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Ministry of Pandemonium #1
Graveyard Shift
A spooky fantasy-adventure in which death is only the beginning!
When Ben Harvester meets the mysterious Mr. October in London's Highgate Cemetery, he has no idea what a strange and dramatic turn his life is about to take. But Ben soon discovers that Mr. October works for the Ministry of Pandemonium, a secret organization responsible for tracking down lost souls and guiding them to the afterlife. And Mr. October wants him to be his new recruit.
As Ben's apprenticeship begins, his eyes are opened to a new world of wonder -- a world where magic is real and ghosts haunt every crime scene, accident site, and hospital corridor.
But with the wonder comes horror. Because the Ministry is not the only organization hunting spirits of the dead. The ghoulish Lords of Sundown want those spirits for their own sinister reasons. And as far as they're concerned, Ben's just chosen the wrong side in a very dangerous war.
Ill-mannered spooks and fearsome monsters populate the alternative London of this charming paranormal adventure!
When Ben Harvester meets the mysterious Mr. October in London's Highgate Cemetery, he has no idea what a strange and dramatic turn his life is about to take. But Ben soon discovers that Mr. October works for the Ministry of Pandemonium, a secret organization responsible for tracking down lost souls and guiding them to the afterlife. And Mr. October wants him to be his new recruit.
As Ben's apprenticeship begins, his eyes are opened to a new world of wonder -- a world where magic is real and ghosts haunt every crime scene, accident site, and hospital corridor.
But with the wonder comes horror. Because the Ministry is not the only organization hunting spirits of the dead. The ghoulish Lords of Sundown want those spirits for their own sinister reasons. And as far as they're concerned, Ben's just chosen the wrong side in a very dangerous war.
Ill-mannered spooks and fearsome monsters populate the alternative London of this charming paranormal adventure!
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
21 people are currently reading
506 people want to read
About the author
Chris Westwood
22 books7 followersWestwood, the son of a coal miner and a school teacher, decided on his writing career at age 11. Despite being Yorkshire born & bred, Westwood does live part of the time in East London. His first published writing was for the London music paper Record Mirror, where he worked as a staff reporter for three years.
His career mixes journalism and fiction.
His career mixes journalism and fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
October 2, 2019
The only thing that could have made this book any better would've been a second book. Which wouldn't have been to hard to write, considering the ending and how it leaves off.
March 15, 2011
The greatest compliment I can pay this book is that I had to continually remind myself that Ministry of Pandemonium was not, in fact, a Neil Gaiman novel. With similar dark and otherworldly themes, characters as vivid and endearing as any Mr Gaiman has produced and a clear style of writing that appears effortless, its impossible not to draw similarities. I enjoyed myself immensely while spending time in Chris Westwood's highly imaginative world and I'll certainly be recommending this as one of the better books I've read in the male oriented YA genre.
May 21, 2020
Do you remember the series 'Dead Like Me'? This has the same premise. Young Ben and Becky have the gift of helping newly dead people to find their way to the beyond. It's a sweet book, Ben is a sweet kid. And I hope Mr October comes back. Lucky for me that I already have the second book on my borrowed-from-the-library shelf.
January 11, 2015
A sensitive boy who frequents graveyards. Who sees the spirits of the recently departed. Who displays extraordinary artistic gifts. Who finds it hard to make friends when he starts a new school. And a boy whose father has mysteriously disappeared and a mother who is seriously ill. In other words, a youngster who fulfils many of the prime requirements for the outsider protagonist of a novel. This is Ben Harvester, who is drawn into a world of ghosts and demons and, in the process, discovers the latent abilities he has arising out of that sensitivity, a sensitivity that encompasses both his artistic gifts and his concern for those less well off than himself.
Through a rather odd stranger, Mr October — whose name conjures up that witching period of Halloween or Samhain, with its feasts of the dead — Ben is introduced to the secret Ministry of Pandemonium. As you might expect from a word coined by Milton for Paradise Lost, this synonym for disorder and chaos simply means “all the demons”. It transpires that the Ministry’s job is to locate lost souls and open the door to another world for them before demons gets to them — no easy task given the magnitude of the task. Will Ben manage to put off his inquisitive new friend Becky Sanborne before she discovers his unlikely calling? And what is the secret of his mother’s exhaustion and the explanation for his father’s disappearance?
Ministry of Pandemonium is set in a modern London with a supernatural underground familiar from China Miéville’s Kraken and Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. The boy who haunts cemeteries recalls Bod from Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book. The brick wall near Camden Lock giving access to the Ministry is reminiscent of Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station from Rowling’s Harry Potter books. And yet, despite some of the parallels one can easily make, there is a largely a consistent but individual use of these motifs. It’s not a perfect book — Ben, who himself narrates his tale, seems extraordinarily literate for someone of his age (twelve or thirteen, I would guess) and, despite loose ends (this is apparently the first novel in a series), the ending is a little pat, albeit redeemed by some pragmatic touches such as a solution for his father’s absence.
