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The Undrowned Child #1
The Undrowned Child
Teodora has always longed to visit Venice, and at last she has her chance. But strange and sinister things are afoot in the beautiful floating city. Teo is quickly subsumed into a secret world in which salty-tongued mermaids run subversive printing presses, ghosts good and bad patrol the streets, statues speak, rats read, and librarians fluidly turn into cats. And where a book, The Key to the Secret City, leads Teo straight into the heart of the danger that threatens to destroy the city to which she feels she belongs. An ancient proverb seems to unite Teo with a Venetian boy, Renzo, and with the Traitor who has returned from the dark past to wreak revenge. . . . But who is the Undrowned Child destined to save Venice?
466 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2009
41 people are currently reading
1709 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Lovric
112 books169 followersMichelle Lovric is a novelist, writer and anthologist.
Her third novel, The Remedy, was long-listed for the 2005 Orange Prize for Fiction. The Remedy is a literary murder-mystery set against the background of the quack medicine industry in the eighteenth century.
Her first novel, Carnevale, is the story of the painter Cecilia Cornaro, described by The Times as the possessor of ‘the most covetable life’ in fiction in 2001.
In Lovric’s second novel, The Floating Book, a chorus of characters relates the perilous beginning of the print industry in Venice. The book explores the translation of raw emotion into saleable merchandise from the points of view of poets, editors, publishers – and their lovers. The Floating Book, a London Arts award winner, was also selected as a WH Smith ‘Read of the Week’.
Her first novel for young adult readers, The Undrowned Child, is published by Orion. The sequel is due in summer 2010.
Her fourth adult novel, The Book of Human Skin, is published by Bloomsbury in Spring 2010.
Lovric reviews for publications including The Times and writes travel articles about Venice. She has featured in several BBC radio documentaries about Venice.
She combines her fiction work with editing, designing and producing literary anthologies including her own translations of Latin and Italian poetry. Her book Love Letters was a New York Times best-seller.
Lovric divides her time between London and Venice. She holds a workshop in her home in London with published writers of poetry and prose, fiction and memoir.
Her third novel, The Remedy, was long-listed for the 2005 Orange Prize for Fiction. The Remedy is a literary murder-mystery set against the background of the quack medicine industry in the eighteenth century.
Her first novel, Carnevale, is the story of the painter Cecilia Cornaro, described by The Times as the possessor of ‘the most covetable life’ in fiction in 2001.
In Lovric’s second novel, The Floating Book, a chorus of characters relates the perilous beginning of the print industry in Venice. The book explores the translation of raw emotion into saleable merchandise from the points of view of poets, editors, publishers – and their lovers. The Floating Book, a London Arts award winner, was also selected as a WH Smith ‘Read of the Week’.
Her first novel for young adult readers, The Undrowned Child, is published by Orion. The sequel is due in summer 2010.
Her fourth adult novel, The Book of Human Skin, is published by Bloomsbury in Spring 2010.
Lovric reviews for publications including The Times and writes travel articles about Venice. She has featured in several BBC radio documentaries about Venice.
She combines her fiction work with editing, designing and producing literary anthologies including her own translations of Latin and Italian poetry. Her book Love Letters was a New York Times best-seller.
Lovric divides her time between London and Venice. She holds a workshop in her home in London with published writers of poetry and prose, fiction and memoir.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
August 30, 2009
All her life Teodora has wanted to visit Venice, but her adoptive parents have always resisted. Now Venice is sinking faster than ever before and strange things are stirring, and her scientific parents have been called from Naples to attend a convention to figure out the problem and its solution while the Mayor of Venice pretends that nothing is wrong and that children aren't dying.
Eleven year old Teo happily explores the ancient city and, when it falls on her head in an old bookshop, acquires a little volume with a mermaid on the cover: The Key to the Secret City. Carved and painted mermaids decorate the city and begin mouthing rough sailor talk to Teo that only she can hear, and the book seems to have been written just for her, "Teodora-of-Sad-Memory".
The knock on the head the book gave her sees her sent to hospital with a concussion, and during the night she disappears, only to wake up on a tomb two days later. No one can see her except other children and ghosts because she is now between-the-linings; she can only watch as her parents put up missing posters and search for her.
The Key to the Secret City shows her Venice, but it isn't until she meets Lorenzo, a smug, studious boy, that she learns more of the history of the city. And when the two are led by the Key to the mermaids and their Seldom Seen Press which they use to print handbills telling the truth about the city, they learn the truth about Bajamonte Tiepolo, who in 1310 tried to take over the city for his own ends - that now, in 1899, he's returned, that he's trying to put his body back together and drown Venice in mud. Teo also learns the truth of her own past, how she came to be adopted and live in Naples, and who her real parents are.
The mermaids have an important task for Teo and Lenzo, the Undrowned Child and the Studious Son: they must find Bajamonte's Spell Almanac and help defeat him in a battle that only the supernatural can fight, while in the depths of the lagoon a Creature stirs ...
This is a gorgeous book, beautiful in form and appearance as much as in story - the dustjacket is thick and old-feeling, with a wonderful illustration and rich colours, a gold embossed title and marbled flyleaf. The pages are thicker than normal too, with chapter headings in old typeface and the story in a similar font as that used for the Harry Potter books. There's so much detail in the look and feel of the book, as well as a map of the old city, that it perfectly complements the tone of the story and makes you feel like you're holding pirates' treasure.
Based on real historical events artistically altered to fit the story, Lovric has written a charming story full of weird and wonderful characters, magic and mystery, adventure and mayhem, folklore and Viennese history. Teo doesn't narrate but hers is the perspective we see through, and she is a wonderful protagonist who carries the story easily. She has the gift of seeing what people are saying in their own personal script above their heads, of reading hearts with a touch and reading books upside down. My favourite character was easily the Grey Lady at the Archives, and I loved all those statues and emblems of the city coming to life in defence of their home.
A busy story, events move swiftly and in deepening layers, never leaving you behind. For some reason I can't figure out, this book took me a long time to read. I found it hard to sit down with it and really read for any length of time. It is written for children, but unlike, say, Harry Potter, I kept slipping from the story. I doubt this is a problem with the book; more with myself and my life at the time - it certainly didn't detract from how impressed I was with it.
The tone is both light and dark, full of humour and irony and even a few political digs that should be just as noticeable to a younger audience. The mermaids' colourful sailors' cant and love of curry was amusing, and the fantasy aspects were new and invigorating. I keep coming back to the details, both in terms of story, prose and look, dialogue and character. The love of books, history and the fantastical secret underbelly of an old city comes across vividly. This is a Venice that you just have to visit.
Eleven year old Teo happily explores the ancient city and, when it falls on her head in an old bookshop, acquires a little volume with a mermaid on the cover: The Key to the Secret City. Carved and painted mermaids decorate the city and begin mouthing rough sailor talk to Teo that only she can hear, and the book seems to have been written just for her, "Teodora-of-Sad-Memory".
The knock on the head the book gave her sees her sent to hospital with a concussion, and during the night she disappears, only to wake up on a tomb two days later. No one can see her except other children and ghosts because she is now between-the-linings; she can only watch as her parents put up missing posters and search for her.
The Key to the Secret City shows her Venice, but it isn't until she meets Lorenzo, a smug, studious boy, that she learns more of the history of the city. And when the two are led by the Key to the mermaids and their Seldom Seen Press which they use to print handbills telling the truth about the city, they learn the truth about Bajamonte Tiepolo, who in 1310 tried to take over the city for his own ends - that now, in 1899, he's returned, that he's trying to put his body back together and drown Venice in mud. Teo also learns the truth of her own past, how she came to be adopted and live in Naples, and who her real parents are.
The mermaids have an important task for Teo and Lenzo, the Undrowned Child and the Studious Son: they must find Bajamonte's Spell Almanac and help defeat him in a battle that only the supernatural can fight, while in the depths of the lagoon a Creature stirs ...
This is a gorgeous book, beautiful in form and appearance as much as in story - the dustjacket is thick and old-feeling, with a wonderful illustration and rich colours, a gold embossed title and marbled flyleaf. The pages are thicker than normal too, with chapter headings in old typeface and the story in a similar font as that used for the Harry Potter books. There's so much detail in the look and feel of the book, as well as a map of the old city, that it perfectly complements the tone of the story and makes you feel like you're holding pirates' treasure.
Based on real historical events artistically altered to fit the story, Lovric has written a charming story full of weird and wonderful characters, magic and mystery, adventure and mayhem, folklore and Viennese history. Teo doesn't narrate but hers is the perspective we see through, and she is a wonderful protagonist who carries the story easily. She has the gift of seeing what people are saying in their own personal script above their heads, of reading hearts with a touch and reading books upside down. My favourite character was easily the Grey Lady at the Archives, and I loved all those statues and emblems of the city coming to life in defence of their home.
A busy story, events move swiftly and in deepening layers, never leaving you behind. For some reason I can't figure out, this book took me a long time to read. I found it hard to sit down with it and really read for any length of time. It is written for children, but unlike, say, Harry Potter, I kept slipping from the story. I doubt this is a problem with the book; more with myself and my life at the time - it certainly didn't detract from how impressed I was with it.
The tone is both light and dark, full of humour and irony and even a few political digs that should be just as noticeable to a younger audience. The mermaids' colourful sailors' cant and love of curry was amusing, and the fantasy aspects were new and invigorating. I keep coming back to the details, both in terms of story, prose and look, dialogue and character. The love of books, history and the fantastical secret underbelly of an old city comes across vividly. This is a Venice that you just have to visit.
June 9, 2012
This is definitely a book bursting with invention, and the prose style is perfect for the setting (though I could have done without some of the winks to adult readers about the Biennial). I'll be adding Teo to my Bookish Protagonists list, too.
