Happenstance Found

I read this book yesterday. I started and just didn't want to stop. This is for a number of reasons. I guess one is the pace. Catanese hits the ground running and never really lets up. I can't think of any point in the book where I thought, "Well, here is a good place to stop and I'll come back later." The story is compelling and the way it unfolds keeps the reader pulled in tight. I just kept turning pages, eager to find out what was next. The tale that is woven includes a large number of unknowns, or mysteries if you will. Here again I am incredibly appreciative of the skill the author brings into play. Some stories can be infuriating as they constantly remind the reader that there are things they don't know, yet never give up anything. Catanese creates intriguing unknowns but also constantly feeds new information that lets the reader actively participate in the unfolding of the story. I had a great time figuring out what was going on and working through the clues. At the same time, Catanese doesn't just spill it all out and there are some very fun surprises. The characters have a significant level of depth. They interact in an honest fashion that has a strong sense of reality to it. All of this takes place though in an utterly fantastic setting of magic and wonderful steam punk inspired technology. (I wouldn't call this a steam punk story but there are little flashes of it that I loved.) This is fully fantasy but grounded in very real issues of humanity. I hate to try and figure out an appropriate age for a child to read a book. Every person is so very different. My ten year old is reading "Happenstance Found" right now and loves it. I think she may find portions to be a bit scary and we'll talk over some of the more serious issues the book raises. I think this is a great book to get a child thinking while keeping them entertained with a rollicking story in a fantastic setting. There is murder, monsters and high tension. Anyone who isn't sure if it is right for their child could read it first to be sure. It is a quick yet incredibly fun thing to do anyway. It would also help a parent to be able to talk over it all with their child. There are some great lessons to be learned here. As an adult I found some of the vocabulary a touch simplistic and some of the foreshadowing a bit heavy handed at times. That said, I loved the book and started the sequel today. I kept thinking that if I had read this as a youngster it would stand solid as one of my favorites and I would have reread it many times over the years. If I haven't been clear enough already, this is a well crafted tale. Speaking of craft, there are a couple conventions used in the book itself that I really enjoyed. Major characters in the book are represented at the beginning of each chapter by a small picture. The picture that is shown, corresponds with that character appearing in and often playing a major role in that chapter. I thought this was another subtle, yet nice way to give

Picked this up at the library along with a batch of other children's books for my boys ages 10 and 12. I typically skim through these books to anticipate/find out what my kids might like and what they don't like. This book hooked me and I ended up reading it cover to cover. It has the quality prose, vivid descriptions and sophisticated plot development characteristic of a book aimed at adults. I recently read The First Law series - much more violent and adult-oriented - and was not at all bored by the first Book of Umber. My kids enjoyed it greatly and are now clamoring for the next installment. Like a previous reviewer, I was surprised that this author is not better known. I expected this book to have the benefit of a lot more reviews than it does.

We listened to the book on tape during a long 10 hour drive. The kids couldn't wait to get back in the car. Well read and very well done.

I gotta tell you all how much I enjoyed this book. One of my favorite tween/teen reads of 2009 by far. Catanese creates a fascinating world for his characters to explore. The central characters are all well crafted and they are, best of all, funny and real. I also loved the implied connection between our world and the world of the story. It is safe to say that this should develop into an extraordinary series.