeling---and little windows crisscrossed with lead. It looked like a shop from another age. Above its door, suspended from two chains, was a faded wooden sign with gold lettering:
"Mr. Octavius Peregrine's Reflectory Emporium: Mirrors Priceless and Perilous
"Clinging bat-like to the sign, its head cocked in Darwen's direction, was the little winged beast. It blew a raspberry at him, then hopped onto the wall of the shop and through a half-broken diamond of leaded window glass.
"Darwen ran to the door but hesitated as he put his hand on the tarnished brass handle. There was something odd about this place. He could feel it. The window displays were dusty, full of antique mirrors in ornate frames, many of them faded, speckled, and scratched, some with obvious cracks.
"'And how,' he wondered, 'could mirrors be "priceless and perilous"?'"
What those unusual mirrors hold are in fact portals to Silbrica, an enchanted world with creatures as charming as the fairy-like dellfeys, but also sinister, deadly ones like scrobblers, gnashers, and the Shade. And they really are as terrifying as they sound!
Silbrica becomes a refuge for the lonely Darwen, an outsider at his new school. He escapes to Silbrica through the mirror given to him by Mr. Peregrine. However, once the scrobblers and gnashers discover that a human child has entered Silbrica, they set about capturing him in order to find a way to enter this one.
Hartley is very successful in making the nightmarish creatures scary enough (one scene really had me trembling) but he is not quite as adept in depicting the not-so-scary aspects of Silbrica. As a result, this world didn't seem as real to me as it could have been.
I loved Darwen's character - fish out of water and trying to be stoic - my heart just went out to him as he bravely tried to manuever strange customs of his American school. Darwen's also dealing with the loss of his parents, and there comes a moment in the book when his grief comes to the forefront of the narrative and I thought it was going to go the way of a Harry Potter-esque treatment. How Hartley depicts this somber moment is just right, imbuing this fantasy novel some grounding in reality.
Darwen's camaraderie with Rich and Alexandra, other outsiders at his school, was convincing and made for some funny moments. These are kids you'd need if you ever get stuck in an enchanted world with scrobblers and gnashers after you!
Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact by A.J. Hartley is a solid middle grade fantasy adventure story with some scary thrills!
August 28, 2013
Darwen Arkwright zieht von England nach Amerika zu seiner Tante. Für ihn ist alles neu und anders, und er kann sich nur schwer in seinem neuen Zuhause eingewöhnen. In der Schule wird er aufgrund seines englischen Akzents gehänselt und auch sonst scheint alles irgendwie gegen ihn zu laufen. Als er im Einkaufszentrum auf ein seltsames Geschäft stößt, welches ungewöhnliche Spiegel verkauft, kommt er mit dem Ladenbesitzer Mr. Peregrine ins Gespräch, der ihm dann auch noch solch einen ungewöhnlichen Spiegel schenkt. Darwen weiß nicht so recht, was er mit dem Spiegel anfangen soll, doch als die Sonne untergeht, entdeckt er das Geheimnis des Spiegels: er ist ein Tor in eine andere Welt - und Darwen kann diese durch den Spiegel betreten. Doch die schöne Welt auf der anderen Seite des Spiegels wird von schrecklichen Monstern bedroht, die nur ein Ziel haben: in Darwens Welt zu gelangen.
Aufgrund des schönen Covers und des sehr interessanten Klappentextes bin ich auf das Buch gestoßen und hatte mich auf die Lektüre dieses Jugendbuches auch gefreut. Doch je mehr ich gelesen habe, umso enttäuschter war ich.
Nicht wegen der Geschichte, die war sehr interessant, nein, die Schreibweise des Buches hat mich nicht angesprochen und sogar teilweise etwas genervt. Dass das Buch für Kinder und Jugendliche ist, war mir von vorneherein klar. Ich lese sie auch sehr gerne. Doch war mir dieses hier zu kindlich geschrieben, obwohl es aufgrund der darin vorkommenden Monster doch eher ab 10 oder gar 12 Jahren zu empfehlen ist.
Manche Stellen der Geschichte fand ich nicht ausgereift genug bzw. zu schnell abgehandelt und deswegen dann auch nicht richtig nachvollziehbar. Darwen hat sich zu sehr auf andere verlassen, seine Freunde Rich und Alexandra waren mir zu nervig oder zu aktiv involviert.