Yet it didn't work for me. If I weren't stuck in bed, I might have put it down unfinished, but I soldiered on. There is so much to like - the rowdy mermaids, the Cat-archivist - yet it didn't hold my interest. Perhaps there was simply too much invention, overstuffed and spilling out the edges of the book, overwhelming the story. It was as if the author didn't expect to ever write another book (at least not one set in Venice) and had to shove everything into this one.
It meant that I wasn't engaged in the plot - I couldn't make guesses or put together what might happen next, because anything could happen next. Some totally new twist or creature or snippet of history would appear and change the situation, and I was just along for the ride.
I had a similar experience with Adam Gopnik's The King in the Window, about a young American boy in Paris (modern-day) who is swept into a war between the Mirror Wraiths and the Window Wraiths. Both books are written perhaps more from a love of the cities that are their settings, and a desire to share ideas with young readers, than from the impulse of story-telling.
The major difference may be that Gopnik's young hero is extremely ordinary, and Teodora is somewhat overtalented.
Yet it didn't work for me. If I weren't stuck in bed, I might have put it down unfinished, but I soldiered on. There is so much to like - the rowdy mermaids, the Cat-archivist - yet it didn't hold my interest. Perhaps there was simply too much invention, overstuffed and spilling out the edges of the book, overwhelming the story. It was as if the author didn't expect to ever write another book (at least not one set in Venice) and had to shove everything into this one.
It meant that I wasn't engaged in the plot - I couldn't make guesses or put together what might happen next, because anything could happen next. Some totally new twist or creature or snippet of history would appear and change the situation, and I was just along for the ride.
I had a similar experience with Adam Gopnik's The King in the Window, about a young American boy in Paris (modern-day) who is swept into a war between the Mirror Wraiths and the Window Wraiths. Both books are written perhaps more from a love of the cities that are their settings, and a desire to share ideas with young readers, than from the impulse of story-telling.
The major difference may be that Gopnik's young hero is extremely ordinary, and Teodora is somewhat overtalented.
October 21, 2009
Take one adopted child call Teodora, add a cursed city under siege from vindictive ghosts seeking revenge, a huge monster slowly coming awake under the Venice lagoon, cannibal seagulls, anti-establishment mermaids, a vain friend and one handsome Venetian boy and you have all the ingredients for a spectacular adventure in real life Venice of 1899.
Teo is an unusual child in many ways. She has never believed she belonged in Naples and when she finally persuades her scientist family to take her Venice she feels she is coming home. She is unique in many ways. She never eats fish, she can see what people are saying as handwriting appears above their heads and she can tell if someone is pure of heart by just touching their chest. She finally wins the argument but sadly she is to be accompanied by a vain girl her own age, the daughter of her adoptive parents best friends. Teo and Maria (who loath each other) are left to their own devices in Venice as their families prepare to give lectures on how Venice could be saved from drowning.
Teo delights In a wonderful old bookshop (she loves to read) a heavy book falls on her head and she is hurt. The bookshop owner gives her the book to keep her sweet and her worried parents take her back to the hotel. The book is called ‘The Key to the City’ and the pages come alive. There is a girl on the cover who looks just like Teo and winks at her when she holds it. It has an inscription dedicated to her. Welcome to Venice, Teodora-of-sad-memory, we have been waiting for you for a very long time. Very odd.
Her parents call in a Doctor as Teo keeps seeing things and has a headache. He insists upon talking her to the hospital and that’s where everything begins to go terribly wrong. First a wooden statue moves and bleeds terrifying everyone, and then Teo goes missing.
There are posters all over Venice alerting people to the Lost Girl. But Teo is not lost or missing, she has become invisible to adults, fallen between the lines. The book begins to talk to her, guide her around Venice, begins to teach her the real city and the great threat to it. Everywhere there are posters stating
Gone Missing Teodora Stampara, 11 years old from Naples curling dark hair, green eyes, slight build, a large bruise on her forehead.
But Teo spots Maria with a young man with a suspicious mole on his head and a gleaming bewitching emerald. She suspects the young man of being evil but has no proof. Maris is in more danger than she knows but is captivated by the jewels and trinkets the young man gives her.
Teo has to learn to survive by stealing food and eventually she meets the boy Renzo who condescends to speak to her, despite her being from Naples and eventually she shares The Key to the City with him.
Renzo is the son of a Gondolier and is very proud of Venice and fearful of it drowning. Everywhere there are leaflets warning of trouble and that no one must trust the Mayor. No one knows who is printing them. The Mayor says Venice is safe but Renzo tells her children everywhere are dying of plague and being buried at night so the tourists don’t see the families grieving.
Together with the aide of the book they meet the mermaids below the House of Spirits and discover their purpose. Lussa, the beautiful Queen of Mermaids and her kin, have been waiting for the Undrowned Child and the Studious Son for a long time. They enlist their help to defeat the awakening monster below and the evil Bajamonte Tiepolo who once tried to destroy Venice in 1310 and has awoken and wants to try again. TAlong the way they also discover that Maria is a traitor and she is being turned into a dwarf!
The Undrowned Child is a fantastic tale, rich in detail, complex, scary and Teo and Renzo make a fine couple battling all, risking life and limb for a city they love. Along the way the history of Venice unfolds and we meet astonishing creatures, flying Syrian cats and the massed forces of evil gathering to murder every living soul in Venice.
The Undrowned Child is a truly astonishing novel by Michelle Lovric that any child who loves words and ghosts will treasure for a very long time.
© Sam North September 22nd 2009
Editor of Hackwriters and author of Mean Tide
More Young Ficiton reviews
Teo is an unusual child in many ways. She has never believed she belonged in Naples and when she finally persuades her scientist family to take her Venice she feels she is coming home. She is unique in many ways. She never eats fish, she can see what people are saying as handwriting appears above their heads and she can tell if someone is pure of heart by just touching their chest. She finally wins the argument but sadly she is to be accompanied by a vain girl her own age, the daughter of her adoptive parents best friends. Teo and Maria (who loath each other) are left to their own devices in Venice as their families prepare to give lectures on how Venice could be saved from drowning.
Teo delights In a wonderful old bookshop (she loves to read) a heavy book falls on her head and she is hurt. The bookshop owner gives her the book to keep her sweet and her worried parents take her back to the hotel. The book is called ‘The Key to the City’ and the pages come alive. There is a girl on the cover who looks just like Teo and winks at her when she holds it. It has an inscription dedicated to her. Welcome to Venice, Teodora-of-sad-memory, we have been waiting for you for a very long time. Very odd.
Her parents call in a Doctor as Teo keeps seeing things and has a headache. He insists upon talking her to the hospital and that’s where everything begins to go terribly wrong. First a wooden statue moves and bleeds terrifying everyone, and then Teo goes missing.
There are posters all over Venice alerting people to the Lost Girl. But Teo is not lost or missing, she has become invisible to adults, fallen between the lines. The book begins to talk to her, guide her around Venice, begins to teach her the real city and the great threat to it. Everywhere there are posters stating
Gone Missing Teodora Stampara, 11 years old from Naples curling dark hair, green eyes, slight build, a large bruise on her forehead.
But Teo spots Maria with a young man with a suspicious mole on his head and a gleaming bewitching emerald. She suspects the young man of being evil but has no proof. Maris is in more danger than she knows but is captivated by the jewels and trinkets the young man gives her.
Teo has to learn to survive by stealing food and eventually she meets the boy Renzo who condescends to speak to her, despite her being from Naples and eventually she shares The Key to the City with him.
Renzo is the son of a Gondolier and is very proud of Venice and fearful of it drowning. Everywhere there are leaflets warning of trouble and that no one must trust the Mayor. No one knows who is printing them. The Mayor says Venice is safe but Renzo tells her children everywhere are dying of plague and being buried at night so the tourists don’t see the families grieving.
Together with the aide of the book they meet the mermaids below the House of Spirits and discover their purpose. Lussa, the beautiful Queen of Mermaids and her kin, have been waiting for the Undrowned Child and the Studious Son for a long time. They enlist their help to defeat the awakening monster below and the evil Bajamonte Tiepolo who once tried to destroy Venice in 1310 and has awoken and wants to try again. TAlong the way they also discover that Maria is a traitor and she is being turned into a dwarf!
The Undrowned Child is a fantastic tale, rich in detail, complex, scary and Teo and Renzo make a fine couple battling all, risking life and limb for a city they love. Along the way the history of Venice unfolds and we meet astonishing creatures, flying Syrian cats and the massed forces of evil gathering to murder every living soul in Venice.
The Undrowned Child is a truly astonishing novel by Michelle Lovric that any child who loves words and ghosts will treasure for a very long time.
© Sam North September 22nd 2009
Editor of Hackwriters and author of Mean Tide
More Young Ficiton reviews
July 19, 2010
Back in March I ran into this book during a children's and YA book sale. I won't lie, this book has the most beautiful cover art of any book I've ever seen, and that would be one hundred percent why I picked it up. Even the end pages were gorgeous!
But then I picked it up and read the blurb, it was set in Venice! One of my dream European cities. Ok, so the premise sounded like it had promise too, but really, I might have bought it anyhow.
Venice + Pretty book= sold.
It's nice to have no real expectations about a book when you start. I've never seen this book in a bookstore before or since I picked up (i grabbed the only copy at chapters) and I've never heard of the author or seen a review for this or any of her other books. So it was a perfect clean slate.
The first thing I noticed was what a distinctive and unusual voice it had. Set over a few short days in June of 1899, this book is written with a lovely lilting prose that never talks down to it's readers. The eloquence of the two children is starkly contrasted by the supremely fun slang of the the mermaids. "Keep yer noggin' mouf shut, ye great dafty!" or "My gib was atwitch, I might of knowed it. Human childer smell most peculiar, I do declare freely". Between the prose and the world Michelle Lovric has created I was quickly swept away.
The premise is simple, Teodora, and Lorenzo (super great names!), must save Venice from the machinations of the evil Bajamonte Tiepolo (seriously, I need a bunch of cats that I can give some great old Italian names too). Otherwise known as Il Traditore, Bajamonte Tiepolo was banished from Venice for his crimes against Her in 1310, but his ghost is back for revenge and he is building a fierce-some army of pirates, ghosts, vampire eels and a sea monster who can destroy the city of water.
