Reviews

I had a fantastic time with this book. Wonderful and compelling illustrations, interesting tangents, an unlikely adventurer, a story within a story, so many parts that worked for me.

I must say there were certain aspects of the story towards the end that didn't work quite as well for me

regarding wormholes and the likes,

and there certainly language and attitutes that haven't aged well (racist and ableist remarks). Overall I really did enjoy the book though.

Content Warnings

manicule_megan's review against another edition

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3.0

I really had high hopes for this book. Granted, that could very easily be the problem... I understand that this is after all a book of fiction, but I really wish that the drawings were larger. T.S. is supposed to be incredibly intricate and detailed, and so should his drawings. It's upsetting to notice that a few were actually done on a computer, and not by hand... and the one's that were drawn by hand have been condensed down to the point that you can't really read anything. But yes, this is a book of fiction, and not an art book.

(the one drawing that upset me the most was the one found on page 53. Layton's contribution)

When it comes to the actual story, I found it to be incredibly abrupt. It's really a tale about the journey, but the journey itself is quite boring. In the end, it definitely feels like it should be in the young adult section more than anything else.

mitch_brook's review against another edition

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4.0

An eclectic and compelling story with an interesting focus character who gets into all sorts of trouble. The illustrations are great too!

hbcbray's review against another edition

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3.0

This is a charming, idiosyncratic, story of a young boy trying to understand his place in his family and in family events. Until TS just about gets to Chicago ... then it gets grandiose, weird, complicated, and overdone. It loses the small focus and clear expression that made it so charming to begin with, completely to the story's detriment.

jrosenstein's review against another edition

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4.0

Overall I really liked this book, especially the little maps, drawings, and notes in the margins. It's a moving reflection on family and the ways we try to make sense of the world. The titular character, a 12-year-old cartographer and illustrator in no way resembles any real 12-year-old but those of us who were, like me, both a little too precocious and a little too dreamy as children to fit in well will see part of themselves in him.

abiforslin's review against another edition

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2.0

Weirdest/Worst deus ex machina Ever.

jrmarr's review

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4.0

This is a mostly wonderful book. T.S is a wonderful character. His 12-year-old perspective on the world is made more heartwarming and heartrending by his heightened intelligence and unique ability to map the world around him. I've read other reviews where people objected to the middle section of the book (when Emma's story is told) but I enjoyed the way he read this story - my question is more whether that diversion really paid off. But on the whole, this book all hangs on the appeal of T.S as a character, and he is one of he best characters I've read in a while.

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