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The Toymaker
What good is a toy that will wind down? What if you could put a heart in one? A real heart. One that beat and beat and didn't stop. What couldn't you do if you could make a toy like that? From the moment Mathias becomes the owner of a mysterious piece of paper, he is in terrible danger. Entangled in devious plots and pursued by the sinister Doctor Leiter and his devilish toys, Mathias finds himself on a quest to uncover a deadly secret.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
March 16, 2019
Reading this book was an experience in itself. It is a dark piece of fiction which has unique and mysterious characters being part of an equally unique and mysterious story line. The plot is DARK! The story DOES NOT have a happy ending (more like into the wind and with a very bleak prospect). In most places it did leave me feeling very, very disturbed. Most of the characters like the Toymaker and Dr. Leiter (who has a creepy and sadistic dwarf and a lie detector doll with needle shaped teeth as companions) are pure evil; those who are not, like Koenig and Katta, are equally shrouded in mystery and have their own motives in helping Matthias, the circus boy, to discover the sinister truth behind a piece of paper left by his grand father...the kind of truth for which Dr. Leiter and the Toymaker can kill so that it stays hidden. Even though it was dark and disturbing, I enjoyed reading the book; the writing as well as the accompanying illustrations served well to describe the bleak and dark atmosphere in the book.
February 14, 2020
Still 3 good stars.
I think I enjoyed this about the same amount the second time round. There has been enough time between the two that I hadn't remembered the storyline much, but only how much I liked it.
(Dam! It's been 6 years I've been wanting to re-read this!! Girl, get into those other re-reads NOW!)
I will say that it is a bit deceiving. The cover suggests that the story will be focused on 'The Toymaker' person and what looks like a dam good creepy doll. Well.....yes in a round about way it is. But it's only at the very beginning and then again at the very end (with a tiny bit in the middle somewhere). Still, it's a good story with a surprising ending. I hadn't remembered this one particular thing about it, but it really adds to the story.
As an MG read, there are some rather violent parts. Not a lot of graphic talk but enough. Involving seizures and knife attacks. Plus a kid being thrown out a window. I'd recommend this for the pre-YA audience.
But dam I REALLY REALLY want more about that freaken awesome doll!!! Those were my favourite scenes!
Attention: Mr Jeremy de Quidt. PLEASE write a sequel that's focused so much more on the Doll!
I think I enjoyed this about the same amount the second time round. There has been enough time between the two that I hadn't remembered the storyline much, but only how much I liked it.
(Dam! It's been 6 years I've been wanting to re-read this!! Girl, get into those other re-reads NOW!)
I will say that it is a bit deceiving. The cover suggests that the story will be focused on 'The Toymaker' person and what looks like a dam good creepy doll. Well.....yes in a round about way it is. But it's only at the very beginning and then again at the very end (with a tiny bit in the middle somewhere). Still, it's a good story with a surprising ending. I hadn't remembered this one particular thing about it, but it really adds to the story.
As an MG read, there are some rather violent parts. Not a lot of graphic talk but enough. Involving seizures and knife attacks. Plus a kid being thrown out a window. I'd recommend this for the pre-YA audience.
But dam I REALLY REALLY want more about that freaken awesome doll!!! Those were my favourite scenes!
Attention: Mr Jeremy de Quidt. PLEASE write a sequel that's focused so much more on the Doll!
February 29, 2020
Thanks to Jordan West for the recommendation. As Jordan confirmed, this was not a hit on the YA market...
The Prologue and first chapter are already impressive, with the darkness and fascination, and the quietly beautiful prose. Then it slowly allows YA thriller conventions to take over, with too many pages devoted to fairly standard conflicts and action tropes. While I lose interest quickly with all the stone-throwings and stabbings, the action/adventure sequences are mostly well-executed, and each set piece is not overly extended. But I was pining for more glimpses of the titular character and his nefarious designs, and had to twiddle my thumbs (at least I still have them, ack!) through all the horse riding and tromping through the frozen countryside.
All the characters emerge more compromised and broken at the end, and the kids can probably expect more abuse and suffering in their hard-scrabble lives. The whole toymaker enterprise is obviously a dark comment on our recent political landscape. Jordan's comparison with Angela is pretty appropriate.
In the Acknowledgements, the author wrote that the story was developed for school children in Somerset. Maybe Somerset kids are way tougher than my little nephews and cousins.
The Prologue and first chapter are already impressive, with the darkness and fascination, and the quietly beautiful prose. Then it slowly allows YA thriller conventions to take over, with too many pages devoted to fairly standard conflicts and action tropes. While I lose interest quickly with all the stone-throwings and stabbings, the action/adventure sequences are mostly well-executed, and each set piece is not overly extended. But I was pining for more glimpses of the titular character and his nefarious designs, and had to twiddle my thumbs (at least I still have them, ack!) through all the horse riding and tromping through the frozen countryside.
All the characters emerge more compromised and broken at the end, and the kids can probably expect more abuse and suffering in their hard-scrabble lives. The whole toymaker enterprise is obviously a dark comment on our recent political landscape. Jordan's comparison with Angela is pretty appropriate.
In the Acknowledgements, the author wrote that the story was developed for school children in Somerset. Maybe Somerset kids are way tougher than my little nephews and cousins.
January 28, 2013
I need to think about this one a little more, because I feel confused. It was really bleak and violent, but it is aimed towards middle grade readers. But there is a lot of violence, and the ending is not the most hopeful, and the characters can act in spiteful ways. The enemies are creepy and they torture the children, and there are like three stabbings and two shootings, which is a little surprising. So I will definitely have to mull on this one a bit.
ETA full review:
So, that was my first reaction, and after thinking about it for a while, I think I will stay with it. The issue is that this is a really interesting book, and there's some fascinating world building, and it definitely goes towards the darker side of the fantasy spectrum. I also think that there were a couple of too-convenient escapes and turn-arounds for characters.
However, let's talk about the audience for this, shall we, because that is where am I really struggling. The writing suggest lower middle grade, but the content does not. I read portions aloud to my husband, and he was shocked by how violent it was. There were several stabbings, shootings, and torturing sessions. There isn't really a happy ending. It feels like a series of unfortunate events written in a more serious tone, and without the humor. There's also the issue of the girl character being put in jeopardy by a creepy male in an alley at night, and it just made me really...uncomfortable?
I am definitely not the sort to mark content as too "adult" for certain audiences lightly. I mean, I really believe that children's literature and YA literature should address love and sexuality and death and bad things, because kids need to know. They need the terms, and keeping them in the dark won't help them. But the issue is here-I'm not sure what the help is?
Perhaps if it was written in a little more adult way, it could be conceived as older middle grade, but it just seemed to fall right in the middle. So, I think this falls under what you think the child in your life can handle, but I don't know, I didn't enjoy that much to really think it is worth it. If you are looking for something dark, I would check out Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls or Splendors and Glooms.
ETA full review:
So, that was my first reaction, and after thinking about it for a while, I think I will stay with it. The issue is that this is a really interesting book, and there's some fascinating world building, and it definitely goes towards the darker side of the fantasy spectrum. I also think that there were a couple of too-convenient escapes and turn-arounds for characters.
However, let's talk about the audience for this, shall we, because that is where am I really struggling. The writing suggest lower middle grade, but the content does not. I read portions aloud to my husband, and he was shocked by how violent it was. There were several stabbings, shootings, and torturing sessions. There isn't really a happy ending. It feels like a series of unfortunate events written in a more serious tone, and without the humor. There's also the issue of the girl character being put in jeopardy by a creepy male in an alley at night, and it just made me really...uncomfortable?
I am definitely not the sort to mark content as too "adult" for certain audiences lightly. I mean, I really believe that children's literature and YA literature should address love and sexuality and death and bad things, because kids need to know. They need the terms, and keeping them in the dark won't help them. But the issue is here-I'm not sure what the help is?
