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A review by jenny_librarian
The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell
4.0
4⭐️
On the cover, it says “part Tim Burton, part J.K. Rowling”. I think that’s a perfect description of this novel. Take the first Harry Potter book, when young Harry discovers the magical world and all its wonders, add a bit of Burton’s signature creepiness and you’ll have The Uncommoners.
There are many similarities between the uncommoners and the wozarding worlds. Lundinor is some sort of city-wide Diagon Alley, where trading replaces money. There are 4 Grandmasters, as there are 4 Hogwarts houses. Some uncommoners hate commoners (also called ‘muckers’), much like some pure blood wizards hated muggles. But all those similarities take nothing from the magic of Jennifer Bell’s book. If anything, it made me want to read more, to see how she would stray away from the wizarding world.
The only major downside was the lack of diversity. The Crooked Sixpence begins in the UK and ends in Lundinor, where people from all over the world gather. It sounds impossible to me that every single character they meet is white and abled. There is zero hint that any character is anything but cis, white and abled. In fact, when the warrant goes up in the beginning, there is not even a mention of Ivy and Seb’s ethnicity, as if they obviously have to be white. Since there is no romantic plot, I can’t say if sexual diversity could be explored in further books, but there is no hint of it so far, either (not even as a kid having parents of the same gender). Other than this, I consider this book near perfect and would recommend it without a doubt to young readers who want a magical world (although, according to Valian, there is no magic involved).
On the cover, it says “part Tim Burton, part J.K. Rowling”. I think that’s a perfect description of this novel. Take the first Harry Potter book, when young Harry discovers the magical world and all its wonders, add a bit of Burton’s signature creepiness and you’ll have The Uncommoners.
There are many similarities between the uncommoners and the wozarding worlds. Lundinor is some sort of city-wide Diagon Alley, where trading replaces money. There are 4 Grandmasters, as there are 4 Hogwarts houses. Some uncommoners hate commoners (also called ‘muckers’), much like some pure blood wizards hated muggles. But all those similarities take nothing from the magic of Jennifer Bell’s book. If anything, it made me want to read more, to see how she would stray away from the wizarding world.
The only major downside was the lack of diversity. The Crooked Sixpence begins in the UK and ends in Lundinor, where people from all over the world gather. It sounds impossible to me that every single character they meet is white and abled. There is zero hint that any character is anything but cis, white and abled. In fact, when the warrant goes up in the beginning, there is not even a mention of Ivy and Seb’s ethnicity, as if they obviously have to be white. Since there is no romantic plot, I can’t say if sexual diversity could be explored in further books, but there is no hint of it so far, either (not even as a kid having parents of the same gender). Other than this, I consider this book near perfect and would recommend it without a doubt to young readers who want a magical world (although, according to Valian, there is no magic involved).