Als Darwin die Wahrheit erfährt, hätte ich mir mehr Eigeninitiative gewünscht. Es gibt so viele Fragen, doch hat er keine gestellt bzw. nichts unternommen, um Antworten zu finden oder ewig gebraucht, um sich zu überwinden, etwas herauszufinden.
Dies hat meinen Lesefluss sehr gestört und ich wäre am Liebsten ins Buch gekrochen, um selbst nach Antworten zu suchen.
Erst am Ende kommt Fahrt auf und ein Verdacht, der sich mir im ersten Drittel des Buches aufgetan hatte, wurde bestätigt. Auch hier hätte ich mir gewünscht, dass der Autor etwas mehr Verwirrung in die Geschichte gebracht hätte, um die Spannung zu erhalten.
Trotz der vielen Kritikpunkte habe ich auch Positives an dem Buch finden können. Das Cover, welches ich schon erwähnt habe, ist ein echter Hingucker. Die Figuren, die darauf zu sehen sind, tauchen auch immer wieder am Anfang eines jeden Kapitels auf.
Alex und Rich werden Darwen im Laufe der Geschichte gute Freunde und das hat mich für Darwen sehr gefreut. Denn den Schicksalsschlag, den er erlitten hat, hat aus ihm einen sehr freudlosen Menschen gemacht und er hat dringend Freunde nötig, die ihm darüber hinweghelfen.
Fazit:
Interessantes Konzept mit nicht gelungener Umsetzung. Da die Kritikpunkte überwiegen, gibt es von mir leider nur 2 Sterne.
Aufgrund des schönen Covers und des sehr interessanten Klappentextes bin ich auf das Buch gestoßen und hatte mich auf die Lektüre dieses Jugendbuches auch gefreut. Doch je mehr ich gelesen habe, umso enttäuschter war ich.
Nicht wegen der Geschichte, die war sehr interessant, nein, die Schreibweise des Buches hat mich nicht angesprochen und sogar teilweise etwas genervt. Dass das Buch für Kinder und Jugendliche ist, war mir von vorneherein klar. Ich lese sie auch sehr gerne. Doch war mir dieses hier zu kindlich geschrieben, obwohl es aufgrund der darin vorkommenden Monster doch eher ab 10 oder gar 12 Jahren zu empfehlen ist.
Manche Stellen der Geschichte fand ich nicht ausgereift genug bzw. zu schnell abgehandelt und deswegen dann auch nicht richtig nachvollziehbar. Darwen hat sich zu sehr auf andere verlassen, seine Freunde Rich und Alexandra waren mir zu nervig oder zu aktiv involviert.
Als Darwin die Wahrheit erfährt, hätte ich mir mehr Eigeninitiative gewünscht. Es gibt so viele Fragen, doch hat er keine gestellt bzw. nichts unternommen, um Antworten zu finden oder ewig gebraucht, um sich zu überwinden, etwas herauszufinden.
Dies hat meinen Lesefluss sehr gestört und ich wäre am Liebsten ins Buch gekrochen, um selbst nach Antworten zu suchen.
Erst am Ende kommt Fahrt auf und ein Verdacht, der sich mir im ersten Drittel des Buches aufgetan hatte, wurde bestätigt. Auch hier hätte ich mir gewünscht, dass der Autor etwas mehr Verwirrung in die Geschichte gebracht hätte, um die Spannung zu erhalten.
Trotz der vielen Kritikpunkte habe ich auch Positives an dem Buch finden können. Das Cover, welches ich schon erwähnt habe, ist ein echter Hingucker. Die Figuren, die darauf zu sehen sind, tauchen auch immer wieder am Anfang eines jeden Kapitels auf.
Alex und Rich werden Darwen im Laufe der Geschichte gute Freunde und das hat mich für Darwen sehr gefreut. Denn den Schicksalsschlag, den er erlitten hat, hat aus ihm einen sehr freudlosen Menschen gemacht und er hat dringend Freunde nötig, die ihm darüber hinweghelfen.
Fazit:
Interessantes Konzept mit nicht gelungener Umsetzung. Da die Kritikpunkte überwiegen, gibt es von mir leider nur 2 Sterne.
