A very diffrent animal novel that had a darker tone set in a victorian/dickson setting may be a little too dark for those of younger years but just right for those older.

Goodreads Rating: 4 stars
NetGalley Rating: 5 stars

The description for "The Wonderling" describes it as Dickensian and steampunk, and I can't agree more with those two descriptors.

Bartok writes and incredibly bleak, melancholic story--I pictured it as a mixture of Dickens and Lemony Snickett--but in the end, hope and perseverance persist in Arthur and his friends long enough that they're able to save the day. However, while this theme of "don't lose hope" is always present, even it cannot permeate the bleakness of it all. It can be depressing, but even during the most sad parts, Arthur still remains a strong character and never forgets Trinket's words to be hopeful.

Speaking of Trinket: OH MY GOODNESS TRINKET AND PEVILL ARE SO FRICK-FRACKING ADORABLE, I CAN'T EVEN. They were my favorite characters, not only for their brain-melting adorableness, but also because they were strong and not afraid to break molds. Trinket is an amateur inventor and Pevill is a brave little mouse that would likely feel quite at home in Redwall Abbey.

All of the Groundlings were difficult to imagine, as they were all various shades of animal. Some were mostly human, aside from a few traits, but others were almost purely animal, right down to their size, but were still human. The illustrations definitely will be helpful to imagine what each of the characters look like, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story one bit.

This is a great book for middle schoolers, but high schoolers and older will certainly find enjoyment in it as well. I can definitely see it as being an amazing read aloud book for younger kids, since some of the vocab and themes are complex and lend themselves to discussion.

Although the themes in this book--never lose hope, good triumphs evil, be true to yourself even when you're not encouraged to be--are fairly typical, they were all written very well, with good characters you could sympathize with, evil characters you could easily hate (with a light dusting of sympathy), and settings that have amazing ambiance. While it's certainly not a "fluffy" read, it's a lovely example of quest-type bildungsroman storytelling.

I was delighted with this book about a half-human, half-fox orphan in search of a destiny beyond the four walls of his grim orphanage. Known only as Number 13, the Wonderling is forced to work in the orphanage factory, until a new friend, a tiny bird creature named Trinket, convinces him to escape into the wide world and seek his destiny in the big city.

In this world, there are humans, regular animals, and human/animal hybrids named "groundlings". Groundlings can speak and act like humans, but they have some physical characteristics of animals. They walk upright and wear clothing, but might have a tail, fur, feathers, wings, ears, beak, or snout of an animal. However, groundlings speak like humans, and can't talk to regular animals.

I loved the world-building of this story, but I really wanted to know more about how groundlings were first created, more of the history of the world, and what place rare magic and magical beings have in that world. Hopefully, some more of this will be explained in the second book.

One of the best things about this book is the rich language and beautiful writing. It really evokes a magical mood into the story, and makes even little details seem important and meaningful. Even though some of the elements of the story are not exactly original (the grim orphanage, the tough streets of a Victorian city, the Dickensian tropes), it's the writing style that gives it a fresh feeling and an authentic voice.

The Wonderling, or Number 13, is a deliciously innocent and sensitive little foxboy. He loves music, but music of all kinds is forbidden at the orphanage, so he finds solace in the plink plink of rain falling on the roof. He stops to admire the moonlight flowing through his window into the darkness of his grimy little dorm room. As he stops to delight in the small amount of beauty he can find in his ugly world, the reader pauses with him, and reflects with him on the grand questions of life. "Why am I here? What is my purpose?" These questions are what propel Number 13 out into the world to find his true home, his origins, and his lost family. I loved this main character for his kind little heart, his courage, and his desperate search for anything beautiful or good that his soul can cling to. He is such a tender character, I just want to protect him!

Some of the characters feel like they are pulled straight from Dickens' Oliver Twist, especially the rat groundling Quintus, who is practically Fagin with rat ears. And there are other common trope characters, like the evil headmistress of the orphanage and her bumbling sidekick. Sometimes these feel like they are copy and pasted into the story.
But other characters are admirably original and interesting, like the energetic and inventive Trinket, the funny little boy named Pinecone who dreams of being a knight, and of course, the strange and wondrous Belisha, the Queen of the Night Crows. I loved all these characters!

There are a lot of little ideas, puns, and inside jokes hidden in the book; for instance, there is a ferryman named Norahc, which of course is just Charon spelled backwards. I see what you did there, you clever thing!

One of my favorite things about this book is how there is a bewitching focus on music, songs, and the musical sounds of nature. Since Number 13 has been prohibited from any musical contact for most of his life, once he leaves the orphanage he begins to experience different types of music for the first time, and he is full of awe as his starving heart swells with the sounds. The intimacy of his reactions to music pulls the reader into that appreciation for things we usually take for granted. As a musician, I always love reading stories with music at the center.

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

"The Wonderling", opens with an anthropomorphised fox-like animal and what appears to be a pastoral version of Victorian England. In the first page, of the first chapter, we see the imaginative names and elaborate sentence structure. And therefore begins an entertaining adventure that reads as Dickens would. It's filled with breathtaking pages and the illustrations will be done in duotone.

Bottom Line: I am in love...love....love. I could sing all day about it. It's like a combination of my favorite classics. This book is a treasure!