This book starts out like a Dickensian caper, with Bo mudlarking along the Thames, finding an astonishing jewel, and meeting a mysterious boy. Bo herself is a bold character, willing to try things and deeply curious about her world. There's so much happening in this book--war, obsession, grief, a lost ballad with secret instructions, the river talking to Bo, a fight with her very human best friend, etc--that it's hard to find the center of this book at times, and I felt like we ended up with a very different novel than we began with. They're both good, and the writing continues to be strong throughout, but I felt like this book hadn't completely decided on its purpose yet. For historical fiction, this feels like it wanders too much in history--the setting is actually World War I, with Bo's beloved brother Harry about to go off to fight, but London itself feels Victorian, without the continual presence of the war that I think children would have been well-aware of. I still enjoyed the story, but I was hoping for more.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for a free earc in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.

I don't read a tremendous amount of middle grade fiction, but I love Jessie Burton and her way of world building so I knew that I should take the chance on Hidden Treasure, and I'm so glad that I did.

A fantastical story of love and hope, Hidden Treasure is set during WWI, telling the story of two English children who do not know one another but circumstances bring together. Such an adventurous read, sure to please older kids and would make a great read-aloud.

4.5 Stars

Author Jessie Burton has a way with middle-grade writing that is magic unto itself. Restless Girls, her retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, is enchanting, and her latest offering, Hidden Treasure is delightful.

Set in London during World War I, Hidden Treasure follows Bo as she navigates her brother going off to war and changing friendships. Bo is an inquisitive girl with a beautiful heart. Her willingness to put others before her is endearing and her earnest nature rings true.

As Bo sets out to learn more about the jewel, she discovers its magical role in a family’s deep secret. What ensues is a twist-filled adventure with lots of suspense and an air of Dickensian mystery that’s full of atmosphere.

Burton’s writing is warm and assured, pulling you in from the first few paragraphs. She explores class structure, friendship, family, and grief in an accessible and intriguing way. Hidden Treasure is a great option for readers who enjoy history, fantasy and magical realism.

This book is wonderful. WON.DER.FUL. I can’t even tell you how much tween-me would have adored this book. But adult-me kind of adored it, too. This book is timeless, and that doesn’t happen very often these days.

There’s something about Jessie Burton’s writing style that reminds me so much of the classics I grew up reading. I loved it in The Miniaturist, but it works even better when aimed at a younger audience. Make no mistake, this is a children’s book, but unlike a lot of modern middle-grades, it’s written as though children are intelligent human beings with a good grasp of the English language, well-developed emotional intelligence, and good taste in reading material. This is a new Secret Garden or The Wind in the Willows. An instant classic, and one that adults will get just as much (if not more) out of than kids.

The magic in this story is exactly the kind of quiet, ancient, the-river-is-alive magic I’ve always loved. It calls back to a time before wizards and witches took over children’s fantasy, and returns to a mythological animism that really speaks to me (and to most kids). When I first started reading, the magic of the talking river charmed me, and I settled in for a wholesome adventure with the mudlarking girl, but pretty soon I was sucked in by a much more complex plot than I’d been expecting.

This book has plot twists that will blow young minds (and kinda blew mine). Burton doesn’t fall into lazy writing or weak plotting at all, despite the ages of her characters and her intended readership. She gives her young audience as much hard work and respect as she’d give adult readers, and you have to admire that. There’s a depth to this book that adult readers will appreciate and, hopefully, young readers will learn a lot from. For instance, Burton offers us some beautiful insights into the pain and the healing from grief and loss. As a kid, I know I would have been moved by it and probably would have learned something about having a healthy perspective of death that I hadn’t been exposed to before. I don’t want to get into specifics, because I don’t want to spoil anything… but it’s lovely and wholesome and bittersweet. Just perfection.

5 stars. Loved it. Highly recommend it for everyone, young and old.

Cute concept and pretty cover. Incredibly well written, but at the same time, came across as almost old-fashioned style and likely wouldn't connect with a middle grade audience looking for more straight-forward prose.

Life is busy right now, leading me to read Hidden Treasure in bits and pieces over the last two weeks. Each time I came back to read more, I enjoyed it, and my little sips became gulps, wanting the rest of the story.

For me, the setting is the dominant feature and greatest asset of Hidden Treasure. The Thames River itself truly is a character here in addition to being setting—not an anthropomorphized character, but a power, a mood, a feeling that permeates the story. My only complaint is that the river’s sensory impact as written was less than it could be. I felt like it was tidied up, sanitized, with its sparkle left but its stink removed. And I want it to be realistic, because sanitizing away the stink removes some of the magic. Mud larking requires a strong stomach and a willingness to endure muck and dead things. In a story that deals so much with accepting death, I think that there’s a missed opportunity here to make that acceptance pervasive via the smells and the textures of the river.

Characters, plotting, and pacing are well done. Jessie Burton is going onto my list of writers I want to read more often, and that I will recommend to library patrons.

What a sweet historical fiction fantasy novel for middle grade!

Set in WWI era London, Bo, Billy, and Eddie are mudlarks that spend their time along the banks of the Thames, looking for treasure. Bo's brother Harry has just departed for France, and his little sister Bo and their mother remain behind. What follows is a sweet adventure with sadness, hearbreak, and friendships along the way.

Perfect for younger middle grade and older elementary readers. The setting and some of the language is pretty sophisticated, so I think this would be a bigger hit with most experienced and curious readers. As an adult, I enjoyed it myself. I teach eighth graders and some my more voracious readers who love fantasy would enjoy this a lot. I plan to check out the author's other book for younger readers as well.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!