October 4, 2011
Darwen immediately falls in love with the world through his mirror (as did I). It's lush and quiet and exciting, and he almost immediately makes a new friend. In short, it's nothing like Atlanta, where the weather's hot but the tea is only lukewarm, which is nothing like the small town near Manchester that Darwen used to call home. As things start to go badly in Silbrica (mirror world) and Darwen and his new friends become more involved in finding a solution, the more we find out about Darwen's past and how he ended up in Georgia. He is so very sad and doesn't want to let anyone in. I thought that his issues were just going to be left unresolved once the action in Silbrica got going, but I was happily surprised to see that Silbrica and the "real world" were much more connected than I could have imagined in that and other respects.
Darwen briefly mentions that he has one Black parent and one white, something that, in the past, made him feel like he never belonged in either group. This is not, however, an issue for him at his new school in Atlanta (his newness and lack of familiarity with American football provide more than enough fodder for the bullies). In this prestigious school for which tuition must be paid in advance, class is a much bigger divider than race. In this respect, Darwen should be good -- his aunt is a successful businesswoman, after all -- but his blue-collar Manchester accent (as opposed to a posh one from London) gets in his way. On the other hand, Darwen's friend Alexandra is avoided by everyone because she is just so annoying (so so annoying), and yet approved of by Darwen's aunt (who also finds her exhausting) because of Alexandra's mother's success and refinement. His friend Rich, who is super smart, kind, and polite, is looked down upon by classmates and Darwen's aunt alike because of his family's "white trash" farming background. All three of them feel their outsider status acutely, which is part of why they end up becoming friends even though they have little in common.
All of these real life concerns pale, both in Darwen's mind and in the reading, in comparison to Mr. Peregrine and his mirror shop of gateways to Silbrica. Though the beauty and the magic of the place does not last long for Darwen, he sees enough of it to know that the world on the other side of the mirror is special, that it is a place worth saving, and that he is a part of it. The more horrible the situation gets there and the more horrible the creatures Darwen et. al. encounter, the stronger his determination to save it (and the stronger the intensity of the story) becomes.
This is a really fun, adventurous read. Though it is a bit darker, I think it fits well with other secret-world-in-the-wardrobe-type books, and it will be a good book for readers ready to graduate from those books but not yet ready for the content in older YA fantasies.
Book source: ARC provided by the publisher through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
Darwen briefly mentions that he has one Black parent and one white, something that, in the past, made him feel like he never belonged in either group. This is not, however, an issue for him at his new school in Atlanta (his newness and lack of familiarity with American football provide more than enough fodder for the bullies). In this prestigious school for which tuition must be paid in advance, class is a much bigger divider than race. In this respect, Darwen should be good -- his aunt is a successful businesswoman, after all -- but his blue-collar Manchester accent (as opposed to a posh one from London) gets in his way. On the other hand, Darwen's friend Alexandra is avoided by everyone because she is just so annoying (so so annoying), and yet approved of by Darwen's aunt (who also finds her exhausting) because of Alexandra's mother's success and refinement. His friend Rich, who is super smart, kind, and polite, is looked down upon by classmates and Darwen's aunt alike because of his family's "white trash" farming background. All three of them feel their outsider status acutely, which is part of why they end up becoming friends even though they have little in common.
All of these real life concerns pale, both in Darwen's mind and in the reading, in comparison to Mr. Peregrine and his mirror shop of gateways to Silbrica. Though the beauty and the magic of the place does not last long for Darwen, he sees enough of it to know that the world on the other side of the mirror is special, that it is a place worth saving, and that he is a part of it. The more horrible the situation gets there and the more horrible the creatures Darwen et. al. encounter, the stronger his determination to save it (and the stronger the intensity of the story) becomes.
This is a really fun, adventurous read. Though it is a bit darker, I think it fits well with other secret-world-in-the-wardrobe-type books, and it will be a good book for readers ready to graduate from those books but not yet ready for the content in older YA fantasies.
Book source: ARC provided by the publisher through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
January 1, 2012
(Review of ARC) Some tragedy in his life has brought Darwen Arkwright from his home with his parents in England to life with his aunt in Atlanta, Georgia. Aunt Honoria Vanderslay is a successful businesswoman who has enrolled Darwen in Hillside Academy, a private academy for children of wealthy families. Darwen quickly learns that he doesn’t fit it with the lock-step regimen of the school and neither students nor faculty make him feel welcomed.
A chance encounter in the mall with a strange birdlike creature brought Darwen into an anachronistic mirror shop where he met the proprietor, Mr. Peregrine. Darwen takes a small mirror he received from Peregrine home and attaches it to his closet door. Once darkness comes, Darwen is able to see another world through it, a world that he is able to enter through the mirror. Moth, a fairy-like creature called a dellfey, introduces Darwen to Silbrica, the beautiful land there, a land that he truly doesn’t want to leave.