I wasn’t totally satisfied by Ministry of Pandemonium: I didn’t find the terrors very horrific for example, and supporting characters often seemed either a little predictable (Ben’s friends and foes always manage to find him wherever he runs to in the capital) and, for a boy who supposedly cares about people, he seemed singularly prosaic about the several deaths that are occasioned by the novel’s apocalyptic ending (there always is an apocalyptic ending in books such as these, aren’t there, usually set at Halloween). Why too does a West Yorkshire lad like Chris Westwood need to fall into the media cliché of London as the centre of all things?
Through a rather odd stranger, Mr October — whose name conjures up that witching period of Halloween or Samhain, with its feasts of the dead — Ben is introduced to the secret Ministry of Pandemonium. As you might expect from a word coined by Milton for Paradise Lost, this synonym for disorder and chaos simply means “all the demons”. It transpires that the Ministry’s job is to locate lost souls and open the door to another world for them before demons gets to them — no easy task given the magnitude of the task. Will Ben manage to put off his inquisitive new friend Becky Sanborne before she discovers his unlikely calling? And what is the secret of his mother’s exhaustion and the explanation for his father’s disappearance?
Ministry of Pandemonium is set in a modern London with a supernatural underground familiar from China Miéville’s Kraken and Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. The boy who haunts cemeteries recalls Bod from Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book. The brick wall near Camden Lock giving access to the Ministry is reminiscent of Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station from Rowling’s Harry Potter books. And yet, despite some of the parallels one can easily make, there is a largely a consistent but individual use of these motifs. It’s not a perfect book — Ben, who himself narrates his tale, seems extraordinarily literate for someone of his age (twelve or thirteen, I would guess) and, despite loose ends (this is apparently the first novel in a series), the ending is a little pat, albeit redeemed by some pragmatic touches such as a solution for his father’s absence.
I wasn’t totally satisfied by Ministry of Pandemonium: I didn’t find the terrors very horrific for example, and supporting characters often seemed either a little predictable (Ben’s friends and foes always manage to find him wherever he runs to in the capital) and, for a boy who supposedly cares about people, he seemed singularly prosaic about the several deaths that are occasioned by the novel’s apocalyptic ending (there always is an apocalyptic ending in books such as these, aren’t there, usually set at Halloween). Why too does a West Yorkshire lad like Chris Westwood need to fall into the media cliché of London as the centre of all things?
May 28, 2015
Spoilers below...
Ben Harvester likes drawing, and much to his mum’s dismay, spends a lot of time in cemeteries drawing the headstones and imagining the people that once were.
One day he meets a man who introduces himself as Mr October. That fact that Ben can see Mr October at all proves he has a gift, besides his extraordinary drawing talent.
Mr October works for the Ministry of Pandemonium and after Ben passes a few more tests, he is recruited to the Ministry.
This organisation is hidden in London (reminding me of Syrius Black’s house – there but not there), and it contains a room with an ancient telegraph machine. Every few minutes, a list of names reel out of the telegraph – the soon to be departed. These are then retyped up on cards and filed under Ministry regulations.
The Minstry’s job is to locate these people and guide them to the next life – no matter how confused, angry or in denial they may be.
But there are other forces – shapeshifting demons and horrifying creatures that try to steal these people for themselves. With Mr October’s guidance, Ben slowly develops his talent to defeat these creatures.
When his own mum’s name reels out of the telegraph, Ben’s own shock and denial prevents him from typing up his mum’s card and in the process the natural order of things is tipped into chaos – resulting in a huge battle with the demons and soul stealing Mawbreeds.
I enjoyed this story immensely. It leaves the reader with a satisfying ending but also allows a sequel to follow. Looking forward to it!
Ben Harvester likes drawing, and much to his mum’s dismay, spends a lot of time in cemeteries drawing the headstones and imagining the people that once were.
One day he meets a man who introduces himself as Mr October. That fact that Ben can see Mr October at all proves he has a gift, besides his extraordinary drawing talent.
Mr October works for the Ministry of Pandemonium and after Ben passes a few more tests, he is recruited to the Ministry.
This organisation is hidden in London (reminding me of Syrius Black’s house – there but not there), and it contains a room with an ancient telegraph machine. Every few minutes, a list of names reel out of the telegraph – the soon to be departed. These are then retyped up on cards and filed under Ministry regulations.
The Minstry’s job is to locate these people and guide them to the next life – no matter how confused, angry or in denial they may be.
But there are other forces – shapeshifting demons and horrifying creatures that try to steal these people for themselves. With Mr October’s guidance, Ben slowly develops his talent to defeat these creatures.
When his own mum’s name reels out of the telegraph, Ben’s own shock and denial prevents him from typing up his mum’s card and in the process the natural order of things is tipped into chaos – resulting in a huge battle with the demons and soul stealing Mawbreeds.
I enjoyed this story immensely. It leaves the reader with a satisfying ending but also allows a sequel to follow. Looking forward to it!
April 26, 2014
This book is really enjoyable. American readers would know this book as Graveyard Shift, it's the same book though. I love the way this is written. It's as if the visuals are written into the pages. The first paragraph of chapter 3 is a fantastic example!