Perhaps if it was written in a little more adult way, it could be conceived as older middle grade, but it just seemed to fall right in the middle. So, I think this falls under what you think the child in your life can handle, but I don't know, I didn't enjoy that much to really think it is worth it. If you are looking for something dark, I would check out Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls or Splendors and Glooms.
November 13, 2015
The Toymaker is a very dark piece of fiction. Sure, I have read some of the books in A Series of Unfortunate Events, and those books are dark and gloomy too, but they also have a sense of silliness to them that make them a little light-hearted and fun to read. It is not so with this book. Let's take a look at some of the things that make this book so dark.
The Toymaker is a man who really isn't in the story much. He appears in the Prologue and you learn how he was able to make really beautiful dolls. But he wanted more out of them and performed many experiments to make them live. He finally perfected cutting the heart out of a living bird and hooking it up to one of his dolls while it was still beating to make the doll come alive. These living dolls turn out to be quite evil, like Marguerite. The Toymaker appears later in the story, but since I don't want to give too much away, I really cannot discuss him anymore.
Every adult in this book is either greedy, mean or evil. The only two good people in this story are Mathias and Katta, and Mathias is injured throughout the entire book while Katta is firmly set on blinding the boy that caused her to have seizures. Now that I think about it, maybe Mathias is the only good person in this story. Katta is just set on revenge, rather than forgiveness.
There is quite a bit of killing in this story. Not everyone dies, but almost everyone. Is this really a story that eight year olds should be reading? I wouldn't think so. This book should definitely be aimed at an older audience, let's say like 12 and older. Eight year olds don't need to read such a dark and depressing story as The Toymaker.
Now, for the good parts. The story is well-written. I did enjoy reading it, but kept waiting for something good to happen to these kids. I waited . . . and waited . . . and waited. I was not so lucky, or maybe I should say that Mathias and Katta were not so lucky. The story kept me involved, but I was left feeling bad for all the rotten things that happened to the main characters. I cannot go into too much detail because that would reveal too much about the story. I just wish the book could have been a little lighter. There wasn't much fun to be had while reading this book, which is something that young reader really look for in a story. I felt like I should be wearing all black while I read this story and should only be listening to Goth Rock. Bring on the darkness.
The ten or so images by Gary Blythe are beautifully drawn. I do wish that the cover would have been drawn by the same artist as the images in the book.
Overall, The Toymaker by Jeremy de Quidt is a decent story that should have been a lot lighter. It is pretty heavy stuff for a kid in second or third grade to read. I would not recommend this book for young readers that young. This is a middle school book, not an elementary school book. If there is another book, I just hope the next book is a lot lighter.
I rated this book a 6 out of 10.
The Toymaker is a man who really isn't in the story much. He appears in the Prologue and you learn how he was able to make really beautiful dolls. But he wanted more out of them and performed many experiments to make them live. He finally perfected cutting the heart out of a living bird and hooking it up to one of his dolls while it was still beating to make the doll come alive. These living dolls turn out to be quite evil, like Marguerite. The Toymaker appears later in the story, but since I don't want to give too much away, I really cannot discuss him anymore.
Every adult in this book is either greedy, mean or evil. The only two good people in this story are Mathias and Katta, and Mathias is injured throughout the entire book while Katta is firmly set on blinding the boy that caused her to have seizures. Now that I think about it, maybe Mathias is the only good person in this story. Katta is just set on revenge, rather than forgiveness.
There is quite a bit of killing in this story. Not everyone dies, but almost everyone. Is this really a story that eight year olds should be reading? I wouldn't think so. This book should definitely be aimed at an older audience, let's say like 12 and older. Eight year olds don't need to read such a dark and depressing story as The Toymaker.
Now, for the good parts. The story is well-written. I did enjoy reading it, but kept waiting for something good to happen to these kids. I waited . . . and waited . . . and waited. I was not so lucky, or maybe I should say that Mathias and Katta were not so lucky. The story kept me involved, but I was left feeling bad for all the rotten things that happened to the main characters. I cannot go into too much detail because that would reveal too much about the story. I just wish the book could have been a little lighter. There wasn't much fun to be had while reading this book, which is something that young reader really look for in a story. I felt like I should be wearing all black while I read this story and should only be listening to Goth Rock. Bring on the darkness.
The ten or so images by Gary Blythe are beautifully drawn. I do wish that the cover would have been drawn by the same artist as the images in the book.
Overall, The Toymaker by Jeremy de Quidt is a decent story that should have been a lot lighter. It is pretty heavy stuff for a kid in second or third grade to read. I would not recommend this book for young readers that young. This is a middle school book, not an elementary school book. If there is another book, I just hope the next book is a lot lighter.
I rated this book a 6 out of 10.
March 19, 2014
This book is much like Treasure Island in plot, but with the atmosphere of hopelessness of The Road. In other words, this book is not your average children's story.
The grandchild of a magician in a traveling entertainment show is suddenly orphaned, and steals a piece of paper his mysterious grandfather kept hidden. Then his ordeal starts when a dangerous man with a creepy doll and a murderous dwarf start following in order to recover the piece of paper.
The atmosphere of intrigue, mystery, and despair are the most salient characteristics of this book. The story starts long before the book. The book already starts in the middle of it, when fantastic and unexplained events worthy of elaborating have already passed, events which are hinted by the story of the book, but never revealed. Similarly, the book leaves the story long before the end. Will the protagonists survive? For one of them this seems very doubtful. But we are not told. At the end of the story we are left literally on the road, with little if any hope. A small measure of good has been achieved at the end, but it is uncertain just how much good has been achieved. And the price for this hint of goodness is extremely high! Neither do we know how it will all end.
And yet the book is self-contained.
One gets the feeling that this incompleteness is part of the story --- much like life. When we wake up from childhood the stories we join (or simply witness) have already started, with very many triumphs and defeats which we might have wanted to witness having already taken place, sometimes eons before we were even born. And when we finally exit the stage, at the end of our days, the stories will be left incomplete. What will happen to those stories after we leave? How much we will want to see the turn of events on some of those stories! And yet we will have to exit, having done what little measure of good --- oh, how so very little! --- we could while we remained; and having endured much sorrow.
Yes, more books could be written with the same characters. Some even continuing the events narrated in this one book. Some perhaps even digging backwards in time to an earlier time such that the story in this book is a consequence of the earlier one. And yet, those other books will be different stories. Yes, they may involve the same characters, but they will be other stories about the same beings. This story --- as it stands --- is quite self-contained, even if we are left at the end craving for more knowledge about the people whom we have just left in the middle of crisis.
But ultimately, such is life.
The grandchild of a magician in a traveling entertainment show is suddenly orphaned, and steals a piece of paper his mysterious grandfather kept hidden. Then his ordeal starts when a dangerous man with a creepy doll and a murderous dwarf start following in order to recover the piece of paper.
The atmosphere of intrigue, mystery, and despair are the most salient characteristics of this book. The story starts long before the book. The book already starts in the middle of it, when fantastic and unexplained events worthy of elaborating have already passed, events which are hinted by the story of the book, but never revealed. Similarly, the book leaves the story long before the end. Will the protagonists survive? For one of them this seems very doubtful. But we are not told. At the end of the story we are left literally on the road, with little if any hope. A small measure of good has been achieved at the end, but it is uncertain just how much good has been achieved. And the price for this hint of goodness is extremely high! Neither do we know how it will all end.
And yet the book is self-contained.
One gets the feeling that this incompleteness is part of the story --- much like life. When we wake up from childhood the stories we join (or simply witness) have already started, with very many triumphs and defeats which we might have wanted to witness having already taken place, sometimes eons before we were even born. And when we finally exit the stage, at the end of our days, the stories will be left incomplete. What will happen to those stories after we leave? How much we will want to see the turn of events on some of those stories! And yet we will have to exit, having done what little measure of good --- oh, how so very little! --- we could while we remained; and having endured much sorrow.
Yes, more books could be written with the same characters. Some even continuing the events narrated in this one book. Some perhaps even digging backwards in time to an earlier time such that the story in this book is a consequence of the earlier one. And yet, those other books will be different stories. Yes, they may involve the same characters, but they will be other stories about the same beings. This story --- as it stands --- is quite self-contained, even if we are left at the end craving for more knowledge about the people whom we have just left in the middle of crisis.