When Darwen goes back to the mirror shop to talk to the proprietor, Peregrine identifies Darwen’s ability. Darwen is a mirroculist, one who can travel between the two worlds through the mirror. And when Peregrine learns of destruction in Silbrica, he makes use of Darwen as a spy.
As Darwen becomes more and more concerned about the chaos in Silbrica, school fails to improve and Darwen doesn’t endear himself to the students or the staff. His lower-class English accent and his unfamiliarity with American games and customs make him the target of the wealthy bullies at Hillside. Two other misfits, Rich and Alexandra, are the only ones to befriend him. Rich is a bright young man who is considered “poor white trash,” and Alex is a very pushy Miss Bossy-boots. Darwen joins Rich in an archaeological dig on the school grounds that provides clues that dangerous creatures Darwen has seen in Silbrica have visited the campus site in the past. Alex intrudes into his life by wrangling an invitation for her mother and herself to his home. Once she’s there, she invites herself to his bedroom where she learns the secret of the mirror when the two tumble through it.
Soon Rich and Alex become involved in unraveling the mystery of the dark forces of Silbrica and why the Guardians of the land have not stopped the onslaught. When Mr. Peregrine, the only adult they trust, is beaten into a comatose state, the three forge the Peregrine Pact to uncover how Hillside Academy fits into the impending demise of Silbrica and the sure war that will erupt when its destructors break through into Hillside Academy and Atlanta, Georgia.
This is a beefy fantasy that fans of the genre will enjoy. Darwen is an underdog for whom readers will care. The book is a bit dark, but middle grade readers will enjoy it and hope that the Peregrine Pact goes on to more adventure in future books.
A chance encounter in the mall with a strange birdlike creature brought Darwen into an anachronistic mirror shop where he met the proprietor, Mr. Peregrine. Darwen takes a small mirror he received from Peregrine home and attaches it to his closet door. Once darkness comes, Darwen is able to see another world through it, a world that he is able to enter through the mirror. Moth, a fairy-like creature called a dellfey, introduces Darwen to Silbrica, the beautiful land there, a land that he truly doesn’t want to leave.
When Darwen goes back to the mirror shop to talk to the proprietor, Peregrine identifies Darwen’s ability. Darwen is a mirroculist, one who can travel between the two worlds through the mirror. And when Peregrine learns of destruction in Silbrica, he makes use of Darwen as a spy.
As Darwen becomes more and more concerned about the chaos in Silbrica, school fails to improve and Darwen doesn’t endear himself to the students or the staff. His lower-class English accent and his unfamiliarity with American games and customs make him the target of the wealthy bullies at Hillside. Two other misfits, Rich and Alexandra, are the only ones to befriend him. Rich is a bright young man who is considered “poor white trash,” and Alex is a very pushy Miss Bossy-boots. Darwen joins Rich in an archaeological dig on the school grounds that provides clues that dangerous creatures Darwen has seen in Silbrica have visited the campus site in the past. Alex intrudes into his life by wrangling an invitation for her mother and herself to his home. Once she’s there, she invites herself to his bedroom where she learns the secret of the mirror when the two tumble through it.
Soon Rich and Alex become involved in unraveling the mystery of the dark forces of Silbrica and why the Guardians of the land have not stopped the onslaught. When Mr. Peregrine, the only adult they trust, is beaten into a comatose state, the three forge the Peregrine Pact to uncover how Hillside Academy fits into the impending demise of Silbrica and the sure war that will erupt when its destructors break through into Hillside Academy and Atlanta, Georgia.
This is a beefy fantasy that fans of the genre will enjoy. Darwen is an underdog for whom readers will care. The book is a bit dark, but middle grade readers will enjoy it and hope that the Peregrine Pact goes on to more adventure in future books.
February 1, 2013
Darwen Arkwright is facing a lot of new challenges. He's just moved from Northern England to Atlanta, Georgia to live with his Aunt. He's starting a new school, a very strict school where the kids actually have to march to class and he's already found out about the school bullies the hard way, he's trying to get used to his Aunt's 'dead mouse' tea and missing his parents, who were killed in a tragic car wreck.
While at the mall Darwen sees a strange creature and follows it to a strange mirror store, and receives a small mirror from the odd owner, Mr. Peregrine. As if it wasn't enough to get used to a new school, new family and new country Darwen finds himself looking through the mirror into an entirely different world.
