The Clockwork Three

Shades of [b:Hugo Cabret|67593|The Invention of Hugo Cabret|Brian Selznick|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170676646s/67593.jpg|527941], [b:Thief Lord|113304|The Thief Lord|Cornelia Funke|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1280990877s/113304.jpg|3313414], and [b:Oliver Twist|18254|Oliver Twist|Charles Dickens|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255733364s/18254.jpg|3057979], with a sort of Gangs of New York setting, brought together in a kind of magical, sad, but ultimately hopeful, plot. Once I was about halfway through, I found this big, ambitious first novel hard to put down.

It's basically about three kids with very hard lives wandering around a big 19th Century New England city (presumably New York, though it isn't actually show more identified as such). They're each deeply troubled in some way, and each yearns for a specific solution to their grief. As it turns out, the answers to their problems lay in working together.

Like another new book I read earlier this year ([b:Boys Without Names|6580712|Boys without Names|Kashmira Sheth|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1250894213s/6580712.jpg|6774144]), there is a lot of child labor in this story. We see how in early America children were kidnapped and sold into slavery, or forced to work long hours to support their struggling families. It's very sad and distressing. But our young heroes are resilient despite the burdens placed on them.

I don't want to give away the plot, which is actually pretty complicated and hard to sum up. Suffice it to say, this has the potential to be really popular, and deservedly so. Kirby has a gift for describing the emotional turmoil his three main characters struggle with, and he makes each of them likable and believable in their own way. Giuseppe is the youngest, a busker with a heart of gold. Hannah loves to read, but is forced to quit school and go to work as a maid when her father can no longer provide for his family. Frederick, the oldest, lives in relative ease as a clockmaker's apprentice, but his memories of living in a terrible sweat shop/orphanage haunt him. Throw in a golem, a spiritualist, a park warden, a mysterious treasure, and an old churchyard and you've got yourself plenty of material for a great story. show less

Guiseppe spends his days as a busker playing violin on the street corners and hoping to earn enough for the meager food and shelter provided by his evil padrone, Stephano. But when he finds the beautiful green violin in the washed up debris from a shipwreck he begins to dream that there might be a way to return to his home in Italy. Hannah works as a maid in a beautiful downtown hotel, waiting on and cleaning up after the wealthy who are oblivious to her plight as the only means of support for her family after her father suffered a stroke. She learns of a treasure hidden by a former guest, and hopes to find it and save her family from the streets. And Frederick works as an apprentice clockmaker for Master Branch, who saved him from a show more workhouse/orphanage. He is perhaps most comfortable but he burns with a desire to prove himself and works secretly on a clockwork automaton in the form of a man in the hope it will help him make journeyman, allowing him to open his own shop. But all three of their paths eventually cross and they join to help each other in this story with a basis in real historical events of 1870s New York.

A couple months ago my family and I were in a bookstore and my 8 year old daughter made a bit of a fuss over this book (I was able to obtain an advance reader copy from Amazon Vine instead). After she and I started reading it together I realized that it's a bit over her head - more on a reading level for my 11 year old daughter (I think the recommendation of grades 5-8 is very appropriate). But once I began reading it on my own I couldn't put it down. The story starts a bit slow as it rotates among the three children who are seemingly unconnected to one another, but soon enough you're easily drawn into their lives and the troubles they face.

But while the story is good and will certainly appeal strongly to kids, it's Matthew Kirby's writing that I found especially captivating. It's books and writers like this that make me think that YA fiction is too often underrated. Mr. Kirby's words have a magical color and life to them that breathes life into the story, leaving even adults in the grip of a tale they can't put down. He's a very talented writer and I look forward to more from him (there were a few loose ends here, making me hope there might be room for more from this story). Highly recommended. show less

I was really craving a different kind of book during the time many years ago (I'm really into horror, fantasy and sci-fi for novels) so steampunk sometimes satisfies when I have that craving. One aspect of this book I really liked was how everything came full circle and every character's story ended up intertwining and connecting with one another, like clockwork. It doesn't necessarily pander to tugging on heartstrings to come across as overly emotional, so it has confident heart to it. I'm actually a little surprised this wasn't turned into a series of some sort and the author didn't write more of it. I think a lot of it was left open for the reader's own imagination- which I approve of. Not everything needs a sequel, a prequel, or a show more rehash. Good read if you need a stand-alone novel with steampunk flavor that re-imagines the 19th century.

