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Tony Plumb and the Moles of Ellodian
If your mind housed a spy, what secrets would it spill?
Harbouring troubling memories of time in care, Tony struggles to keep his mind on track. Prone to episodes in ‘Madsville’ and bombarded by thought chariots carrying unwanted baggage from the past, he’s smuggled to Ellodian by the rule dodging social worker, Ms Bendy Leggett.
At this spooky, curious, underground facility, Tony’s history intertwines with the present and the task of answering three crucial life–changing questions cannot be avoided.
With help from good friends and therapy, Tony challenges authority, rights wrongs and makes enemies, until he finally comes to understand the nature of his conundrums, the meaning of the word family and the darkest secret of all; what really happened at the waterfall?
Harbouring troubling memories of time in care, Tony struggles to keep his mind on track. Prone to episodes in ‘Madsville’ and bombarded by thought chariots carrying unwanted baggage from the past, he’s smuggled to Ellodian by the rule dodging social worker, Ms Bendy Leggett.
At this spooky, curious, underground facility, Tony’s history intertwines with the present and the task of answering three crucial life–changing questions cannot be avoided.
With help from good friends and therapy, Tony challenges authority, rights wrongs and makes enemies, until he finally comes to understand the nature of his conundrums, the meaning of the word family and the darkest secret of all; what really happened at the waterfall?
272 pages, Paperback
Published November 28, 2018
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 16, 2022
'It seems the cooler the name, the worse its been. A True Home for Children with Difficulties, more like A Truly Difficult Home for Children.'
Everybody seems to know who Tony Plumb is, even the boy at the bus stop, except Tony Plumb himself. Stuck in the care system since five years old, he knows his parents jumped off a waterfall, but it seems the deeper truth about why he’s there has been kept from him, and he’s never been found a real foster family.
Enter Ms. Bendy Leggett, a social worker who isn’t going to let the council waste away money politically correcting children’s fairytales (and one of my favourite quotes in the book), and who knows Tony’s situation requires more focused (and very expensive) attention. Tony is sent to Ellodian, an underground school of sorts, where the people and creatures that live and work there are delightfully odd, somewhat concerning, and willing to live by restrictive and isolating rules without question. Pretty much everyone is not what they seem. In fact, nothing is what it seems when you’re not above ground…
‘I guess you’re wondering if I can understand how it feels to be pushed out or excluded? If I can understand what it’s like to feel at the mercy of those in authority? I guess Daisy Bank didn’t help.’
‘Get lost’, said Tony quietly.
Mrs Heapey went on. ‘Maybe even worse than realising your parents were a couple and loved each other, is the prospect that they didn’t really want you.’
I loved this book. It’s brilliantly written - the prose is descriptive and interesting without being flowery, distracting or patronising, and the interwoven inner monologues by Tony and his “spy” serve as excellent tools of a boy’s conflicting emotional journey. There were so many touches that melded excellently into the story, and that my brain cottoned onto on the way rather than trying to second guess beforehand (for example the crash helmets), and I really loved the thought chariots and the mini boats - excellent uses of how the mind can work and proceed to heal (and protect) itself in confusing and overemotional times.
Tony Plumb and the Moles of Ellodian deals with a fairly dark and unsavoury matter of a boy trying to discover the cause of his parents’ deaths, in a way that (in my humble opinion) allows both younger readers and adults to comprehend how the unwinding of a distressed young mind may be realised, and the capacity for it to happen, both at the right pace and at the right time. Tony is highlighted as a bright boy by Bendy, but one who may just be lost in the system without the right help - and the right help is not only monetarily expensive, but mentally so.
The writing itself wasn’t overly dark, but the themes covered were – an important example (without spoiling) being two of Ellodian’s teachers, Mrs Sherbet and Prospect, and the characters of Bobbi and Perfax. They were all expertly examined and unwoven by the author as carefully as Tony himself. Indeed, one of the best features of the book is that Tony was just as ignorant as we were to his true predicament and the unravelling was done along with him, instead of waiting for him to catch up.
Where I thought perhaps the book was going into the standard strange fantasy world of weird mole creatures and a boy that goes adventuring, I was pleasantly surprised that there was a much deeper story to be told, and found myself far more invested than if it had been the former. I was devastated at finding out the secret of Tony’s childhood, and desperate for him to get all his answers, but it was important that not everything concludes precisely how our constant need for perfection might want. Truth is hard, as is the realisation you may never know certain things, and how you deal with it is what’s important. After all, it’s the journey and not the destination that ultimately counts.