Nothing moving. Everything still. The next few days were even hotter and the air felt like a clammy skin. On the bed in my room with the windows open I waited for a breeze that never came. It was like waiting for a miracle, a sign to point me towards Mr October.
(or maybe it's because of where I live and I know what it's like to wait for that breeze on those hot days)
But there are other instances all through the book that brings that same great visual but it's just easier for you to read the book yourself than for me to list them all here.
The book grabbed me straight away cause let's face it, Ben is hanging out in a cemetery and I don't think there is anything wrong with that, so it had to be good story! Everything fell into place at the right times. Looking forward to the next one.
In most books, I usually have a stupid moment and this book was no exception. It wasn't until page 216 when Ben is facing a demon and the demon calls him "Harvester" that I realise his name practically matches his profession... Yeah. Silly me!
Nothing moving. Everything still. The next few days were even hotter and the air felt like a clammy skin. On the bed in my room with the windows open I waited for a breeze that never came. It was like waiting for a miracle, a sign to point me towards Mr October.
(or maybe it's because of where I live and I know what it's like to wait for that breeze on those hot days)
But there are other instances all through the book that brings that same great visual but it's just easier for you to read the book yourself than for me to list them all here.
The book grabbed me straight away cause let's face it, Ben is hanging out in a cemetery and I don't think there is anything wrong with that, so it had to be good story! Everything fell into place at the right times. Looking forward to the next one.
In most books, I usually have a stupid moment and this book was no exception. It wasn't until page 216 when Ben is facing a demon and the demon calls him "Harvester" that I realise his name practically matches his profession... Yeah. Silly me!
Read
November 22, 2021*Time Capsule 2020: from 2013- a middle school book review for English class*
Rated 4/5 stars
Ministry of Pandemonium is set in modern day London and revolves around an ordinary 12 year old boy named Ben Harvester with an eye and talent for drawing, observing and a heart for helping. Raised by his single mother, Donna Harvester née Williams, he and his mother struggle to make ends meet. But one day, Ben’s life is turned upside down when he meets a man called Mr. October – a man of many faces, personalities and secrets. He knows Ben has a special gift. A talent more than just drawing, observing and helping. Something beyond that that enables him to see things not many people can and more importantly, help the lost souls and take part in an eternal war not many people know about. Together, Mr. October recruits Ben to a top-secret branch in the Ministry and slowly, Ben starts to realize that even though his gift can help others, its also deadly.
I enjoyed this book because it's one of those dark, supernatural ones with a twist of humor and sense of lightness which I really like. It was interesting seeing the characters evolve and grow and I just really enjoy this book.
Rated 4/5 stars
Ministry of Pandemonium is set in modern day London and revolves around an ordinary 12 year old boy named Ben Harvester with an eye and talent for drawing, observing and a heart for helping. Raised by his single mother, Donna Harvester née Williams, he and his mother struggle to make ends meet. But one day, Ben’s life is turned upside down when he meets a man called Mr. October – a man of many faces, personalities and secrets. He knows Ben has a special gift. A talent more than just drawing, observing and helping. Something beyond that that enables him to see things not many people can and more importantly, help the lost souls and take part in an eternal war not many people know about. Together, Mr. October recruits Ben to a top-secret branch in the Ministry and slowly, Ben starts to realize that even though his gift can help others, its also deadly.
I enjoyed this book because it's one of those dark, supernatural ones with a twist of humor and sense of lightness which I really like. It was interesting seeing the characters evolve and grow and I just really enjoy this book.
May 8, 2020
We are following the story of Ben Harvester, someone with the ability to see the dead and like to visit the cemetery for some reason. And then there is Mr. October, a field agent of Ministry of Pandemonium, he is the typical wizard guy with mysterious air around him and the ability to shapeshift and cast fireball from his hand. Lastly, there is Becky, Ben's classmate from his new school with the ability to sense the dead
These three is adventuring through London as a part of Ministry of Pandemonium field agents with their main task is to sent the dead to the afterlife. But it is always not that easy, there is an enemy lurking from the shadows trying to take over the soul.
Even though the premises is not new, but the way it is written is definitely not, it feels like reading a little bit of Rick Riordan and Harry Potter combined. The pacing is slow at first but gotten faster toward the end. The plot is predictable and turn towards a strange turn on the end but as a middle-schooler book, this is a certainly interesting book to read.
These three is adventuring through London as a part of Ministry of Pandemonium field agents with their main task is to sent the dead to the afterlife. But it is always not that easy, there is an enemy lurking from the shadows trying to take over the soul.
Even though the premises is not new, but the way it is written is definitely not, it feels like reading a little bit of Rick Riordan and Harry Potter combined. The pacing is slow at first but gotten faster toward the end. The plot is predictable and turn towards a strange turn on the end but as a middle-schooler book, this is a certainly interesting book to read.