But ultimately, such is life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2011
This book is one of those mysteries to me. On paper, it sounds like it would be my favorite book ever. One of the book's characters is a sinister toymaker who animates dead objects with hearts borrowed from birds and other living things. Another character is Mathias, a boy from a traveling circus who was cared for by a conjuror who dies in the beginning of the story, starting a wild chase for a secret piece of paper Mathias finds stitched into his coat. Yet another character is a mysterious scarred girl named Katta, prone to seizures and violent revenge fantasies. And there is also a very creepy dwarf and a few other very interesting contraptions like a doll who is also a lie detector.
Somehow, the story itself just fell really short for me. It was very heavy on action and even violence at times, but I felt like the characters were running so fast so much of the time that I never really felt engaged with any of them. I also felt like the author kind of was just thinking, what else can I put into this book that's cool and creepy---a grave-digging scene, oh yeah. There were so many elements like that, and though it did tie in together in the end it was a little overwhelming and I had a hard time sticking with it and didn't care that much anymore. An interesting debut, but I think a little character development and pacing really would have knocked this out of the ballpark and made it one of the best, creepiest children's books ever, which is perhaps what is so very disappointing about it.
Somehow, the story itself just fell really short for me. It was very heavy on action and even violence at times, but I felt like the characters were running so fast so much of the time that I never really felt engaged with any of them. I also felt like the author kind of was just thinking, what else can I put into this book that's cool and creepy---a grave-digging scene, oh yeah. There were so many elements like that, and though it did tie in together in the end it was a little overwhelming and I had a hard time sticking with it and didn't care that much anymore. An interesting debut, but I think a little character development and pacing really would have knocked this out of the ballpark and made it one of the best, creepiest children's books ever, which is perhaps what is so very disappointing about it.
January 4, 2019
This novel is filled with surprises and almost never a ray of light. It is a kind of "coming of age" allegory, with a very dark premise. Would you want to "come of age" in this world? The position of the Toymaker in the novel creates an even darker allegory. At the same time, it has events and places often associated with storybooks. In the end these leave it even more grim, though it is never trying to be ironic. It has a mystery with a McGuffin to solve. I would say noir except for the fairy tale background and images. I immediately wanted to see what else the author had published, but so far no new novels. This also had interesting, "picto-realistic" black-and-white illustrations that were strangely fitting for the content. In the end, the novel is disturbing without trying to force the issue.
February 12, 2015
Looking back, it always seems like the books and TV shows available for younger people are so much better than what was available to me. Maybe some of them just seem that way to me and it's not actually the case. But I do know that I never had anything quite like Jeremy de Quidt's "The Toymaker" available to me back then because, believe me, I would have remembered.
There is a toymaker who, frustrated with toys that run down, is attempting to put a real heart into a doll, so that it would keep going constantly. Far away, there is a conjuror called Gustav, who hides in a travelling circus because he hides a secret that some people would happily kill him for. His grandson, Mathias, with no-one else to care for him, hides too, wondering what this secret may be.
One day, just after a mysterious stranger appears at the show, Gustav has a fatal accident. This stranger, Dr Leiter, verifies that Gustav is who he suspects, but after failing to find what he seeks, he buys Mathias from Lustmann in the hope that the secret may have been transferred across from Gustav to Mathias and he can find out what it is.
However, Leiter hadn't counted on the greed of Lustmann's wife, Anna Maria nor on the tenacity of Mathias and the servant girl Katta, who manage to evade his dwarf servant Valter and escape. The two children find their way into the hands of a man called Koenig who, intrigued by the secret and by the amount of money Leiter is willing to spend to find it, takes Mathias along to help him unravel the secret.
This is a beautifully dark story, very much in the Neil Gaiman mode, although missing some of his fantastical twists. Many of the characters are hiding secrets, which blurs the disctinction between good and evil and it's only the innocence of Mathias that really gives much of a clue to which side we should be on. Even then, his companions do things that you wouldn't associate with the traditional hero behaviour, which makes it a little tougher to sympathise with their aims and blurs the line between the supposed good and bad a little more.
However, this does give the characters far more realistic behaviour than in many books. Even Katta and Stefan, characters supposedly on the side of good, harbour thoughts of revenge which they even sometimes act upon, which isn't often the case in a story such as this. As is usual in books and films though, it's the bad characters who are the most fun and Marguerite, Leiter's lie detector doll, whilst a very minor character, was a wonderful touch and despite never speaking a word, she had the best line in the book.
Whilst I enjoyed the dark, gothic feel of the story, I did find it a little slow paced. The journey to seek the secret seemed to be dragged out, with it taking longer to get to the required place than it did to work through the clues. However, when the clues did finally arrive, they were at least not easy to predict, so the ending came as a surprise to me. But after so long reaching the point where the ending of the book could come about, the actual ending itself was a little quick and a touch disappointing, although the basic idea was deliciously dark.
What does help keep the story moving along is the quality of the writing. Along with the great ideas, the book is aimed at a slightly younger audience, so it's a simply written tale. Whilst the pacing itself may be slow, the language flows very well and this helps keep the pages turning, even when the story itself isn't as exciting as it could be.
As a horror fan, I particularly enjoyed the darker nature of the book, although the pacing wasn't always conducive to an easy read. It may be that younger readers, who this story is aimed at, may become a little bored, although more confident or teenage readers will be more inclined to battle through it. Those that do, especially those with a liking for darker tales, will be rewarded with an enjoyable story which is well worth working through.
This review may also appear, in whole or in part, under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
There is a toymaker who, frustrated with toys that run down, is attempting to put a real heart into a doll, so that it would keep going constantly. Far away, there is a conjuror called Gustav, who hides in a travelling circus because he hides a secret that some people would happily kill him for. His grandson, Mathias, with no-one else to care for him, hides too, wondering what this secret may be.
One day, just after a mysterious stranger appears at the show, Gustav has a fatal accident. This stranger, Dr Leiter, verifies that Gustav is who he suspects, but after failing to find what he seeks, he buys Mathias from Lustmann in the hope that the secret may have been transferred across from Gustav to Mathias and he can find out what it is.
However, Leiter hadn't counted on the greed of Lustmann's wife, Anna Maria nor on the tenacity of Mathias and the servant girl Katta, who manage to evade his dwarf servant Valter and escape. The two children find their way into the hands of a man called Koenig who, intrigued by the secret and by the amount of money Leiter is willing to spend to find it, takes Mathias along to help him unravel the secret.
This is a beautifully dark story, very much in the Neil Gaiman mode, although missing some of his fantastical twists. Many of the characters are hiding secrets, which blurs the disctinction between good and evil and it's only the innocence of Mathias that really gives much of a clue to which side we should be on. Even then, his companions do things that you wouldn't associate with the traditional hero behaviour, which makes it a little tougher to sympathise with their aims and blurs the line between the supposed good and bad a little more.
However, this does give the characters far more realistic behaviour than in many books. Even Katta and Stefan, characters supposedly on the side of good, harbour thoughts of revenge which they even sometimes act upon, which isn't often the case in a story such as this. As is usual in books and films though, it's the bad characters who are the most fun and Marguerite, Leiter's lie detector doll, whilst a very minor character, was a wonderful touch and despite never speaking a word, she had the best line in the book.
Whilst I enjoyed the dark, gothic feel of the story, I did find it a little slow paced. The journey to seek the secret seemed to be dragged out, with it taking longer to get to the required place than it did to work through the clues. However, when the clues did finally arrive, they were at least not easy to predict, so the ending came as a surprise to me. But after so long reaching the point where the ending of the book could come about, the actual ending itself was a little quick and a touch disappointing, although the basic idea was deliciously dark.
What does help keep the story moving along is the quality of the writing. Along with the great ideas, the book is aimed at a slightly younger audience, so it's a simply written tale. Whilst the pacing itself may be slow, the language flows very well and this helps keep the pages turning, even when the story itself isn't as exciting as it could be.