Though at first it seems beautiful and serene the world behind the mirror holds danger as well.
The story was entertaining and had good characters and well formed plot and flowed nicely to the conclusion, but I felt like I was reading about Harry Potter's cousin. Although it is a nice story it is very derivative.
I couldn't help but notice all the ways the story was similar to the Harry Potter series. Like Potter, Arkwright has lost his parents. His treatment at Hillside Academy is similar to the bullying (even from adults) that Harry faces from the Dursleys. Like Harry, Darwen finds some allies at school right away, as well as making some enemies. His allies are the red-headed poor boy, Rich (Ron?) and the loquacious and wavy-haired Alexandria (Hermione?). Both boys initially see Alex as a nuisance, but warm to her when she proves herself during their adventures. His arch-nemesis is Nathan Cloten a blond rich kid who has two dumb sidekicks (Draco?). Like Harry, Darwen is a leader, has a special power and is occasionally moody, needing his allies to bring him around. The main enemies he faces are also similar to those of the Potter series, the main bad guy being a shadowy hissing creature (Voldy), his second in command some sort of eel creature (Nagini?). Even his mentor Mr. Peregrine is ambiguous and puts Darwen and his friends in danger, forming a similar bond with Darwen as Harry has with Dumbledore. In the end the power of love, like Harry's power or scar, is stronger than any dark magic.
The story was fun and had some original moments, and fans of Harry Potter may either like it for it's similarity or hate it for the same. Unfortunately, it's similar to Harry Potter, but wouldn't stand up to it.
While at the mall Darwen sees a strange creature and follows it to a strange mirror store, and receives a small mirror from the odd owner, Mr. Peregrine. As if it wasn't enough to get used to a new school, new family and new country Darwen finds himself looking through the mirror into an entirely different world.
Though at first it seems beautiful and serene the world behind the mirror holds danger as well.
The story was entertaining and had good characters and well formed plot and flowed nicely to the conclusion, but I felt like I was reading about Harry Potter's cousin. Although it is a nice story it is very derivative.
I couldn't help but notice all the ways the story was similar to the Harry Potter series. Like Potter, Arkwright has lost his parents. His treatment at Hillside Academy is similar to the bullying (even from adults) that Harry faces from the Dursleys. Like Harry, Darwen finds some allies at school right away, as well as making some enemies. His allies are the red-headed poor boy, Rich (Ron?) and the loquacious and wavy-haired Alexandria (Hermione?). Both boys initially see Alex as a nuisance, but warm to her when she proves herself during their adventures. His arch-nemesis is Nathan Cloten a blond rich kid who has two dumb sidekicks (Draco?). Like Harry, Darwen is a leader, has a special power and is occasionally moody, needing his allies to bring him around. The main enemies he faces are also similar to those of the Potter series, the main bad guy being a shadowy hissing creature (Voldy), his second in command some sort of eel creature (Nagini?). Even his mentor Mr. Peregrine is ambiguous and puts Darwen and his friends in danger, forming a similar bond with Darwen as Harry has with Dumbledore. In the end the power of love, like Harry's power or scar, is stronger than any dark magic.
The story was fun and had some original moments, and fans of Harry Potter may either like it for it's similarity or hate it for the same. Unfortunately, it's similar to Harry Potter, but wouldn't stand up to it.
January 29, 2014
11 year old Darwen Arkwright had to leave his native home in Northern England to move in with his Aunt Honoria in far off Atlanta, Georgia. While in an Atlanta shopping mall, Darwen followed a strange creature into a shop of mirrors run by the mysterious, and sometimes deceitful, Mr. Octavius Peregrine. Mr. Peregrine sees fit to present Darwen with one of his mirrors to take home, which ends up being a door to a strange new world that only a few people with special abilities can enter and exit. With a new home also comes a new school, so in addition to exploring his new environment and Silbrica, the new mirror world, the protagonist has to explore a new school. It turns out the new school and Silbrica may have some connections.[return][return]My thoughts on this story are mixed. First I will share what I did not like about the story then I will share what I did like about it. [return][return]We are presented with plenty of secrets in the story, and one of them was the fate of Darwen s parents. When the big reveal to this question was presented, it was a bit anti-climactic. Secrets in a story are necessary, but in order to be a worthwhile secret, it needs to have more shock value to it. Some of the secrets in the story were worth the wait, and some were not. I also felt the story had a strong beginning, a slow middle, and a hastily finished ending. I felt the author may have tired of the book and just threw something together for the ending to get it over with. It was a somewhat satisfying ending, but some important details were neglected or mentioned as an afterthought much later than they should have.[return][return]The story did have an interesting plot. If you are working with a child who enjoyed, or if you yourself enjoyed, The Shadows (The Books of Elsewhere, Vol. 1), by Jacqueline West, this would be a good book to read. Exploring Silbrica was fun, and the characters were likable& unless they were bad guys, then they were able to inspire dislike. There was a surprise with one of the characters that was pleasantly shocking, as well as leaving a story line open for a future book or for one to work over in their own imagination. I may recommend this book to a child that enjoys the fantasy genre and can t get enough of other world stories, but I would not introduce a child to speculative fiction with this book.
