Shades of [b:Hugo Cabret|67593|The Invention of Hugo Cabret|Brian Selznick|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170676646s/67593.jpg|527941], [b:Thief Lord|113304|The Thief Lord|Cornelia Funke|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1280990877s/113304.jpg|3313414], and [b:Oliver Twist|18254|Oliver Twist|Charles Dickens|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255733364s/18254.jpg|3057979], with a sort of Gangs of New York setting, brought together in a kind of magical, sad, but ultimately hopeful, plot. Once I was about halfway through, I found this big, ambitious first novel hard to put down.

It's basically about three kids with very hard lives wandering around a big 19th Century New England city (presumably New York, though it isn't actually identified as such). They're each deeply troubled in some way, and each yearns for a specific solution to their grief. As it turns out, the answers to their problems lay in working together.

Like another new book I read earlier this year ([b:Boys Without Names|6580712|Boys without Names|Kashmira Sheth|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1250894213s/6580712.jpg|6774144]), there is a lot of child labor in this story. We see how in early America children were kidnapped and sold into slavery, or forced to work long hours to support their struggling families. It's very sad and distressing. But our young heroes are resilient despite the burdens placed on them.

I don't want to give away the plot, which is actually pretty complicated and hard to sum up. Suffice it to say, this has the potential to be really popular, and deservedly so. Kirby has a gift for describing the emotional turmoil his three main characters struggle with, and he makes each of them likable and believable in their own way. Giuseppe is the youngest, a busker with a heart of gold. Hannah loves to read, but is forced to quit school and go to work as a maid when her father can no longer provide for his family. Frederick, the oldest, lives in relative ease as a clockmaker's apprentice, but his memories of living in a terrible sweat shop/orphanage haunt him. Throw in a golem, a spiritualist, a park warden, a mysterious treasure, and an old churchyard and you've got yourself plenty of material for a great story. ( )

vocabulary, robot

I was really craving a different kind of book during the time many years ago (I'm really into horror, fantasy and sci-fi for novels) so steampunk sometimes satisfies when I have that craving. One aspect of this book I really liked was how everything came full circle and every character's story ended up intertwining and connecting with one another, like clockwork. It doesn't necessarily pander to tugging on heartstrings to come across as overly emotional, so it has confident heart to it. I'm actually a little surprised this wasn't turned into a series of some sort and the author didn't write more of it. I think a lot of it was left open for the reader's own imagination- which I approve of. Not everything needs a sequel, a prequel, or a rehash. Good read if you need a stand-alone novel with steampunk flavor that re-imagines the 19th century.

Spoiler? Alert: My favorite part of the book is when it is revealed what 'the tiger' actually is.

Fun fact: The author got inspiration from this book reading a newspaper story from 1873 of a boy who was kidnapped and forced to play the violin on the street for money. He eventually escaped. (This is also one of the main character's backstories in the book) ( )

In this book, Kirby begins the story with three separate kids’ lives. One is Giuseppe, an orphaned street musician who finds an amazing green violin. Then there is Frederick, an apprentice lock maker with a past he can’t remember. Lastly, there is Hannah who is a maid in a grand hotel, whose life is one of endless drudgery, until she encounters a mystifying new guest and learns of a hidden treasure. Kirby slowly brings these three lives together in an incredible weaving of story and fate. The three then work together to solve the mystery of the long lost fortune and learn the true value of friendship and trust.

The clockwork three , is about three children and how their stories come together. Hannah is a girl who works as a maid ,at a grand hotel, after her father had a stroke. she has to support her whole family because of her fathers sickness. When Hannah gets offered a job as Madame Pomerys assistant, she takes it eagerly hoping she can make some extra money for her family. Fredrick , a orphan who works as a clock makers apprentice , is working on a automan that he is sure will make him a journey man , but there is just on missing piece..... its head. When he finds the magnus head it seems like a dream come true. Giuseppe is a boy who works for a cruel master, Stephano. when he finds the green violin floating in the harbor, he discover the violin has a special ''power'' to move people with its music. The green violin might just be his ticket home back to Italy. Slowly their stories come together, and in the end its their friendship that gets them what they need. The clockwork three, is written by Matthew J. Kirby. The book is about three children named Hannah, Fredrick, and Giuseppe. each of the characters has a wish or need, Hannah wishes for her fathers health, Fredrick to make journeyman, and Giuseppe wants to get back to his family in Italy, and escape from the hands of his cruel master. Overall I enjoyed this book , the author made the story seem real, made it come alive. The only criticism I have is the change of characters. I like the fact that the book was written in each characters point of view , but it also made it confusing to read. Other than that I enjoyed it, and recommend it to those who like a good adventure. I gave this book a four because it had all the write qualitys a book needed , even though it was sometimes confusing with the change of characters I still liked it. ( )