As a horror fan, I particularly enjoyed the darker nature of the book, although the pacing wasn't always conducive to an easy read. It may be that younger readers, who this story is aimed at, may become a little bored, although more confident or teenage readers will be more inclined to battle through it. Those that do, especially those with a liking for darker tales, will be rewarded with an enjoyable story which is well worth working through.
This review may also appear, in whole or in part, under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
March 11, 2017
Dark, disturbing fantasy with horror elements. Our story begins with an eerie prologue about The Toymaker of the title. Unlike most toy-makers,he does not make happy toys to bring joy to the hearts of children. Instead, he seeks to create a knife so sharp it can cut the heart from a living being, so he can transplant it, along with its life force, into one of his tiny mechanical dolls.
Mathias is a helper to Gustav his grandfather, a conjurer and magician in a traveling circus. But why would such a supernaturally skilled, high-level magician be hiding out in a tiny, broken-down little circus? One night Gustav gets unpleasantly drunk and boasts that he knows a very big secret. He is overheard. On-stage during his next show he suffers an attack and as he lies dying, Mathias pulls a tiny wad of paper from Gustav's mouth. Is this the great and mysterious secret? Clearly others think so because now the evil Dr. Leiter appears, and pursues Mathias through the countryside and captures him with the help of Marguerite, a mechanical doll who can detect lies; and Valter, a superhumanly strong, malevolent dwarf. When Mathias is badly injured trying to escape from them, Katta, a kitchen maid at the inn where he is hurt helps him. But she has her own motives for helping and so does Koenig, a mysterious gentleman-robber; and Stefan, a youth from a charcoal burner's camp hidden deep in the forest--and none of them can be fully trusted! The chase is on, through the forest, the countryside and the city of the noble duke. And eventually Dr. Leiter corners them in a ruined monastery in the capital city, where the terrible secret is revealed at last: one that involves the Toymaker and that could shake the dukedom to its foundations. Lot of fights, damaged bodies, flowing blood, and cliff-hanging chapter endings, if you like nonstop dark action this is your story.
Mathias is a helper to Gustav his grandfather, a conjurer and magician in a traveling circus. But why would such a supernaturally skilled, high-level magician be hiding out in a tiny, broken-down little circus? One night Gustav gets unpleasantly drunk and boasts that he knows a very big secret. He is overheard. On-stage during his next show he suffers an attack and as he lies dying, Mathias pulls a tiny wad of paper from Gustav's mouth. Is this the great and mysterious secret? Clearly others think so because now the evil Dr. Leiter appears, and pursues Mathias through the countryside and captures him with the help of Marguerite, a mechanical doll who can detect lies; and Valter, a superhumanly strong, malevolent dwarf. When Mathias is badly injured trying to escape from them, Katta, a kitchen maid at the inn where he is hurt helps him. But she has her own motives for helping and so does Koenig, a mysterious gentleman-robber; and Stefan, a youth from a charcoal burner's camp hidden deep in the forest--and none of them can be fully trusted! The chase is on, through the forest, the countryside and the city of the noble duke. And eventually Dr. Leiter corners them in a ruined monastery in the capital city, where the terrible secret is revealed at last: one that involves the Toymaker and that could shake the dukedom to its foundations. Lot of fights, damaged bodies, flowing blood, and cliff-hanging chapter endings, if you like nonstop dark action this is your story.
August 2, 2011
Wow. Every so often a book comes along that blows one away. This (for me, anyway) is one of those books. The idea of it was conceived in 2005 when the author visited a primary school and made up a story for the pupils he was visiting. The result is this dark, chilling tale of a secret and a race to discover what that secret is.
Mathias is 12 years old. Orphaned at a young age he lives with his Grandfather, Gustav, who is the conjurer for a travelling circus show. Mathias’ life is not a happy one, but it is the only life he remembers.
One day when he is drunk, Mathias’ Grandfather tells him that he knows a secret that men would kill for. But before he can reveal this secret, he is involved in an altercation with a mysterious man, and dies. Mathias flees, taking with him a scrap of paper that his Grandfather had hidden in the lining of his coat.
With the help of a servant girl called Katta, and a man called Koenig, Mathias sets out to solve the mystery - but there are people who want to prevent the secret from being revealed, and who will stop at nothing to ensure it stays secret.
It’s a children’s book, but I’m not sure exactly what age it’s aimed at. It’s a dark tale, and at times it is quite gruesome, but it’s very fast paced and, despite the goriness, it’s an easy read.
I won’t say any more about it as I don’t want to spoil it, but I think this is a fantastic debut, and I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!
Mathias is 12 years old. Orphaned at a young age he lives with his Grandfather, Gustav, who is the conjurer for a travelling circus show. Mathias’ life is not a happy one, but it is the only life he remembers.
One day when he is drunk, Mathias’ Grandfather tells him that he knows a secret that men would kill for. But before he can reveal this secret, he is involved in an altercation with a mysterious man, and dies. Mathias flees, taking with him a scrap of paper that his Grandfather had hidden in the lining of his coat.
With the help of a servant girl called Katta, and a man called Koenig, Mathias sets out to solve the mystery - but there are people who want to prevent the secret from being revealed, and who will stop at nothing to ensure it stays secret.
It’s a children’s book, but I’m not sure exactly what age it’s aimed at. It’s a dark tale, and at times it is quite gruesome, but it’s very fast paced and, despite the goriness, it’s an easy read.
I won’t say any more about it as I don’t want to spoil it, but I think this is a fantastic debut, and I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!
June 26, 2018
As a kid who was into books with a dark, almost gothic feel to them when I picked this up at the age of thirteen I really loved it. What wasn't to like? Very creepy cover, exciting concepts, dark scenes and mortal peril - it had all of those boxes ticked. Yes, I can safely say that teenage me thought this book was excellent. So when I found this book under my bed a few weeks ago, I decided to give the book another read to see if it was as good as I remembered.
Sadly it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, this is still a good book (although three stars it is the higher end) but reading it eight years on there are particular aspects of this book that my adult brain has picked out more than my teen one.
The characters are alright; I suppose, but they are incredibly simplistic with very little character development. Katta (a joint protagonist with Mathias) is the only character who feels like she could be more interesting and have a little more about her than the rest, but I was still very unsure about whether I liked her or not (and the way she speaks really annoyed me). I would also have liked to see some more complex relationships - especially between Koenig and Stefan and Katta and Stefan (whose relationship was a very simplistic 'I hate you because of X' but nothing beyond that so got quite boring after a while). However, this is a kid's/young teen's book and didn't bother me too much when I first read it so I guess I can cut it a little slack.
The atmosphere was the thing that I most remembered this book for (there still being a couple of chapters fixed in my mind for how creepy they were), and I'm glad to say that this really held up. The book is dark most of the way through, and the sections/chapters where de Quidt really sees how dark he can be are the best and most memorable parts of the book. Any chapter with Marguerite is brilliant and I absolutely loved the carnival sections. Any bit where it's just Katta on her own away from the rest of the group is really dark (a little seedy perhaps) and just great. The one thing that is perhaps a little too far for me personally is the very vivid and graphic descriptions of the injuries/wounds (and there are a lot) and how they feel which, for someone like me who is a bit squeamish, can be a bit much. It was really nice that the thing that I most remembered the book for is still as great as when I first read it.
For the most part, the writing style is good. There are, however, occasional moments when the wording/phrasing and punctuation are a bit off or clunky. This makes it quite confusing at times and is a little distracting but I think this might be a translation (maybe) so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. This is the only thing that I can really remember bugging me when I was thirteen.
The plot is pretty good for what it is (four people solving a mystery about a blank piece of paper while villains follow and try to stop them) but I felt like this was more a sort of vehicle for creating a creepy atmosphere, which is no bad thing really. I have to say that when I found the book after so many years, I honestly couldn't remember the plot and I daresay I'll have forgotten it again in a few months time.
