Set in Victorian Manchester, Tig is twelve years old and lives and works at The Theatre Royal, cleaning, lamp lighting and anything else her tyrant of a boss, Mr Snell, tells her to do. The theatre hasn't been doing so well so when Professor Faber arrives with a rather unusual talking machine, Tig hopes it will change the theatre's fortunes. Unfortunately, the professor is not a natural born performer and Mr Snell seems intent on ensuring that this new act fails - but why? Then Tig begins to realise that the machine actually seems to be talking to her on its own which is impossible. How is that happening and what is it trying the tell her?
Having loved The Vanishing Trick, I was very excited to see that Jenni had a new book coming out and was even more excited when I was able to read it early thanks to the magic that is Net Galley!
Jenni has a wonderful way of writing that lures you in and keeps you gripped, in both the way she builds the worlds she is creating as well as the the way she develops her characters. In The Incredible Talking Machine, steeped in Victorian England, you are instantly transported to a city of cotton mills and poverty, where the main character lives in a dusty corner of the theatre as she has no home to go to. The theatre itself is dark and mysterious, keeping you on edge with talk of ghosts and mysterious goings on - there is just enough darkness to keep you on the edge of your seat, but not quite enough to make you want to sleep with the light on at night (unless, perhaps, you happen to live in a theatre!).
It's the characters though that make this book. Tig is a wonderfully feisty twelve year old who is happy to say exactly what is on her mind as it comes to her, regardless of the consequences; she's of an age where she speaks before she really thinks things through and this invariably gets her into trouble (I suspect there will be many readers who will be able to relate to her because of this!). It has to be said though, that everything she says and does is because she feels she is doing the right things and she is tormented by this more and more as the machine reveals more of its words to her. She's a wonderful character and one I would love to get to know more (please tell me I'll get to know her more in the future, Jenni!). On the other hand, we have Mr Snell, who really is a rather evil character when all is said and done! Selfish and only out for his own gains, he cares for nobody and nothing but himself and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. His whole attitude and demeanour made me want to reach into the book and give him a good shake on more than one occasion!
Illustrated once again by Chris Mould, his fabulous work only adds to the atmosphere and that front cover is just divine!
Friendship, loyalty, ghostly goings on and a brilliantly woven plot all go to make this book a superb read and I know that it will be a big hit when it's released on the 24th June. A suitably dark encounter for those long summer days!!
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