I know we’re not supposed to judge books by their cover, but the cover of Hyacinth and the Secrets Beneath reached out and grabbed me while I was browsing in the library, so I have to admit the cover gets credit for my picking it up! The back description provided just enough teasing hints to make me open it up, and the story voice cinched the deal and did the rest.

The story follows 11 year-old Hyacinth who has just moved to London with her slightly spastic mom. They are going back to her mother’s roots (for reasons that never quite get explained) because that’s where her grandmother, mother, and aunts lived when they were young. Hyacinth isn’t too pleased to be moving so far from most of her family, but her misgivings take on new concern when she reads a cryptic note from her grandmother inside her strange gift, which is a book about London’s sewer system of all things, and warns of danger ahead for them–then magically shifts to a more boring message. It’s a compelling beginning which then slows a bit, until Hyacinth attempts to do a bit of plumbing in her mother’s absence. She’s only trying to fix the tap, so she can get a nice mix of hot and cold water and wash her hands, but she sets off a series of events that cascades like water down a waterfall, then turns to a rushing flood!

Following Hyacinth on her adventurous felt like tumbling and swirling through London’s sewer system, where Hyacinth spends much of the early part of the book. I was a little concerned the author might lose us in there, or that the story would wind up a drowned down one of the seemingly random side streams. However, he really did an amazing job of pulling it all together in the end, and while I can’t say that I was ever in any doubt as to how the plot would play out, and saw the one twist delivered up in the middle pretty much from the beginning, the world and adventure were clever enough that I never minded. There are treasure-mucking toshers (historically accurate, along with lots of other details), rats, a giant literate pig of course, weird men made from mud, ancient squabbling societies, and strange fantasy–esque fellows of a criminal bent. Hyacinth must sort them all out and figure out out how to do the right thing and rescue her mom while saving the day and learning a few of the mysteries regarding her heritage. The book was a thoroughly British romp, and I suspect the compelling characters will stay with me forever!

Now, let’s see what Apricot-kitty thought of it:

“The book was a little too taken with its own fun sometimes, but all very well. As for the history, only humans would ever allow something so awful as The Great Stink to happen. It’s truly a wonder we cats are even willing to live with you.”

I can’t deny it, she kind of has a point! If you doubt us just look up the great stink or follow this link and you’ll probably agree. Since I spent most of my time in history in older periods I hadn’t heard of it before and was a bit flabbergasted, loving that detail and so many of the other bits which built on real history! However, most kids will absorb the history without noticing it’s even there, since it’s delivered as world building to the magic and adventure.

I hope you’re having a great start to your week! For the full round up of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday reviews, spotlights, interviews and giveaways, stop by our host Greg Pattridge’s blog, and happy reading!

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