The intrigue with which this book grips the reader is, in no small part, down to the atmosphere that is created. I am someone who gets distracted very quickly, especially when reading, but when I picked this book up, I would find myself not able to put it down unless I was called away from it or found that it was 1 am and I should probably get some sleep. This is an excellent sign in any book but especially one aimed at teenagers.
The logic in 'The Toymaker' is hit and miss at best. The characters are wounded for what seems like forever but they don't really succumb to them apart from getting a little paler and being in pain most of the time. There are also lots of things that are not explained or just flat out make no sense. Yes, there is a bit of magic in the story but there still has to be some kind of logic or explanation for it rather than it being used as a kind of jarring deus ex machina to quickly (and a bit clumsily and lazily) move the story along. I can't really say whether or not this bothered me when I read it eight years ago because it's all tied up with the plot and, like I said earlier, I didn't really remember much of it.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. I enjoyed delving back into Jeremy de Quidt's dark and creepy world and it was great revisiting, what I call, a nostalgia read but I think that now it is time to give my copy to a charity shop so another younger teenager can find and enjoy it while it's space on my bookshelf can be given to a book that I will enjoy as an adult.
Characters: 5.5/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Plot: 6/10
Intrigue: 8/10
Logic: 4.5/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
Sadly it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, this is still a good book (although three stars it is the higher end) but reading it eight years on there are particular aspects of this book that my adult brain has picked out more than my teen one.
The characters are alright; I suppose, but they are incredibly simplistic with very little character development. Katta (a joint protagonist with Mathias) is the only character who feels like she could be more interesting and have a little more about her than the rest, but I was still very unsure about whether I liked her or not (and the way she speaks really annoyed me). I would also have liked to see some more complex relationships - especially between Koenig and Stefan and Katta and Stefan (whose relationship was a very simplistic 'I hate you because of X' but nothing beyond that so got quite boring after a while). However, this is a kid's/young teen's book and didn't bother me too much when I first read it so I guess I can cut it a little slack.
The atmosphere was the thing that I most remembered this book for (there still being a couple of chapters fixed in my mind for how creepy they were), and I'm glad to say that this really held up. The book is dark most of the way through, and the sections/chapters where de Quidt really sees how dark he can be are the best and most memorable parts of the book. Any chapter with Marguerite is brilliant and I absolutely loved the carnival sections. Any bit where it's just Katta on her own away from the rest of the group is really dark (a little seedy perhaps) and just great. The one thing that is perhaps a little too far for me personally is the very vivid and graphic descriptions of the injuries/wounds (and there are a lot) and how they feel which, for someone like me who is a bit squeamish, can be a bit much. It was really nice that the thing that I most remembered the book for is still as great as when I first read it.
For the most part, the writing style is good. There are, however, occasional moments when the wording/phrasing and punctuation are a bit off or clunky. This makes it quite confusing at times and is a little distracting but I think this might be a translation (maybe) so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. This is the only thing that I can really remember bugging me when I was thirteen.
The plot is pretty good for what it is (four people solving a mystery about a blank piece of paper while villains follow and try to stop them) but I felt like this was more a sort of vehicle for creating a creepy atmosphere, which is no bad thing really. I have to say that when I found the book after so many years, I honestly couldn't remember the plot and I daresay I'll have forgotten it again in a few months time.
The intrigue with which this book grips the reader is, in no small part, down to the atmosphere that is created. I am someone who gets distracted very quickly, especially when reading, but when I picked this book up, I would find myself not able to put it down unless I was called away from it or found that it was 1 am and I should probably get some sleep. This is an excellent sign in any book but especially one aimed at teenagers.
The logic in 'The Toymaker' is hit and miss at best. The characters are wounded for what seems like forever but they don't really succumb to them apart from getting a little paler and being in pain most of the time. There are also lots of things that are not explained or just flat out make no sense. Yes, there is a bit of magic in the story but there still has to be some kind of logic or explanation for it rather than it being used as a kind of jarring deus ex machina to quickly (and a bit clumsily and lazily) move the story along. I can't really say whether or not this bothered me when I read it eight years ago because it's all tied up with the plot and, like I said earlier, I didn't really remember much of it.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. I enjoyed delving back into Jeremy de Quidt's dark and creepy world and it was great revisiting, what I call, a nostalgia read but I think that now it is time to give my copy to a charity shop so another younger teenager can find and enjoy it while it's space on my bookshelf can be given to a book that I will enjoy as an adult.
Characters: 5.5/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Plot: 6/10
Intrigue: 8/10
Logic: 4.5/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
June 27, 2017
* Vague spoilers ahead
Lots of action kept things moving, but there was something I didn't really care for in this story. There was something cold about it, like in an unfeeling, harsh way. In addition, I found it hard to believe the motivations of many of the main characters; it seemed like they were so bound together, yet they had no history together or reason to help one another, even if they were looking for the "mystery" object(s). I felt there was a huge gap left by Mathias's background. *And I found Valter, coming back again and again...and again, to be tedious, predictable, and unrealistic, even if he was a creation rather than a "real" person.
Lots of action kept things moving, but there was something I didn't really care for in this story. There was something cold about it, like in an unfeeling, harsh way. In addition, I found it hard to believe the motivations of many of the main characters; it seemed like they were so bound together, yet they had no history together or reason to help one another, even if they were looking for the "mystery" object(s). I felt there was a huge gap left by Mathias's background. *And I found Valter, coming back again and again...and again, to be tedious, predictable, and unrealistic, even if he was a creation rather than a "real" person.
June 2, 2021
Another one of my favourite books of all time that I recommend to everybody, although it is ridiculously dark and should not be read by children under the age of 12. I read this book for the first time when I was in my mid-teens and even some of the images were scary to me, but the story has haunted me ever since and I’ve read it multiple times.
The opening of the novel is dark, yet one of my favourite parts due to the darkly beautiful imagery. I think older fans of the A Series Of Unfortunate Events books will be a fan of this.
The opening of the novel is dark, yet one of my favourite parts due to the darkly beautiful imagery. I think older fans of the A Series Of Unfortunate Events books will be a fan of this.
September 30, 2017
This book repeats itself a few times whereby (spoilers) Mathias will find himself captured by multiple people and then chased. I found the climax not worth the build up of the secret and while it has quite a unique and interesting writing style, the story didn't quite get me excited ot interested enough to stick with me. Not a bad read but I won't be reading it again.
August 16, 2021
I bought this years back to read to my children at bedtime, and have just reread it and found it every bit as good as I remembered it. Vivid and horrific without being too scary, and very involving, and, I'm sure, just right for a child/YA audience (and not bad if you're an adult either). Recommended
October 14, 2022
This was a very dark and twisted read. I really don’t know how this was marketed for children because it would terrify the living daylights out of my kids.
Creepy dolls, a misleading title (the toy maker isn’t in it very much at all) not a single character that you want to route for.
I will say the writing is good, the prose makes for a pleasant read however it’s just not my cup of tea.
Creepy dolls, a misleading title (the toy maker isn’t in it very much at all) not a single character that you want to route for.
I will say the writing is good, the prose makes for a pleasant read however it’s just not my cup of tea.
August 30, 2020
I got this book really cheap in Charity shop. Title and creepy doll on cover was main attraction. Later I read some reviews on goodreads and was impressed even more.
Book is indeed dark and sad. Easy to read.
Book is indeed dark and sad. Easy to read.
February 25, 2022
So much nothing happened in this book. Everything of interest happened in the last two chapters. There was so much potential with the toymakers character and Kattas ending, but it just ended abruptly. Disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2018
people always told me "don't judge a book by its cover" but in this book, I wish I did but if you don't understand what I mean, I'm just saying the book is bad.
August 6, 2020
Really creepy and written so well! I remember reading this as a kid and had forgotten it, and was exciting to read again with hardly any memory of it!
June 15, 2021
Nice story. Ending was a little rushed. But really good.
