Synopses & Reviews
The Whatnot is the acclaimed international bestseller and sequel to Stefan Bachmann's riveting debut novel,
The Peculiar, which
Publishers Weekly called "an absolute treat for readers of any age," and which the
Los Angeles Times compared to "Dostoevsky's
Crime and Punishment, Charles Dickens's
A Tale of Two Cities, and more recent classics, such as J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events."
Twelve-year-old Pikey Thomas is missing an eye, a family, and friends of any sort. One day, running from bigger boys set on bullying him, Pikey finds himself in front of a grand, beautiful house. There he meets and helps a black-winged faery who is injured. It's a small gesture of kindness and bravery in steam-powered Victorian London, where faeries, now banned, are on the run or imprisoned; where the human armies are preparing for war; and where the changeling Bartholomew Kettle, aided by Arthur Jelliby, still searches for his missing sister, Hettie. This is the epic, dark, imaginative, unforgettable, and ultimately hopeful sequel to Stefan Bachmann's acclaimed debut novel, The Peculiar.
"An enthralling read . . . Bachmann combines the pleasures of a Dickensian cast of characters with the eldritch qualities of British faerie lore and adds a touch of steampunk to entice readers into an alternate universe in which the English are on the verge of war with the fay. The breathtaking beauty of his prose is coupled with a plot that also leaves his audience breathless."—School Library Journal
Review
“[A] breathless read, one that will have readers hoping for a peaceful outcome as fervently as its characters do.” Kirkus Reviews
Review
“Exhilarating . . . Bachmann writes with a skill that belies his youth . . . and he has a genius for envisioning fairy magic and architecture. . . . Readers will want to start with The Peculiar, and immediately dive into this fine tale.”- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
“Enthralling . . . The breathtaking beauty of [Bachmanns] prose is coupled with a plot that also leaves his audience breathless.” School Library Journal
Review
"The darkly atmosphweric setting creates a convincing backdrop for the frightening action scenes and flavorful period dialogue."
—Booklist
Review
"The darkly atmospheric setting creates a convincing backdrop for the frightening action scenes and flavorful period dialogue."
—Booklist
"Well paced and with details and dialogue that transport readers to the streets (and sewers) of Victorian London, there is much to enjoy in this excellent adventure series."
—School Library Journal
"With a linear narrative, plenty of action and dialogue, and an ample smattering of colorful Victorian street language, this is a speedy, characterful yarn."
—Horn Book Magazine
"Jinks reprises her previous bogle-ish title with lots of action and an undercurrent of sly humor, supplying return readers with all the gory monster-vanquishing they have come to expect...Sounds like another winner in the works."
—Bulletin
Synopsis
Oh, the Sly King, the Sly King, in his towers of ash and wind.
Pikey Thomas doesn't know how or why he can see the changeling girl. But there she is. Not in the cold, muddy London neighborhood where Pikey lives. Instead, she's walking through the trees and snow of the enchanted Old Country or, later, racing through an opulent hall. She's pale and small, and she has branches growing out of her head. Her name is Henrietta Kettle.
Pikey's vision, it turns out, is worth something. Worth something to Hettie's brother—a brave adventurer named Bartholomew Kettle. Worth something to the nobleman who protects him. And Pikey is not above bartering—Pikey will do almost anything to escape his past; he'll do almost anything for a life worth living.
The faeries—save for a mysterious sylph and a mischievous cobble faery or two— have been chased out of London. They've all gone north. The army is heading north, too. So Pikey and Bartholomew follow, collecting information, piecing together clues, searching for the doorway that will lead them to Hettie.
The Whatnot is the enthralling, surprising, and unforgettable companion to Stefan Bachmann's internationally bestselling debut novel The Peculiar.
Synopsis
The Whatnot is the companion to the international bestseller
The Peculiar, a debut fantasy novel by teenage author and classical musician Stefan Bachmann that was hailed by best-selling author Christopher Paolini as "swift, strong, and entertaining. Highly recommended."
This is the sequel to Stefan Bachmann's acclaimed debut novel The Peculiar. The Los Angeles Times called The Peculiar "a book that, at times, recalls Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, and more recent classics, such as J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events."
While The Whatnot stands alone as a fast-paced, clockwork- and steampunk-infused fantasy adventure, readers of The Peculiar will find it especially thrilling. At the conclusion of The Peculiar, changeling Bartholomew Kettle lost his sister Hettie when she was pulled through a mysterious door and into the faery-inhabited forest of the Old Country. In The Whatnot, readers are introduced to unforgettable new characters, including Pikey Thomas, a boy who joins forces with Bartholomew to rescue Hettie. Featuring nonstop action, mesmerizing human and magical characters, and an unforgettable story that will appeal to fans of Christopher Paolini, Holly Black, and Susanna Clarke.
Synopsis
The adventures continue for the young assistants to the best monster catcher in Victorian London! In this thrilling companion to How to Catch a Bogle, Jem becomes a boglers apprentice and gets the fright of his life in a city where science clashes with superstition and monsters lurk in every alley.
Synopsis
“This is top-notch storytelling, full of wit, a colorful cast of rogues, and delectable slang.” —
Publishers Weekly, starred review of
How to Catch a BogleJem Barbary spent most of his early life picking pockets for a wily old crook named Sarah Pickles—until she betrayed him. Now Jem wants revenge, but first he needs a new job. Luckily Alfred the bogler, the man who kills the child-eating monsters that hide in the shadows of Victorian London, needs a new apprentice. As more and more orphans disappear under mysterious circumstances, Alfred, Jem, and Birdie find themselves waging an underground war in a city where science clashes with superstition and monsters lurk in every alley.
Video
About the Author
Catherine Jinks grew up in Papua New Guinea and now resides in New South Wales, Australia. She is a three-time winner of the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year award, and in 2001 was presented with a Centenary Medal for her contribution to Australian Children's Literature. Her popular works