Spoiler? Alert: My favorite part of the book is when it is revealed what 'the tiger' actually is.

Fun fact: The author got inspiration from this book reading a newspaper story from 1873 of a boy who was kidnapped and forced to play the violin on the street for money. He eventually escaped. (This is also one of the main character's backstories in the book) show less

I got an advanced reading copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. It was a fantastic read, I really enjoyed it. Extremely well written, I loved the writing style and enjoyed how the stories of three children were woven together.

Giuseppe is an orphan who is living as a busker and trying to survive under a brutal padrone named Stephano. When he finds a green violin that seems magical when he plays it he thinks it may help him escape back to his home in Italy. Frederick is a clockmaker's apprentice who wants to make something spectacular so that he can make journeyman and set up his own shop. If only he could find a way to build the head for his clockwork man. Hannah is a maid at a hotel; she works long hours to support her show more father who is paralyzed, her mother who cares for him, and her two younger sisters. When she finds out about a treasure hidden somewhere in the hotel she is desperate to find it. These three teenagers find their mysteries and stories entwine.

I absolutely loved this story. It takes place in London in the Victorian time period. It is more about magical realism than any straight out magic. There is a steampunk theme throughout because of all of the automatons and clockwork that Frederick does. The writing is just absolutely beautiful; it flows wonderfully, is descriptive, and easy to read. I really enjoyed the writing style a lot.

The characters are absolutely wonderful, they all strive to be the best they can and are hopeful despite their dank surroundings. Each of the children has mysteries from the past that they need to solve and are striving to create better futures for themselves and those around them. These characters were absolutely engaging and lots of fun to read about.

In the beginning of the book each chapter is from a different characters' perspective, but occasionally the characters cross paths. Then as the book goes on the three characters' stories become increasingly dependent on each other and more and more entangled.

The plot was full of twists and turns and surprises. You never knew exactly how anything was going to end up. There are so many mysteries in this book and it was such fun to read how these mysteries were solved and there outcomes.

There is magic in this book but it is subtle. In this case it is the magic's subtley that make it feel even more magical. Guiseppe's violin playing is magical, Frederick's automaton are magical, and Hannah's search for the treasure is too.

I loved how nicely everything was wrapped up in the end. This is a book suitable for all ages. The story-telling is very well done and just expertly told.

Overall just a wonderful book. I highly recommend it to readers of all ages. Readers who love mystery in a Victorian setting and with a touch of magic will love this. The writing quality and story telling ability of the author are exceptional. The characters struggle, but are hopeful and I love the way things end. Just a wonderfully told story, I will definitely check out Kirby's future books. show less

This is a satisfying story of friendship, adventure, magic, and hope set in a 19th century industrial America with steampunk-clockwork-fantasy elements.

The Clockwork Three tells the story of three children, each in struggling or desperate situations, whose efforts to improve their lots intertwine in unexpected ways. Giuseppe is an orphaned street busker, trapped in a vicious, exploitative situation with his padrone, who finds a magical green violin that may help him find freedom. Frederick is an apprentice clockmaker with a tortured past but a promising future as he secretly creates a fantastic, but possibly dangerous, clockwork automaton. Hannah is a poor maid at a fancy hotel, trying to save her family from poverty and her father from show more debilitating illness, who meets a mysterious woman with supernatural powers.

