Book Review -- The Kneebone Boy

Title: The Kneebone Boy
Author: Ellen Potter
Genre: YA adventure
Pages: Hardback, 282
Published: 2010
Opening Lines: "There were three of them. Otto was the oldest, and the oddest. Then there was Lucia, who wished something interesting would happen. Last of all was Max, who always thought he knew better."

"The Hardscrabble children are weird.

"Otto doesn't speak.

"Lucia is shamelessly candid.

"And Mas likes to sit on the roof of their house.

"Life in a small town can be pretty boring when everyone avoids toy like the plague. But after their father unwittingly sends them to stay with an aunt on holiday, the children take off on an adventure that ends in a peculiar seaside village where legend has it a monstrous creature lives who is half boy and half animal . . ."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: This book follows the story of three siblings on their adventure in the castle folly and the Kneebone castle. After being sent to a relative in London -- and finding she was really in Berlin -- the Hardscrabble children end up journeying to a small town on the coast in search of a great aunt none of the three had met -- or knew existed! While there, they learn amazing secrets that will change their lives.

I'm not sure what I expected when I got this book from the library. From the over and the description, I definitely predicted the dark, strange children that the book follows. Even though the children were strange, I found them extremely endearing! Though I guessed who the narrator ultimately was, I felt that keeping the narrator unnamed really did add to the story. We are told, "I can't tell you which Hardscrabble I am . . . because I've sworn on pain of torture not to. They said it's because the story belongs to all three of us . . ." This was a good choice!

When everything is fully revealed, it makes perfect sense. However, I didn't see it coming! I felt as though I was swept up into the adventure with the three children. It was hard to put the book down, because I was dying to know what would happen next.

This book was lovely! The writing style is simple, yet it doesn't lack or want for anything. The characters are extremely different and amazingly colourful! This was a very well craft story, and, I must say, it has been one of the better books I have read this year! I would highly recommend it!

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Current Pages: 11958
Current Progress:

34/50 books