March 21, 2021
Ben is a kind-hearted person - A born helper. After meeting Mr October, Ben is able to see things such as spirits. Ben has great potential. As such, the ministry's enemies first tried to scare him away and when that failed they attacked him. Despite all this, Ben did not waver and continued to serve in the ministry after school. I liked Mr October and how he would tease Ben at times. Besides that, I also enjoyed the characters, Becky and Lu. This book hooked me from the very beginning and kept me entertained till the very end. I am certainly looking forward to starting the second book in this series. I would recommend this book to others.
1 important item of note is that you should not judge this book by its cover. While the cover looks dark and grim, the story itself is not.
1 important item of note is that you should not judge this book by its cover. While the cover looks dark and grim, the story itself is not.
December 22, 2018
a diamond in the rough...
to find this little charmer in the the local charity used book store, I immediately fell in love with the cover, and it did NOT disappoint.
the plot is unique , it is a macabre with all meaning of the word, and yet it managed to contain action and humor too. I simply loved it , and am definitely going to read the sequel...
to find this little charmer in the the local charity used book store, I immediately fell in love with the cover, and it did NOT disappoint.
the plot is unique , it is a macabre with all meaning of the word, and yet it managed to contain action and humor too. I simply loved it , and am definitely going to read the sequel...
March 2, 2018
An interesting premise for a story... But sadly, disappointed. Too many reworked and borrowed tropes, character stereotypes etc. Editing missed at least a couple of classic mistakes and dropped this to a 2 star for me. Sorry!
January 3, 2019
When Ben Harvester meets Mr October in Highgate Cemetery, nothing could have prepared him for the dramatic turn his life is about to take. He finds his true calling: helping the dead to cross to the afterlife.
Strong characters, a unique storyline... couldn’t stop reading!
Strong characters, a unique storyline... couldn’t stop reading!
January 29, 2019
I read this in about 3 hours as I didn't want to put it down. 1st person perspective which I generally dislike but it really works for this book.. The ending seemed a bit rushed but all-in-all a good, quick read
January 25, 2017
Great, loved the characters, loved the typewriter, loved the writings generally. Silly ending which spoiled an otherwise brilliant novel.
also, the pages had a really great grey smudge to the edges
also, the pages had a really great grey smudge to the edges
October 30, 2017
Similar theme to Dead Like Me tv show but with less humour.
March 8, 2019
A great story that really holds your interest with some good connections to paranormal genre as well as family and relationships.
April 18, 2019
Fascinating theme. A very different way of dealing with light and dark, bad and good, life and death...add to that a teenager in a new city, new school,trying to make new friends.
January 11, 2020
Very odd!!!
March 16, 2022
i absolutely love the plot of the voice that becky heard on the train oh my god anyway an enjoyable read
December 31, 2023
2.75 stars..
March 24, 2024
Solid middle grade spooky, with British throw in for good measure.
May 15, 2018
For me the book was okay. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. It was just mediocre.
The book had a dark, depressing feel which I guess was kind of the point. The story in itself was fine but I actually found I didn't really care what happened to the characters.
When I got the book out of the library both this and the sequel (The Great and Dangerous) were on the shelf together so I got them both out at the same time.
As it was only a duology and this was it, I decided to read book two and more because I am bit of a completest and don't like to have unfinished sets if possible. But if there had been more than that I would likely have quit.
Overall this book really wasn't for me I am not really into ghosts and the subject matter in the end did not overly appeal or make me care what happened.
2.5 upgraded to 3 stars.
The book had a dark, depressing feel which I guess was kind of the point. The story in itself was fine but I actually found I didn't really care what happened to the characters.
When I got the book out of the library both this and the sequel (The Great and Dangerous) were on the shelf together so I got them both out at the same time.
As it was only a duology and this was it, I decided to read book two and more because I am bit of a completest and don't like to have unfinished sets if possible. But if there had been more than that I would likely have quit.
Overall this book really wasn't for me I am not really into ghosts and the subject matter in the end did not overly appeal or make me care what happened.
2.5 upgraded to 3 stars.
June 21, 2012
By Chris Westwood. Grade B+
Set in London, Ministry Of Pandemonium is just the one of its kind of books that I have read and liked.
Ben Harvester can see what no one else can. . .
A cobbled alleyway – a place where it's always night –
hidden behind a crack in the wall.
Mr October, a man of many faces and secrets, knows Ben
has a unique gift. He sets out to recruit Ben to a top-secret,
highly classified Ministry department – to help in an eternal war
against an unspeakable enemy.
And so Ben begins to understand just how great and deadly
his gift may be, and why it puts him and everyone he loves
in grave danger. .
Ben, as usual, is at the Highgate Cemetery, drawing, when he sees a stranger losing his equilibrium at a nearby grave. He immediately drops his sketch pad and runs to help, and meets Mr October.
Ben doesn’t expect to see him again. But when he finds an old man in rags lying down in another street, he wants to help him. After he tries to intervene with his problems, he gets scared finding him peeling off one face after the other. And at last, when he has the same face that Ben had seen at the cemetery, he is sure that Mr. October was not a simple cleric but someone supernatural.
Mr. October tells Ben that he is a born helper and he had worked hard to find him because he had The Gift. And that he needed to address his True Calling. Ben is offered to join the Overseers, the supernaturals who guide the dead.
