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deschatjes's review against another edition
4.0
A Sherlock Holmes type adventure for the pre-teen and tweenies before they're ready to move onto the Young Sherlock Holmes or the real McCoy. A boy covered in hair joins a travelling fair / circus where a murder occurs that sets him on the run. Suspense until the end woven in with details of the beginning of the electrical age / Frankenstein steampunk type details
Good writing and imagery and a gripping tale.
Good writing and imagery and a gripping tale.
rjdenney's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS!
American Horror Story: FREAKSHOW meets Sherlock Holmes!!
Murder, mayhem, mystery, action, friendship, and batshit craziness! I will now need a copy of this for my shelf because it was awesome. I loved the 1800s carnival/fair atmosphere and this was definitely a dark Middle-Grade read. The writing was incredible and the author did an amazing job at reeling you into the story and making you feel as if you were right there in 1800s London, walking on cobblestone streets, and inhaling the sweet scents of the fair, the sludgy sewage, and the singed hair of Wild Boy. I swear Wild Boy is like a young version of Sherlock from the Elementary TV series and I found that extremely exciting.
If you're looking for something fun, dark, funny, mysterious, and full of action, check this one out. :)
- Richard
mrsbookraven's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
pewterwolf's review against another edition
5.0
Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
Set in Victorian London, in a travelling freak show, there is a boy completely covered in hair. Wild Boy. But while people see him as a freak, he watches them and develops a knack for observation and detection that is almost Sherlock Holmes-like. And then a murder happens and the fingers begin to point to him, Wild Boy has to go on the run. With red-haired acrobat Clarissa Everett, the pair must put their differences aside and join forces to find the real murder. But with a price on their heads, it might be harder than they think... Roll up, roll up, the circus is in town...
I'm going to admit something very quickly: this is a tad younger than my normal reads. It's not as meaty, as dark or as sinister as most of my reads.
But I loved it. I completely fell under Wild Boy's charm and would always find myself smiling within a few pages of reading. It was one of those stories that sucked me in, even though it was "light" compare to my other reads. I just loved the characters, the story, the mystery, the twists...
Now, I've read some reviews and most seem to get who the mysterious hooded figure aka the killer was. I didn't. I honestly thought it was someone completely different so when it was revealed in an almost Agatha Christie style, I read the line again. And again. And then went "WHAT?!" on Twitter.
I know I should be negative, but I can't. This was a great read and I want/need a sequel. There better be a sequel, Rob. Because I don't want to let Wild Boy go yet...
Set in Victorian London, in a travelling freak show, there is a boy completely covered in hair. Wild Boy. But while people see him as a freak, he watches them and develops a knack for observation and detection that is almost Sherlock Holmes-like. And then a murder happens and the fingers begin to point to him, Wild Boy has to go on the run. With red-haired acrobat Clarissa Everett, the pair must put their differences aside and join forces to find the real murder. But with a price on their heads, it might be harder than they think... Roll up, roll up, the circus is in town...
I'm going to admit something very quickly: this is a tad younger than my normal reads. It's not as meaty, as dark or as sinister as most of my reads.
But I loved it. I completely fell under Wild Boy's charm and would always find myself smiling within a few pages of reading. It was one of those stories that sucked me in, even though it was "light" compare to my other reads. I just loved the characters, the story, the mystery, the twists...
Now, I've read some reviews and most seem to get who the mysterious hooded figure aka the killer was. I didn't. I honestly thought it was someone completely different so when it was revealed in an almost Agatha Christie style, I read the line again. And again. And then went "WHAT?!" on Twitter.
I know I should be negative, but I can't. This was a great read and I want/need a sequel. There better be a sequel, Rob. Because I don't want to let Wild Boy go yet...
alice_digest's review
3.0
3.5 which seems to have become my default rating for "it was pretty good" books! I enjoyed the murky 18th century setting, and it's darker than I expected with a decent mystery and memorable characters.