June 3, 2013
Mr. Peregrines Geheimnis hat mein Interesse vor allem durch sein interessantes Cover geweckt. Der Einstieg in die Geschichte gestaltet sich locker-flockig-leicht, denn A.J. Hartley lässt den Leser sogleich in das Geschehen eintauchen. Handlungsorte sind Atlanta und die Spiegelwelt Silbrica, von der ich mir allerdings mehr erhofft hatte. Sie wird eigentlich mehr zum Nebenschauplatz degradiert.
Protagonist Darwen Arkwright ist 11 Jahre alt und gerade aus England zu seiner Tante Honoria nach Atlanta in die USA gezogen, nachdem seine Eltern bei einem Autounfall ums Leben kamen. Er hat starke Schwierigkeiten, in seiner neuen Schule Hillside anerkannt zu werden. Doch bald schon freundet er sich mit den beiden Außenseitern Rich und Alexandra an und die drei halten zusammen wie Pech und Schwefel.
Auch die Nebencharaktere finden sich gut in die Handlung ein: Mr. Oktavius Peregrine, der Besitzer eines Ladens, in dem man Spiegel in allen Größen und Formen erwerben kann und auch Tante Honoria, die anfangs unsympathisch wirkt, sich aber am Ende hin als eine doch recht liebenswürdige Person herausstellt. Ferner finden sich auch noch ein paar fantastische Wesen ein, wie z.B. der Flitterfalk, Knatscher und Schrubbler und Talfeen.
Begeistern konnte mich der immer mehr wachsende Zusammenhalt von Darwen, Rich und Alexandra, aus denen sehr gute Freunde werden und die sich später merklich gegen das Mobbing von Mitschüler Nathan Cloten wehren. Auch ihr Engagement für die Welt Silbrica konnte A.J. Hartley anschaulich gestalten.
Enttäuscht war ich hingegen, dass Silbrica nicht die große Rolle spielte, wie ich eigentlich dachte. Zwar wird ein wenig von dieser Welt berichtet, doch zeichnet sich dies eher in den Aktionen und Taten der Knatscher und Schrubbler aus, weniger durch andere Einwohner oder die Umgebung. Hier hätte A.J. Hartley ruhig noch etwas mehr von dieser Parallelwelt berichten können.
Alles in Allem ist Mr. Peregrines Geheimnis ein unterhaltsames Jugendbuch, das vor allem die empfohlene Zielgruppe ab 12 Jahren ansprechen dürfte. Mich konnte der Roman gut unterhalten, und ich bin gespannt, ob die zwei weiteren, bereits auf englisch erschienenen Bände auch im Deutschen erscheinen werden.
Protagonist Darwen Arkwright ist 11 Jahre alt und gerade aus England zu seiner Tante Honoria nach Atlanta in die USA gezogen, nachdem seine Eltern bei einem Autounfall ums Leben kamen. Er hat starke Schwierigkeiten, in seiner neuen Schule Hillside anerkannt zu werden. Doch bald schon freundet er sich mit den beiden Außenseitern Rich und Alexandra an und die drei halten zusammen wie Pech und Schwefel.
Auch die Nebencharaktere finden sich gut in die Handlung ein: Mr. Oktavius Peregrine, der Besitzer eines Ladens, in dem man Spiegel in allen Größen und Formen erwerben kann und auch Tante Honoria, die anfangs unsympathisch wirkt, sich aber am Ende hin als eine doch recht liebenswürdige Person herausstellt. Ferner finden sich auch noch ein paar fantastische Wesen ein, wie z.B. der Flitterfalk, Knatscher und Schrubbler und Talfeen.
