Publish Date: Nov 8th, 2016
ISBN: 9781481467094
Pages: 400
Series: Section 13, Book #1
Source: ARC from publisher for honest review
Goodreads Synopsis:
James R. Hannibal presents a thrilling adventure through history, complete with mysteries, secret items, codes, and a touch of magic in this stunning middle grade debut.
Thirteen-year-old Jack Buckles is great at finding things. Not just a missing glove or the other sock, but things normal people have long given up on ever seeing again. If only he could find his father, who has disappeared in London without a trace.
But Jack’s father was not who he claimed to be. It turns out that he was a member of a secret society of detectives that has served the crown for centuries—and membership into the Lost Property Office is Jack’s inheritance.
Now the only way Jack will ever see his father again is if he finds what the nefarious Clockmaker is after: the Ember, which holds a secret that has been kept since the Great Fire of London. Will Jack be able to find the Ember and save his father, or will his talent for finding things fall short?
My Review:
Jack is unique, and always has been. He can hear and feel things that most people can't. He's written it off for the first 13 years of his life as just an odd quirk that he has to live with. It isn't until his sister Sadie thinks she sees their missing dad that it all starts to come together and make sense a little to Jack Buckles.
The book starts off a little slow to be honest, it took a little persuasion to sit down and read at first. Not that it wasn't good or anything, I just wanted something to hook me in! Once past the first few chapters, things start to look up. We meet a strange young girl named Gwen who can help Jack and together they set off on an adventure to find what the Clockmaster is after. Written with such vividness, the reader can easily see what James R Hannibal had in mind, but also so much creativity that the reader could just as easily envision their own world.
It's a history lesson, a mystery, and a magical ride all rolled into one. I can definitely see fans of Harry Potter taking a liking to The Lost Property Office (I mean, it made me start rereading Harry Potter..again!). Fans of Sherlock will also enjoy this. And even if you don't like/know either of those, that's ok! There's something in this book that you'll enjoy!
Also, the cover art is pretty cool! The pretty little bug on the right hand corner of the book is fantastic! And I was happy to see a ton of The Lost Property Office copies out in plain sight on display at my local Chapters. The cover will most likely draw a lot of readers to it!
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