The book resonates with the magic that is highly reminiscent of Harry Potter. Reading between the lines, I am guessing Rowling is a role model of Chris Westwood. And true to form, Westwood has been successful at showing very real characters with realistic backgrounds, even though it talks of the supernatural. He presents the familiar in a way that is striking and new. Be it Ben, Mr October, Becky, Lu or Ben’s mother, all of them have a story to tell and to be remembered. The characters are all well developed.
In the book, I liked Ben’s mother the most. She’s the nicest person there. A hard worker, a bread earner, a caring mother, a distressed spouse. Next, I liked Ben. He was honest, yet very daft at times. The character I hated the most was Mr October. He was irritating at several times. Every time he had a different air about him. Every time the author gave a different picture of him. I couldn’t make much out of his character.
The book is primarily horror, meant for children, but the author very creatively marries horror with laughter. It is not too scary but has a pace fast enough to keep the pages turning. There are some sentences in the book that have been wonderfully framed. The sarcasm used at several points seems very real - something that’s hardly seen in many books nowadays.
The factors that make or break the book for me are scene descriptions and dialogues. Scene descriptions are great. You can clearly picture the daily life of Ben. You see what he sees, you hear what he hears, and you smell what he smells, absolutely.
I would recommend this to this one to the lovers of horror and children’s books. And if you are a YA lover like me, this one is not for you.
Originally reviewed at : www.the-vault.co.cc
Set in London, Ministry Of Pandemonium is just the one of its kind of books that I have read and liked.
Ben Harvester can see what no one else can. . .
A cobbled alleyway – a place where it's always night –
hidden behind a crack in the wall.
Mr October, a man of many faces and secrets, knows Ben
has a unique gift. He sets out to recruit Ben to a top-secret,
highly classified Ministry department – to help in an eternal war
against an unspeakable enemy.
And so Ben begins to understand just how great and deadly
his gift may be, and why it puts him and everyone he loves
in grave danger. .
Ben, as usual, is at the Highgate Cemetery, drawing, when he sees a stranger losing his equilibrium at a nearby grave. He immediately drops his sketch pad and runs to help, and meets Mr October.
Ben doesn’t expect to see him again. But when he finds an old man in rags lying down in another street, he wants to help him. After he tries to intervene with his problems, he gets scared finding him peeling off one face after the other. And at last, when he has the same face that Ben had seen at the cemetery, he is sure that Mr. October was not a simple cleric but someone supernatural.
Mr. October tells Ben that he is a born helper and he had worked hard to find him because he had The Gift. And that he needed to address his True Calling. Ben is offered to join the Overseers, the supernaturals who guide the dead.
The book resonates with the magic that is highly reminiscent of Harry Potter. Reading between the lines, I am guessing Rowling is a role model of Chris Westwood. And true to form, Westwood has been successful at showing very real characters with realistic backgrounds, even though it talks of the supernatural. He presents the familiar in a way that is striking and new. Be it Ben, Mr October, Becky, Lu or Ben’s mother, all of them have a story to tell and to be remembered. The characters are all well developed.
In the book, I liked Ben’s mother the most. She’s the nicest person there. A hard worker, a bread earner, a caring mother, a distressed spouse. Next, I liked Ben. He was honest, yet very daft at times. The character I hated the most was Mr October. He was irritating at several times. Every time he had a different air about him. Every time the author gave a different picture of him. I couldn’t make much out of his character.
The book is primarily horror, meant for children, but the author very creatively marries horror with laughter. It is not too scary but has a pace fast enough to keep the pages turning. There are some sentences in the book that have been wonderfully framed. The sarcasm used at several points seems very real - something that’s hardly seen in many books nowadays.
The factors that make or break the book for me are scene descriptions and dialogues. Scene descriptions are great. You can clearly picture the daily life of Ben. You see what he sees, you hear what he hears, and you smell what he smells, absolutely.
I would recommend this to this one to the lovers of horror and children’s books. And if you are a YA lover like me, this one is not for you.
Originally reviewed at : www.the-vault.co.cc
August 16, 2012
The Good Stuff
•Delightfully dark and funny - written perfectly for boys/girls in middle school
•Intriguing characters - how can you not love Ben, Becky, Mr October and Lu
•Reminded me a little at times of the tv show Dead Like Me (Excellent show btw, go get yourself a copy of it
•Love the unusual and original storyline - very creative
•Honestly this might make an interesting series - not sure if there are plans for it, but it might be interesting
•Very wise commentary about life and death
•Mr October is such an intriguing character, would have loved to have more back story information on him
•Author fabulous at setting the mood of the story - I was hooked on the dark forboding feeling I felt the entire time I read - might be a lights on sorta night
•I know I shouldn't have laughed, but the part about the fiance mailing himself to his intended made me giggle (Yes I do have a dark sense of humour thank you very much)
•The scenes between Mr October and Ben are worth the price of the book alone -- not to mention how utterly adorablel the conversations between Becky and Ben
The Not So Good Stuff
•A wee bit predictable for the older reader
•Could have benefitted from a wee bit more editiing -- things just felt a litte off at times (Also could be me -- but hey have to be honest)
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"Everyone goes eventually," Mum said. "When they do, the timing never seems right. It always seems to soon.'