January 9, 2011
The Toymaker was a totally unexpected find at my library; I hadn't yet made it my goal of 2011 to read 36 books, but I wanted to find something to busy myself with until a book actually on my to-read list came in. Well, forget that book, whatever it was, because The Toymaker was a scary, icy blast of adventure, a refreshing slap in the face!
Jeremy De Quidt brings a new meaning to the idea of a toy dolly coming to life, and instead of being your play mate, these dolls try to kill you.
Mathias is a lonely boy in a traveling circus with his grandfather, the only person within the rickety caravans who doesn't tease and overburden him with laborious tasks. The circus is under the rule of a tyrannical woman named Anna-Maria and her husband, Lutsmann.
Lutsmann's Traveling Circus, as it is called, rolls around the country preforming tricks by "a strong-man, a fire-eater, a tight-rope walker, a juggler and dancer, a lady who could bend her body in quite impossible ways, a conjurer and a boy."
Now--the conjurer and the boy are the important ones. Pay attention closely because the next sentence is very important.
THE CONJURER DIES.
See, I told you. The conjurer, Mathias's grandfather, drops dead in the middle of trying to remember his performance. For you see, the grandfather had been stumbling in between reality and a drunken state lately. The boy would've run away, but love for his grandfather kept him there, hidden under the wagon. He could do nothing as the man keeling over, lifeless.
However, there is someone who could do something...and did.
The man claims to be a Dr. Leiter, but instead of burying the dead conjurer, or at least comforting the boy, he beginnings frantically searching through the grandfather's belongings.
The boy Mathias knows what he is searching for.
Before he died, his grandfather told him he knew a secret--but knowing a secret and having one are entirely different things.
Leiter leaves in disgust, not having found what he is looking for. He grabs Mathias and is going to bring him away from the circus, and soon they leave.
However, Mathias has a secret of his own now.
He doesn't know what the grandfather's secret was, but his secret is that he has the grandfather's secret clutched in his pocket--and Leiter is unaware.
Mathias's mind whirls; what could be worth dying for? The paper, crumpled in his pocket, is unread. What could possibly be on it that cost his grandfather his life?
Leiter suddenly betrays Mathias, and the wounded Mathias flees in terror after a creepy, living doll tries to force the truth out of him.
Thus Mathias, plus two strange brothers and a girl with secret revenge on her mind, journey across the land, trying to discover the grandfather's real secret and why Leiter wants it so bad.
The Toymaker is a wonderfully creepy adventure book and for me, the pages flew as fast as the character's feet as they tried to escape many dangers, including a doll assassin. I flipped through pages after page,eager to find out what happened next. Unlike The Last Words of Will Wolfkin, this book had an excellent ending, but it wasn't rushed or too happy. The ending fit the book's scary, dark feel and left me feeling extremely satisfied. I loved the characters, although I can't decide on a favorite, and the plot wrapped up very nicely. Also, the illustrations by Gary Blythe were incredible. This was a very exciting book and I enjoyed every letter of it.
I'd recommend it as a read aloud, but you might want to read it yourself first because some parts are scary, and you'll want to wait until your kids are eleven or twelve until you present this to them, but if you do that they'll probably enjoy it.
I thought it was a fantastic book and the writing style reminded me of Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux. This book was a great read and I'm glad I picked it up!
Jeremy De Quidt brings a new meaning to the idea of a toy dolly coming to life, and instead of being your play mate, these dolls try to kill you.
Mathias is a lonely boy in a traveling circus with his grandfather, the only person within the rickety caravans who doesn't tease and overburden him with laborious tasks. The circus is under the rule of a tyrannical woman named Anna-Maria and her husband, Lutsmann.
Lutsmann's Traveling Circus, as it is called, rolls around the country preforming tricks by "a strong-man, a fire-eater, a tight-rope walker, a juggler and dancer, a lady who could bend her body in quite impossible ways, a conjurer and a boy."
Now--the conjurer and the boy are the important ones. Pay attention closely because the next sentence is very important.
THE CONJURER DIES.
See, I told you. The conjurer, Mathias's grandfather, drops dead in the middle of trying to remember his performance. For you see, the grandfather had been stumbling in between reality and a drunken state lately. The boy would've run away, but love for his grandfather kept him there, hidden under the wagon. He could do nothing as the man keeling over, lifeless.
However, there is someone who could do something...and did.
The man claims to be a Dr. Leiter, but instead of burying the dead conjurer, or at least comforting the boy, he beginnings frantically searching through the grandfather's belongings.
The boy Mathias knows what he is searching for.
Before he died, his grandfather told him he knew a secret--but knowing a secret and having one are entirely different things.
Leiter leaves in disgust, not having found what he is looking for. He grabs Mathias and is going to bring him away from the circus, and soon they leave.
However, Mathias has a secret of his own now.
He doesn't know what the grandfather's secret was, but his secret is that he has the grandfather's secret clutched in his pocket--and Leiter is unaware.
Mathias's mind whirls; what could be worth dying for? The paper, crumpled in his pocket, is unread. What could possibly be on it that cost his grandfather his life?
Leiter suddenly betrays Mathias, and the wounded Mathias flees in terror after a creepy, living doll tries to force the truth out of him.
Thus Mathias, plus two strange brothers and a girl with secret revenge on her mind, journey across the land, trying to discover the grandfather's real secret and why Leiter wants it so bad.
The Toymaker is a wonderfully creepy adventure book and for me, the pages flew as fast as the character's feet as they tried to escape many dangers, including a doll assassin. I flipped through pages after page,eager to find out what happened next. Unlike The Last Words of Will Wolfkin, this book had an excellent ending, but it wasn't rushed or too happy. The ending fit the book's scary, dark feel and left me feeling extremely satisfied. I loved the characters, although I can't decide on a favorite, and the plot wrapped up very nicely. Also, the illustrations by Gary Blythe were incredible. This was a very exciting book and I enjoyed every letter of it.
I'd recommend it as a read aloud, but you might want to read it yourself first because some parts are scary, and you'll want to wait until your kids are eleven or twelve until you present this to them, but if you do that they'll probably enjoy it.
I thought it was a fantastic book and the writing style reminded me of Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux. This book was a great read and I'm glad I picked it up!
September 1, 2012
For all its beautiful illustrations, charming hardback size and general appearance, this book left me feeling uncomfortable. It just strikes me as being a little bit too dark, a little bit too bleak, for the intended age group of 10-12. Also, the Toymaker of the prologue seems to have only a tenuous relationship to the plot, meaning that he does not even appear again until the final chapters. Overall, it kept me reading but is not the sort of book I would recommend to most middle-grade readers.
The plot centers of Mathias, a young boy that lives with his grandfather in a travelling circus. When his grandfather dies, he finds a scrap of paper, which he takes and hides. This paper seems to be well desired, as he is soon purchased by a foul doctor and his even more despicable dwarf. Matthias runs away, befriending a young servant girl, and eventually finding aid in the most unlikely of places. Katta, the servent girl, is an interesting character - she's a little spitfire who suffered a brain injury when she was young that causes her to have seizures. Her intereaction with the boy that caused the injury, when she discovers him later on, left me cold with its brutality. Towards Mathias she is compassionate and caring - towards her "enemy", a blood-thirsty little beast.
There is also the plot - coincidence becomes a plot device used all too commonly. The PoV jumps from character to character, sometimes within the same paragraph which can be a little disorientating. The atmosphere is deliciously creepy, but it is spiced with a little too much violence which made my skin crawl - Mathias is terribly injured and brutalised all through the book (including torture) and left with crippling injuries. This may seem to make the book more realistic - but it also makes it ultra-bleak. The only person that helps him for unselfish, compassionate reasons is Katta. And her seizures are quite terrifying, even on paper. The other characters are only in it for themselves. Until the end when the motives of Koenig suddenly switchs from being in it for the imagined profit to wanting to help Katta. This somewhat jarred with me, because there had been no apparent reason for this switch. The ending itself was abrupt and bleak. Although, at least you did learn why the dwarf just would not die.
In all, a bit too violent, a bit too dark and the plot a little too erratic and clumsy.
