The Marvels

Reviewed by: Kate Radke - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 15, 2015

Review

Brian Selznick's "The Marvels" is a good book, but I didn't find it as engaging or interesting as "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" or "Wonderstruck." The story is interesting at first, done all in illustrations, showing the history of the Marvels family (and their ties to the theatre) from 1766 to 1900. I very much enjoyed this portion of the book, but after that it jumps to 1990 (and switches to mostly text) and follows the story of a boy who runs away from boarding school and then lives in London with his uncle (an eccentric who essentially lives/runs a living history museum house, but not based on actual historical fact, just ideas). I was engaged for a bit, but eventually it just felt like I was slogging through the book. The main character, Joseph, I found a bit frustrating since he was constantly told not to leave candles burning and then he'd immediately forget and almost burn the house down again. The Afterword was interesting and I enjoyed learning about the real "Dennis Severs' House" in London, but I just didn't find the book as gripping as Selznick's other books. Probably a must-buy for most libraries since Selznick's illustrations are fantastic, but as far as story goes, it's not even close to his best.

Overall Book Score: good