Philip Pullman - The Adventures of the New Cut Gang - Book Review

  

• Pages - 352
• Published - By David Fickling Books
• Date  - 1st September 2011
• Age - 9+
• Isbn: 978 0 857 560223                  

Thunderbolt, Benny, Bridie and Sharky Bob are a mixed bunch of vagabonds and urchins who come together to form the New Cut Gang in two comic tales of stolen silver, skulduggery and desperadoes.

Fake coins are turning up all over Lambeth and the finger of suspicion is pointing at Thunderbolt's dad - could he really be the forger? The crime-busting New Cut Gang come to the rescue!

And when just two clues - a blob of wax and a Swedish match - are discovered at the scene of a break-in, the children find themselves on the trail of an extremely cunning criminal.

Set in late Victorian London, these two action-packed thrillers have now been put together in a single volume - with new illustrations throughout from Horrible Histories illustrator, Martin Brown.

Back in the day before Philip Pullman was a household name he had already penned two short stories. These were published in the early nineties and were about the Adventures of the New Cut Gang. I actually read one of these short stories sometime later, but before they went out of print. Now, seventeen years on, The New Cut Gang is being brought back to life. The two original stories that were over looked many years ago are now being presented in one book and are available for us to read once more . . . . . . hooray!

The two stories are entitled Thunderbolt's Waxwork and The Gas Fitters' Ball, and are based around a group of kids who come together to form a local gang. They all have a common aim which is to solve crimes by following the clues within their investigative adventures.

Let me begin by introducing you to the gang members of:

• Thunderbolt (otherwise known as Sam) who is the child with the brains and a little bit of brawn too
• The Peretti twins (Angela and Zerlina) who are best described as 'angels of Satan'! They have the amazing talent of getting anybody to do exactly want they want 
• Bridie, who not only has red hair but also the sensible motherly temperament and . . . .
• Sharkie Bob, who is the little monster eater!

They are all highly likable and interesting characters. However, my favourite character from the motley gang is Benny. In my opinion, he let's his imagination run wild and his storytelling too! At times his ideas are very wacky and his actions are even more so. Therefore, he certainly adds a lot of interest to the storyline.

The stories are set in Victorian London which is a favourite period of mine. They portray the atmosphere from around that period including the detailed history and culture of London's East End. They are both touching tales full of period detail and fast-paced action.

Apparently Phillip intended to write half a dozen adventure stories in this series, but he never actually got them to publication because His Dark Materials (The Golden Compass etc) stopped him in his tracks. Whilst I think he can be forgiven, as these made him a global success, I do hope that he will now have the time to write additional adventures. I for one will be interested to continue following the gang's future adventures.

Arthur Slade - The Hunchback Assignments - Steampunk Adventure

MR Ripley Say's
A gripping new series combines Steampunk, spying, and a fantastic Victorian London. WOULD LIKE A REVIEW FOR THIS. My copy has been lost in a victorian post office in London on a clockwork gizmo,waited to be delivered by an automated robot. Hopefully I will get my copy for that festive time called "PUNKMAS".

"You will always be ugly," Mr. Socrates had regularly reminded him over the years. "Always. But you are better able to adapt than any chameleon. Be thankful for it."

More about this author at www.arthurslade.com




Synopsis The mysterious Mr. Socrates rescues Modo, a child in a traveling freak show. Modo is a hunchback with an amazing ability to transform his appearance, and Mr. Socrates raises him in isolation as an agent for the Permanent Association, a spy agency behind Brittania’s efforts to rule the empire. At 14, Modo is left on the streets of London to fend for himself. When he encounters Octavia Milkweed, another Association agent, the two uncover a plot by the Clockword Guild behind the murders of important men. Furthermore, a mad scientist is turning orphan children into automatons to further the goals of the Guild. Modo and Octavia journey deep into the tunnels under London and discover a terrifying plot against the British government. It’s up to them to save their country.