The plot centers of Mathias, a young boy that lives with his grandfather in a travelling circus. When his grandfather dies, he finds a scrap of paper, which he takes and hides. This paper seems to be well desired, as he is soon purchased by a foul doctor and his even more despicable dwarf. Matthias runs away, befriending a young servant girl, and eventually finding aid in the most unlikely of places. Katta, the servent girl, is an interesting character - she's a little spitfire who suffered a brain injury when she was young that causes her to have seizures. Her intereaction with the boy that caused the injury, when she discovers him later on, left me cold with its brutality. Towards Mathias she is compassionate and caring - towards her "enemy", a blood-thirsty little beast.
There is also the plot - coincidence becomes a plot device used all too commonly. The PoV jumps from character to character, sometimes within the same paragraph which can be a little disorientating. The atmosphere is deliciously creepy, but it is spiced with a little too much violence which made my skin crawl - Mathias is terribly injured and brutalised all through the book (including torture) and left with crippling injuries. This may seem to make the book more realistic - but it also makes it ultra-bleak. The only person that helps him for unselfish, compassionate reasons is Katta. And her seizures are quite terrifying, even on paper. The other characters are only in it for themselves. Until the end when the motives of Koenig suddenly switchs from being in it for the imagined profit to wanting to help Katta. This somewhat jarred with me, because there had been no apparent reason for this switch. The ending itself was abrupt and bleak. Although, at least you did learn why the dwarf just would not die.
In all, a bit too violent, a bit too dark and the plot a little too erratic and clumsy.
March 9, 2016
This book is definitely not for children!! I am amazed that this book actually got published. It is full of vile, evil and heartless characters whose only mission in life is cruelty to others.
I will say the story is well written; however, the plot really let it down. For approx 95% of the book we follow Mathias, Katta and Koenig, as well as Dr Leiter, Valter, Lutsmann and his horrible and vindictive wife Anna-Maria try to ascertain a secret. This secret is only revealed about 20 pages from the end!!!
And then there is a murderous thirst by pretty much everyone in the book to kill each other!! It's just ridiculous! Where is The Toymaker and toys in all of this? He features in less than 5% of the book, and the toys don't appear at all (excepting Margaurite) who again, is only in the book for a couple of pages. If you only read the title and the blurb you will sorely be disappointed by this!
I went through the book determined to stumble across a fantastic secret but we only find out (what has already been hinted at in the prologue) right at the last minute! The denouement is far-fetched and again ridiculously dark and sinister for a book supposedly aimed at children.
Most of the characters are tarred with the same sadistic brush - there's corruption, treachery and murder on their minds which makes it hard to relate to and build a connection with any character. The only ones I really liked were Mathias and Katta (the former having had his ribs broken and the latter unable to control her fits - thanks to a Burner child who threw a stone at her head).
But what I disliked most of all was the absence of hope throughout - every time someone had a bright idea, they were foiled and ensnared again by one of the evil characters out to get them. At times it felt as though everything was going around and around in circles.
If you want a book for children, then I definitely do not recommend The Toymaker; if you want a tale full of cruelty, lack of hope and sadistic unlikeable characters then this will probably appeal to you.
Not a book I would read again! :(
I will say the story is well written; however, the plot really let it down. For approx 95% of the book we follow Mathias, Katta and Koenig, as well as Dr Leiter, Valter, Lutsmann and his horrible and vindictive wife Anna-Maria try to ascertain a secret. This secret is only revealed about 20 pages from the end!!!
And then there is a murderous thirst by pretty much everyone in the book to kill each other!! It's just ridiculous! Where is The Toymaker and toys in all of this? He features in less than 5% of the book, and the toys don't appear at all (excepting Margaurite) who again, is only in the book for a couple of pages. If you only read the title and the blurb you will sorely be disappointed by this!
I went through the book determined to stumble across a fantastic secret but we only find out (what has already been hinted at in the prologue) right at the last minute! The denouement is far-fetched and again ridiculously dark and sinister for a book supposedly aimed at children.
Most of the characters are tarred with the same sadistic brush - there's corruption, treachery and murder on their minds which makes it hard to relate to and build a connection with any character. The only ones I really liked were Mathias and Katta (the former having had his ribs broken and the latter unable to control her fits - thanks to a Burner child who threw a stone at her head).
But what I disliked most of all was the absence of hope throughout - every time someone had a bright idea, they were foiled and ensnared again by one of the evil characters out to get them. At times it felt as though everything was going around and around in circles.
If you want a book for children, then I definitely do not recommend The Toymaker; if you want a tale full of cruelty, lack of hope and sadistic unlikeable characters then this will probably appeal to you.
Not a book I would read again! :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 14, 2016For as long as he could remember, Matthias was the assistant in the traveling Lutsman circus where his grandfather worked as a conjuror. The rest of his family was long dead and, having no where else to go, Matthias lived a miserable life of helping the circus performers with their costumes and props, abused and neglected by both his grandfather and the rest of the company.
But as the days go by, Matthias' grandfather seems to become distracted and distraught, waking up in the middle of the night, afraid that someone has come to steal something from him. Then at one performance, he sees someone in the audience and tumbles over the side of the stage. A mysterious Dr. Leiter immediately comes to his assistance but instead of helping him, searches Matthias' grandfather's coat and possessions. But it is Matthias who discovers a rolled up piece of paper hidden in grandfather's coat collar and hides it in his pocket.
From that moment on, he is hunted by Lutsman, the owner of the circus, and Dr. Leiter -- but he doesn't know why. His grandfather had once spoken about a secret but Matthias never found out what it was. All he knows is that he has to find a way to stay alive...
This was definitely a darker read -- Dr. Leiter's creepy, murderous dwarf that tracks Matthias is pretty scary and the ending is quite gloomy (and not entirely resolved). Matthias finds some companions to help him along the way but the atmosphere remains bleak and lonely. There's no comic relief that's for sure. I liked the first 3/4 of the book -- it had plenty of suspense and tension between the characters, but by the end I felt that there were some holes in the plot that should have been filled and wished some of the characters could have been developed a bit more. You don't find out much about Matthias' past and his real connection to his grandfather, nor does the book spend much time on the Toymaker (which is a key part of the plot and -- I thought -- the more intriguing part). The language and mood feels a bit like Coraline by Neil Gaiman or Clockwork by Pullman. Creepy, but no gore.
But as the days go by, Matthias' grandfather seems to become distracted and distraught, waking up in the middle of the night, afraid that someone has come to steal something from him. Then at one performance, he sees someone in the audience and tumbles over the side of the stage. A mysterious Dr. Leiter immediately comes to his assistance but instead of helping him, searches Matthias' grandfather's coat and possessions. But it is Matthias who discovers a rolled up piece of paper hidden in grandfather's coat collar and hides it in his pocket.
From that moment on, he is hunted by Lutsman, the owner of the circus, and Dr. Leiter -- but he doesn't know why. His grandfather had once spoken about a secret but Matthias never found out what it was. All he knows is that he has to find a way to stay alive...
This was definitely a darker read -- Dr. Leiter's creepy, murderous dwarf that tracks Matthias is pretty scary and the ending is quite gloomy (and not entirely resolved). Matthias finds some companions to help him along the way but the atmosphere remains bleak and lonely. There's no comic relief that's for sure. I liked the first 3/4 of the book -- it had plenty of suspense and tension between the characters, but by the end I felt that there were some holes in the plot that should have been filled and wished some of the characters could have been developed a bit more. You don't find out much about Matthias' past and his real connection to his grandfather, nor does the book spend much time on the Toymaker (which is a key part of the plot and -- I thought -- the more intriguing part). The language and mood feels a bit like Coraline by Neil Gaiman or Clockwork by Pullman. Creepy, but no gore.
Read
December 6, 2012de Quidt, Jeremy. (2010). The Toymaker. Illus. by Gary Blythe. New York: Random House/David Fickling. 359 pp. ISBN 978-0-385-75180-3 (Hard Cover); $16.99.