J. M. Smith is a fantastic writer, and Tony Plumb and the Moles of Ellodian is essential reading for young or old readers alike, who prefer a good wallop of depth and intrigue in their grounded fantasy reading list. (less)
Everybody seems to know who Tony Plumb is, even the boy at the bus stop, except Tony Plumb himself. Stuck in the care system since five years old, he knows his parents jumped off a waterfall, but it seems the deeper truth about why he’s there has been kept from him, and he’s never been found a real foster family.
Enter Ms. Bendy Leggett, a social worker who isn’t going to let the council waste away money politically correcting children’s fairytales (and one of my favourite quotes in the book), and who knows Tony’s situation requires more focused (and very expensive) attention. Tony is sent to Ellodian, an underground school of sorts, where the people and creatures that live and work there are delightfully odd, somewhat concerning, and willing to live by restrictive and isolating rules without question. Pretty much everyone is not what they seem. In fact, nothing is what it seems when you’re not above ground…
‘I guess you’re wondering if I can understand how it feels to be pushed out or excluded? If I can understand what it’s like to feel at the mercy of those in authority? I guess Daisy Bank didn’t help.’
‘Get lost’, said Tony quietly.
Mrs Heapey went on. ‘Maybe even worse than realising your parents were a couple and loved each other, is the prospect that they didn’t really want you.’
I loved this book. It’s brilliantly written - the prose is descriptive and interesting without being flowery, distracting or patronising, and the interwoven inner monologues by Tony and his “spy” serve as excellent tools of a boy’s conflicting emotional journey. There were so many touches that melded excellently into the story, and that my brain cottoned onto on the way rather than trying to second guess beforehand (for example the crash helmets), and I really loved the thought chariots and the mini boats - excellent uses of how the mind can work and proceed to heal (and protect) itself in confusing and overemotional times.
Tony Plumb and the Moles of Ellodian deals with a fairly dark and unsavoury matter of a boy trying to discover the cause of his parents’ deaths, in a way that (in my humble opinion) allows both younger readers and adults to comprehend how the unwinding of a distressed young mind may be realised, and the capacity for it to happen, both at the right pace and at the right time. Tony is highlighted as a bright boy by Bendy, but one who may just be lost in the system without the right help - and the right help is not only monetarily expensive, but mentally so.
The writing itself wasn’t overly dark, but the themes covered were – an important example (without spoiling) being two of Ellodian’s teachers, Mrs Sherbet and Prospect, and the characters of Bobbi and Perfax. They were all expertly examined and unwoven by the author as carefully as Tony himself. Indeed, one of the best features of the book is that Tony was just as ignorant as we were to his true predicament and the unravelling was done along with him, instead of waiting for him to catch up.
Where I thought perhaps the book was going into the standard strange fantasy world of weird mole creatures and a boy that goes adventuring, I was pleasantly surprised that there was a much deeper story to be told, and found myself far more invested than if it had been the former. I was devastated at finding out the secret of Tony’s childhood, and desperate for him to get all his answers, but it was important that not everything concludes precisely how our constant need for perfection might want. Truth is hard, as is the realisation you may never know certain things, and how you deal with it is what’s important. After all, it’s the journey and not the destination that ultimately counts.
J. M. Smith is a fantastic writer, and Tony Plumb and the Moles of Ellodian is essential reading for young or old readers alike, who prefer a good wallop of depth and intrigue in their grounded fantasy reading list. (less)
March 19, 2019
"All I want is the truth, I want the truth.
'I'm thirteen,' he said out loud. Shoppers eyed him and hurried on. 'I'm thirteen and I have a right to know. I have a right to know. Hey,' he said to no-one in particular, 'wouldn't you want to know if someone said your parents had jumped off a waterfall? Wouldn't you want to know why?'"
Tony Plumb and the Moles of Ellodian is an interesting middle-grade/YA book. I can safely say I have not read a book with a similar plot or something that has kept me guessing what is going on for so long. If you are interested in books that cover topics like mental health, family life, death, and social work (to name a few) you would enjoy Tony Plumb and the Mole of Ellodian.
Tony Plumb, the main character, is thirteen and more or less lost in the foster care system. He has a questionable mental health history and a pet parrot. Unlike most YA books, the story starts from page one. There is no introduction period and the story isn't picking up around chapter three, it literally is starting on page one. It is refreshing to jump into a story without having to meet all of the characters, but it does take a few pages to get used too. Overall, it was probably one of my favorite things about Tony Plumb and the Moles of Ellodian. The pace only picks up as the story progresses. You do not have to worry about any slow points!
Without giving too much away, Tony is troubled by his parents' death and left with unanswered questions. Mainly three he must answer.
What happened to his parents?
Why has he been in the foster system since he was five?
Who is he?
I liked the vulnerability of Tony. He becomes emotional when picked on about the nature of their death and when questioned too much. The story takes place between two places, the world of Ellodian and his therapy sessions.
