*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really cute book but i just didnt like it as much as i thought i would, more just not my cup of tea

Young Walter Mortinson is an inventor. Perhaps more mad-scientist than genius inventor when you consider that some of his inventions include animating a dead rabbit. Needless to say, Walter Mortinson doesn't have a lot of friends at school. No one else seems interested in what he is able to invent. And to add to what his classmates would find odd about him, Walter lives with his mother who runs the family mortuary business. Walter has inventing in his blood as his father Maxwell, was also a noted inventor.

One of Walter's inventions goes awry and causes some havoc in their small town which has his mother pushing for Walter to settle in and learn the mortuary business, but at about the same time, Walter gets a letter from Horace Flasterborn. Flasterborn is the biggest name in inventions. Maxwell Mortinson worked for Flasterborn - was even heir to the Flasterborn empire - and now Horace, who has been keeping tabs on Walter from afar, has invited him to come be part of the Flasterborn Family just as his father was.

Along with a neighbor girl, who is also a school outcast, Walter takes the family hearse and heads off to meet the fabulous Flasterborn. But Walter will have to learn what's really important in life before he makes a commitment.

This is a really great middle-grade novel. It starts out with a lot of fun as we see all the strange inventions. Young readers will definitely giggle as they read. And of course the names (of inventions and of people [Horace Flasterborn, Tippy Tedesco, etc]) are fun to say. I've written before about something I once heard Bruce Coville say about "Cool Things Per Page" and how the success of children's books can often be attributed to the CTPP level (and Coville should know), The famous boy wizard books have a very high CTPP of course, and this book grabs our attention with a high CTPP qoutient.

But it's almost as if this is two books. We turn a page (literally and figuratively) and the CTPP drops significantly as the book switches from fun exploration to a message novel of some youthful introspection. It's all good work here, but it definitely could have been stronger if the two different aspects of the book could have been pulled together a bit more.

Author Quinn Sosna-Spear is definitely an author to watch for. This is a strong first showing and I look forward to whatever she brings next.

Looking for a good book? <em>The Remarkable Inventions of Walter Mortinson</em> by Quinn Sosna-Spear is a fun, middle-grade read with unique characters who make strong choices.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley for this is ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this one, its dark and twisty, with Wizard of OZ vibes, with a bit of Coraline thrown in for sass. There were a few moments that gave me pause, many moments of laughter and a tear for good measure. This is a winner for me, I know quite a few kids who would enjoy this one!

Walter Mortinson is an inventor in a town that does not appreciate anyone doing anything outside of the ordinary. His mother would like him to join the family mortuary business but Walter is not interested. He wants to be like his father who was also a great inventor and made life interesting until an unfortunate accident. When he finds a letter inviting him to meet the great Horace Flasterborn on Flaster Island he decides to make the crosscountry trip. He is joined by Cordelia who has her own reasons for going to Flaster Island. They make their way from one unusual town to the next even more unusual town unknowingly retracing the steps of his parents many years before.

I enjoyed this fun adventure but it was a bit meandering and overlong. There didn't seem to be much point in some of the stops along the way and they were so unusual. I think the whole point was the unusuallness of them, but I would have liked a bit more cohesion to the story. I did enjoy the ending and the fact that it wasn't happily ever after.

Quinn Sosna-Spear, has crafted a tale of an unforgettable boy doing marvelous things. My first impression was of a style similar to Roald Dahl as in James and Giant Peach but as I got deeper into the book, I felt I'd fallen into a version of Alice in Wonderland. The book twists and turns as each chapter becomes a door into new worlds and quirky characters.

Walter, along with his neighbor, Cordelia, are on a mission to find the great Flasterborn--renowned inventor and ruler of Flaster Isle. Walter dreams of becoming an apprentice inventor and Cordelia is hoping to find the key to a secret she has carefully guarded. Walter's mother Hadorah has spent her whole life trying to keep her son from falling under Flasterborn's spell. Now she must return to the place she had hoped to never see again, to save her son from dangers he knows nothing about.

It has been awhile since I read a book with so much originality and pure imagination within its pages. A bit of magic, angst over dreams and disappointments in life, and a dash of danger and adventure all add up to create a marvelously fresh tale for readers in upper elementary or middle grades. It's hard to find titles that aren't full of language and edgy content. I loved this title tackles questions adolescents may face about fitting in, learning about their past, and how to carry on when life deals you an unfair hand.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of The Remarkable Inventions of Walter Mortinson from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

THE REMARKABLE INVENTIONS OF WALTER MORTINSON by Quinn Sosna-Spear is a debut novel that seems assured to have wide appeal. Twelve year old Walter is clearly an inventor and, like OZ, dabbles in a fantastical journey. In this case, it is in the family hearse with next his neighbor, Cordelia. According to the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: “All readers with a heart for adventure will appreciate this quirkily told tale.” I have already added THE REMARKABLE INVENTIONS OF WALTER MORTINSON to my list of gift giving ideas.