With a great deal of action and adventure, reams of fun characters, (honestly when is the last time you read about mermaids?) and the fascinating history of Venice itself, it may have been impossible for Michelle Lovric to go astray with The Undrowned Child. She's managed to create a very unique story in the world of children's lit, which, considering the broad range out there, is impressive in and of itself.
Obviously a huge lover of Venice (she lives there herself these days), the story also reads as a love letter to Venice. I was already fascinated by Her colourful history and unique setting but I think Michelle will inspire many others in a fascination with the floating city.
After perusing her website, I was surprised to learn The Undrowned Child will have a sequel. A fully complete story in itself I'm not sure what the next book will cover, but I can't wait to find out. The Mourning Emporium (I'm telling you, this woman has a way with words! another fab title) is set to release November 4th in the states and December 15th in Canada (how obnoxious!). It looks every bit as pretty as the first!
But then I picked it up and read the blurb, it was set in Venice! One of my dream European cities. Ok, so the premise sounded like it had promise too, but really, I might have bought it anyhow.
Venice + Pretty book= sold.
It's nice to have no real expectations about a book when you start. I've never seen this book in a bookstore before or since I picked up (i grabbed the only copy at chapters) and I've never heard of the author or seen a review for this or any of her other books. So it was a perfect clean slate.
The first thing I noticed was what a distinctive and unusual voice it had. Set over a few short days in June of 1899, this book is written with a lovely lilting prose that never talks down to it's readers. The eloquence of the two children is starkly contrasted by the supremely fun slang of the the mermaids. "Keep yer noggin' mouf shut, ye great dafty!" or "My gib was atwitch, I might of knowed it. Human childer smell most peculiar, I do declare freely". Between the prose and the world Michelle Lovric has created I was quickly swept away.
The premise is simple, Teodora, and Lorenzo (super great names!), must save Venice from the machinations of the evil Bajamonte Tiepolo (seriously, I need a bunch of cats that I can give some great old Italian names too). Otherwise known as Il Traditore, Bajamonte Tiepolo was banished from Venice for his crimes against Her in 1310, but his ghost is back for revenge and he is building a fierce-some army of pirates, ghosts, vampire eels and a sea monster who can destroy the city of water.
With a great deal of action and adventure, reams of fun characters, (honestly when is the last time you read about mermaids?) and the fascinating history of Venice itself, it may have been impossible for Michelle Lovric to go astray with The Undrowned Child. She's managed to create a very unique story in the world of children's lit, which, considering the broad range out there, is impressive in and of itself.
Obviously a huge lover of Venice (she lives there herself these days), the story also reads as a love letter to Venice. I was already fascinated by Her colourful history and unique setting but I think Michelle will inspire many others in a fascination with the floating city.
After perusing her website, I was surprised to learn The Undrowned Child will have a sequel. A fully complete story in itself I'm not sure what the next book will cover, but I can't wait to find out. The Mourning Emporium (I'm telling you, this woman has a way with words! another fab title) is set to release November 4th in the states and December 15th in Canada (how obnoxious!). It looks every bit as pretty as the first!
November 23, 2013
MontanaLibrary2Go
It just wasn't very good. Lots of good ideas, not executed well. Far too much crammed in. Take Teo, for example. She's the Undrowned Child, the Lost Daughter, she can see people's words written above their heads, read upside down and backward, has a photographic memory, can read people's hearts by touching their chests, is able to learn new dialects and use unfamiliar languages near-instantaneously, et cetera et cetera. It's too much. It's also too long. I was completely sick of the book by 45% of the way through. More just kept getting piled on, with no benefit to the story.
There was no reason for the book to be set when it was, and the author has placed the book in a specific year 1899, but she has not SET the book in that year. There are too many things in the first few chapters that are modern habits, ideas, practices, thoughts, which would not be the case in the time she has given for the events of the book. At that time period, it was not normal for a child to be raised with the knowledge that she was adopted if she was adopted as an infant, and it's not something Teo's society would encourage her to talk about, especially with random people. While the reason she's a vegetarian was explained in the book, the idea of vegetarianism due to the concept that it's cruel to kill animals would have been considered more than eccentric and even if Teo's parents had been quirky and accepted it, society in general did not shy away from expressing an opinion on a child being allowed to be that headstrong. It wouldn't have gone over. Both of Teo's parents are scientists (dad but also MOM) and both are invited as being some of the world's greatest scientists, in other words mom is valued just as much as dad by the scientific and political communities of the country, which would not have been the case. Even if Teo's mom was such an outstanding scientist as to be able to escape the bias against her sex, the other parents were in the same position, both mom and dad world famous scientists invited to solve a major problem, with the women just as valued as the men. It wouldn't have happened in that time and place. The moms would have been relegated to the hotel rooms or to taking notes for their husbands, regardless of how intelligent and accomplished they were. These are just random bits to give examples, the point is that Teo and everyone around her behave as if they are present in modern day Italy, and there was no need to place the book firmly and repeatedly in 1899 if the characters were not going to act appropriately for the time period.
Basically I think this would have been a fantastic book if someone else had written it. The writing quality was poor while the ideas were great.
It just wasn't very good. Lots of good ideas, not executed well. Far too much crammed in. Take Teo, for example. She's the Undrowned Child, the Lost Daughter, she can see people's words written above their heads, read upside down and backward, has a photographic memory, can read people's hearts by touching their chests, is able to learn new dialects and use unfamiliar languages near-instantaneously, et cetera et cetera. It's too much. It's also too long. I was completely sick of the book by 45% of the way through. More just kept getting piled on, with no benefit to the story.
There was no reason for the book to be set when it was, and the author has placed the book in a specific year 1899, but she has not SET the book in that year. There are too many things in the first few chapters that are modern habits, ideas, practices, thoughts, which would not be the case in the time she has given for the events of the book. At that time period, it was not normal for a child to be raised with the knowledge that she was adopted if she was adopted as an infant, and it's not something Teo's society would encourage her to talk about, especially with random people. While the reason she's a vegetarian was explained in the book, the idea of vegetarianism due to the concept that it's cruel to kill animals would have been considered more than eccentric and even if Teo's parents had been quirky and accepted it, society in general did not shy away from expressing an opinion on a child being allowed to be that headstrong. It wouldn't have gone over. Both of Teo's parents are scientists (dad but also MOM) and both are invited as being some of the world's greatest scientists, in other words mom is valued just as much as dad by the scientific and political communities of the country, which would not have been the case. Even if Teo's mom was such an outstanding scientist as to be able to escape the bias against her sex, the other parents were in the same position, both mom and dad world famous scientists invited to solve a major problem, with the women just as valued as the men. It wouldn't have happened in that time and place. The moms would have been relegated to the hotel rooms or to taking notes for their husbands, regardless of how intelligent and accomplished they were. These are just random bits to give examples, the point is that Teo and everyone around her behave as if they are present in modern day Italy, and there was no need to place the book firmly and repeatedly in 1899 if the characters were not going to act appropriately for the time period.
Basically I think this would have been a fantastic book if someone else had written it. The writing quality was poor while the ideas were great.
February 13, 2015
Glorious depiction of a fantastical Venice. I've been there in the floods and felt its dark undercurrents, so this felt true in many ways. Enjoyable read with lots of little details that will fascinate.
March 30, 2010
This was a disappointment. Apparently all scientists are unimaginative, rational and unable to appreciate art, mood or atmosphere. Being rational is intrinsically bad, also. Perhaps Ms. Lovric should meet some scientists, as in my experience many of them are keen on the arts and have to be imaginative in order to do their work. Did it not require imagination to propose that microscopic organisms are responsible for human disease?
Anyway, Lovric's prejudices aside, this is a fairly standard orphan with hidden destiny story, enlivened by a great scene where all the "good" magical entities of Venice are called to fight against the equally magical forces of evil.
Anyway, Lovric's prejudices aside, this is a fairly standard orphan with hidden destiny story, enlivened by a great scene where all the "good" magical entities of Venice are called to fight against the equally magical forces of evil.
November 4, 2019
Cassandra Gold - per RFS
.
Buon giorno Fenici! Oggi vi accompagno tra le calle della città di Venezia, presentandovi Sergio, uno dei piccoli gondolieri, che giorno dopo giorno, traghettano veneziani e turisti vari nella città lagunare. Vi mostrerò le sue bellezze, i suoi misteriosi luoghi di culto e di studio, illustrandovi i fatti storici più suggestivi del luogo, arrivando a presentarvi la piccola Tea, che porterà sulle sue spalle, l’eredità di una dinastia di predestinati.
Venezia, 1 giugno del 1899. Tea, la protagonista, viene colpita violentemente da un grosso tomo caduto dallo scaffale di una libreria. Quello sarà solo l’inizio della sua avventura e la porterà a esplorare il suo passato, costringendola ad affrontare un destino, che diversi anni prima, l’aveva salvata da una morte certa. Arrivata nella città lagunare, con i suoi genitori adottivi, due brillanti scienziati, la ragazza farà amicizia con un certo Renzo, con cui stringerà un sodalizio, che mirava alla risoluzione della tragica situazione in cui verteva Venezia. Così “La bambina mai annegata”, si troverà proiettata in una dimensione quasi onirica tra le pieghe del tempo, che la porterà ad affrontare un antico avversario, un certo Tiepolo, nemico giurato della città dei Dogi. Lui ha come scopo quello di tornare dal regno dei morti, per realizzare la sua vendetta sulla città, che molto tempo prima, l’aveva rifiutato e denigrato. La famiglia originaria di Tea, aveva da sempre protetto Venezia e i suoi innumerevoli segreti; la protagonista infatti, nel corso dell’avventura, si troverà ad avere come alleati sirene e fantasmi, scontrandosi contro nani, spiriti maligni e presenze nefaste. Il suo percorso, l’accompagnerà a conoscere quel luogo e le sue innumerevoli leggende, ritrovando delle radici credute ormai perse. Tea scoprirà di possedere delle capacità particolari e saranno proprio queste, che l’aiuteranno a barcamenarsi nelle difficoltà che incontrerà, portandola a scoprire il suo coinvolgimento con la famiglia Bragadin.
