A bit of coming of age, a bit of history in this story of a young boy, Silas, who attempts to find his father who was captured by a group of horsemen. Silas, along with his friend, Mittenwool-a ghost, ride a baldfaced pony to rescue his father. Along the way, they meet a marshal, and then a sheriff (Cornwall), as they attempt to save his Pa from the men. Silas's dad is a brilliant man, applying for a patent for irontypes, a form of photography. But, the men wanted Pa for another reason-they suspected him to be Mac Boat, a notorious counterfeiter and thief.
The story of Silas is tender and sweet, and your heart will go through various emotions as you read this tale of a young boy with a deep love for his parents, and the ability to talk to the dead. ( )

Trigger warnings: Death of a father

Can't wait to read this, I loved Wonder, so I might like this one.
Update: 7.5/10, wow, this was a very emotional, but still very enjoyable book. The plot was very simple, but very entertaining, however the last part was very sad. The characters in this book were enjoyable, and they got along well together, I really liked Silas, Mittenwool, and the farmer whose name I forgot. Silas even experienced character development by making a connection with his horse and the other characters, becoming more courageous, and even became a father at the end, which was heartwarming.

The plot is that Silas' father was taken away, which led him to journey into the woods to try and find him, as I read more of the book, I discovered who the criminal was, though I didn't understand why he would kidnap Silas' father, maybe because of the money or his inventions? In the end, the police got the criminal and his accomplices, however Silas' father was shot, so he did find his father in the end, but it was the last time he saw him alive. The ending is bittersweet as later on I saw Silas grow up and have a family without his father. If you want a great historical book, this is for you. ( )

Three menacing armed men on horseback arrive in the middle of the night at the home of 12 year old Silas Bird and kidnap his father, a creative, brilliant Scottish bootmaker and self-taught photographer.
When the kidnappers' mysterious Arabian pony appears a few hours later, Silas is sure it will lead him to his father and sets out to rescue him, accompanied by the protective ghost Mittenwool, seen only by Silas. Although Silas is frightened, he is determined, and sets out into the frightening Woods, “like a fortress made of giant logs looming behind a hedge of tall spiky shrubs”. Silas’ one previous experience in the woods, when he went with his father to hunt, had left him terrified, passed out cold, eyes rolled up. Silas can see ghosts, and the Woods are full of them. He hears a hum, a buzz, “A rumbling. Whispers and moans, everywhere around me.” Pony bolts into the woods, and they find themselves in the company of a gruff U.S. marshal, Enoch Farmer, who is tracking outlaws holed up in a cave. Marshall Farmer reluctantly agrees to Silas’ company, and after a night camping out they enter the Bog, a place full of the ghosts of murdered men, women, and children. ”Shapes in the shadows. Walking. Talking to themselves. Some whimpered… They moved around us, like water around a rock.” Slias’ gasp again causes Pony to bolt, infuriating the marshal. The paranormal blends smoothly with the mystery, weaving the pieces together to propel the engrossing story. Eventually, they track down the criminal gang, but the suspenseful end will keep readers engaged until the unexpected twist at the end. The story concludes with Simon returning to the place his mother grew up, tying together many pieces of history, and a final newspaper article about Simon.

Don’t miss the author's extensive and fascinating note, with information about her research, the daguerreotypes beginning each chapter, and the processes of early photography, plus its history and that of events in the book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review ( )

This is a a entertaining book albeit there is not much to learn from it. I found that I was able to read it quickly perhaps because of length of the story but also because it was interesting. It would be considered a children’s book but includes some American history and science. I do not like the aspect of a child who can hear ghosts and would have found the story more realistic without this. I do not find such whimsical concepts beneficial. There were also too many coincidences to allow the story to be believable. ( )

RGG: Beautifully written. At each point that the story might seem to be slowing down, the plot turns and picks up. Perhaps too complex a story though for the audience of Wonder.