Not even the muted yelling tone Gerard Doyle used in other places to indicate louder speech without actually hollering in my ear – this was a jump-out-of-your-socks full bore very much unmuted scream. And the chapter in which the children come 'round in 1763 opens with … screaming. At the beginning and end of the book comes a sound effect which may or may not be some kind of audio logo for Simon & Schuster Audio, which sounded like a jet taking off. I started to write "great", but then remembered three moments where, if I had been (God forbid) listening through earbuds, I would have had to claw them off my head and rock back and forth for a minute in pain. However, regardless of how it turns out and my disappointment with the second volume, I’m very glad I’ve bought the first one! Read moreįirst off, this was a good narration. The third and final novel in this trilogy hasn’t come out yet, so I can’t say anything about it. Most of it takes place either in contemporary London which is described as any other modern city, nothing memorable, or in the revolutionary France, which is depicted as stereotypically as the 18th century England in Gideon the Cutpurse is not. And actually getting to visit the country after having read it adds a whole new dimension to the experience.This novel is the first in a trilogy, but personally I didn’t enjoy the second installment, Time Thief, as much.
It’s a cliché to say that reading a book has made one feel as if one has actually visited the place, but personally I can’t think of any other book off the top of my head that did this for me.
What sets it apart from the general adventure fare are the vivid descriptions and characterizations of 18th century England and its people.
However, it’s not just a children’s book. This novel is about two modern British kids (12-13 years old) who accidentally get back in time to the 1760s and experience plenty of adventures in their attempts to get back with the help of the (former) cutpurse of the title and other friends they make in the 18th century.
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