Cody, Matthew The Dead Gentleman, 288 pgs. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2011. $11.99.
Content: G
Two New York City kids, from two different times, meet up in strange circumstances. Tommy is a street urchin in 1901 who becomes an Explorer, allowing him to seek out secret holes to other worlds. The Dead Gentlemen is after him and he won’t let anything stand in his way. In today's time, we meet Jezebel, who is a bit of an explorer herself, and when she snoops into the basement of her apartments building Jez finds out the world is much larger than she had thought. Together they face incredible odds, but they must save the world from the Dead Gentlemen.
For the first few chapters of this book I was getting really excited and even impressed, finally a steampunk story with a unique voice and a creative story. But after monsters in the closet and an odd nod to Journey of the Center of the earth, my illusions were shattered. From there on out, it’s a bit cheesy and even overly complicated. Despite its shortcomings, I still think students will enjoy this adventure because its really about exploring the unknown and being brave.
EL – OPTIONAL Reviewer: Stephanie MLS graduate.
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