theweatherwriter's review
4.0
This book was a really fun read. Might be a little too dark themed for some younger readers. There are definitely dark themes but overall I liked the plot and characters. As a meteorologist, did enjoy how accurate the weather talk is.
thepageladies's review
4.0
Great read! It's a unique and heartwarming story! The world building is vivid and really interesting to learn about. The characters are fun and the friendship they have is something special. It's definitely different from any other ghost story I've ever read. It has some darker and sad moments but everything else was an entertaining adventure. It was an action packed fast paced adventure that will hopefully continue in another book! Thank you Rockstar Book Tours and Michael Mann for sharing this book with me!
constantinareads's review
4.0
This is a very imaginative and special approach to a scary story about ghosts. The conversation is clever and funny, and the plot also has some calm and reflective parts with Luke's relatives. This is an amazing story about a boy who fought hard to become free, even when it seemed impossible. I really love how Mann changed London to look like a steampunk world. I really enjoyed the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the book, and I thought the characters were enjoyable and entertaining. The story idea was very intriguing, and there was a lot of excitement and it was a quick book to read. I really liked the mysterious parts of the story and how everything was figured out at the end.
story_sanctuary's review against another edition
5.0
The story is set in an alternate London, one plagued by pollution and corruption. Children disappear. A factory that powers the city is secretly worked by children.
I liked Luke right away. He's desperate to get home to his family, but he can't turn his back on someone who needs help. When he meets a ghost and learns about a whole ghostly population of London, he realizes something bigger is going on than children going missing and appearing to work in the factory, and working with the ghosts may be the key to stopping the whole vicious cycle.
The whole story is whimsical and a fun adventure. I loved the oddness of the story world and especially Luke, Jess, and Stealth the cat.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.
I liked Luke right away. He's desperate to get home to his family, but he can't turn his back on someone who needs help. When he meets a ghost and learns about a whole ghostly population of London, he realizes something bigger is going on than children going missing and appearing to work in the factory, and working with the ghosts may be the key to stopping the whole vicious cycle.
The whole story is whimsical and a fun adventure. I loved the oddness of the story world and especially Luke, Jess, and Stealth the cat.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.
cupitonians's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Very good middle-grade debut novel by an author who is 'half' Yorkshire, 'half' Indian - just like my niblings. I enjoyed Luke Smith-Sharma's (the MC) navigation of what it means to have mixed identities, and his journey to finding himself. It does have dark themes of child labour, trafficking, and climate events caused by fossil fuel usage, but I feel that Gen Alpha readers (like our MCs Luke, Jess, Ravi and Alma) are aware and ready to fight the good fight for the collective good of humanity. I immediately added the second book to my TBR.
one_crazy_eliott's review
World was not explained enough. I wanted more explanation as to how the world got to this state. Also, Alma's character/personality annoyed me.
scuttlingclaws's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
kirasamana's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
mystic_dclouds's review
4.0
Special thanks to the authors, publisher & NetGalley for the review copy. All views and opinions expressed are honest and my own.
An intriguing story of a twelve year old’s quest to obtain freedom. Luke Smith-Sharma is a twelve year old who was kidnapped and forced to shovel underground in an old power station alongside many other kids. Their aim is to receive one of the amber tickets so they can rejoin their families and obtain their freedoms. However, when Luke gets punished during a kind gesture and has to clean the sewers he befriends a ghost named Alma and realizes the many truths behind what actually Tabatha Margate is doing in the power station.
This was a dark story with many dark elements. There is kidnapping, death, violence, abuse, sadness, threats, intimidation and more. This book wasn’t the happiest but it kept me hooked on every word. Luke was a character I could imagine. A simple boy who just wants to go back to his family by keeping his head down whilst also helping those who needed it because he’s kind. Luke’s character showed a measured growth in this story. He wasn’t the smartest or bravest and didn’t always make the best decisions, but that was what made him relatable.
I don’t know if this is a series but I need a second book. The author developed Luke’s friends so well that I was very interested in them. From Jess’s profound knowledge in plumbing, to Ravi’s ability to barter and get just the right items they needed, to Alma’s ghostly powers and directive, I desired more. It wasn’t a happy ending for them all to be honest and I think that’s what drives me to want to know more. It was a bittersweet ending for most, but it was one that seemed realistic.
The setting sometimes threw me off. I felt as though I was sometimes lost with the scenery. It is possible that maybe it’s because I don’t have any knowledge of traveling or history but I really did find some scenes hard to imagine. It made me miss out on some of the action and suspenseful scenes because I couldn’t visualize them.
The suspense, twist and turns in this book were spot on. There were many times I found I could guess what Tabatha was up to and what would happen next but was I wrong. The author did a great job in weaving little hints throughout the story and dialogue, making you believe something and then throwing something absolutely different yet believable at you.
Overall, this was a good read. It felt sad and disheartening at times, but it also made me cheer on the characters for their freedom.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
An intriguing story of a twelve year old’s quest to obtain freedom. Luke Smith-Sharma is a twelve year old who was kidnapped and forced to shovel underground in an old power station alongside many other kids. Their aim is to receive one of the amber tickets so they can rejoin their families and obtain their freedoms. However, when Luke gets punished during a kind gesture and has to clean the sewers he befriends a ghost named Alma and realizes the many truths behind what actually Tabatha Margate is doing in the power station.
This was a dark story with many dark elements. There is kidnapping, death, violence, abuse, sadness, threats, intimidation and more. This book wasn’t the happiest but it kept me hooked on every word. Luke was a character I could imagine. A simple boy who just wants to go back to his family by keeping his head down whilst also helping those who needed it because he’s kind. Luke’s character showed a measured growth in this story. He wasn’t the smartest or bravest and didn’t always make the best decisions, but that was what made him relatable.
I don’t know if this is a series but I need a second book. The author developed Luke’s friends so well that I was very interested in them. From Jess’s profound knowledge in plumbing, to Ravi’s ability to barter and get just the right items they needed, to Alma’s ghostly powers and directive, I desired more. It wasn’t a happy ending for them all to be honest and I think that’s what drives me to want to know more. It was a bittersweet ending for most, but it was one that seemed realistic.
The setting sometimes threw me off. I felt as though I was sometimes lost with the scenery. It is possible that maybe it’s because I don’t have any knowledge of traveling or history but I really did find some scenes hard to imagine. It made me miss out on some of the action and suspenseful scenes because I couldn’t visualize them.
The suspense, twist and turns in this book were spot on. There were many times I found I could guess what Tabatha was up to and what would happen next but was I wrong. The author did a great job in weaving little hints throughout the story and dialogue, making you believe something and then throwing something absolutely different yet believable at you.
Overall, this was a good read. It felt sad and disheartening at times, but it also made me cheer on the characters for their freedom.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf