For me, Alistair Grim's Odditorium started out really strong and was everything I wanted it to be up until the tone fell apart at about the last 50 pages. Still, most of it was really worth my time and the book itself is gorgeous. Seriously, I want a Barnes and Noble leather-bound edition of this immediately; I can already picture it as purple and black with silverleaf pages and accents. And since this book is put out by Disney-Hyperion you know the movie is coming soon, if not already in development. I nominate Tim Burton to direct it because he's the clear choice for gothic whimsy.

This was a very imaginative story about a boy named Grubb, who was raised by a chimney sweeper and his wife who took him in after finding him as a baby. Through curious circumstances, Grubb finds himself in Alistair Grim's Odditorium, a strange house full of magic. Here Grubb finds a new home, making friends and experiencing the most peculiar and dangerous adventures.
While I enjoyed the fantastical ideas stuffed into this tale, I didn't care much about the characters. I was intrigued by and interested in learning more about all the magical things happening, but I was not as emotionally involved or felt for Grubb, Nigel and all the others and their fates as I think I should have.

I rad this back a while ago and forgot to review. As far as I recall it was a sweet ale. The boy named Grub felt a little one dimensional but it is for middle-grade audience. Sadly there has been no news on a continuation to the series so read at your peril