Wild Boy is covered in hair from head to toe and has been abused and treated as a 'freak' all of his life, either in the workhouse or as part of a Freak Show. He's angry with a quick temper but he also has an unusual memory and a gift for spotting clues and solving mysteries. He is forced to use these skills to clear his name and catch the real killer when a murder in the camp is pinned on him and a fiery young acrobat called Clarissa.
There are some dark themes in this novel, which surprised me for a target audience of 11-12 year olds (it was one of the BookBuzz choices this year which is how it caught my interest). I don't see that as a bad thing, I don't like it when books talk down to kids. The freak show is a dangerous and scary place, populated with mostly drunk and often cruel criminals; be it the performers or the audience. Wild Boy is constantly mistreated, and Clarissa suffers abuse at the hands of her crazy and cold Circus Master mother. Real kindness and trustworthy adults in this novel are near impossible to find.
I thought Wild Boy and Clarissa were both well-rounded and an interesting clash of characters; both justifiably angry and distrustful towards each other and the world. They start off as adversaries before forging a partnership and eventual friendship. Wild Boy's detective abilities are very reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes in the way he can recall tiny details from his eidetic memory. Most of the adults were a little caricatur-ish, but they were also scary so I didn't want to spend too much time with them! The ending for the book opens up to a sequel so I'm hoping we'll get to know some nicer adults in the man with the golden eyeball and his Gentlemen for future stories.
There is a bit of a 'steampunk' edge to this story with some weird science that revolves around discovering what The Machine is. The man with his golden eyeball, and Sir Oswald's tinkering. I also loved Wild Boy's jacket, that kids got style. And Clarissa's cold sequinned acrobat's dress. I loved the visual world it all conjured up in my imagination. I heard that it's going to be turned into a movie, which could be interesting.
Overall I enjoyed it, and I'd definitely have loved it as a child. I'll be recommending it to mystery fans!
Wild Boy is covered in hair from head to toe and has been abused and treated as a 'freak' all of his life, either in the workhouse or as part of a Freak Show. He's angry with a quick temper but he also has an unusual memory and a gift for spotting clues and solving mysteries. He is forced to use these skills to clear his name and catch the real killer when a murder in the camp is pinned on him and a fiery young acrobat called Clarissa.
There are some dark themes in this novel, which surprised me for a target audience of 11-12 year olds (it was one of the BookBuzz choices this year which is how it caught my interest). I don't see that as a bad thing, I don't like it when books talk down to kids. The freak show is a dangerous and scary place, populated with mostly drunk and often cruel criminals; be it the performers or the audience. Wild Boy is constantly mistreated, and Clarissa suffers abuse at the hands of her crazy and cold Circus Master mother. Real kindness and trustworthy adults in this novel are near impossible to find.
I thought Wild Boy and Clarissa were both well-rounded and an interesting clash of characters; both justifiably angry and distrustful towards each other and the world. They start off as adversaries before forging a partnership and eventual friendship. Wild Boy's detective abilities are very reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes in the way he can recall tiny details from his eidetic memory. Most of the adults were a little caricatur-ish, but they were also scary so I didn't want to spend too much time with them! The ending for the book opens up to a sequel so I'm hoping we'll get to know some nicer adults in the man with the golden eyeball and his Gentlemen for future stories.
There is a bit of a 'steampunk' edge to this story with some weird science that revolves around discovering what The Machine is. The man with his golden eyeball, and Sir Oswald's tinkering. I also loved Wild Boy's jacket, that kids got style. And Clarissa's cold sequinned acrobat's dress. I loved the visual world it all conjured up in my imagination. I heard that it's going to be turned into a movie, which could be interesting.
Overall I enjoyed it, and I'd definitely have loved it as a child. I'll be recommending it to mystery fans!
rachelsidwell's review against another edition
4.0
Unusual and exciting! A children's "who-dunnit" with a twist. I cant wait for the second one of this to be ready!
amyreadsbooks917's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this. It had a lot of qualities of really good mystery novels and Victorian-era novels, but with accessibility for kids. It was fun while still being kind of dark.
eward93's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
car3b3ar's review against another edition
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? Yes
3.5