Michelle Lovric

I picked this up from a load of donated books...and it's MUCH better and VASTLY more literary than I expected.
This is a SERIOUSLY weird tale, told by five separate people in consecutive sections.
First we have arch-fiend, Venetian nobleman MinguilloFasan. Repulsive, warped ...and with an unpleasing penchant for collewcting books bound in human skin ...he is not pleased when he gets a baby sister.
And then we have the lovely Marcella, a hapless victim to her evil brother's torture.
Well meaning show more servant Gianni, who- under a cover of obtuseness- onserves his master's misdeeds.
Heroic young doctor, Santo Aldobrandini,enamoured with poor Marcella- but powerless as she is committed to a lunatic asylum...and ultimately to a nunnery in Peru.
And lastly, perhaps the most grisly creation in literature, warped Peruvian nun, Sor Loreta - an aspiring saint despite her murderous and psychotic intentions towards those around her. Much self-flagelation and much worse...
Couldnt put it down ...highly original and well researched. show less

I think I would have been predisposed to love 'The Undrowned Child' purely based on its historical setting in turn of the century Venice - one of my favourite cities in the world - but there is so much more to this book than its wonderful historical detail. For a start, the two child protagonists are both exceptionally bright, gifted children, which was wonderful, and Teodora in particular is a wonderful character, and, I'm sure, an excellent role model for girls, as she gets by on her show more brains and her courage, rather than her looks.
Added to which, there are genuinely scary bits in the novel, at the perfect level for more adventurous child readers, and the ghosts and mermaids that populate the novel are charming characters. But, honestly, Venice is the star of the show in this one, and it made me desperate to go back there for a visit and see if I could find all of the places in the book.
I have seen people comparing Lovric's novel to Harry Potter, and, while I remain a big fan of the Potter books, I think saying 'The Undrowned Child' is like Harry Potter is completely ignoring the rich tradition of children's literature that both books draw from.
Certainly, it could be argued that 'The Undrowned Child' shares some plot points with HP, and there is a lot of humour in both writers' work, but Lovric's work, in my opinion, is much more literary, and perhaps has the more serious tone.
I honestly can't recommend this book highly enough for anyone who enjoys cross-over fiction and children's literature, and I can not wait for the second book, 'The Mourning Emporium', to come out later in 2010. show less

So I picked this book up because I hoped it would have mermaids and yes, it totally did have mermaids in, but that was not all! It had everything: mermaids that swore like sailors, evil seagulls, ghost both evil and nice, cats of all sizes with WINGS, statues coming to life, werewolves, darkelves, a great evil returning from beyond the grave, sharks ... basically it had so many magical creatures I lost count and it was amazing.

Venice is in trouble, and Teadora is the only one who can save it show more from turning into a swamp and having everyone dying. With the help of a magical book (YES, magical book!) and her snobbish but brave friend Renzo she sets out to stop a great evil ... by cursing at it.

I love long children's fantasy books. They have all the twists and turns and magic of any good fantasy book, but you don't have to deal with the dark and edgy topics of rape and shit that adults feel they need to include to have a good time. It's just fanastical story WITH MERMAIDS WHO SPEAKS LIKE PIRATES. I mean I can't stress that part enough.

Loved it. I really did. show less

"This is going to be a little uncomfortable" is one of the opening statements of this book and it's true. Told from five alternating view points this historical story of obsession, madness, self-delusion and love is definitely an uncomfortable read.

I really don't want to say too much about the story or characters because I think it would be better left unsaid. All I can say is that this is one of those books that makes evil compellingly readable. Lovric successfully uses the five distinct show more voices to develop her story which is rich in historical detail. Set in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century moving between Venice and Peru we follow as Marcella Fasan tries to survive her psychopathic brother, Minguillo.

Not an easy read but if you fancy something that leaves you needing a long shower after turning the last pages you won't go far wrong in reading this. show less