"Sorry, son, but after so long in the field, one's sense of humour does tend toward the morbid. But of course you're smart to question, and there's always a third choice, which is to do nothing at all. But then you'd always know what you're missing - and you'd never take advantage of your natural gift."
"But it's better to know the worst than to live in the dark, none the wiser.'
Who Should/Shouldn't Read
•For the more mature middle school reader - though less mature readers could still get something out of it
•Middle school readers who like their stories a wee bit on the dark and different will lap this up - would have loved this when I was that age
4 Dewey's
I picked up a copy of this from Book Expo America 2012
September 2, 2021
I am obviously not the intended audience for this book. But in my defense, I did buy the book when I was 12-13 years old. And so it sat on my shelves, gathering dust until I picked it up yesterday and decided to give it a go. For context, I'm 20 years old now. So, to make a long story short, I was on a long hiatus from reading but finally got the time to get back in the reading mode. My mind has been a blur lately and I'm hoping to clear and wisen things up there by coming back from this hiatus.
Back to the book in hand. I liked the concept of Pandemonium, an organization under whom operatives work to lead the lost souls who have just passed to the 'bright light'. Things got quite hasty when there were so many things being introduced at once but it was easy to catch up. The names of people who have recently passed, or are about to leave the land of the living and their numbers etched on a piece of otherwise blank card is also a concept I found interesting in the book. The numbers referred to the way a certain person passed, such as 3618 for drowning, 7696 for death in a bus crash, 5821 for death in a car crash due to drunk driver, and my personal favorite, (and I know this makes me seem morbid but the fact that this death isn't unique is intriguing) 43765 for death due to you attempting to mail yourself to someone as a prank but they decide to open the package rather dangerously. We come across many different numbers and causes of death in the book. So, there's never a moment where death hasn't occurred.
There were many characters that I liked. Mr. October, Ben Harvester's mother, the fire children (my favorite ghosts)... As much as I would like to say that I liked the villains too, they did appear quite a genuine amount in the book and there was a paragraph or two dedicated to the villain's back story but there's no explanation to their villainy behavior and not much seen of the villain. We mostly read about the Deathheads, or minions.
All in all, the book was an enjoyably morbid read and I would recommend it for someone who's just getting started in reading, especially young kids. Mostly due to how easy of a read it was.
Back to the book in hand. I liked the concept of Pandemonium, an organization under whom operatives work to lead the lost souls who have just passed to the 'bright light'. Things got quite hasty when there were so many things being introduced at once but it was easy to catch up. The names of people who have recently passed, or are about to leave the land of the living and their numbers etched on a piece of otherwise blank card is also a concept I found interesting in the book. The numbers referred to the way a certain person passed, such as 3618 for drowning, 7696 for death in a bus crash, 5821 for death in a car crash due to drunk driver, and my personal favorite, (and I know this makes me seem morbid but the fact that this death isn't unique is intriguing) 43765 for death due to you attempting to mail yourself to someone as a prank but they decide to open the package rather dangerously. We come across many different numbers and causes of death in the book. So, there's never a moment where death hasn't occurred.
There were many characters that I liked. Mr. October, Ben Harvester's mother, the fire children (my favorite ghosts)... As much as I would like to say that I liked the villains too, they did appear quite a genuine amount in the book and there was a paragraph or two dedicated to the villain's back story but there's no explanation to their villainy behavior and not much seen of the villain. We mostly read about the Deathheads, or minions.
All in all, the book was an enjoyably morbid read and I would recommend it for someone who's just getting started in reading, especially young kids. Mostly due to how easy of a read it was.
January 3, 2012
It's set in, actually I don't really know where it's set. I'd forgotten. I just know it's set in Britain. I think it's set in various places around London and such.
It's about a boy who's generally quiet and reserved with the need to help. He's a brilliant artist and really good with noticing details (when drawing), and has a gift.
But, I wanted this review to be short, because quite frankly, there's not much to say about this book.
I don't really know why I liked it. I'm in phase where what I want to read are fantasy books that aren't too complicated and follows along really easily. There's one that I really like written by Garth Nix. It's The Keys to the Kingdom series. I know it's not that great, but the pacing and whatnot is good. (Not going in depth since I'm *supposed* to be reviewing Ministry of Pandemonium.)
My pet peeves about this book are the characters. And the reason why Ben was so special continues to elude me. I get that he's got the "gift" and that he's like super talented. But at the end where they just dismiss him over what he did, kind of miffed me. It makes me feel like putting this book under 'children's, despite the main subject of the book. Even then, overall, this book is just not a thriller to me. It wasn't particularly terrifying or edge-of-the-seat making. It was like a children's version of a thriller.
But, I'm still interested in reading the second book, because I want to know where everything goes from here. And as I repeat, I'm in the mood for senseless, uncomplicated fantasy books. And this one's not so bad anyway. It could've been a *lot* worse. Like Ben could've turned out to be an angsty teen who always had an internal battle over whether to be good or bad.
