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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Quirky and original. The writing has a distinctive voice and pulls you along. I could see this becoming a stop-motion movie.
An interesting book this. I didn't really like the characters at all but I like the concept of a 'birth object' and will probably read further books in this series just to see where that leads. The ending wasn't a particularly happy one and that made me like it more I think. I think kids would really get into the dark, weirdness of the story. I would like to find out what happens to the two main characters though ...!
I wanted to like the book, but found it hard to get into. Normally I don't mind the POV switches but found it distracting as the book progressed. The atmosphere was alluring, but I couldn't quite believe the characters' interactions. Not in a hurry to continue the series, but I also wouldn't avoid it.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first installment in the Iremonger Trilogy. The Iremongers live in Heap House, a mansion in the middle of heaps of garbage and items that have been thrown away. Each Iremonger at birth is given a "birth object" that they must keep with them at all times. Clod Iremonger is unique in that he can hear these objects talking. Lucy is an orphan brought to Heap House, who begins to uncover dark secrets about the family. This is a strange story, but younger readers may enjoy it.
Very bizarre book. The author drops his reader into the middle of his fuddled world right at the beginning, but it's fun to discover the intricacies of the Heap House alongside Clod and Lucy. It's an enjoyable read despite the book's nightmarish attributes. Carey misuses or overuses commas, in my humble opinion, but besides that the narration and description is well developed and impressive for a YA novel. I was very pleased to discover that Carey's world is both well thought-out and skillfully executed. Hooray!
3,5
J'ai beaucoup aimé la fin et l'univers mais ça a été quand même pas mal long avant de démarrer!
J'ai beaucoup aimé la fin et l'univers mais ça a été quand même pas mal long avant de démarrer!
Dickensian and weird. But by the end I couldn't stop reading and now I desperately need to acquire the other two books.
A brilliantly enjoyable novel with a hilarious bunch of characters!
- This is the first book in the Iremonger series, I had not heard of it until I went to the Hot Key Books blogger brunch a couple of weeks ago where it was raved about. I was generously given a copy on the day and couldn't wait to get it home to read!
- We follow the main protagonist Clod Iremonger, he lives with his family in the massive heaps of rubbish that surround London. The Iremonger family reside over the heaps and have even built their home from the rubbish found within the hulking masses of waste sent through from London. When a new Iremonger is born they are given something known as a 'birth object' - this is something that they usually keep with them at all times and it tends to reflect aspects of their personalities. Clod's birth object is a plug that he keeps on a chain like a stopwatch. Life seems to be all hunky-dory until Clod begins to hear everyone's birth objects speaking - the objects are saying names to him. This sets Clod off on a mission to uncover the secrets of the Iremonger family. With the help of a newly appointed housemaid named Lucy, Clod digs and digs until the truth comes out - will he like what he discovers?
- This was such a unique novel, the strange austerity of the Iremonger family and the pure gumption of Clod and Lucy was a site to behold! I found myself completely taken with Clod as a protagonist, his naivety yet determination to uncover the truth was so heart-warming and I hope to see a lot more of him in the following novels! The way the characters interact with each other in this story is unlike anything I've ever read before, it was almost as if the characters didn't want to be speaking to each other at all (this is an inadequate description but you'll see what I mean if you read it!) - either way the writing style was one of my favourite aspects of the novel.
- I would liken this novel to that of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events or anything by Phillip Ardargh. Not only was the novel darkly witty but there was also a wonderful underlying tone of discovery and truth.
- I would recommend this to everyone! If you share a love of eerie and darkly humorous characters I'm sure you would enjoy this novel. 4.5 out of 5 stars! Can't wait to get my hands on book number two!
- This is the first book in the Iremonger series, I had not heard of it until I went to the Hot Key Books blogger brunch a couple of weeks ago where it was raved about. I was generously given a copy on the day and couldn't wait to get it home to read!
- We follow the main protagonist Clod Iremonger, he lives with his family in the massive heaps of rubbish that surround London. The Iremonger family reside over the heaps and have even built their home from the rubbish found within the hulking masses of waste sent through from London. When a new Iremonger is born they are given something known as a 'birth object' - this is something that they usually keep with them at all times and it tends to reflect aspects of their personalities. Clod's birth object is a plug that he keeps on a chain like a stopwatch. Life seems to be all hunky-dory until Clod begins to hear everyone's birth objects speaking - the objects are saying names to him. This sets Clod off on a mission to uncover the secrets of the Iremonger family. With the help of a newly appointed housemaid named Lucy, Clod digs and digs until the truth comes out - will he like what he discovers?
- This was such a unique novel, the strange austerity of the Iremonger family and the pure gumption of Clod and Lucy was a site to behold! I found myself completely taken with Clod as a protagonist, his naivety yet determination to uncover the truth was so heart-warming and I hope to see a lot more of him in the following novels! The way the characters interact with each other in this story is unlike anything I've ever read before, it was almost as if the characters didn't want to be speaking to each other at all (this is an inadequate description but you'll see what I mean if you read it!) - either way the writing style was one of my favourite aspects of the novel.
- I would liken this novel to that of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events or anything by Phillip Ardargh. Not only was the novel darkly witty but there was also a wonderful underlying tone of discovery and truth.
- I would recommend this to everyone! If you share a love of eerie and darkly humorous characters I'm sure you would enjoy this novel. 4.5 out of 5 stars! Can't wait to get my hands on book number two!
I admit that this book started out slow for me, but the more I read the more my interest was gaining. The premise is that there is a family who oversees the Heap, and each family member is given a birth object. However, we soon discover that these birth objects have names — and possibly identities — of their own. There's a strict order to the place, rules abound, and everyone knows their place. Until Clod falls in love with the wrong girl. This is basically a book about social order. I'm curious to see where the series goes and how the author explains what prompted the structure of the social order to begin with.