Tuesday, April 15, 2008

What Mrs N's Been Reading - The Death Collector


I'm way behind on these postings as well. If I can get to them all before I need to leave for a meeting, I have a 3 book backlog going that I hope to knock out today, or maybe tomorrow. First off is Justin Richards' The Death Collector. I enjoyed this one. You gotta love a book that starts out with these lines: "Four days after his own funeral, Albert Wilkes came home for tea. Even the dog knew there was something wrong." It takes place in Victorian London, so it has some of those Dickensian elements like the orphan pickpocket. But there's also a mystery, chase scenes, the evil rich guy trying to take over the world, his creepy henchmen who do his dirty work for him, and elements of an industrial Frankenstein. I always hesitate to say this anymore, after Stormbreaker, but this would make a pretty darn good movie in the right hands. There's plenty of action, likable characters, and opportunities to do some cool special effects. When I get a chance, I'm going to see if Richards has any other books out that I don't have in the collection. Highly recommended for middle schoolers especially, and especially boys. Enjoy!

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