Begeistern konnte mich der immer mehr wachsende Zusammenhalt von Darwen, Rich und Alexandra, aus denen sehr gute Freunde werden und die sich später merklich gegen das Mobbing von Mitschüler Nathan Cloten wehren. Auch ihr Engagement für die Welt Silbrica konnte A.J. Hartley anschaulich gestalten.
Enttäuscht war ich hingegen, dass Silbrica nicht die große Rolle spielte, wie ich eigentlich dachte. Zwar wird ein wenig von dieser Welt berichtet, doch zeichnet sich dies eher in den Aktionen und Taten der Knatscher und Schrubbler aus, weniger durch andere Einwohner oder die Umgebung. Hier hätte A.J. Hartley ruhig noch etwas mehr von dieser Parallelwelt berichten können.
Alles in Allem ist Mr. Peregrines Geheimnis ein unterhaltsames Jugendbuch, das vor allem die empfohlene Zielgruppe ab 12 Jahren ansprechen dürfte. Mich konnte der Roman gut unterhalten, und ich bin gespannt, ob die zwei weiteren, bereits auf englisch erschienenen Bände auch im Deutschen erscheinen werden.
October 17, 2011
I have a stack of books to read and, when this arrived, I thought I'd read a page or two just to get a feel for it. Well, I was totally sucked in and read right through. This is not a genre I usually read, but the book has lots of action and good characterization. Darwen (named by his parents for the town in Lancashire where they met),is a British boy from the northwestern part of England and has been sent to live with his aunt in Atlanta. It is not made clear in the beginning just why he has been sent there or what has happened to his parents, but you gradually learn of Darwen's background. His aunt, a single business woman, means well for him, but you can tell she is at something of a loss as to how to relate to an eleven-year-old boy. She registers him at an elite, expensive middle school where he is a misfit from the start. He forges friendships with two other misfits and together they take on the mysterious evil lurking about their school. Just after his arrival in Atlanta, while on a shopping trip to the mall to buy school uniforms, Darwen has an unusual encounter with Mr. Peregrine, proprietor of an odd mirror shop. Mr. Peregrine sends him home with an antique mirror. Darwen discovers that the mirror is an entry to another world, Silbrica, but accessible only by someone who is gifted, as is Darwen, by being a "mirroculist". Originally Silbrica, which appears to him only after sundown, is tranquil and inviting. Soon enough, evil begins encroaching in the form of scrobblers, gnashers, and other weird creatures that seem to be part creature and part mechanical. (The book seems to have a tinge of steam punk going on here.) How this world is connected to his school and the way in which Darwen is uniquely gifted to save both worlds makes for an exciting story. I think this book would appeal strongly to middle grade boys who like lots of action and magic in their reading. The author, British born, is a professor of Shakespeare in the Department of Theater and Dance at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. He has previously written for adults; this is his first book for children. I believe this is intended to be the first in a series.
September 4, 2011
I got this book as an ARC (advanced readers copy) from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. The review of this book is easy - it was great. I think there is so much going for this book that I can't wait for a sequel (please write a sequel).
Darwen Arkwright is a twelve year old boy who has been sent from England to live with his aunt in Atlanta. He's not adjusting well but when he is given a mirror that allows him to travel to another world things start to look up for him, until he starts school. Darwen's aunt is sending him to a private school that looks a little like Stepford. The teachers hate hime and the students don't get him. He does make two great friends (sounds a little like Harry Potter but that's the only similarity).
There is so much going on in this book. It's never boring. There's so much action and emotion. I could see this book used in discussions and classroom settings as much as entertainment. There are plenty of themes to make it interesting. There's environment and history. One of Darwen's friends is a history buff but the teachers/principal feel that they are only supposed to look towards the future. Darwen says a great thing at the end (paraphrasing) - we have to hold on to the past and look towards the future. It's an amazing thought.
I could gush about this book for days but I worry about sharing too much of the intricate plot. It has a lot of twists and turns but you never feel lost. This will be a great book for boys but I think girls will find the female characters easy to identify with.
I think what I like best about the main characters is that they all have different family structures and backgrounds. They may come across as misfits but we are no longer the nuclear family sort of culture and it was nice to see that all the children have different things they struggle with at home.
Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pack hits shelves in October 2011. I highly recommend find a copy to enjoy.