You can read a short excerpt of the delicious writing from Quinn Sosna-Spear (who was named a California Young Playwright at seventeen) and decide for yourself here:
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Remarkable-Inventions-of-Walter-Mortinson/Quinn-Sosna-Spear/9781534420809

THE REMARKABLE INVENTIONS OF WALTER MORTINSON by Quinn Sosna-Spear is a fantastical book with so much vivid imagery. There are many things to like about this children’s fiction book, though I don’t know the age range I’d recommend for it. Walter is an easy hero to cheer for with his convictions and his curiosity. The lands that Walter and Cordelia go through are all very descriptive and rank high on the imagination scale. Kids will love all the creative names and characters and the language in the book is pretty straightforward. But there are some drawbacks. The jumping back and forth in time in Hadorah’s chapters is confusing. You think you are in one timeframe and you are in another and that lost me a bit as a reader. I’m curious if my daughter would feel the same if she read it. Also, because there is so much going on in this book, one of the major plot points seems to just magically wrap up and a few never are resolved. Finally, everyone is so dark and dreary that it dragged me down a bit as a reader saving all the joy until the end. However, I loved the ending, the way the relationship with the Mortinson family plays out, and the journey that Walter goes on to find his hero and finds something else instead, and the gift he gives his friend. I will keep this one for my daughter to read when she’s a little older and can’t wait to see what pictures she draws to go with it. Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this advance review copy. All opinions are my own. 3.5 stars

I really wanted to like this book, but it was just not for me. Walter Mortinson is a teen boy whose beloved inventor father died under mysterious circumstances. Walter’s mother is a mortician who wants Walter to follow in her footsteps, but Walter only wants to become a great inventor like his father.

Walter is brilliant and creative, but stuck in a dreary town engulfed in smog and inhabited by miserable people. And boy are they miserable. All of the characters are wholly unlikeable. They’re mean and ignorant and just plain awful. Even Walter, for all his genius, is naïve and rather irritating.

Walter sets off on an adventure to find a world famous inventor his father used to work for, with his crush, the reluctant and grumpy Coredelia, along for the ride. They traverse the country side in Walter’s mother’s hearse, finding strange towns, people, and adventures along the way.

The author has some fantastic world-building ability and the world she’s created is truly unique, but it wasn’t particularly enjoyable to enter into, in my opinion. I couldn’t bring myself to care about Walter or the other characters, even after learning their various backstories and why they were all so terrible.

This book reads like a steampunk mashup of Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (both of which I loved), so I really can’t pinpoint why this book didn’t work for me. I think it was a combination of the over-the-top tone and the unlikeable characters. Ah well. To each their own.

I love books that encourage STEM and this was one of them, even if it is slightly on a darker side and a bit more whacky.

Walter is a boy inventor whose inventions sometimes don't quite work the way he hopes. His father is gone and his mother wants him to set aside this nonsense and become a mortician but that isn't what Walter wants. He sets out on a journey alongside his neighbor, Cordelia to become the apprentice of a famous inventor on Flaster Isle. Now, they just need to get there in one piece and have a few wild adventures along the way. The world will get a lot stranger, Cordelia will become a bit friendlier and Walter will learn a bit about himself and his legacy. Incredible world-building, enchanting characters and the promise of more to come. This would be the perfect family read aloud. I loved everything about this book. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Sosna-Spear's book is a roller coaster ride through Walter's life. Driven by a need to invent, Walter tries to escape the very thing he can't - himself. The ending is very touching. While the book will not be for everyone, anyone who has wished they could change the past will relate to Walter.

Walter is 12 years old and has a older man name.He is an inventor.Tippy has goggles that help her see like a hawk.Tippy is interested in Walter.Walter has walked to school since he was 5 years old Alexander spits when he talks and trys to bully Walter. He is not the only person that Alex bullies.

Walter Mortinson is a young man who is destined for something. No one is sure just what. He has it in his genes. Inventing, that is. Parts and pieces litter his room and he is always scavenging for more. Yet, his mother tries to pull him away, back down to earth. Back to the basement of their house where she runs the family mortuary... Caught between the stiffs and the clouds, Walter chooses to flee. And he takes along a girl who can help him, and she him. They are both hurting and begin a journey of to something they believe may fix

Sosna-Speer has created a tale with nods to Tollbooths, Factories, and Unfortunate Events. There is great detailed imagination is the little worlds that Walter and Cordelia visit. Miners and balloonists and inventions of all types are cast in a light of whimsy yet sometimes darkness. The only criticism I have with the book is that there was a disconnect for me between the two distinct threads. Walter is running towards his dream of being an inventor and follow his father's legacy, and his mother chases after him to stop that passing on of the torch. As the novel progresses these two pieces fight at times for control of the narrative. I found it hard to decipher between the authority of the storytelling technique.

