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May 22, 2012
Fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Mysterious Benedict Society will enjoy the story of three strange siblings in the midst of an unbelievably strange adventure. Finding themselves suddenly free to explore London on their own, Otto, Lucia (pronounced Lu-CHEE-a), and Max Hardscrabble follow the only clue they have to the mysterious disappearance of their mother: a letter from their great-aunt who is living in a castle built for children in Snoring-by-the-Sea, a town with a dark past. Here, they begin to unravel the secrets of the legendary Kneebone boy, a creature rumored to be half animal half boy, and find that their own family’s secrets are not so different from the secrets of the Kneebone family. The strength of this book lies in its quirky cast of characters. The tone of The Kneebone Boy is dark and strange, but not supernatural or scary. The fast-paced mystery builds upon layers of clues to an exciting climax, which will appeal to readers who enjoy a puzzle. The pieces do come together neatly in the end in a surprising and inventive conclusion.