coleyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
teacher2library's review against another edition
5.0
What an unexpectedly delightful mix of spooky and sweet! RTC soon.
phyrre's review against another edition
5.0
You can read my full review on my blog, The Writerly Way, here.
I actually picked this up from the library, when a patron returned it and said he enjoyed it. So I thought, why not? I like to know what my patrons enjoy. Boy am I glad I did!
- Right from the very start, this book is creepy and atmospheric, but in a very age appropriate way. It feels like a nice middle ground for kids who are a little too young for traditionally scary books like Goosebumps, but are wanting something a little more on the spooky side. It’s more along the veins of Small Spaces by Katherine Arden. While I was never really creeped out (I am an adult, thank you very much *flips feather boa over shoulder*), there were moments that were deliciously creepy that I appreciated. The atmosphere, though, was dark and gothic and heavy, like you know there’s a monster lurking somewhere in the pages, waiting for some unsuspecting reader to wander along.
- There’s spooky woods AND a spooky house, and be still, my trope-loving little heart. I want all the spooky, haunted things, and this book just really delivered. The plot unravels little by little, where at first you’re just a little suspicious, but it gets dark pretty quickly. Scary things never stay where they belong. I appreciated how the plot grew darker as it went on and the mystery unraveled a little at a time. It kept me wanting to find out what was next.
- The characters in this are just too cute and easy to love, a mixture of snark and adolescence and obstinance and all sorts of goodness. Lucy is a fun narrator, because she’s just a little snarky, but also caring and protective and brave. Oliver is a fun counterpoint, because he’s the older, more reliable big brother who happens to be suffering from the unfortunate side effects of puberty … but Lucy is still his sister, despite everything. And the clock animals? Well, they’re a treat that you’ll just have to discover for yourself.
- Family is a big theme of this, both family coming together and falling apart. I appreciated how this was done, because family is hard, y’all. Even when you love them, at the best of times, it’s a tribulation. The foremost family is the Tinkers, who are reeling from the loss of their mother and wife, which is hard enough. Add a little dash of financial problems, and it’s a recipe for disaster, right? The way each character handled this was different, and I felt for all of them. I can’t really say more about the whole theme of family without running amok of spoilers, but suffice it to say that it was quite thoughtful and rather touching.
I actually picked this up from the library, when a patron returned it and said he enjoyed it. So I thought, why not? I like to know what my patrons enjoy. Boy am I glad I did!
- Right from the very start, this book is creepy and atmospheric, but in a very age appropriate way. It feels like a nice middle ground for kids who are a little too young for traditionally scary books like Goosebumps, but are wanting something a little more on the spooky side. It’s more along the veins of Small Spaces by Katherine Arden. While I was never really creeped out (I am an adult, thank you very much *flips feather boa over shoulder*), there were moments that were deliciously creepy that I appreciated. The atmosphere, though, was dark and gothic and heavy, like you know there’s a monster lurking somewhere in the pages, waiting for some unsuspecting reader to wander along.
- There’s spooky woods AND a spooky house, and be still, my trope-loving little heart. I want all the spooky, haunted things, and this book just really delivered. The plot unravels little by little, where at first you’re just a little suspicious, but it gets dark pretty quickly. Scary things never stay where they belong. I appreciated how the plot grew darker as it went on and the mystery unraveled a little at a time. It kept me wanting to find out what was next.
- The characters in this are just too cute and easy to love, a mixture of snark and adolescence and obstinance and all sorts of goodness. Lucy is a fun narrator, because she’s just a little snarky, but also caring and protective and brave. Oliver is a fun counterpoint, because he’s the older, more reliable big brother who happens to be suffering from the unfortunate side effects of puberty … but Lucy is still his sister, despite everything. And the clock animals? Well, they’re a treat that you’ll just have to discover for yourself.
- Family is a big theme of this, both family coming together and falling apart. I appreciated how this was done, because family is hard, y’all. Even when you love them, at the best of times, it’s a tribulation. The foremost family is the Tinkers, who are reeling from the loss of their mother and wife, which is hard enough. Add a little dash of financial problems, and it’s a recipe for disaster, right? The way each character handled this was different, and I felt for all of them. I can’t really say more about the whole theme of family without running amok of spoilers, but suffice it to say that it was quite thoughtful and rather touching.
rouver's review against another edition
3.0
The Tinker family owes it's livelihood to their clock shop, which means they're living in poverty. When a mysterious man comes and offers Mr. Tinker tens of thousands of dollars to come and repair a clock in a newly-acquired & decaying mansion, he leaps at the chance. The children accompany him and encounter magical animals that are part of the gigantic cuckoo clock that generates 'power' for the house.
