Alex and the Ironic Gentleman, or The Wigpowder Treasure

Alex and the Ironic Gentleman is not about a little boy named Alex. Nor is it about a gentleman who uses irony. It is about Alex Morningside - who is a girl, thank you very much - and her quest to rescue her sixth grade teacher from some very nasty pirates. Along the way, Alex has one surreal adventure after the next - from a mysterious train ride where one person disappears after every meal, to a chaotic movie set where Alex must cajole the star giant octopus into acting his part, to a massive and wonderful hotel with no guests.Alex is a delightful heroine. She's always an active participant - this is a girl who knows how to make things happen, instead of waiting for things to happen to her. And her complete indifference when people show more assume she is a boy is refreshing. As the narrator puts it, "it wasn't that she wanted to be a boy or anything, it was simply that she didn't see much difference in being treated as a girl or boy. Because, after all, everyone is just people."Adrienne Kress has a way with words. Her delightfully droll asides can only be described as Lemony Snicket-esque. And like in Mr. Snicket's books, the narrator of Alex and the Ironic Gentleman is directly addressing the reader with witty wordplay and little bits of additional information. It's a narrative device that is charming in the beginning of the story, and really serves to draw the reader in. I was delighted to find that as the tone got a little bit grating, the author backed off. When the action really gets going, the narrative asides and bits of backstory come further apart and get out of the way of the story.This is a book with a funny sense of time and place - while it reads like a historical adventure novel, little bits of the modern world find their way into the text. The laptops and automated refrigerators felt like an anomaly in the world of the story. But in this strange book, throwing the reader for a loop is the norm - as the little old ladies of the innocent-seeming Daughters of the Founding Fathers' Preservation Society will attest.For readers who can't get enough of Alex's adventures, the next book in the series, Timothy and the Dragon's Gate, was recently released. show less

A girl sets out on a quest to rescue her sixth-grade teacher from pirates. If you enjoyed "A Series of Unfortunate Events", you'll probably like this one as there's a massive similarity in tone, world-building style, and narrative voice. Not to say that's a bad thing, and the plot's all new, but it is very noticeable.

Overall, I found it enjoyable, though the middle section of the book is decidedly odd, consisting of several unrelated episodes that don't have anything to do with anything before or after them and which introduce fantasy elements not present in the rest of the story. One almost wonders if the author found herself short on a word count. It feels a little bit like a LucasArts adventure game in novel form, where nothing will show more happen if the protagonist doesn't make it happen and everyone else is useless and obstinate. All this sounds rather negative but it isn't really at all; it's a very strange way of putting a novel together but it does work.

Age-ranking this one was difficult; the usual way to judge (knocking a couple of years off of the protagonist's age) would seem to indicate it's for eight-and-a-half-year-olds and up, but I think I'd actually put it a little older--there's a quite a body count and some of what happens gets pretty hardcore for a children's novel. Some kids could read this at eight and be perfectly fine, but some couldn't, so be aware. show less

This book was everything I expected it to be! It was adorable, it was brilliantly funny, the main character was a kickass girl who can stand her own in the midst of a world full of grownups (some of whom want to do some not-so-nice things to her). The only thing it was missing was more pirates.

(I mean, yes, there were pirates. And treasure hunting. And a female pirate captain. But every book could use MORE pirates, especially one that is about a pirate ship.)

From the moment Alex’s sixth grade teacher, Mr. Underwood, graced the pages, I knew I was going to like the variety of characters in this book. The descendent of a pirate who teaches his students how to fence in gym class? Gee, I’ll just add him to the list of fictional teachers show more I wish I had as a kid! But then we also meet a world famous actor (who also happens to be an octopus), a drunk magician, and pirates! Pirates pirates pirates! Wahoo!

(Yes, I like pirates.)

I really wish my friends had kids who were old enough for me to give them this book, because it is seriously an awesome book and I have a feeling that a lot of kids would really like it. It’s practically non-stop action, with such a colourful cast of characters and is told in such a unique voice.

As much as I’m raving about the pirates, the way Kress narrated this was one of the most enjoyable aspects of this book. For example, take this random passage about Alex’s uncle’s shop:

Alex’s uncle’s shop was useful because Alex’s uncle sold doorknobs, and what could be more necessary than that? If you didn’t have doorknobs you would find yourself trapped in your own home, or worse, unable to get into your own home, and you’d have to sleep outside on the street. And then your own home itself would become useless. Which would be horrible.

Yes, the passage is kind of random, and yet it fits so perfectly with who Alex is and with the types of people that she meets throughout the book. And it makes it very difficult not to giggle when reading this book out in public. (You’ve been warned.)

The Bottom Line
Such a fun book! I’m going to be looking out for Kress’s other MG book, and cannot wait for her YA novel to come out this year! show less

Alex and the Ironic Gentleman by Adrienne Kress

Often stories considered suitable for children will be rather pedantic or watered down versions of adult tales, especially adventure stories. The best stories, the stories that go on to be classics, appeal to a wider audience and talk to their child readers as equals, as beings capable of thought and imagination, not just simple minded adults. Alex and the Ironic Gentleman is one of those stories. The story is about Alex’s journey to rescue her 6th grade teacher after his kidnapping by pirates and the strange situations she finds herself in along the way. Kress doesn’t pull any punches. There is death and violence in the book but it doesn’t get in the way of the wondrous world and show more fabulous imagery of the story.

The book is written as if you are sitting at the feet of a respected elder and it is them, not the book, who is telling you about Alex’s strange modern/old fashioned world. There is one scene where Alex is on a train where the descriptions of the décor and characters instantly transport you into a 1920’s art deco painting. The scenes are so cleverly done that you don’t know where you are going until you are there, all you know is that you really enjoyed the trip. show less

This book was awesome!! It's about a girl who is an orphan living with her uncle, whose teacher is heir to a pirate fortune. The teacher gets kidnapped by other pirates who want the treasure for themselves, and Alex (who is actually a girl) goes to rescue him. The journey to rescue her teacher is completely, hilariously insane, from the octopus who wants to be an actor to the talking fridge who helps Alex make scones. This story is genius.

Review in pictures: http://bibliovermis.com/archives/470

This book was a joy to read. Very funny, with an unquestionably enjoyable main character. The book doesn't shy away from sad subjects and character growth, although it maintains its humorous tone throughout. It reminded me quite strongly of Roald Dahl's wonderful books for children, and the way that whatever happened next would be a delightful surprise. That holds true for this book, and I loved it.

Lady Wombat says:

My daughter read this with her dad, then asked me to read it to her so I would know what it was about. There was a lot to like about the book, particularly the voice of the intrusive narrator and the character of Alex. I felt, though, that Kress wasn't that familiar with genre conventions, for she mixed elements from lighthearted adventure, spooky/creepy fantasy (a la Neil Gaiman/CORALINE), horror, and realism together without regard for the way that these different genres set different expectations for their readers. I like it when authors break conventions, but only when they KNOW they are breaking them, and are breaking them for a reason. In this book, it just felt like Kress didn't know any better, didn't know how show more one genre's conventions are often at odds with another's...

The peripatetic plot also left me confused -- the opening so clearly promises a pirate adventure story, but doesn't deliver it until the final quarter of the book. In between Alex slips into fantasy spaces -- a train where people gradually disappear, a movie set with a talking star octopus, a hotel with no guests -- each fascinating, but with no real connection to the main pirate plot.

An author worth watching... show less