Un romanzo pieno di sorprese, piacevole e di facile lettura. Nonostante l’evidente struttura fantasy, non manca però una solida base storica, nella quale si muovono abilmente i fatti. Così ci ritroviamo a vivere i drammi della Venezia del 1300, senza farci mancare incontri con sirene e lugubri spettri. La peste, con la sua ombra nera, seguirà gli eventi come un fosco sipario, pronta a reclamare i coraggiosi bambini, che in modo o in un altro, osavano opporsi al temibile Tiepolo, il quale oltrepassando con la sua magia oscura, anche gli orrori della morte, arriverà fino alla fine del 1800, risvegliandosi dal suo torpore per minacciare ancora i veneziani e la loro città. Teodora, una bambina del 1899 con un passato misterioso, raccoglierà un pesante fardello, aiutata dal coraggioso Renzo, un “vero signore veneziano” della sua età. I due ragazzi saranno al centro di tutto, dalle personalità ben strutturate, non mancheranno di stupirci e intenerirci. Il ragazzo, legato profondamente alla sua cultura, inizialmente non mancherà di mettere a disagio la sua nuova amica, di cittadinanza napoletana. Solo dopo, venendo a conoscenza della verità sulle sue origini, capirà di essere stato uno sciocco, riconoscendo la sua signorilità. Un romanzo che parla di amicizia, complicità e solidarietà, del calore della famiglia e del valore della patria, riconoscendo nei fanciulli, i custodi primari del proprio paese natio.
Devo dire che sono rimasta piacevolmente impressionata, dalla parte descrittiva del libro, legata alla trattazione dei luoghi e delle storie legate a essi. La sensazione era proprio quella di trovarsi nelle calle della città lagunare. Mi sarebbe piaciuto approfondire di più invece, il collegamento fatto nelle storie con le sirene e la loro posizione all’interno della città.
Tea è senza ombra di dubbio, la classica eroina da romanzo fantasy, pronta a sacrificare tutto per la sua causa, discreta e concreta, non esce dai soliti canoni ai quali siamo abituati, ma chi mi ha davvero affascinato è il personaggio di Renzo. Elegante e colto, raffinato e capace, sagace e mai stanco, lo spessore che dimostra ben si sposa comunque con la classicità di Tea. Sicuramente questo non è uno dei soliti romanzi fantasy, trova sicuramente un suo contesto storico che lo lega alla nostra Venezia, città dove ovviamente si svolgono i fatti. Il libro è come se ci riproponesse una buona parte della storia del suddetto luogo, quasi a voler impartire una qualche lezione al fanciullo che si accinge a sfogliarne le pagine, quasi una lezione di storia e di morale, all’interno di un fantasy. Ho trovato il romanzo piacevole, ma non rilassante; nella sua complessità di dialogo, ti teneva sempre sulla corda, per non perdere nessuna connessione storica o epica. Definirei quindi il libro, quasi come “fantasy, ma non troppo”, per i riferimenti dai quali parte. Quindi una storia dalle molteplici sfaccettature, che nasconde più di quel che sembra.
A parte questo, rimango comunque dell’idea che si tratti di un libro ben scritto, trovando qualche punto un po’ lento, giusto nella trattazione della battaglia finale.
Consigliato per ragazzi dai dieci anni in su, dato il ritmo un po’ lento di narrazione.
Cosa aspettate fenicette, pronte a perdervi “tra le fodere” della città di Venezia?!
.
Buon giorno Fenici! Oggi vi accompagno tra le calle della città di Venezia, presentandovi Sergio, uno dei piccoli gondolieri, che giorno dopo giorno, traghettano veneziani e turisti vari nella città lagunare. Vi mostrerò le sue bellezze, i suoi misteriosi luoghi di culto e di studio, illustrandovi i fatti storici più suggestivi del luogo, arrivando a presentarvi la piccola Tea, che porterà sulle sue spalle, l’eredità di una dinastia di predestinati.
Venezia, 1 giugno del 1899. Tea, la protagonista, viene colpita violentemente da un grosso tomo caduto dallo scaffale di una libreria. Quello sarà solo l’inizio della sua avventura e la porterà a esplorare il suo passato, costringendola ad affrontare un destino, che diversi anni prima, l’aveva salvata da una morte certa. Arrivata nella città lagunare, con i suoi genitori adottivi, due brillanti scienziati, la ragazza farà amicizia con un certo Renzo, con cui stringerà un sodalizio, che mirava alla risoluzione della tragica situazione in cui verteva Venezia. Così “La bambina mai annegata”, si troverà proiettata in una dimensione quasi onirica tra le pieghe del tempo, che la porterà ad affrontare un antico avversario, un certo Tiepolo, nemico giurato della città dei Dogi. Lui ha come scopo quello di tornare dal regno dei morti, per realizzare la sua vendetta sulla città, che molto tempo prima, l’aveva rifiutato e denigrato. La famiglia originaria di Tea, aveva da sempre protetto Venezia e i suoi innumerevoli segreti; la protagonista infatti, nel corso dell’avventura, si troverà ad avere come alleati sirene e fantasmi, scontrandosi contro nani, spiriti maligni e presenze nefaste. Il suo percorso, l’accompagnerà a conoscere quel luogo e le sue innumerevoli leggende, ritrovando delle radici credute ormai perse. Tea scoprirà di possedere delle capacità particolari e saranno proprio queste, che l’aiuteranno a barcamenarsi nelle difficoltà che incontrerà, portandola a scoprire il suo coinvolgimento con la famiglia Bragadin.
Un romanzo pieno di sorprese, piacevole e di facile lettura. Nonostante l’evidente struttura fantasy, non manca però una solida base storica, nella quale si muovono abilmente i fatti. Così ci ritroviamo a vivere i drammi della Venezia del 1300, senza farci mancare incontri con sirene e lugubri spettri. La peste, con la sua ombra nera, seguirà gli eventi come un fosco sipario, pronta a reclamare i coraggiosi bambini, che in modo o in un altro, osavano opporsi al temibile Tiepolo, il quale oltrepassando con la sua magia oscura, anche gli orrori della morte, arriverà fino alla fine del 1800, risvegliandosi dal suo torpore per minacciare ancora i veneziani e la loro città. Teodora, una bambina del 1899 con un passato misterioso, raccoglierà un pesante fardello, aiutata dal coraggioso Renzo, un “vero signore veneziano” della sua età. I due ragazzi saranno al centro di tutto, dalle personalità ben strutturate, non mancheranno di stupirci e intenerirci. Il ragazzo, legato profondamente alla sua cultura, inizialmente non mancherà di mettere a disagio la sua nuova amica, di cittadinanza napoletana. Solo dopo, venendo a conoscenza della verità sulle sue origini, capirà di essere stato uno sciocco, riconoscendo la sua signorilità. Un romanzo che parla di amicizia, complicità e solidarietà, del calore della famiglia e del valore della patria, riconoscendo nei fanciulli, i custodi primari del proprio paese natio.
Devo dire che sono rimasta piacevolmente impressionata, dalla parte descrittiva del libro, legata alla trattazione dei luoghi e delle storie legate a essi. La sensazione era proprio quella di trovarsi nelle calle della città lagunare. Mi sarebbe piaciuto approfondire di più invece, il collegamento fatto nelle storie con le sirene e la loro posizione all’interno della città.
Tea è senza ombra di dubbio, la classica eroina da romanzo fantasy, pronta a sacrificare tutto per la sua causa, discreta e concreta, non esce dai soliti canoni ai quali siamo abituati, ma chi mi ha davvero affascinato è il personaggio di Renzo. Elegante e colto, raffinato e capace, sagace e mai stanco, lo spessore che dimostra ben si sposa comunque con la classicità di Tea. Sicuramente questo non è uno dei soliti romanzi fantasy, trova sicuramente un suo contesto storico che lo lega alla nostra Venezia, città dove ovviamente si svolgono i fatti. Il libro è come se ci riproponesse una buona parte della storia del suddetto luogo, quasi a voler impartire una qualche lezione al fanciullo che si accinge a sfogliarne le pagine, quasi una lezione di storia e di morale, all’interno di un fantasy. Ho trovato il romanzo piacevole, ma non rilassante; nella sua complessità di dialogo, ti teneva sempre sulla corda, per non perdere nessuna connessione storica o epica. Definirei quindi il libro, quasi come “fantasy, ma non troppo”, per i riferimenti dai quali parte. Quindi una storia dalle molteplici sfaccettature, che nasconde più di quel che sembra.
A parte questo, rimango comunque dell’idea che si tratti di un libro ben scritto, trovando qualche punto un po’ lento, giusto nella trattazione della battaglia finale.
Consigliato per ragazzi dai dieci anni in su, dato il ritmo un po’ lento di narrazione.
Cosa aspettate fenicette, pronte a perdervi “tra le fodere” della città di Venezia?!
August 30, 2022
Took me a long time to get along with our male MC. Seemed to me a little long, and the bad guy ghost was so evil and foul - I was appalled at the horrible descriptions of the various bad creatures and of their utter delight in torture and killing. Ick.
November 5, 2011
Overall Review: What a lovely, exciting and thorough story! By the time I finished this book, I felt like it could be possible for me to walk through Venice and name every building I saw! I loved the history; I loved the descriptions; I loved the fast pace and the excitement and the mystery! I even loved the fact that after the story was finished, there was an entire section on what was true in the story (people and events) and a section about the buildings and places mentioned! Some wonderful, and very eye-opening facts on Venice!