The Remarkable Inventions of Walter Mortinson a well-written novel that is carried by a fun and inventive character. The story ebbs and flows, but in the end it finishes with a positive and worthy message.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Walter Mortinson is a unique boy in a town where being unique is not a good thing. Walter is an inventor. While searching for his own identity and a connection to his late father, Walter finds friendship, love, and the real meaning of family.

Walter Mortinson’s father, Maxwell, died when Walter was just four years old, but Maxwell’s creativity and inventiveness lived on in Walter. Unfortunately, Walter’s mother Hadorah was determined to quash all inventing and force Walter to be like everyone else in the humdrum, grey town of Moormouth. When Walter receives an invitation to become an apprentice to the great Flasterborn, he sets out on an adventure with his one and only, somewhat-friend, Cordelia Primpet. They travel through strange towns to arrive at Flaster Isle, each searching for the one thing they believe they desperately want.

Artistic, inventive, creative and completely outcast from the town of Moormouth, Walter is relatable to anyone who has ever felt friendless or alone. The same can be said about his traveling companion, Cordelia Primpet. Cordelia isn’t outcast for her mind like Walter, but for her appearance and an illness that she has dealt with since childhood. The Remarkable Inventions of Walter Mortinson teaches how being different can sometimes be a wonderful thing. Through Walter and Cordelia’s journey, we learn about their unique personalities, their sad histories, and the hope that keeps them going.

This book was a fun, imaginative read that would be perfect for any middle grade student. If you are looking for a good read aloud for 4th or 5th grade, this one would be fabulous!

"There was only one HOF she knew of: Horace Odwald Flasterborn. Somehow Walter had found the letter. And if Hadorah knew Flasterborn, she knew exactly what it said."

This is a review of an ARC provided by NetGalley it will be available April 02, 2019.

I loved the feel of the story. It was as if Neil Gaiman's Coraline, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate events, AND Roald Dahl's whimsy was weaved together to form a fresh adventure. If you are a fan of any of those listed above, you will find The Remarkable Inventions of Walter Mortinson to be an excellent read.

The Remarkable Invention of Walter Mortinson is a children’s fiction piece, but probably fits better as middle-grade read. It has layers of whimsy, darkness, and strange inventions one can't help but love. From wannabe fish people to strange miner folk there is something that will stick out to every reader. If you are looking for an adventure that will pull you in, look no further than The Remarkable Inventions of Walter Mortinson.

Walter Mortinson is 12 going on 13. He and his mother live a house where his mother, Hadorah, runs the family mortuary business. Because of the family business, the mysterious death of his father, and his overall demeanor and excitement with inventing Walter does not fit in well at school. Walter has one dream, to be an inventor like his father. After an argument with his mother, he finds a particular letter. With that in hand, Walter hits the road in his mother’s hearse with his one-eyed friend, Cordelia, to chase his dream.

The feel of the story and the cover alone were enough for me to enjoy this read a lot, but there are two things I did not like. Did this ruin the story for me? No, but they lingered on my mind throughout the book. Will a younger reader notice or care? Probably not.

The perspective and time shifting are my biggest complaints about the book. You read a chapter focused on Walter, then one his parents/mother in the present or the past, then back to Walter. While his parents' story added detail to the plot, I was not interested in what they had done. I would have liked to learn their story from the characters Walter met. SO Walter and I could learn about his family together, it would have added depth to the plot and a fun puzzle to ponder as you read. Instead, I always knew a tad bit more than Walter which spoiled the fun for me.
Shock factor over depth. Yes, I know this is a children’s book/middle-grade read, BUT I do not think that is any reason for the characters and places to be lacking in development. The places Walter and Cordelia visit are exciting and whimsical but missing a bit of explanation. Beyond the wow factor of the setting, I felt myself wanting more--why is this place like this? Why are the characters behaving in this way? I would have liked more depth/characterization/explanation. There is closure in the end that ties everything together--for better or for worse.
Beyond my nitpicking, there is something special about The Remarkable Inventions of Walter Mortinson. The imagery alone makes it worth reading. Younger readers will enjoy this read, and older/more experienced readers will find familiar flavors that will make it an enjoyable read. I will be ordering a physical copy of this book to add to my library.  I recommend The Remarkable Invention of Walter Mortinson to any reader but more so to the fans of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket's The Series of Unfortunate Events. 

Have you read any reviews of The Remarkable Inventions of Walter Mortinson? Do you want to read it? Have you read anything similar? Do you like to read children's lit or middle-grade reads?