Yeah that was a rip-off from Avatar: The Last Airbender. (Just rewatched it recently :D. Totally irrelevant though.)
It's about a boy who's generally quiet and reserved with the need to help. He's a brilliant artist and really good with noticing details (when drawing), and has a gift.
But, I wanted this review to be short, because quite frankly, there's not much to say about this book.
I don't really know why I liked it. I'm in phase where what I want to read are fantasy books that aren't too complicated and follows along really easily. There's one that I really like written by Garth Nix. It's The Keys to the Kingdom series. I know it's not that great, but the pacing and whatnot is good. (Not going in depth since I'm *supposed* to be reviewing Ministry of Pandemonium.)
My pet peeves about this book are the characters. And the reason why Ben was so special continues to elude me. I get that he's got the "gift" and that he's like super talented. But at the end where they just dismiss him over what he did, kind of miffed me. It makes me feel like putting this book under 'children's, despite the main subject of the book. Even then, overall, this book is just not a thriller to me. It wasn't particularly terrifying or edge-of-the-seat making. It was like a children's version of a thriller.
But, I'm still interested in reading the second book, because I want to know where everything goes from here. And as I repeat, I'm in the mood for senseless, uncomplicated fantasy books. And this one's not so bad anyway. It could've been a *lot* worse. Like Ben could've turned out to be an angsty teen who always had an internal battle over whether to be good or bad.
Yeah that was a rip-off from Avatar: The Last Airbender. (Just rewatched it recently :D. Totally irrelevant though.)
January 22, 2016
The Ministry of Pandemonium was written a few years ago now, and I found it by chance in the local library as I was randomly choosing YA books to get my head around the style and language of the genre.
It's a curious take on the rather saturated paranormal genre in the way that its main protagonist is a lad, there's no sexy vampires/Angels/demons/fairies/witches. In fact the mentor role is filled by a face-changing 'agent' called Mr October (gave me a real Sapphire and Steel vibe oddly) who meets our troubled Teen, Ben, in a graveyard.
Gradually Ben is introduced to an unseen parallel world of spirits and demons. October teaches Ben about finding and guiding the recently deceased safely to the afterworld, in opposition to demons who seek to capture souls to feast on them. A pretty good premise, that feels a little clunky in places as Ben and colleagues from the Ministry (who work to organise said spiritual guidance) utilise special magical powers in their missions. Ben's abilities manifest through the book, and seem a little too much like superpowers.
What's good? Well, Ben and his back story with his Mum is nicely handled. Their relationship is pivotal and poignant in many places. The supporting characters are good: Becky, the female lead, and Mr October are enjoyable.
Less good, is the plot seems to meander in places despite the punchy writing style, and the book very much felt like a superhero origin story, jamming in as much info and subplot as possible, leaving a mountain of plot threads for sequels. That's not a bad thing, as there is a sequel, but I could see how being obliged to read it to resolve plot strands might irritate some. Specifically the repercussions of Ben's actions at the end feel utterly unresolved by the last chapter.
So worth a read, if you like slightly disturbing YA paranormal fiction, and the potential for a good series. I certainly got a televisual vibe out of it- perhaps like Supernatural or Grimm, or even a graphic novel would fit the narrative well.
It's a curious take on the rather saturated paranormal genre in the way that its main protagonist is a lad, there's no sexy vampires/Angels/demons/fairies/witches. In fact the mentor role is filled by a face-changing 'agent' called Mr October (gave me a real Sapphire and Steel vibe oddly) who meets our troubled Teen, Ben, in a graveyard.
Gradually Ben is introduced to an unseen parallel world of spirits and demons. October teaches Ben about finding and guiding the recently deceased safely to the afterworld, in opposition to demons who seek to capture souls to feast on them. A pretty good premise, that feels a little clunky in places as Ben and colleagues from the Ministry (who work to organise said spiritual guidance) utilise special magical powers in their missions. Ben's abilities manifest through the book, and seem a little too much like superpowers.
What's good? Well, Ben and his back story with his Mum is nicely handled. Their relationship is pivotal and poignant in many places. The supporting characters are good: Becky, the female lead, and Mr October are enjoyable.
Less good, is the plot seems to meander in places despite the punchy writing style, and the book very much felt like a superhero origin story, jamming in as much info and subplot as possible, leaving a mountain of plot threads for sequels. That's not a bad thing, as there is a sequel, but I could see how being obliged to read it to resolve plot strands might irritate some. Specifically the repercussions of Ben's actions at the end feel utterly unresolved by the last chapter.
So worth a read, if you like slightly disturbing YA paranormal fiction, and the potential for a good series. I certainly got a televisual vibe out of it- perhaps like Supernatural or Grimm, or even a graphic novel would fit the narrative well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2012
Genuinely spooky, original and utterly strange—these words don’t begin to do this story justice. Featuring a rather reluctant hero thrust into a bizarre world that lives (so to speak) juxtaposed with this one, “Graveyard Shift” is that unlikeliest of horror tales. It is one in which the mundane twists with the supernatural, where the dead mingle freely with the living, even though the living are completely unaware of their existence. It is a place where death isn’t necessarily the end.
