"Waiting On" Wednesday (38): Darwen Arkwright and the Insidious Bleck

"Waiting On" Wednesday...is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm excitedly waiting on....

The second book in the quirky and enchanting Darwen Arkwright series!
Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright's life changed forever when he first set foot in Silbrica, the wondrous and magical world beyond the mirror. Now, he and his friends Rich and Alexandra--the Peregrine Pact--must journey to Costa Rica to save a boy who's been stolen by the Insidious Bleck, a giant tentacled creature that leaves destruction in its wake. But what at first seemed to be a single kidnapping turns out to be an elaborate conspiracy that threatens the very future of our world. And this time, old allies can't be trusted, and the danger runs deeper than Darwen could have ever imagined.

Darwen Arkwright and the Insidious Bleck

(Darwen #2)

A.J. Hartley

11/21/12

Razorbill

I loved Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact. A.J. Hartley created one of the most fantastical, imaginative MG books I've read all year. I'm super excited to read the sequel and delve back into all the magical and exciting adventures with Darwen and his friends!

Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact

Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright has spent his whole life in a tiny town in England. So when he is forced to move to Atlanta, Georgia, to live with his aunt, he knows things will be different - but what he finds there is beyond even his wildest imaginings! Darwen discovers an enchanting world through the old mirror hanging in his closet - a world that holds as many dangers as it does wonders. Scrobblers on motorbikes with nets big enough to fit a human boy. Gnashers with no eyes, but monstrous mouths full of teeth. Flittercrakes with bat-like bodies and the faces of men. Along with his new friends Rich and Alexandra, Darwen becomes entangled in an adventure and a mystery that involves the safety of his entire school. They soon realize that the creatures are after something in our world - something that only human children possess.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING ON THIS WEEK?!

(M MG M) Review: Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact by A.J. Hartley

Be sure to check out my interview with author A.J. Hartley!

TITLE: Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact AUTHOR: A.J. Hartley                   PUB: Razorbill PUB DATE: 10/13/11                     FORMAT: Hardcover, 448 pgs

Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright has spent his whole life in a tiny town in England. So when he is forced to move to Atlanta, Georgia, to live with his aunt, he knows things will be different - but what he finds there is beyond even his wildest imaginings!Darwen discovers an enchanting world through the old mirror hanging in his closet - a world that holds as many dangers as it does wonders. Scrobblers on motorbikes with nets big enough to fit a human boy. Gnashers with no eyes, but monstrous mouths full of teeth. Flittercrakes with bat-like bodies and the faces of men. Along with his new friends Rich and Alexandra, Darwen becomes entangled in an adventure and a mystery that involves the safety of his entire school. They soon realize that the creatures are after something in our world - something that only human children possess.

THREE WORDS: a Magical, Fun Adventure

MY REVIEW: A.J. Hartley’s Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact is a delightfully fun, suspenseful MG book full of mystery, magic, heart and laughs.

After the death of his parents, 11 year old Darwen must move from a small town in England to the US to live with his aunt in Atlanta, Georgia. On a shopping trip at the local mall, Darwen meets Mr. Peregrine, the eccentric owner of a mirror shop, who gives Darwen an old mirror. An old mirror that turns out to be a doorway into another world, Silbrica. Silbrica is full of wondrous, fascinating and even scary creatures, and Darwen, along with his new friends Alexandra and Rich, finds himself caught up in a dangerous adventure to save both his world and Silbrica.

Darwen’s adventure is a grand and fantastical one, and reading this book is an exciting adventure in itself! Fast paced and action packed, with a splendid mix of whimsy and real life situations, Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact will captivate readers from beginning to end and have them excitedly turning pages.

I found the story to be wonderfully original and full of imagination. The idea of visiting a whole new world by going through a mirror is reminiscent of Carroll’s Wonderland stories, but Hartley takes this idea and adds his own fantastical and inventive twists. Hartley’s writing is hip, smart and perfect for the book’s intended audience.  The world-building is stellar; Hartley has crafted two worlds- the “real” world and Silbrica- that are both vivid and believable. The world of Silbrica is whimsical and unique enough to be enchanting, but mysterious and dangerous enough to be terribly exciting…which is the perfect combination for MG. While the real world Hartley has explored is relatable and thought-provoking.

I love the characters in this book; they simply shine! Darwen makes for an awesome hero and I love how “average” he is. Yes, he proves to be brave, capable and quick thinking and he possesses some special abilities, but his character isn’t over the top brainy or good looking or popular or athletic or talented…but this is what makes him so relatable, endearing and likeable. Darwen’s friend Alexandra is a complete gem of a character! She’s quirky, spunky, sassy and downright funny. And Mr. Peregrine reminds of other beloved, eccentric characters such as Dumbledore from Harry Potter or the Professor from the Chronicles of Narnia books.

I love the fancy, strict private school setting Hartley has created with Darwen’s new school, Hillside Academy. Younger readers will delight in being able to loath the teachers and mean kids alongside Darwen, while older readers will find Hartley’s teasing mockery of the school’s focus on memorization and order to be incredibly amusing and honest.