Darwen Arkwright is a twelve year old boy who has been sent from England to live with his aunt in Atlanta. He's not adjusting well but when he is given a mirror that allows him to travel to another world things start to look up for him, until he starts school. Darwen's aunt is sending him to a private school that looks a little like Stepford. The teachers hate hime and the students don't get him. He does make two great friends (sounds a little like Harry Potter but that's the only similarity).
There is so much going on in this book. It's never boring. There's so much action and emotion. I could see this book used in discussions and classroom settings as much as entertainment. There are plenty of themes to make it interesting. There's environment and history. One of Darwen's friends is a history buff but the teachers/principal feel that they are only supposed to look towards the future. Darwen says a great thing at the end (paraphrasing) - we have to hold on to the past and look towards the future. It's an amazing thought.
I could gush about this book for days but I worry about sharing too much of the intricate plot. It has a lot of twists and turns but you never feel lost. This will be a great book for boys but I think girls will find the female characters easy to identify with.
I think what I like best about the main characters is that they all have different family structures and backgrounds. They may come across as misfits but we are no longer the nuclear family sort of culture and it was nice to see that all the children have different things they struggle with at home.
Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pack hits shelves in October 2011. I highly recommend find a copy to enjoy.
May 3, 2012
1/11/12 - I read quite a bit of YA lit. But it's rare that a book that's aimed at the Juvenile set appeals to me as an adult. This one's an exception. I liked it a lot! Darwen wasn't stupid (like Charlie Bone, for instance), but he's a kid. He doesn't always make the best decisions, but they are certainly age-appropriate and not really dumb decisions. For instance, Charlie Bone is warned time and time again to not tell people something. (Pick something, he does it all the time.) But then he tells everyone. Darwen is warned once not to tell anyone. How boring would that be? But he only tells when he's forced to or he judges it to be important.
Anyway, sorry for the tangent. I liked this book a lot and I'll definitely be passing it on to my Little. I think she'll like this one a lot too. With the exception of almost ALL the teachers, the "normal" world in this one felt more real. It wasn't like some Juvenile Lit where all the adults are one-note caricatures of real people. That said, I didn't get why all the adults were so mean. Maybe this is the start of a series and it will be revealed, but for now, I didn't get it.
Anyway, highly recommend!
5/2/12 - So, after I read this the first time, I knew my Little would like it. So I put it on her shelf. Well, after we finished Goblet of Fire, she wanted to take an HP break and read this one. She liked it a lot. The author's working on the 3rd in the series now, but the 2nd hasn't been published yet, so we're eagerly awaiting those!
Anyway, sorry for the tangent. I liked this book a lot and I'll definitely be passing it on to my Little. I think she'll like this one a lot too. With the exception of almost ALL the teachers, the "normal" world in this one felt more real. It wasn't like some Juvenile Lit where all the adults are one-note caricatures of real people. That said, I didn't get why all the adults were so mean. Maybe this is the start of a series and it will be revealed, but for now, I didn't get it.
Anyway, highly recommend!
5/2/12 - So, after I read this the first time, I knew my Little would like it. So I put it on her shelf. Well, after we finished Goblet of Fire, she wanted to take an HP break and read this one. She liked it a lot. The author's working on the 3rd in the series now, but the 2nd hasn't been published yet, so we're eagerly awaiting those!
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July 22, 2020I’ve become something of a sucker for young adult fiction, and I blame it all on JK Rowling and Harry Potter. She got me past my book snobbery (at least the part that sneered at picking up a “kid’s book”) and showed me that I don’t have to be the target audience to really enjoy the story. Granted, she was not my only insight into this phenomenon (The Lorax is still one of my favorite books, and I have a feeling it will always remain such), but she was the most recent memory which made a significant impression.
As much as I enjoy reading YA fiction, I feel something like a traitor or an imposter, or perhaps a bit of both when trying to talk about it. I read it like a fan, to indulge in the craftsmanship of the story, but I’m reading it with a jaded perspective and seeing things that the target audience may not gain perspective on for many years. To investigate too deeply ruins the magic (making me an imposter), yet to point out things that irk me when lacking in an adult novel seems traitorous because I’m reading from a different perspective than the story was written for. The latter is part of the reason why I’m hesitant to write Something Like a Review for YA fiction. I will, however, make an exception for Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact by AJ Hartley.
Want to know what else I said when I sat down to scribble out Something Like a Review? Check it out here on my blog...
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