Ian Beck - Pastworld - Book Review

Mr Ripleys Review


This is a really great read,one of the best books that has used the themes of Victorian and Time travel  to good use.  A clever thriller of a book  and no end of entertainment to the reader.

Startling and original, Ian Beck’s vision of a world in which people are pawns and your future is predestined by place of birth makes compelling reading. Five out Five also being made into a Film as we speak.

Julia Eccleshare's comment:
Take a thrilling journey into the past in this clever time slip mystery which, written in different voices from different times, takes its readers from a dystopian future to a Dickensian past. Caleb is on a tourist trip to the future when his father is kidnapped and he is accused of murder. Eve comes from Pastworld and knows nothing of contemporary life. From different worlds Caleb and Eve find themselves caught up in the murderer’s wicked plans and escape will not be easy.

Synopsis

 

Pastworld. A city within a city. A city for excursions and outings. Pastworld is a theme park with a difference, where travellers can travel back in time for a brush with an authentic Victorian past. But what if the Jack the Ripper figure stopped play-acting and really started killing people? For Caleb, a tourist from the present day, his visit goes terribly wrong when his father is kidnapped and he finds himself accused of murder. Then Caleb meets Eva Rose, a Pastworld inhabitant who has no idea the modern world exists. Both Caleb and Eva have roles to play in the murderer's diabolical plans - roles that reveal disturbing truths about their origins. 

About the Author

Ian Beck is well known as an illustrator as well as more recently a writer of young fiction with the publication of the very succesful Tom Trueheart titles by OUP. This is his first foray in to the world of teen fiction. Ian lives in West London. He began his career as an illustrator working on album covers including the still in-print classic for Elton John's album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Book you also may like to read are the books by Tom Becker the Darkside Series.

Darksid
1. 2010)

Book Review: Natasha Narayan - The Mummy Snatcher Of Memphis

I got this book in London this weekend,with many other books I wanted to read. This is the first book in a brand new adventure mystery series entitled "A Kit Slater Adventure."
Kit Slater,a girl with a taste for adventure gets herslf involved in one.

                               

On reading this book, it has all the qualities of Julia Golding's novels featuring the Cat Royale.
The book starts with a great theme, Victorian London's EastEnd. The story takes shape building up within the first few chapters. This fast paced and humorous romp lifts the story in search of the missing mummy and the secret scarab.The mystery then takes the reader to Egypt giving a great chance for good ending.

I loved reading this book as it has lots of quirky characters and a great Victorian flavour. Making this book stand out more then most. The only problem was the ending, as I felt the writer was unsure how to end it. I give this book Four out of Five a great read and a must for anyone who loves reading books by Julia Golding or those encompassing a Victorian theme. I'm looking forward to the next book especially to see how the end transpires.

Synopsis

When Kit Salter and her friends peek at a famed mummy in a museum chamber, they are shocked to discover rattles and moans coming from the box ...Inside is an Egyptian stowaway, determined to return a looted scarab and save his village. When the mummy is stolen too, the ensuing adventures puts the children fast on the heels of a villainous East End mob, and right into the heart of the Western Desert. But as the story climaxes in a temple, the villains and Kit find they have underestimated a stronger force - the terrible power of ancient Egypt.With a wonderfully spirited heroine and a cast of batty aunts, French adventurers and music hall villains, this is a fabulous first book in an exciting series set during the Age of Empire. Over the course of the next three books, Kit and her friends will hunt for soma, the elusive elixir of immortality, on the slopes of the Himalayas; solve the mystery of the Marie Celeste among pirates on the high seas, and track Inuit warriors through the Arctic wastes. They will battle to outwit their arch rivals: the ghastly Baker Brothers, collectors linked with slavery and opium running.

About the Author
Natasha Narayan was born in India but emigrated to England at the age of five. She has had many jobs in journalism including working as a war correspondent in Bosnia. Like Kit Salter, Natasha loves travelling and exploring new places. She hopes to get to see some of the far flung deserts and mountains of her heroine - even if it's by bus rather than camel and yak. She lives in Oxford.

Published by Quercus 5 March 2009