Last year, when reviewing The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey, I stated that it is a book that will have teachers running away from it screaming and teens screaming for more. The Toymaker is another such book. Horror rarely finds allies among adults and it is a very popular genre among young readers. This is a book that I hope libraries will add to their collections because it is horror that features lyrical, almost poetic writing of the most bleak and grim nature:
“With fierce coal-black eyes the woman stepped towards her, the blade of the knife held flat between her thumb and finger. Koenig put his hand out and touched the woman’s arm. She stopped at once. Still holding onto her, he lifted his other hand to Katta and slowly, so there could be no misunderstanding what he meant, he said, ‘Don’t ever do that to her again, or she will kill you and there will be nothing I can do to stop her. She will wait until I am gone and then, if you are still here, she will kill you. Do you understand?’” (pp. 128-129).
Mathias’ grandfather is a gifted conjuror traveling with a second-rate circus run by greedy dumb people. The grandfather has a secret, a secret so huge that telling it risks the life of Mathias despite being a secret worth vast sums of money. Mathias’ grandfather is performing one day when he sees someone in the audience that scares him so badly that he falls and eventually dies. Mathias watches his grandfather place a small piece of paper in his mouth in an attempt to swallow it, but dies with the paper in his mouth. Dr. Leiter is looking for this very piece of paper that may be the secret promised to Mathias. Mathias rescues the piece of paper and, of course, Dr. Leiter discovers that he has it (thanks to a very evil doll, Marguerite). With the help of a servant girl, Mathias escapes and the chase begins! Horror at each turn of this fast-paced dark and twisted tale.
Last year, when reviewing The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey, I stated that it is a book that will have teachers running away from it screaming and teens screaming for more. The Toymaker is another such book. Horror rarely finds allies among adults and it is a very popular genre among young readers. This is a book that I hope libraries will add to their collections because it is horror that features lyrical, almost poetic writing of the most bleak and grim nature:
“With fierce coal-black eyes the woman stepped towards her, the blade of the knife held flat between her thumb and finger. Koenig put his hand out and touched the woman’s arm. She stopped at once. Still holding onto her, he lifted his other hand to Katta and slowly, so there could be no misunderstanding what he meant, he said, ‘Don’t ever do that to her again, or she will kill you and there will be nothing I can do to stop her. She will wait until I am gone and then, if you are still here, she will kill you. Do you understand?’” (pp. 128-129).
Mathias’ grandfather is a gifted conjuror traveling with a second-rate circus run by greedy dumb people. The grandfather has a secret, a secret so huge that telling it risks the life of Mathias despite being a secret worth vast sums of money. Mathias’ grandfather is performing one day when he sees someone in the audience that scares him so badly that he falls and eventually dies. Mathias watches his grandfather place a small piece of paper in his mouth in an attempt to swallow it, but dies with the paper in his mouth. Dr. Leiter is looking for this very piece of paper that may be the secret promised to Mathias. Mathias rescues the piece of paper and, of course, Dr. Leiter discovers that he has it (thanks to a very evil doll, Marguerite). With the help of a servant girl, Mathias escapes and the chase begins! Horror at each turn of this fast-paced dark and twisted tale.
January 18, 2013
Wow! I loved The Toymaker, it is bone chillingly good, nail bitingly brilliant and wonderfully edgy! I am a bit of a thrill seeker so this carefully paced thrill ride was the perfect book for me! Jeremy de Quidt writes compellingly, you will be riveted to this un-put-downable book and it will definitely have you holding your breath in places! The characters are awesome but I found my favourite was Valter, a cold, cruel and dangerous dwarf with only one thing on his mind! He will easily give you the creeps and you will always be wondering where he is and if he is watching.... The storyline is so inventive, wonderfully imagined and brought together so well by the author that you will eagerly be searching for your next thrilling fix!
Mathais' world is turned upside-down when his grandfather dies while preforming his conjuring act on stage. Suddenly everyone is interested in his grandfather and his possessions but the thing they are all seeking Mathias holds in his possession, but he has no idea what it is or how much trouble it will cause him.
Mathias is sold to a man who takes him on a coach through the woods and that's the start of his highly adventurous and shockingly dangerous tale! He will be thrown into dark and dangerous paths and meet some wicked people but still he holds the secret that everyone is desperately searching, but for how long for?
It is so hard not to give anything away so I won't say too much more. The ending is fantastic, satisfying and left off with a creepy little tid-bit just to keep you wondering! I could easily recommend The Toymaker, it is highly memorable and one that I will enjoy reading again and again!
fictionfascination.blogspot.co.uk
Mathais' world is turned upside-down when his grandfather dies while preforming his conjuring act on stage. Suddenly everyone is interested in his grandfather and his possessions but the thing they are all seeking Mathias holds in his possession, but he has no idea what it is or how much trouble it will cause him.
Mathias is sold to a man who takes him on a coach through the woods and that's the start of his highly adventurous and shockingly dangerous tale! He will be thrown into dark and dangerous paths and meet some wicked people but still he holds the secret that everyone is desperately searching, but for how long for?
It is so hard not to give anything away so I won't say too much more. The ending is fantastic, satisfying and left off with a creepy little tid-bit just to keep you wondering! I could easily recommend The Toymaker, it is highly memorable and one that I will enjoy reading again and again!
fictionfascination.blogspot.co.uk
June 19, 2015
This book had a lot of potential but I think that I didn't like it that much because when I saw the title and the plot summary, I thought it would be about the secret of the Toymaker but in reality, the Toymaker was only seen in the prologue and at the last few chapters and at those last few chapters, he was one of the bad guys when there's no indication in the prologue that he was one. Sure, the guy was taking sparrows' hearts to bring his toys to life but how did he evolved from that to using human hearts? I'm disappointed that that wasn't included in the story. It would've been cooler too if toys other than Marguerite the lie detector was included as well.
As for the characters, I didn't find them likable, they were realistic but not likable. Especially Katta! Girl, if you're being chased by a killer dwarf man with nine lives now is not the time for revenge! At least do it after you've finish your mission.
Whenever she makes a move I'd either have to momentarily close the book and sigh or skip the whole page. The girl was stupid and reckless. I swear, there's no character development with her, or with the other characters.
Other than what I just wrote about, I think the rest was okay. The writing style was pretty good. You'd expect it to be scary but I thought it was pretty tame. I think the ending was fantastic but it was something that I wasn't surprised about in a book that's entitled "The Toymaker"
As for the characters, I didn't find them likable, they were realistic but not likable. Especially Katta! Girl, if you're being chased by a killer dwarf man with nine lives now is not the time for revenge! At least do it after you've finish your mission.
Whenever she makes a move I'd either have to momentarily close the book and sigh or skip the whole page. The girl was stupid and reckless. I swear, there's no character development with her, or with the other characters.
Other than what I just wrote about, I think the rest was okay. The writing style was pretty good. You'd expect it to be scary but I thought it was pretty tame. I think the ending was fantastic but it was something that I wasn't surprised about in a book that's entitled "The Toymaker"
May 26, 2012
This book opens with a completely different tangent to the protagonist that it follows. this is all revealed toward the end. I suggest you do not let young children read this for it is no where near a happy story. That beging said; if you enjoy spine chilling delectible villians who make reading this book at night extremely difficult then this book is yours. Quidt seems to write very bluntly, he does not water things down and so the creepyness and fear created from Toymaker is enhanced. I cannot prove this with an example but I can say that i was reading this book on the bus and something so thrilling happened at one stage I clamped it shut so hard that everyone jumped. The protagonist is a child and so you cross your fingers that he stays safe, the book follows his journey to seek out one single truth and yes, many people are in his way. It is not a simple read, the plot extends far beyond its protagonist as it unfolds. Some aspects of this story are confronting which is why I wouldn't let younger children read this novel. I stress again that this is not a happy book to the point where death is involved. It is a dark thriller but very grasping at the same time. It is original and creative in its depiction of perhaps an unfortunate series of event which fall upon its male protagonist.
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