Ellodian is a unique and mysterious world. You will find yourself questioning the purpose of the Moles---and really everything. It was this curiosity that pushing me to finish this book. Beyond the interest in Ellodian and the Moles, Tony is a complex character. He is dealing with a lot of "heavy" emotions that I do not often see in YA/middle-grade books.
His therapy sessions are raw and realistic. Each session dives deeper into Tony's life, his relationship with his parents, and his parents' lifestyle as a whole. The way Tony's emotions and therapy is handled is not only easy to understand but appealing to read. You will be anxious as Tony to finally have the answers.
Tony Plump and the Moles of Ellodian is a mix of fantasy and realism. While Ellodian is a wild ride, so is Tony's past. Overall, I enjoyed the book and will definitely be recommending it to friends who are interested in the genre. Keep in mind J.M. Smith is not an American author, but I had no difficulties reading her work. If you decide to read Tony Plump and the Moles of Ellodian, I doubt you will be disappointed.
'I'm thirteen,' he said out loud. Shoppers eyed him and hurried on. 'I'm thirteen and I have a right to know. I have a right to know. Hey,' he said to no-one in particular, 'wouldn't you want to know if someone said your parents had jumped off a waterfall? Wouldn't you want to know why?'"
Tony Plumb and the Moles of Ellodian is an interesting middle-grade/YA book. I can safely say I have not read a book with a similar plot or something that has kept me guessing what is going on for so long. If you are interested in books that cover topics like mental health, family life, death, and social work (to name a few) you would enjoy Tony Plumb and the Mole of Ellodian.
Tony Plumb, the main character, is thirteen and more or less lost in the foster care system. He has a questionable mental health history and a pet parrot. Unlike most YA books, the story starts from page one. There is no introduction period and the story isn't picking up around chapter three, it literally is starting on page one. It is refreshing to jump into a story without having to meet all of the characters, but it does take a few pages to get used too. Overall, it was probably one of my favorite things about Tony Plumb and the Moles of Ellodian. The pace only picks up as the story progresses. You do not have to worry about any slow points!
Without giving too much away, Tony is troubled by his parents' death and left with unanswered questions. Mainly three he must answer.
What happened to his parents?
Why has he been in the foster system since he was five?
Who is he?
I liked the vulnerability of Tony. He becomes emotional when picked on about the nature of their death and when questioned too much. The story takes place between two places, the world of Ellodian and his therapy sessions.
Ellodian is a unique and mysterious world. You will find yourself questioning the purpose of the Moles---and really everything. It was this curiosity that pushing me to finish this book. Beyond the interest in Ellodian and the Moles, Tony is a complex character. He is dealing with a lot of "heavy" emotions that I do not often see in YA/middle-grade books.
His therapy sessions are raw and realistic. Each session dives deeper into Tony's life, his relationship with his parents, and his parents' lifestyle as a whole. The way Tony's emotions and therapy is handled is not only easy to understand but appealing to read. You will be anxious as Tony to finally have the answers.
Tony Plump and the Moles of Ellodian is a mix of fantasy and realism. While Ellodian is a wild ride, so is Tony's past. Overall, I enjoyed the book and will definitely be recommending it to friends who are interested in the genre. Keep in mind J.M. Smith is not an American author, but I had no difficulties reading her work. If you decide to read Tony Plump and the Moles of Ellodian, I doubt you will be disappointed.
November 14, 2018
An amazing book aimed at children... I think it's a crossover.
Fast-paced, rollercoaster journey in the life of a young boy who seeks to find the truth about himself and his family. The plot is gripping and complex and I felt drawn along with the main protagonist on his journey. I was repeatedly tipped into wholly believable scenarios, only to discover all was not as I believed it to be.
A good read for all who want to question their assumptions about what is real and what is not.
Tony Plumb and the Moles of Ellodian
Fast-paced, rollercoaster journey in the life of a young boy who seeks to find the truth about himself and his family. The plot is gripping and complex and I felt drawn along with the main protagonist on his journey. I was repeatedly tipped into wholly believable scenarios, only to discover all was not as I believed it to be.
A good read for all who want to question their assumptions about what is real and what is not.
Tony Plumb and the Moles of Ellodian
November 28, 2018
How many of us know what a 13 year old boy might experience, struggling as he is with the deceits and secrets of his dysfunctional background? J.M. Smith skilfully navigates us through the labyrinth of Tony's convoluted thoughts, trying with him to unravel the threads. Reminiscent of Alice's Wonderland, Tony's world takes the reader on a helter skelter ride to find the truth. This is more of a voyage than a book, and it's a journey well worth making.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews