The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell - ADVISABLE

Bell, Jennifer The Crooked Sixpence (The Uncommoners #1), illustrated by Karl James Mountford.  320 pages. Crown Books (Penguin Random House), 2017.  $16.99.  

Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: PG  Violence: PG.

Imagine an underground world where ordinary objects have special powers.  Lemon squeezers turn into lamps, special candles can make you invisible and so much more! This is where siblings Ivy and Seb find themselves after they escape from the intruders that they find in their grandmother’s house.  Down in Lundinor, the two discover a whole new world.  They set out on a mission to help save their parents who have been kidnapped and held ransom by The Dirge, a Fallen Guild of bad guys.   While on this adventure, they uncover family secrets as they also try to help solve a decades long mystery. 

This fantasy, middle-grade fiction book is being dubbed “part Tim Burton, part J.K. Rowling.”  It has a dark feel to it, with the illustrations adding to the somberness. The book is filled with a cast of quirky characters, some of which are quite creepy.  I found the number and different types of characters a bit difficult to keep track of at times.  Fantasy readers will enjoy the mystery and adventure of this fast-paced story.  It is important to note that there are some scenes that may be a bit scary for the younger spectrum of readers.  

MS – ADVISABLE.  Reviewer:  Nancy W.