This was a book that was a library discard, purchased for a a dollar. It looked interesting, but sat on my shelf for awhile, until I finally pulled it out for something easy to read, but interesting. And this book certainly satisfies those requirements.

Its a book aimed at children, I'd probably say 8 to 13 crowd. The story has a fairy tale-like quality, but instead of a world filled with scariness, this world is aimed at ultimate protection, for example, everything is plastic with no corners, or that parents are notified whenever a child moves locations. However, safety is taken to a point where the entire world is sanitized, from history to literature. Add in the focus on test scores, where that is the only thing that matters in school, to the point where class, and school rankings are updated each day.

The story itself is about taking risks, and learning from them. From climbing a pile of chairs into a magical attic, or even crossing the street. As for the Wikkeling, he's actually a scary figure, and in true fairy tale fashion, never explained. The ending is not a surprise, the children in the story learn something, the Wikkeling is vanquished, and life is changed.

As an adult reading this book, I felt like I was missing out - just who was Henrift AndI, and how did this world become what it is? Or why is the Wikkeling the only reason there is a such a focus on safety? But for a kid, I suspect they quite like it. ( )

Henrietta Gad-Fly lives in a world where safety is the number one concern. Her school bus has not only seat belts, but head straps. Her clothes have yellow visibility stripes. Her parents can monitor her 24 hours a day via mobile phone and Bed Cam. That is, until Henrietta's Bed Cam mysteriously breaks, and her adventures into the past begin. Can she and her friends figure out why they get terrible headaches? Or what is going on with the wild house cat in Henrietta's attic? Most importantly, can they discover the secret of the creepy flickering monster known as the Wikkeling?

With excellent illustrations and a cool dystopian premise, this book has a lot of shelf appeal. I was very into it until about 60% of the way through when I started to feel confused by everything going on. I think first-time children's author Arntson didn't quite build a world with consistent internal logic. There's the [b:1984]-ish setting, and then there's the magic-ish attic and the monster-ish Wikkeling. It somehow didn't mesh well for me. I was never sure what was going on with the view from the attic or why the kids could see the Wikkeling.

So, it left me a little befuddled, but I really liked a lot of the details: the honk ads, the perfumed pollution, the supremacy of the Competency Exam, the underground Subscribers, the Bestiary. I ended up buying a copy because I got impatient for my library hold to be fulfilled, and it really is a beautiful book to have on your shelf. I also saw Steven Arntson speak to a group of kids at our Mock Newbery and he was great. ( )

children's fantasy with sci-fi elements (time travel, futuristic technology, computers possessed by mysterious entities). Original and very spooky. MUCH scarier than Coraline was, would definitely recommend to kids who want more horror in their books. ( )

4.5 stars!
Oh my goodness! I just randomly grabbed this book off the shelf at the library. I had NO idea what a treat I was in for.

The cover looks so old school, which I thought maybe would make readers skip over it, but after reading it- I couldn't imagine a better cover!


I couldn't describe this book any better than how James Dashner did:

"A truly original piece of work. Swinging from funny to creepy to intriguing, it kept me enthralled throughout."

Seriously though! This book had me laughing out loud one minute and then shivering in fear the next. It also had a wonderful middle section of beautifully illustrated creatures. It was so original. It truly fascinated me!

If you like Dr Who or Neil Gaiman (specifically Coraline) you need to read this! ( )

Life is carefully programmed and supervised, the constantly gridlocked traffic belches flowery fumes and everything is smooth and moves without disruption. Students practice for their Competency Exams on a daily basis, and are completely protected from danger. Henrietta is at the bottom of her competative class, and is considered unlikeable by all her classmates. Her headaches also make her stand out, which only makes her more miserable. But then one night, Henrietta finds a wounded cat in her attic (completely forbidden and against the rules and dangerous!), and then Henrietta meets Gary and Rose, who also have headaches, and who also see the shadowy figure following them around. Together they might just solve the mystery of the figure, their headaches, and what a cat really is.

This is a brilliant book. Arntson weaves a cautionary tale about the dangers of being completely protected, and the hazards of being in a totally homogenized and automatic society into a gripping story about three children who learn to trust each other, and the wild housecat which they name Mister Lady. There are some disturbing bits, and I wouldn’t recommend it for kids under twelve or thirteen, but I would recommend it to anybody who has felt out of step with the world around them, and definitely to anyone who loves books.

“Henrietta is the main character of this story. This whole book will be about her – and it’s worth mentioning at the outset a few things that aren’t going to happen to her.

She will not become beautiful when someone gives her a new hairstyle.

She will not find a miracle cure for her pimples when an angel sees she’s a good girl inside.

She will not find out that she’s actually a princess, and she won’t become happy forever when a prince marries her.

Those books are out there, and your school librarian can help you find one. This isn’t it.” ( )