Enlivening this book no end (again, no pun intended) is the protean Mr. October, a man with a gallow’s sense of humor and an ever-shifting array of faces from which to choose. He and Ben Harvester face off against terrifying enemies with truly hideous features…even if their agenda doesn’t make sense.
According to Mr. October, the Lords of Sundown, a bombastic vicious sect that splintered off from the Ministry of Pandemonium, want to bring chaos to the world. It is never explained why and I admit that nagged at me even as I read about the vicious battles they waged to capture lost souls. Why do these people want chaos to spread over the world? These people, presumably, were once human and now they want to destroy the very world in which they live. Why would anybody want that?
That quibbling aside, Ben emerges as a sensitive, daring, questioning and independent kind of boy, risking danger to save his mother while learning the ropes of a decidedly unique occupation. Let’s hope it comes with some sort of hazard pay.
Enlivening this book no end (again, no pun intended) is the protean Mr. October, a man with a gallow’s sense of humor and an ever-shifting array of faces from which to choose. He and Ben Harvester face off against terrifying enemies with truly hideous features…even if their agenda doesn’t make sense.
According to Mr. October, the Lords of Sundown, a bombastic vicious sect that splintered off from the Ministry of Pandemonium, want to bring chaos to the world. It is never explained why and I admit that nagged at me even as I read about the vicious battles they waged to capture lost souls. Why do these people want chaos to spread over the world? These people, presumably, were once human and now they want to destroy the very world in which they live. Why would anybody want that?
That quibbling aside, Ben emerges as a sensitive, daring, questioning and independent kind of boy, risking danger to save his mother while learning the ropes of a decidedly unique occupation. Let’s hope it comes with some sort of hazard pay.
April 27, 2011
Thirteen year old Ben used to be a solitary kid who hung out in cemeteries with his sketchbook. But after his chance meeting with Mr October, he now helps protect the souls of the departed with his new friends Becky - who senses people, Sukie - who is clairvoyant, and Lu - a contortionist, from the Deathheads and the Mawbreed's. For every good guy there is a bad guy and as they travel the streets of London, looking for the next departed soul, they must keep their wits about them. With demons creeping behind every shadow, Ben and must use his gift to help protect others, if he can ever figure out what it is or how to use it.
Ministry of Pandemonium is a supernatural thriller that is fast-paced and filled with repulsive demons, confused souls and bizarre deaths. It can be funny, it can be sad, and it can be spooky!
It would be great for fans of Michael Scott, Derek Landy and Darren Shan and is aimed at the ten to fifteen age bracket.
My only criticisms are that I would have liked some more background on Mr October and how the Ministry came to be. I also thought there could have been a bit more throughout the book involving his mothers illness. But these are small things and and I'm probably nit-picking!
Ministry of Pandemonium is a supernatural thriller that is fast-paced and filled with repulsive demons, confused souls and bizarre deaths. It can be funny, it can be sad, and it can be spooky!
It would be great for fans of Michael Scott, Derek Landy and Darren Shan and is aimed at the ten to fifteen age bracket.
My only criticisms are that I would have liked some more background on Mr October and how the Ministry came to be. I also thought there could have been a bit more throughout the book involving his mothers illness. But these are small things and and I'm probably nit-picking!
March 25, 2011
Ben Harvester is an ordinary kid who gets picked on at school. He has a superb eye for drawing, and his habit of visiting graveyards leads to a meeting with the mysterious Mr. October, and the subsequent introduction to the world of helping the Dead move on to their afterlife (whatever that may be). To this end he joins the Ministry of Pandemonium, an act not taken lightly by the naightmarish folk who work for The Other Side.
I found the book to be a delightful, easy read, though at the beginning I was confused by the age of Ben -- at times he seems to see and feel as an adult, as well have the 'gifted' drawing ability. The setting also feels like Mid-west USA and I am only convinced it's London by the place names. A little more 'sense of place' would have been welcome.
That said, it's a delightful, cracking read. Not too scary but fast-paced enough to keep the pages turning. I found the mother's casual acceptance of her son disappearing for hours on end a bit hard to take but that's only because I'm a mother.
I highly recommend this novel for the young adult bracket.
NB: I received my copy as a gift for review purposes. I am not affiliated with the author or publisher.
I found the book to be a delightful, easy read, though at the beginning I was confused by the age of Ben -- at times he seems to see and feel as an adult, as well have the 'gifted' drawing ability. The setting also feels like Mid-west USA and I am only convinced it's London by the place names. A little more 'sense of place' would have been welcome.
That said, it's a delightful, cracking read. Not too scary but fast-paced enough to keep the pages turning. I found the mother's casual acceptance of her son disappearing for hours on end a bit hard to take but that's only because I'm a mother.
I highly recommend this novel for the young adult bracket.
NB: I received my copy as a gift for review purposes. I am not affiliated with the author or publisher.
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