The characters are so much fun! Teo is a wonderfully flawed little girl—she’s normal, yet just a little bit different than everyone else. She can see everyone’s words above their heads, and feel their hearts! Renzo is a snot. He’s snobby and looks down on everyone (unless you’re a Venetian). He does improve, though, and you can’t help but like the guy! I LOVED the mermaids! They were so funny and full of life! They are referred to as ‘salty’, and salty they are! They’re not afraid to tell you what’s on their minds and they’ll do it in way that makes you laugh…even though you know they’re probably insulting you! There’s also the other side to the war over Venice: the villains! And they are scary! Bajamonte Tiepolo is the infamous traitor (true story!!) whose spirit has come back to life (not true!!) and he is pure evil as he strives to gather his army, find his bones, resurrect his body, and take all of Venice for his own! The Butcher Biasio is as evil as they come—slaughtering children and serving them in stew (true story!!!!)—and he’s back as well (not true—thank goodness!) as Tiepolo’s vile head henchman!
The Undrowned Child is an intense tale of good versus evil with many elements of Inkheart, Neverending Story, and even Harry Potter throughout. The writing is lovely, lyrical, and perhaps one could go so far as to say epic! It is a very satisfying novel with just enough left undone to hint at a sequel! And if there is a sequel in the future, I, for one, can’t wait to read it! Overall rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars!
Content Review:
PROFANITY: A few Mild and a few Moderate instances
VIOLENCE: Moderate throughout
SEXUAL CONTENT: None
MATURE THEMES: Moderate
RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 16+
There are two mild instances and 5 Moderate instances of profanity. The Mermaids learned to speak by listening to sailors—and while they don’t curse or swear, they do enjoy flinging insults at people they don’t like and calling people names.
There is a great deal of violence. The entire premise of the book is saving Venice from an evil ghost. The bad ghosts are sometimes very frightening! There are giant killer seagulls that don’t hesitate to attack, kill and eat people and animals; statues that come to life sometimes with blood dripping from their mouths (which are really leeches); Vampire Eels (with descriptions of them killing creatures and sucking their blood); the eels battle with mermaids where many are killed on both sides—a very bloody battle; sharks that attack viciously; a huge unknown creature whose tentacles are mistaken for poles to tie up gondolas—they try to strangle some characters and the tentacles are found full of skin-burning acid carrying the bubonic plague; millipede/cockroach insects that attack en masse and bite; a huge evil bat creature that carries people off; a butcher ghost that is completely decapitated and likes to kill and eat children (the encounters with him are many and very scary); many ghosts are in pieces and have remnants of their last punishments (burning eyes, slicing their hands with knives, etc.); an evil skeleton tries to come to life… There is one character in particular who is very violent and full of hate. His death is described in detail, and as he comes slowly back to life, his visual descriptions are disturbing (think ‘Voldemort’ from Harry Potter). He has no problem killing, casting violent spells, torturing, and horribly using anyone willing to follow him. There is a great deal of description of all violent deeds with a lot of blood and feeling involved. Many characters die during a war that is very intense. Instruments of torture end up on display in the town. They are described in detail and at one point, are almost put to use. There are many scary images, descriptions and encounters.
The Mature Themes are mostly all Moderate. They include ghosts and the supernatural, Magic, casting spells and evil curses, overwhelming hate and desire for revenge, fear, prejudice, and war. Some other more mild themes include discovering who you are within a family/friendship and mystery.
The Undrowned Child is recommended for ages 16+.
This review was written by Emily
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads by Random House Children's Books for a review
To see more fantastic books reviewed with content in mind, visit us at Squeaky Clean Reads!!
The characters are so much fun! Teo is a wonderfully flawed little girl—she’s normal, yet just a little bit different than everyone else. She can see everyone’s words above their heads, and feel their hearts! Renzo is a snot. He’s snobby and looks down on everyone (unless you’re a Venetian). He does improve, though, and you can’t help but like the guy! I LOVED the mermaids! They were so funny and full of life! They are referred to as ‘salty’, and salty they are! They’re not afraid to tell you what’s on their minds and they’ll do it in way that makes you laugh…even though you know they’re probably insulting you! There’s also the other side to the war over Venice: the villains! And they are scary! Bajamonte Tiepolo is the infamous traitor (true story!!) whose spirit has come back to life (not true!!) and he is pure evil as he strives to gather his army, find his bones, resurrect his body, and take all of Venice for his own! The Butcher Biasio is as evil as they come—slaughtering children and serving them in stew (true story!!!!)—and he’s back as well (not true—thank goodness!) as Tiepolo’s vile head henchman!
The Undrowned Child is an intense tale of good versus evil with many elements of Inkheart, Neverending Story, and even Harry Potter throughout. The writing is lovely, lyrical, and perhaps one could go so far as to say epic! It is a very satisfying novel with just enough left undone to hint at a sequel! And if there is a sequel in the future, I, for one, can’t wait to read it! Overall rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars!
Content Review:
PROFANITY: A few Mild and a few Moderate instances
VIOLENCE: Moderate throughout
SEXUAL CONTENT: None
MATURE THEMES: Moderate
RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 16+
There are two mild instances and 5 Moderate instances of profanity. The Mermaids learned to speak by listening to sailors—and while they don’t curse or swear, they do enjoy flinging insults at people they don’t like and calling people names.
There is a great deal of violence. The entire premise of the book is saving Venice from an evil ghost. The bad ghosts are sometimes very frightening! There are giant killer seagulls that don’t hesitate to attack, kill and eat people and animals; statues that come to life sometimes with blood dripping from their mouths (which are really leeches); Vampire Eels (with descriptions of them killing creatures and sucking their blood); the eels battle with mermaids where many are killed on both sides—a very bloody battle; sharks that attack viciously; a huge unknown creature whose tentacles are mistaken for poles to tie up gondolas—they try to strangle some characters and the tentacles are found full of skin-burning acid carrying the bubonic plague; millipede/cockroach insects that attack en masse and bite; a huge evil bat creature that carries people off; a butcher ghost that is completely decapitated and likes to kill and eat children (the encounters with him are many and very scary); many ghosts are in pieces and have remnants of their last punishments (burning eyes, slicing their hands with knives, etc.); an evil skeleton tries to come to life… There is one character in particular who is very violent and full of hate. His death is described in detail, and as he comes slowly back to life, his visual descriptions are disturbing (think ‘Voldemort’ from Harry Potter). He has no problem killing, casting violent spells, torturing, and horribly using anyone willing to follow him. There is a great deal of description of all violent deeds with a lot of blood and feeling involved. Many characters die during a war that is very intense. Instruments of torture end up on display in the town. They are described in detail and at one point, are almost put to use. There are many scary images, descriptions and encounters.
The Mature Themes are mostly all Moderate. They include ghosts and the supernatural, Magic, casting spells and evil curses, overwhelming hate and desire for revenge, fear, prejudice, and war. Some other more mild themes include discovering who you are within a family/friendship and mystery.
The Undrowned Child is recommended for ages 16+.
This review was written by Emily
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads by Random House Children's Books for a review
To see more fantastic books reviewed with content in mind, visit us at Squeaky Clean Reads!!
August 2, 2022
stunning !
January 28, 2013
At first glance, this book seemed like it was written for me. Magic, mystery, and mermaids in an alternate Venice of 1899. What could be better? Unfortunately, there was simply too much going on in this book, and at times it was hard to follow the thread.
I also felt that this wasn't ~Victorian~ enough to be set in 1899. It felt curiously out of time, like it could have been set in any era. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the year was mentioned at least once per chapter. Still, the mermaids make up for a lot of the flaws in this book. They're described as "salty-tongued and subversive", which is a perfect way of putting it. They learnt to speak by listening to sailors, so they say "yar" instead of "yes" and know a great deal of insults.
I also felt that this wasn't ~Victorian~ enough to be set in 1899. It felt curiously out of time, like it could have been set in any era. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the year was mentioned at least once per chapter. Still, the mermaids make up for a lot of the flaws in this book. They're described as "salty-tongued and subversive", which is a perfect way of putting it. They learnt to speak by listening to sailors, so they say "yar" instead of "yes" and know a great deal of insults.
October 7, 2012
I came by this book at a bookshop sometime last year, and since then has been knocking around in a cupboard up until a few months ago. I got this book finished in a few days (when I finally picked it up!)
I loved the fact the story was set in Venice in the early 1900s. The only downside to this book was the amount of romance. Though I do suppose this is a children's book! I at the time I thought there was too much action, and not enough social situations!
June 25, 2012
4 Stars
First thing’s first – I adore Venice and so am horribly biased in this books favour. It’s a far from perfect book, and I’ll get onto that later, but it really does capture the magic of the city. Or at least it did for me; how someone who has never visited the place would find it though…I’m not that sure. In fact I would probably only gift this to a child who already had some knowledge of, or better yet had actually been to Venice. There’s a handy map with key locations on at the very start of the book and a fantastic set of very accessible author’s notes at the back, but to get full enjoyment from it I do think the reader has to have at least seen a photo of Venice. Because, putting aside the beautiful and lovingly depicted setting, the storyline and characterisation are fairly standard children’s fantasy fare.
Teodora is an orphan, with no knowledge of her real parents but a deep yearning to see Venice. We can already see where the backstory will be going, yes? She also has some pretty nifty abilities, not least a form of magic synaesthesia where she can see people’s words, written in their handwriting, hovering above their head when they speak. She also has a photographic memory, can read people’s hearts and deepest emotions by touching their chest, and can read upside down. After years of nagging, her adoptive parents finally and reluctantly take eleven year old Teodora to see Venice. Problem is that they’re scientists, and the only reason they’re in Venice is for urgent scientific discussions on how to save the city from the sudden and bizarre series of problems that threaten to destroy it; the wells spout boiling poison water and the high lands flood while the lowlands stay dry. And if you think that sounds more like a magical curse that science won’t be able to solve you would be absolutely right.