It's a fun little YA novel that is best if you don't look at the in-story logic too closely.
My biggest complaint is that of the two children, it's the girl that is ignored and brushed off by the father. And as is so stereotypical for girls in stories, she isn't interested or able to understand the mechanical workings of clocks.
It's a fun little YA novel that is best if you don't look at the in-story logic too closely.
My biggest complaint is that of the two children, it's the girl that is ignored and brushed off by the father. And as is so stereotypical for girls in stories, she isn't interested or able to understand the mechanical workings of clocks.
hue's review against another edition
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
5.0
Lucy and Oliver Tinker's father takes an job he can't refuse. The clockmaker, whose store is slowly dying, agrees to fix a house clock -- an entire-house-sized cuckoo clock that generates its own power, complete with life-sized animals at each hour number -- in exchange for moving into the house while repairs are underway.
But the animals are missing and when Lucy discovers they awake at midnight to hide from a crow, she has to get to the bottom of the mystery. Where are the rest of the animals and why aren't they in the clock? Why does the new house owner want her father to connect the clock to a new power source?
As the woods close in on the house, surrounding and then breaking in, will she and Oliver discover what makes the clock run in time to save everyone? And can they thwart the evil force that wants to claim the house as its own?
Visit my blog for more book reviews, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
But the animals are missing and when Lucy discovers they awake at midnight to hide from a crow, she has to get to the bottom of the mystery. Where are the rest of the animals and why aren't they in the clock? Why does the new house owner want her father to connect the clock to a new power source?
As the woods close in on the house, surrounding and then breaking in, will she and Oliver discover what makes the clock run in time to save everyone? And can they thwart the evil force that wants to claim the house as its own?
Visit my blog for more book reviews, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
neuroqueer's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
talesofteacups's review
3.0
3.5 ⭐
It was a lot of fun reading a middle-grade book for a change. I really liked the story and the different topics that were dealt with. It was very entertaining despite being so short, and had the right amount of family dynamics plus spooky haunted house vibes. However, the ending felt too rushed (I now know that there's a sequel that picks up where it left off) and some things were solved way too quickly. Also, there were some lowkey fatphobic comments here and there which were awful, especially because they were directed at a child.
It was a lot of fun reading a middle-grade book for a change. I really liked the story and the different topics that were dealt with. It was very entertaining despite being so short, and had the right amount of family dynamics plus spooky haunted house vibes. However, the ending felt too rushed (I now know that there's a sequel that picks up where it left off) and some things were solved way too quickly. Also, there were some lowkey fatphobic comments here and there which were awful, especially because they were directed at a child.
bookiesncreme's review
3.0
A House With a Clock in its Walls meets Nightmares! Entertaining, spooky, and corny (love vs. fear). Would recommend to kids 5th grade and up. I liked it more before the whole fear vs love thing, but again this is for kids. Will listen to the next book in the series.
TW for kids: cancer, chemo, some language in the beginning, and blood.
TW for kids: cancer, chemo, some language in the beginning, and blood.
connorjdaley's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was on my Spooky Season TBR last year, so I knew I had to get it done this time. So glad I did!
This middle grade fantasy/horror is like if somebody mixed Toy Story, Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien, the Alchemy of The Wizarding World, the imagination of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and the spooky-feels of R. L. Stine. This book was straight nostalgia for me. An absolute blast.
Lucy and her brother, Oliver, read as great and true siblings. After the passing of their mother, they are brought to Watch Hollow as their father works to repair a mysterious man’s grand clock. The adventure has them curious and anxious, and the house and area has all the spooky feels you’d expect.
The fantasy aspect of this novel, as it so often is, is the battle of good and evil, light and dark. In this case, fear vs. love. It was a refreshing take honestly, and it was still what you’d expect, just done really nicely.
There’s a sequel that I most definitely need to grab soon!