The ending of Darwen’s adventure in this book is explosive and thrilling, but Hartley leaves plenty of room for the adventure to continue…and I hope it does.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Just as Darwen crawled through his magic mirror and was reluctant to return to the real world, I loved falling into this book and didn’t want to climb back out. A.J. Hartley’s Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact is a fantastic MG read that will charm readers of all ages!

MY RATING

5/5 Cupakes

Find the author: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Book Website

Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Book Dep.

 

(M MG M) Interview- A.J. Hartley

I want to thank A.J. Hartley for being a part of the March MG Madness and for stopping by to answer a few of my questions. Be sure to check out my review to learn more about A.J.’s  MG book Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact.

Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright has spent his whole life in a tiny town in England. So when he is forced to move to Atlanta, Georgia, to live with his aunt, he knows things will be different - but what he finds there is beyond even his wildest imaginings!Darwen discovers an enchanting world through the old mirror hanging in his closet - a world that holds as many dangers as it does wonders. Scrobblers on motorbikes with nets big enough to fit a human boy. Gnashers with no eyes, but monstrous mouths full of teeth. Flittercrakes with bat-like bodies and the faces of men. Along with his new friends Rich and Alexandra, Darwen becomes entangled in an adventure and a mystery that involves the safety of his entire school. They soon realize that the creatures are after something in our world - something that only human children possess.

Q. What three words best describe your MG novel Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact? 

Suspenseful, mysterious adventure.

Q. In one sentence, tell readers why they should read your book…c’mon, really sell it!

It combines the thrills of fantasy with the real world issues of a misfit boy trying to find his way in a strange city.

Q. Now, using as many sentences as you’d like, could you tell us a bit more about Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact?

Darwen is a mixed race English boy transported to Atlanta, GA to live with his business-woman aunt and attend an exclusive private school where he utterly fails to fit in. But a chance encounter at a very strange shop leaves him with a mirror which, after sundown, becomes a portal into another world. That world is beautiful and strange...and full of monsters which want out. Darwen has to forge some uneasy alliance with his class mates to solve the mystery of the world beyond the mirrors and prevent what amounts to an invasion.

Q. Why Middle Grade Fiction…why did you choose to write MG fiction and what do you love best about reading and writing MG?

I have a 9 year old son. He was the immediate prompt for me to take a break from writing for adults, though in part that was simply because being with him allows me to remember what it was like to be that age, discovering books for the first time. 

Q. Why do you think MG appeals to such a wide audience, from very young readers to adults like you and I?

Well, we were all kids, right? And I think that a lot of the things that drive middle grade books--the joys and anxieties and fears--never really leave us. I also think that children's books are in some ways freer to say "we are now leaving conventional reality: check your personal baggage at the door." I like that.

Q. What’s your current favorite MG book? Your favorite MG book of all time?

Hmmm... I'm currently enjoying Wildwood by Colin Maloy. Favorite of all time? Not sure. As a kid I loved The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe though I'm a big fan of the third Harry Potter book.

Q. If you could switch places with any MG character from any book, who would it be?

Darwen, of course :) A reluctant hero in a threatening but remarkable world? Yeah.

Q. Who’s your favorite MG villain…who do you just love to hate or hate to love?

I like my villains specific rather than abstract. I was always fascinated by the elegance of Narnia's White Witch and the curious detail of the Turkish delight, but I also like complex villains who think they are doing good, like Professor Umbridge in the later Harry Potter books who reminds me of Thatcher.

Q. In Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact your main character discovers another world through a mirror…what kind of world would you love to discover through a mirror?

So long as it is secret, I don't mind. 

Q. If you were to create/bake aDarwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact cupcake, what flavor would it be, or what would it taste like, and what would you call your tasty masterpiece?

 Ha! Something rich and chocolatey covered in sugar cogs and gears, and with a completely unexepected centre! I would call it The Unpredictable Confection.

Be sure to stop by the March MG Madness home post and enter the big month long giveaway to win a box of MG books and swag! You can earn extra entries in the big giveaway by answering a question whose answer can be found in the interview above...go HERE to enter.

Find the author: Website / Goodreads / Twitter 

Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Book Dep.

British born writer A.J. Hartley got his first taste for archaeology touring sites in Greece and Rome as a child with his family. As an English major at Manchester University he took extra classes in Eqyptology and got a job working on a Bronze Age site just outside Jerusalem…

Since then, life has taken him to many places around the world, and though he always leaned more towards the literary than to the strictly historical, his fascination with the past has continued unabated. 

He has an M.A. and Ph.D. in English literature from Boston University and is currently the Distinguished Professor of Shakespeare in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. As well as being a novelist and academic, he is a screenwriter, theatre director and dramaturg (and has a book explaining what that is). He has more hobbies than is good for anyone, and treats ordinary things like sport and food and beer with a reverence which borders on mania. He is married with a son, and lives in Charlotte.