So it’s a typical orphan discovers a magical society, saves the world/Venice and discovers their true identity after teaming up with a member of the opposite sex that they initially deeply disliked. Oh, and throw in a prophecy that could only be talking about her as well… I probably read hundred’s of these when I was a kid. What sets it out from the rest is the setting and the history. Every little thing – from the big-bad of the book, his child-killing henchman, to the winged lions and giant cats who protect the city – have their basis in Venetian history, folklore, or art. The henchman, horrifically, is apparently from the first group and used to sell a very popular cannibal stew before he was discovered and executed – like a real life Sweeney Todd without the hairdressing or the middle-woman. And it’s titbits like that that really brought the story to life for me and sucked me in. It’s an amazingly informative book and you can tell the author has done a shitload of research, but the facts are worked in almost seamlessly into the story and I rarely felt that I was being lectured or info-dumped on.
And because the writer has such a grip on the sense of place and history, the sense of atmosphere comes off very well too. The prologue is a beautiful thing; a wonderfully creepy and unsettling introduction to the undead antagonist and his powers as, against all advice, a young family attempt to cross the lagoon on a foggy evening to baptise their infant daughter. It’s probably the best moment of the book but the creepy atmosphere does pervade the rest of the novel as well, not least the Brustolons dripping blood from their mouths that start appearing everywhere (though I was very glad when the racist history of these objects and the horrors of the Venetian slave trade were finally addressed). Like most good children’s books for this age group, it’s dark, creepy, and atmospheric with a real sense of danger and doesn’t shy away from the idea of death.
Where it falls down though is the characterisation. Brownie points for Teo’s adoptive parents being genuinely loving towards her, but a couple taken away for making them the sort of oversimplified scientists who don’t get ‘the arts’ at all – at least until the very end. And the rest of the side characters are similarly sketched out or stereotypical. Even Teodora and Renzo I never felt had all that much depth to them. Renzo is clever – which means he knows local history – and a bit of a snob, while Teodora is a generic ‘nice to everyone’ protagonist. Out of the two of them this makes Renzo the more interesting character with the larger story arc, although he doesn’t end up doing that much except providing Teodora with explanations for things. Teodora meanwhile has all these amazing talents but constantly forgets to use them – in fact I’m not sure why the ‘can read people’s hearts by touching them’ power was there at all if it wasn’t actually going to be used for anything. Maybe it’ll be used more effectively in the next book.
The end half of the plot left a little to be desired as well, with the way to defeat the big bad being far too easy and slightly underwhelming. And I wish the magic of The Key to the Secret City had been either a bit more explained or had nothing directly to do with the mermaids. But, to be honest, for what I was reading this book for, these are fairly minor nitpicks. It’s a decently told pageturner with some original touches that I really liked – Theodora’s ability to see the spoken word, for one, and the mermaids having learnt ‘human’ from sailors all having rather coarse language (though it could have done with being more distinctly Italian or mishmash of languages than ‘pirate’ /’cockney’). Teodora’s not the most compelling main character and I wish Renzo had done a bit more, but I still liked them both and they’re probably on about the same level as most children’s protagonists.
In fact that’s probably something true of the whole novel – a very good children’s book but, if not for the magic of the Venetian setting, not an outstanding one. I enjoyed it a lot, enough to get a copy for my friend’s birthday and reserve the next book at the library, and I would definitely recommend it, but it’s not mindblowing.
First thing’s first – I adore Venice and so am horribly biased in this books favour. It’s a far from perfect book, and I’ll get onto that later, but it really does capture the magic of the city. Or at least it did for me; how someone who has never visited the place would find it though…I’m not that sure. In fact I would probably only gift this to a child who already had some knowledge of, or better yet had actually been to Venice. There’s a handy map with key locations on at the very start of the book and a fantastic set of very accessible author’s notes at the back, but to get full enjoyment from it I do think the reader has to have at least seen a photo of Venice. Because, putting aside the beautiful and lovingly depicted setting, the storyline and characterisation are fairly standard children’s fantasy fare.
Teodora is an orphan, with no knowledge of her real parents but a deep yearning to see Venice. We can already see where the backstory will be going, yes? She also has some pretty nifty abilities, not least a form of magic synaesthesia where she can see people’s words, written in their handwriting, hovering above their head when they speak. She also has a photographic memory, can read people’s hearts and deepest emotions by touching their chest, and can read upside down. After years of nagging, her adoptive parents finally and reluctantly take eleven year old Teodora to see Venice. Problem is that they’re scientists, and the only reason they’re in Venice is for urgent scientific discussions on how to save the city from the sudden and bizarre series of problems that threaten to destroy it; the wells spout boiling poison water and the high lands flood while the lowlands stay dry. And if you think that sounds more like a magical curse that science won’t be able to solve you would be absolutely right.
So it’s a typical orphan discovers a magical society, saves the world/Venice and discovers their true identity after teaming up with a member of the opposite sex that they initially deeply disliked. Oh, and throw in a prophecy that could only be talking about her as well… I probably read hundred’s of these when I was a kid. What sets it out from the rest is the setting and the history. Every little thing – from the big-bad of the book, his child-killing henchman, to the winged lions and giant cats who protect the city – have their basis in Venetian history, folklore, or art. The henchman, horrifically, is apparently from the first group and used to sell a very popular cannibal stew before he was discovered and executed – like a real life Sweeney Todd without the hairdressing or the middle-woman. And it’s titbits like that that really brought the story to life for me and sucked me in. It’s an amazingly informative book and you can tell the author has done a shitload of research, but the facts are worked in almost seamlessly into the story and I rarely felt that I was being lectured or info-dumped on.
And because the writer has such a grip on the sense of place and history, the sense of atmosphere comes off very well too. The prologue is a beautiful thing; a wonderfully creepy and unsettling introduction to the undead antagonist and his powers as, against all advice, a young family attempt to cross the lagoon on a foggy evening to baptise their infant daughter. It’s probably the best moment of the book but the creepy atmosphere does pervade the rest of the novel as well, not least the Brustolons dripping blood from their mouths that start appearing everywhere (though I was very glad when the racist history of these objects and the horrors of the Venetian slave trade were finally addressed). Like most good children’s books for this age group, it’s dark, creepy, and atmospheric with a real sense of danger and doesn’t shy away from the idea of death.
Where it falls down though is the characterisation. Brownie points for Teo’s adoptive parents being genuinely loving towards her, but a couple taken away for making them the sort of oversimplified scientists who don’t get ‘the arts’ at all – at least until the very end. And the rest of the side characters are similarly sketched out or stereotypical. Even Teodora and Renzo I never felt had all that much depth to them. Renzo is clever – which means he knows local history – and a bit of a snob, while Teodora is a generic ‘nice to everyone’ protagonist. Out of the two of them this makes Renzo the more interesting character with the larger story arc, although he doesn’t end up doing that much except providing Teodora with explanations for things. Teodora meanwhile has all these amazing talents but constantly forgets to use them – in fact I’m not sure why the ‘can read people’s hearts by touching them’ power was there at all if it wasn’t actually going to be used for anything. Maybe it’ll be used more effectively in the next book.
The end half of the plot left a little to be desired as well, with the way to defeat the big bad being far too easy and slightly underwhelming. And I wish the magic of The Key to the Secret City had been either a bit more explained or had nothing directly to do with the mermaids. But, to be honest, for what I was reading this book for, these are fairly minor nitpicks. It’s a decently told pageturner with some original touches that I really liked – Theodora’s ability to see the spoken word, for one, and the mermaids having learnt ‘human’ from sailors all having rather coarse language (though it could have done with being more distinctly Italian or mishmash of languages than ‘pirate’ /’cockney’). Teodora’s not the most compelling main character and I wish Renzo had done a bit more, but I still liked them both and they’re probably on about the same level as most children’s protagonists.
In fact that’s probably something true of the whole novel – a very good children’s book but, if not for the magic of the Venetian setting, not an outstanding one. I enjoyed it a lot, enough to get a copy for my friend’s birthday and reserve the next book at the library, and I would definitely recommend it, but it’s not mindblowing.
September 20, 2024
Still as magical as when I read it at 10
January 3, 2024
A beautiful story 🥹
February 17, 2012
I'm going to do something I don't normally do: comment on a book before I've finished it. Just after starting it, actually, because there are so many things about it I'm enjoying already. A three-page table of contents with very intriguing chapter titles. A map of Venice in 1899, with a legend for key locations in the plot to come. A surprisingly dark prologue, containing the evil murder by drowning of an innocent extended family on their way to baptize their most recent addition; and I don't think I'm spoiling anything, given the book's title, by saying that I assume our adopted protagonist from Naples is the infant whose body was never recovered. An opening scene that takes place in a used bookstore. Chapters that don't follow a strict chronological order as they fill in back story to deepen our understanding of the plot. Magic, of an unusual nature. A story that is keeping me intrigued and guessing at what might happen next, without relying on familiar formulas or cliche. A book that is more than a book.
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Venice is so much invaded by foreigners that we Venetians need to keep another city for ourselves, one that fits between-the-Linings, one that nobody else can see. This book is a key to that Secret City, a Venice that is private for Venetians alone. This book must never fall into the hands of foreign children or adults.
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In fact, Teo supposed sadly, she was an outsider everywhere. Her parents were not her parents. She was an only child, who, with no gift for friendship, felt at home only in the library or a bookshop. She was not just in the wrong place all the time; she sometimes felt as if she had been born in the wrong century.
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UPDATE: My reflections upon finishing haven't changed much from my initial impression. This is a really nice historical fantasy, based on the older history and character of Venice. Water plays a big role, obviously, as do the buildings and places of the city, events and ghosts of famous Venetians, the attitudes of the inhabitants, and more. There is magic, intrigue, suspense, and action. Colorful, sympathetic characters. Density. A fun book.
