Category 20: A book with a cover you hate
The Hunchback Assignments
Author: Arthur Slade
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada
Published: 2009 (first published September 22 2007)
Page count: 275
Genres: scifi, steampunk, mystery, historical, adaptation
Page count: 275
Genres: scifi, steampunk, mystery, historical, adaptation
Date read: September 22, 2018
Number of times read: 2
Format: hardcoverSource: Chapters/Indigo
Summary
A gripping new series combines Steampunk, spying, and a fantastic Victorian London.
The mysterious Mr. Socrates rescues Modo, a child in a traveling freak show. Modo is a hunchback with an amazing ability to transform his appearance, and Mr. Socrates raises him in isolation as an agent for the Permanent Association, a spy agency behind Brittania’s efforts to rule the empire. At 14, Modo is left on the streets of London to fend for himself. When he encounters Octavia Milkweed, another Association agent, the two uncover a plot by the Clockword Guild behind the murders of important men. Furthermore, a mad scientist is turning orphan children into automatons to further the goals of the Guild. Modo and Octavia journey deep into the tunnels under London and discover a terrifying plot against the British government. It’s up to them to save their country.-- via Goodreads
A gripping new series combines Steampunk, spying, and a fantastic Victorian London.
The mysterious Mr. Socrates rescues Modo, a child in a traveling freak show. Modo is a hunchback with an amazing ability to transform his appearance, and Mr. Socrates raises him in isolation as an agent for the Permanent Association, a spy agency behind Brittania’s efforts to rule the empire. At 14, Modo is left on the streets of London to fend for himself. When he encounters Octavia Milkweed, another Association agent, the two uncover a plot by the Clockword Guild behind the murders of important men. Furthermore, a mad scientist is turning orphan children into automatons to further the goals of the Guild. Modo and Octavia journey deep into the tunnels under London and discover a terrifying plot against the British government. It’s up to them to save their country.-- via Goodreads
Review
I hate the cover of this book haha. It's just schlocky and disjointed to me. It's made up of too many disparate elements that don't fit together well in my opinion. So, that's why I chose it for this category. My opinions about the cover don't extend to the story itself, I really and truly did enjoy this book and I can't wait to read the other three books in the series. It's a Canadian written YA series that is predominately steampunk with a mix of mystery. It's also a hint of adaptation, the main character Modo seems to be an adaptation of Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame de-aged and moved to London from Paris. He's got shapeshifting powers in this adaptation too. So Mr Socrates trains him up to be a spy.
It's a really interesting premise, we spend the first part of the book with Modo as he grows up in seclusion training to be a spy for Mr Socrates's organisation. He has a very isolated childhood with only his tutor and governess for regular companionship, Modo thinks of her as a mother almost. He also occasionally has training sessions in combat with one of Mr Socrates's assets and sees Mr Socrates every now and then. But he never sees himself, they don't allow him to have any mirrors as he grows up so he learns about his appearance mainly through his sense of touch. This situation immediately gives the reader a sense of fellowship with Modo, we can really feel for him and we want to see him come out on top and be happy. It's a good tool for aligning the readers with the protagonist.
The rest of the story takes place once Mr Socrates sends Modo out into the world to fend for himself and he finds himself very well prepared in some ways but very unprepared in others. He doesn't have street smarts, but luckily he hooks up with another of Mr Socrates's agents, Octavia, and she does have street smarts. Together the two actually make a very capable team as they find themselves enmeshed in a plot to destroy the empire. Pretty typical steampunk fair at that point. But it's still handled in a unique enough way to make the plot stand out from other steampunk that I've read. Modo's ability to change his appearance, of course, comes in hand from time to time throughout the adventure. And Octavia is a very interesting character, like many steampunk heroines she's ahead of her time in terms of her politics and she's definitely a badass good girl who can handle herself. She and Modo manage to each rescue each other pretty regularly which is refreshing. It's nice that the guy doesn't always have to come to the girl's aide and that she can teach him a trick or two herself.
It's a really fun start to the series and as I said before I am really interested to finish out the series.
What do you think of taking public domain characters and putting them into completely new situations?
It's a really interesting premise, we spend the first part of the book with Modo as he grows up in seclusion training to be a spy for Mr Socrates's organisation. He has a very isolated childhood with only his tutor and governess for regular companionship, Modo thinks of her as a mother almost. He also occasionally has training sessions in combat with one of Mr Socrates's assets and sees Mr Socrates every now and then. But he never sees himself, they don't allow him to have any mirrors as he grows up so he learns about his appearance mainly through his sense of touch. This situation immediately gives the reader a sense of fellowship with Modo, we can really feel for him and we want to see him come out on top and be happy. It's a good tool for aligning the readers with the protagonist.
The rest of the story takes place once Mr Socrates sends Modo out into the world to fend for himself and he finds himself very well prepared in some ways but very unprepared in others. He doesn't have street smarts, but luckily he hooks up with another of Mr Socrates's agents, Octavia, and she does have street smarts. Together the two actually make a very capable team as they find themselves enmeshed in a plot to destroy the empire. Pretty typical steampunk fair at that point. But it's still handled in a unique enough way to make the plot stand out from other steampunk that I've read. Modo's ability to change his appearance, of course, comes in hand from time to time throughout the adventure. And Octavia is a very interesting character, like many steampunk heroines she's ahead of her time in terms of her politics and she's definitely a badass good girl who can handle herself. She and Modo manage to each rescue each other pretty regularly which is refreshing. It's nice that the guy doesn't always have to come to the girl's aide and that she can teach him a trick or two herself.
It's a really fun start to the series and as I said before I am really interested to finish out the series.
What do you think of taking public domain characters and putting them into completely new situations?
Overall Rating
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| 4 bolts |
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