Gregory Funaro

Oh, this book! Funaro's writing reminded me very much of J.K. Rowling's at the beginning of the Harry Potter series. So simple to read, but oh-so-much-fun! Yes, I'm raving, I adored this book! My one and only critique, is that the author overuses some of the characters catch phrases. Otherwise, superb!

In Odditorium, we meet Grubb, like the worm, but with a double 'b', in the case you were wanting to write it down. He was left on the doorstep of the Mr. and Mrs Smears when he was quite young. show more While on a job with Mr. Smears, he sneaks into a trunk and the next thing he knows, the carriage leave and shortly after, he's arrived at Alistair Grim's Odditorium. What goes on this place? Is Mr. Grimm truly a mad sorcerer? What will become of Grubb? You must read the book to find out! show less

The Tinkers are a family that's been through the mill, what with them falling on hard times, and the loss of one of their one, if a world could be shades of grey, theirs would be fading to black. One day, an offer that's SO GOOD it can't possibly be hiding anything dark or sinister (yeah, right, and my name is George Washington) is laid at the feet of their father. He's a kind, loving man, who just wants to see his family out of debt, while somehow rediscovering their joy of life, of show more togetherness, despite the cloud of sadness they remain cloaked in. Accepting the "gift" fate has granted him, he takes on the task of fixing a massive clock (with abilities much beyond that of telling time!) in a mysterious old house, in the mysterious (and perhaps enchanted?) dark woods of Watch Hollow. What could go wrong... *-*

Right from the start, I felt for Lucy and Oliver. No, I've not had the sadness of my heart breaking in the same way as theirs, but I definitely feel their pain in my own way. They were finding their way through the dark days that absence created and while getting on each other's nerves, they were also constantly on the look out for the other. It was utterly endearing and played an integral part throughout the story, including the DANGEROUS and SUSPENSE FILLED END. Though Oliver liked to reason his way through things, being close to teen-dom, he wasn't always thinking clearly...add in a dose of morose to the heart, and it's easy to see how the wool was pulled over his eyes, and yet I can't find room in my heart to totally write him off as a "bad guy" for his choices. Lucy is an equally lovable character, though prickly in her own right. Worried about worrying everyone else, she kept too many things to herself, but her heart was ever so much in the right place. Her kindness, her caring, her utter desire to do the right thing even when it was the hard thing to do, kept her shining in my eyes, even when her own self-esteem faltered.

All in all, it was DARK, and ENCHANTING, filled with HOPE and with DESTRUCTION, but in the end, it reminds us to love the ones we're with, try not to regret the past but most certainly learn from it, and always spare a bit of kindness for a stranger...just, you know, don't invite the darkness in.

**ecopy received for review show less

A struggling family (economically and emotionally) is offered a lucrative opportunity to fix a broken clock in the Watch Hollow mansion: the source of energy for the house. In a remote area of coastal New England, the decrepit mansion is surrounded by the creepy and creeping Shadow Woods, protected by sunstone and the failing cuckoo clock, with its twelve animal statues. Lucy, Oliver and Mr. Tinker find themselves battling the Garr, with only their wits and love for each other (and the show more strange animals) to defend themselves. Unlike most, I preferred Funaro's Alistair Grim's Odditorium because I thought the characters here were not fully developed in favor of the escalating battle between good and evil, which itself could have been better explained. show less

Jam-packed with imagination, this is a fast-paced adventure with something unexpected waiting around every bend.

Lucy and Oliver's father has been trying to keep his clock business afloat, but especially after the death of their mother, things aren't exactly easy. When a strange car and an even stranger man come into the picture, it appears that, at least, the financial worries might be taken care of for awhile. But the clock Lucy and Oliver's father is to fix is an intricate part of a show more strange house. Strange animals dwell there, and an evil monster, Garr, is trying to take everything over. Lucy and Oliver find themselves in the strangest yet most exciting adventure ever.

The thing which first struck me about this book was the descriptive writing. Unlike the author's last book, care and time is take to let a perfect setting and atmosphere evolve. While not running into the danger of being overly descriptive, just the right, tiny moments are picked out and brought to life. It sucks the reader right into the store and the characters, allowing them to meet on a personal level right away. And what wonderful characters they are.

While things appear to start out relatively normal, the book soon dives into a vivid and fantastic world. The creatures are fantasy pure, teetering on the border of extreme but never crossing over. It's a delight to meet every one. And, of course, the house itself is filled with amazement after amazement, making every nook and cranny an exciting discovery.

Lucy and Oliver are a great pair. Each has their very own personality and holds their own strengths. As siblings, they work together well and stand by the others side until the very end. Which is good, considering the very sticky, tense and difficult situations they find themselves in.

This is a read for middle graders who love to dive into the realm of imagination and adventure. There's never, ever a boring moment, and it's a world the reader is sure never to forget. show less