I do think, in my teases from above, I forgot to mention that the main character is a Vedeparole: For Teo had a very unusual gift. When people spoke, she saw their words actually written in the air above them. Also the manner of their speaking: some with the curt efficiency of typwriting machines, some like laborious handwriting, others with flourishes and heavy underlinings.
And that the mermaids . . . "My Race learnt to speak in Humantongue by eavesdropping upon Sailors who came to these Waters from the Indies & Beyond. I fear this Primitive Education has left its Mark: We oftimes speak as Rough as Guts." For instance, "Bag o' nuts!" cried a mermaid admiringly. "Suave as a rat with a gold tooth!" Another chimed: "Weren't behind the door when the brains was give out, 'im!"
From a flyer: "Don't listen to that yellow-waimed scut of a mayor. If he weren't so spineless I'd make soup out of his bones! You shall see more honest faces than his upon a pirate flag. . . . Are you all blind? Methinks the whole of Venice has fewer eyes than my esteemed rear end."
You should be warned that at times it can get pretty graphic and gruesome:
At the same time another figure came stumbling out of the sacristy. It was a man in a bloodied butcher's apron. Teo covered her mouth when she realized that he was carrying his head under one arm. Both his arms ended in bleeding stumps: his hands dangled from his neck on a chain. From his torn neck came a bubbling, grunting noise, but no words. Somehow worse was the fact that his feet were attached to his body from the backs of his legs, though his thick arms swung from the front of his body.
It's not the best choice of cover, in my opinion.
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Oh, and what's it about, you ask? In 1899, eleven-year-old Teodora goes with her scientist parents from Naples to Venice, Italy, which is falling victim to a series of violent natural disasters, and once there she is drawn into a web of mysterious adventures involving mermaids, an ancient prophecy, and the possible destruction of the city itself.
-----
Venice is so much invaded by foreigners that we Venetians need to keep another city for ourselves, one that fits between-the-Linings, one that nobody else can see. This book is a key to that Secret City, a Venice that is private for Venetians alone. This book must never fall into the hands of foreign children or adults.
-----
In fact, Teo supposed sadly, she was an outsider everywhere. Her parents were not her parents. She was an only child, who, with no gift for friendship, felt at home only in the library or a bookshop. She was not just in the wrong place all the time; she sometimes felt as if she had been born in the wrong century.
-----
UPDATE: My reflections upon finishing haven't changed much from my initial impression. This is a really nice historical fantasy, based on the older history and character of Venice. Water plays a big role, obviously, as do the buildings and places of the city, events and ghosts of famous Venetians, the attitudes of the inhabitants, and more. There is magic, intrigue, suspense, and action. Colorful, sympathetic characters. Density. A fun book.
I do think, in my teases from above, I forgot to mention that the main character is a Vedeparole: For Teo had a very unusual gift. When people spoke, she saw their words actually written in the air above them. Also the manner of their speaking: some with the curt efficiency of typwriting machines, some like laborious handwriting, others with flourishes and heavy underlinings.
And that the mermaids . . . "My Race learnt to speak in Humantongue by eavesdropping upon Sailors who came to these Waters from the Indies & Beyond. I fear this Primitive Education has left its Mark: We oftimes speak as Rough as Guts." For instance, "Bag o' nuts!" cried a mermaid admiringly. "Suave as a rat with a gold tooth!" Another chimed: "Weren't behind the door when the brains was give out, 'im!"
From a flyer: "Don't listen to that yellow-waimed scut of a mayor. If he weren't so spineless I'd make soup out of his bones! You shall see more honest faces than his upon a pirate flag. . . . Are you all blind? Methinks the whole of Venice has fewer eyes than my esteemed rear end."
You should be warned that at times it can get pretty graphic and gruesome:
At the same time another figure came stumbling out of the sacristy. It was a man in a bloodied butcher's apron. Teo covered her mouth when she realized that he was carrying his head under one arm. Both his arms ended in bleeding stumps: his hands dangled from his neck on a chain. From his torn neck came a bubbling, grunting noise, but no words. Somehow worse was the fact that his feet were attached to his body from the backs of his legs, though his thick arms swung from the front of his body.
It's not the best choice of cover, in my opinion.
-----
Oh, and what's it about, you ask? In 1899, eleven-year-old Teodora goes with her scientist parents from Naples to Venice, Italy, which is falling victim to a series of violent natural disasters, and once there she is drawn into a web of mysterious adventures involving mermaids, an ancient prophecy, and the possible destruction of the city itself.
Want to read
July 7, 2021i just remembered this book existed and how much i loved it as a kid, and now i wanna read it again
September 13, 2011
Teo dreams of visiting Venice. As a book worm she spends days pouring over books with detailed descriptions of what a wonderful city it is. When her parents get a letter that says they are needed (they're scientists) in Venice, Teo leaps at the opportunity to tag along. Unfortunately her parent's colleagues are bringing their daughter Maria along. Maria only cares about fashion, she scoffs at Teo who always has her head in a book. Luckily they come to an arrangement where their parents will think they are together, but they don't actually have to be around each other. This works for awhile until Teo gets dreadfully sick and must be taken to hospital. There, very, very strange things start to happen, and then Teo wakes up somewhere else. All she has with her is a book with a smiling mermaid on the cover that seems to read her thoughts and answer her questions (vaguely). When she finds her way back, it seems that no one can see or hear her except for some children and one boy in particular. Something odd and terrible is going on, sick kids are dying every day. Teo may need to team up with this one boy in order to save the city on the water from becoming the city underwater.
Venice, mermaids and other supernatural and fairytale folks and happenings. The makings of a great book. I wish this book wasn't so long though. I really loved it, but at times it felt a little tedious. As an adult book it would be okay, but I feel like some kids may loose attention, unless they are particularly fascinated with the subject matter (as I was). All in all though, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I loved Teo, she was such a fascinating character and full of life and questions. I love it when people are full of questions, ready and eager to learn. It makes it so that you can learn through them what is going on and also some other interesting facts. I also adored Renzo, even if he was a bit of a snob. He was still such a marvelous character. Compassionate and a total bookworm. Teo and Renzo truly made a great pair. Lussa's speech bothered me though. I don't get why some of her words were capitalized while others weren't it sort of reminded me of teen girls online, you know the ones who TypE LiK tHiS. Bleh ;) I loved that this had lots of Venetian history, it was interesting to learn about these pieces of history I hadn't ever really heard of. A lot of research went into this book or at least a lot of knowledge of the history of the city, and it shows. If you are a lover of historical fiction pick this one up. This was a smart, enticing read that takes you to the very heart of Venice.
First Line:
"The fog that fell upon Venice that evening was like a bandage wrapped round the town."
Favorite Lines:
"Teo felt the air squeezed out of her chest. Until this moment the violent story of Bajamonte Tiepolo had seemed rather like a fairy tale gone wrong, something to read in an old book curled up on a rainy day, nothing to do with Teo herself. Suddenly, it felt personal."
Read more: http://www.areadingnook.com/#ixzz1Xrb...
Venice, mermaids and other supernatural and fairytale folks and happenings. The makings of a great book. I wish this book wasn't so long though. I really loved it, but at times it felt a little tedious. As an adult book it would be okay, but I feel like some kids may loose attention, unless they are particularly fascinated with the subject matter (as I was). All in all though, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I loved Teo, she was such a fascinating character and full of life and questions. I love it when people are full of questions, ready and eager to learn. It makes it so that you can learn through them what is going on and also some other interesting facts. I also adored Renzo, even if he was a bit of a snob. He was still such a marvelous character. Compassionate and a total bookworm. Teo and Renzo truly made a great pair. Lussa's speech bothered me though. I don't get why some of her words were capitalized while others weren't it sort of reminded me of teen girls online, you know the ones who TypE LiK tHiS. Bleh ;) I loved that this had lots of Venetian history, it was interesting to learn about these pieces of history I hadn't ever really heard of. A lot of research went into this book or at least a lot of knowledge of the history of the city, and it shows. If you are a lover of historical fiction pick this one up. This was a smart, enticing read that takes you to the very heart of Venice.
First Line:
"The fog that fell upon Venice that evening was like a bandage wrapped round the town."
Favorite Lines:
"Teo felt the air squeezed out of her chest. Until this moment the violent story of Bajamonte Tiepolo had seemed rather like a fairy tale gone wrong, something to read in an old book curled up on a rainy day, nothing to do with Teo herself. Suddenly, it felt personal."
Read more: http://www.areadingnook.com/#ixzz1Xrb...
July 9, 2011
I got an advanced reading copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. I love historical fantasies, especially ones set in Europe, so this sounded like an excellent read to me. In general I really enjoyed the story, all of the history, the fantastical creatures, and the Venice setting.
Teodora has always longed to visit Venice. Finally her scientific parents are called to help with the problem of Venice sinking and Teo is allowed to accompany them. There Teo is hit on the head by a mysterious book and drawn into the world between the layers of Venice; it is a world where mermaids print propoganda fliers, cats talk, and the very fate of Venice is at stake. Can Teo, with the help of the studious Renzo, save Venice before the whole city is destroyed and succumbs to absolute evil?
There were a lot of things I really liked about this book. I loved how much history is entwined with this story, I love even more that the author tells the reader which parts were real history and which were fabricated in the Afterward. I love the shear scope of fantastical creatures that enter this story: there are mermaids, werewolves, vampire eels, giant talking cats, winged lions, and more. Teo herself is an admirable heroine and Renzo also grows on you as the story continues. I also enjoyed the epic struggle between good and evil that takes place in this story.
The plot is complex and takes a while to set up. I think it took a little too long to set up. As a reader you get the basics of the plot pretty quick; Teo has to save Venice from ultimate destruction. The plot stalled a bit in the middle for me. It always seemed like there was one more thing Teo and Renzo had to do before the epic end battle, and it was drawn out a bit too long. My only other complaint was that some times things were thrown into the story with little reason; for example in the end battle there are suddenly dark elves present and I was like...huh?...when did they get here? These little extras made the story increasingly complicated without adding much to the overall story, they also made the writing seem a bit scattered at times.
