I have a great middle grade fantasy to review today,
The Cabinet of Earths by Anne Nesbet. It just came out a few months ago and I
was lucky to meet the author at a book signing.
The Story- Maya and her little brother James have
just moved to Paris, France. Their dad is working for a strange group known only
as The Society of Philosophical Chemistry, and their mother is ill, recovering
from cancer.
From the get go Maya finds things strange in France.
First, there is the house down the street, it fills her with foreboding and she
swears the metal salamander on the door is actually watching her. Then there is
her cousin Louise, who appears to be invisible to everyone else accept family
members. And let’s not forget the distant relative she finds who refuses to
leave his house and spends all his time watching over a beautiful cabinet he
refers to as The Cabinet of Earths.
Maya is thrust into an age old mystery full of
missing children, immortal “perfect” people, and magic. After her brother is
kidnapped, what will she do to save him?
My Thoughts- This is a unique fantasy novel and I
really enjoyed its fresh take. It’s a premise I’ve never read before and is full
of great and interesting tidbits. Maya is a wonderful little girl, and it is
fun to follow along on her adventures as she tries to unravel the mystery.
The cabinet is a strange yet curious idea. The fact
that your essence or earth can be pulled out of you and that you can be
immortal sounds like such a good plan, but the author does a good job spotlighting
the evils of living forever and of losing touch with humanity. There is also a
healthy chunk of creepiness, including creating and eating anbar, the food of
the immortals. And also the purple eyed man, who seems to be in charge of the
Society.
One other thing the author does well, is dealing
with the situation between Maya and her sick mother. The feelings expressed
seem genuine, and Maya has to make some tough and ethical decisions about what
she would do to save her mom.
I recommend this middle grade read as something new
and exciting in the kidlit world.
I'm reading this book right now and am enjoying it. I'm also honored to include Anne Nesbet as a new friend. Did you know she teaches at Berkeley? Really smart lady - and very, very nice.
ReplyDeleteI've heard a lot about this book, but haven't read it yet. Thanks for reminding me - I'll definitely be looking for it.
ReplyDeleteMy kids and I read this one aloud together. We enjoyed the journey and how things wrapped up in the end. Fabulous book!
ReplyDeleteit's not easy to tackle an advanced fantasy as well as a sad reality -- sounds like this author did a great job with both! kudos :)
ReplyDeleteGreat review. I thought Anne did a great job dealing with the issue of Maya's sick mom too. And I loved the mysterious cabinet.
ReplyDeleteThis is one I definitely want to read!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great read for those hot, lazy summer days. Such unique and creative ideas!
ReplyDeleteLooks great! Just added it to my Goodreads to-read list. Thanks!
ReplyDelete~mara
Thanks for all the comments! This is definitely one to read.
ReplyDelete