Matthew Kirby effortlessly weaves these stories together, throwing in a treasure hunt, suspense and action, and the developing bonds of friendship and love among children unused to allies or help. show less

A hidden treasure, a green violin, and a clockwork man's head - three valuable items so different, yet they bring the lives of three young people together. Giuseppe is an orphan who is forced to play music to earn money for his master. Once he finds the green violin, he realizes he can earn enough money to keep some for himself, and eventually go home to Italy. Hannah works at a grand hotel to help her family, but her encounter with Madame Pomeroy gives her hope that her family will be well and whole again one day. Frederick is an apprentice clock maker who was saved from a horrible orphanage; he secretly works at night to build a clockwork man the likes of which have not been seen. As the three search for their desires, they meet by show more chance and help each other on their journeys. And as they search, they realize friendship is as important as the material desires they were searching for. This book full of mystery and magic is a perfect bedtime story. It kept me turning pages long after I should have gone to sleep; I wanted to know what would happen to Giuseppe, Hannah, and Frederick, and to know they would be safe. They learn such an important lesson - that material goods are not the only part of life. Friends and family, as well as trust and faith, are what make our lives rich and full. show less

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: This book was written with a younger audience in mind, but would be entertaining for anyone to read. Elements of history combined with fantasy make it a good escape.

Opening Sentence: When Guiseppe found the green violin, he did not think it would help him escape.

The Review:

This book was definitely one that was hard to put down. The rhythm of it was fast-paced the entire time, which would make it more entertaining for the younger audience for whom it was written, but a quick, fun read for teens or adults as well. It was almost like a book of three short stories that combines at the end to become one story, so there is always something going on.

In case the reader misses this point, like show more I did, I would like to point out that the history behind the book’s storyline is shared in the About the Author section at the end of the book, and I think knowing that a main portion of the book is based on a true story really adds to the emotion and the drama of the storyline. But I’ll let you check that out yourself if you would like.

As it is set in a historical time period, the children are all carrying much more responsibility than we are used to for children today. They are basically children who work as adults, but with adults still controlling their lives. This book has quite dark undertones, and at some point I was questioning whether it was really appropriate for children in the audience for which is was written. Since it is based in a real historical time period, many of the dark elements were actual real fears that children in that age range would have had to face. I think it would be important to discuss that if reading this in a school or family setting.

Each of the children characters has largely different circumstances, but is at a turning point with the obstacle they are facing where they will either succumb to the weight they are carrying or rise above it. Although they are hesitant to do so, they must learn to trust other people to even give them a hope of overcoming the tremendous burdens that they have been faced with. In doing so, they must not only decide whom to trust, but must also fight back by attempting some not so commendable acts themselves. The children all end up admitting each of their follies at the appropriate time, however, showing that they too are trustworthy, just desperate enough to go against their inherently innocent nature.

The character progression is one of the most intriguing things about this book. It is definitely a coming-of-age story for the three main characters. I struggle with one aspect of the book, and that is that many of the problems are solved through somewhat mysterious means. Most of the events can be explained scientifically, but there are a few instances that are attributed to magic of some sort. I wish that the author would have found a more realistic way for the children to overcome their obstacles, since I feel that the overall purpose of the book is to show that children are certainly capable of something more than we credit them for.

Even with an Epilogue, this book definitely would have made an excellent series. The characters and plot are so well-developed by the end of the book that there definitely could have been more, but I suppose it’s that way with any good story. This one is definitely that enjoyable and the reader definitely becomes that close to the characters, wanting to step into the book and help somehow, to make sure that each child makes it safely to adulthood.

Notable Scene:

“You poor thing,” Alice said. “I wish there was something I could do.”

It seemed as though that was just something adults said. Adults like Reverend Grey. But Guiseppe felt that they were saying it more to themselves, so they felt less guilty about doing nothing. But he did not blame them. What they could do for him, they had done.

FTC Advisory: Scholastic Press provided me with a copy of The Clockwork Three. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. show less