Overall this was an excellent historical fantasy of epic proportions. I loved learning the history of Venice and about the city itself. I loved the wonderful fantastical creatures that Teo dealt with. Teo and Renzo were excellent characters and it was fun to watch them solve mysteries together. My only complaints are that the story lagged a bit in the middle and little things were added in that made the story a bit too scattered and complicated. If you cut a hundred pages out of the middle and consolidated some of the mini-quests that Teo and Renzo went through mid-book, this would be a perfect read. I did like the book overall. It should be appropriate for middle grade or older readers (although it is a bit dark with talk of torture and lots of battle scenes). Readers who enjoy historical fantasy should find this book especially engaging.
Teodora has always longed to visit Venice. Finally her scientific parents are called to help with the problem of Venice sinking and Teo is allowed to accompany them. There Teo is hit on the head by a mysterious book and drawn into the world between the layers of Venice; it is a world where mermaids print propoganda fliers, cats talk, and the very fate of Venice is at stake. Can Teo, with the help of the studious Renzo, save Venice before the whole city is destroyed and succumbs to absolute evil?
There were a lot of things I really liked about this book. I loved how much history is entwined with this story, I love even more that the author tells the reader which parts were real history and which were fabricated in the Afterward. I love the shear scope of fantastical creatures that enter this story: there are mermaids, werewolves, vampire eels, giant talking cats, winged lions, and more. Teo herself is an admirable heroine and Renzo also grows on you as the story continues. I also enjoyed the epic struggle between good and evil that takes place in this story.
The plot is complex and takes a while to set up. I think it took a little too long to set up. As a reader you get the basics of the plot pretty quick; Teo has to save Venice from ultimate destruction. The plot stalled a bit in the middle for me. It always seemed like there was one more thing Teo and Renzo had to do before the epic end battle, and it was drawn out a bit too long. My only other complaint was that some times things were thrown into the story with little reason; for example in the end battle there are suddenly dark elves present and I was like...huh?...when did they get here? These little extras made the story increasingly complicated without adding much to the overall story, they also made the writing seem a bit scattered at times.
Overall this was an excellent historical fantasy of epic proportions. I loved learning the history of Venice and about the city itself. I loved the wonderful fantastical creatures that Teo dealt with. Teo and Renzo were excellent characters and it was fun to watch them solve mysteries together. My only complaints are that the story lagged a bit in the middle and little things were added in that made the story a bit too scattered and complicated. If you cut a hundred pages out of the middle and consolidated some of the mini-quests that Teo and Renzo went through mid-book, this would be a perfect read. I did like the book overall. It should be appropriate for middle grade or older readers (although it is a bit dark with talk of torture and lots of battle scenes). Readers who enjoy historical fantasy should find this book especially engaging.
May 26, 2014
Un guazzabuglio di buone idee. E' questa l'espressione che mi girava in testa durante la lettura. Di idee ce ne sono e anche tante, purtroppo però esiste il rischio, in questi casi, che siano male assortite. Solitamente un autore su dieci riesce a gestire egregiamente queste situazioni e questo non ne è assolutamente il caso.
Con questo non voglio dire che non sia un bel libro, anzi, però non è la rivelazione che mi aspettavo (nutrivo, non so neanche io perché, grandi aspettative per questo libro).
Per prima cosa, i protagonisti bambini. Perché? Le conoscenze e le abilità richieste dall'intreccio narrativo ai protagonisti non sono quelle che avrebbero dei bambini di 11 anni. E quindi perché forzare la narrazione in un senso che non è decisamente naturale? Evito di soffermarmi sulle incoerenze trovate nei comportamenti e nei sentimenti dei protagonisti perché, in quanto bambini, la loro incoerenza è giustificata.
Poi, più e più volte ho notato nel corso delle vicende il tentativo disperato della scrittrice di provocare una sorta di atmosfera cupa e di "orrore" (?) ma che poi non aveva risvolti pratici nella narrazione: è come se in un film dell'orrore mettessero la musichetta che ti fa capire che sta per arrivare il mostro/assassino e poi, arrivata al culmine, non succede nulla e gli ostaggi fanno felicemente a prendere un caffè. Che senso ha?
Arriva il momento dei personaggi di fantasia/cattivi: sirene, murene vampiro, squali, fantasmi (cattivi, pentiti ma che non riescono a trovare la pace, non pentiti, che si trovano lì senza un motivo), lupi mannari, ottomani, pirati, Brustolon, Magoghe, leoni alati, libri che si animano scrivono e fanno apparire cose dal nulla. Ho capito che Venezia è una "città magica", ma così non è un pizzico esagerato? Sono un po' troppi e a mio parere alcuni anche inutili, semplicemente nominati e messi lì ma senza un senso pratico ai fini della storia.
Infine la struttura del libro in sé e per sé. L'idea dei mini-capitoli può essere buona, ma in alcuni casi spezzano il filo narrativo in punti sbagliati. Così come i capitoli finali: mi è sembrato come se l'autrice stesse cercando di allungare le cose, allungare il brodo ma senza dire nulla di nuovo o rilevante alla storia.
Un punto importante, invece, lo guadagna l'autrice per le descrizioni dei paesaggi cittadini e i riferimenti storici a fatti realmente accaduti e che hanno segnato Venezia come città. Durante il girovagare di Tea vengono descritti non solo i posti più famosi e importanti della "città magica", ma anche le strade secondarie, i grandi canali pieni di gondole e vaporetti, i vicoletti piccoli e striminziti che raccolgono la vera essenza di Venezia e dei veneziani.
E' un peccato che la Lovric non sia riuscita a gestire meglio tutto ciò, il libro aveva delle grandissime potenzialità.
Con questo non voglio dire che non sia un bel libro, anzi, però non è la rivelazione che mi aspettavo (nutrivo, non so neanche io perché, grandi aspettative per questo libro).
Per prima cosa, i protagonisti bambini. Perché? Le conoscenze e le abilità richieste dall'intreccio narrativo ai protagonisti non sono quelle che avrebbero dei bambini di 11 anni. E quindi perché forzare la narrazione in un senso che non è decisamente naturale? Evito di soffermarmi sulle incoerenze trovate nei comportamenti e nei sentimenti dei protagonisti perché, in quanto bambini, la loro incoerenza è giustificata.
Poi, più e più volte ho notato nel corso delle vicende il tentativo disperato della scrittrice di provocare una sorta di atmosfera cupa e di "orrore" (?) ma che poi non aveva risvolti pratici nella narrazione: è come se in un film dell'orrore mettessero la musichetta che ti fa capire che sta per arrivare il mostro/assassino e poi, arrivata al culmine, non succede nulla e gli ostaggi fanno felicemente a prendere un caffè. Che senso ha?
Arriva il momento dei personaggi di fantasia/cattivi: sirene, murene vampiro, squali, fantasmi (cattivi, pentiti ma che non riescono a trovare la pace, non pentiti, che si trovano lì senza un motivo), lupi mannari, ottomani, pirati, Brustolon, Magoghe, leoni alati, libri che si animano scrivono e fanno apparire cose dal nulla. Ho capito che Venezia è una "città magica", ma così non è un pizzico esagerato? Sono un po' troppi e a mio parere alcuni anche inutili, semplicemente nominati e messi lì ma senza un senso pratico ai fini della storia.
Infine la struttura del libro in sé e per sé. L'idea dei mini-capitoli può essere buona, ma in alcuni casi spezzano il filo narrativo in punti sbagliati. Così come i capitoli finali: mi è sembrato come se l'autrice stesse cercando di allungare le cose, allungare il brodo ma senza dire nulla di nuovo o rilevante alla storia.
Un punto importante, invece, lo guadagna l'autrice per le descrizioni dei paesaggi cittadini e i riferimenti storici a fatti realmente accaduti e che hanno segnato Venezia come città. Durante il girovagare di Tea vengono descritti non solo i posti più famosi e importanti della "città magica", ma anche le strade secondarie, i grandi canali pieni di gondole e vaporetti, i vicoletti piccoli e striminziti che raccolgono la vera essenza di Venezia e dei veneziani.
E' un peccato che la Lovric non sia riuscita a gestire meglio tutto ciò, il libro aveva delle grandissime potenzialità.
May 22, 2017
The Undrowned Child is about an adopted girl named Teodora, who always felt a deep connection to the city of Venice. Her adoptive parents, who are very studious scientists, had to travel to Venice to discover what was happening to the city. The wells were gushing boiling water, sharks were filling all of the canals, and children were dying from the plague. Teodora went with her parents and while in a book shop, a book called The Key to the Secret City had fallen on her head, and since then, she had experienced many other-wordly experiences, like going "Between-the-linings", seeing statues of winged lions flying through a chapel, and meeting spirits who either protect or haunt the streets of Venice. She learned that it was her destiny to protect the city of Venice from a murderous Venetian traitor, Bajamonte Tiepolo.
My favorite character in the book is Teodora, who originally never felt like she belonged anywhere until she visited Venice, and discovered how her past connects to the city. It is easy to relate to Teodora and her lack of belongment, until she finally finds her place. I love how this books plays her as practically the chosen one, but still keeps you guessing.
My favorite part of the book was at the end of the battle between the Venetian spirits who protect Venice and Il Traditore (Bajamonte Tiepolo) and his army of evil spirits who also want to get revenge on Venice. To banish Bajamonte Tiepolo, Teodora has to recite curses from his evil spell almanac to curse him to a permanent death. Teodora did not want to speak them aloud, but she knew she had to to protect her city. As Teodora spoke the curses, Il Traditore was slowly drowning in a whirl pool, but when his hand was the only thing still out of the water, Teodora had to say one more curse to permanently banish him to death, but it was the worse one of all. She was too kindhearted to speak the last curse, so Bajamonte was not permanently banished to death, but temporarily banished until his spirit was released. That part leaves it at a cliff-hanger for the next book, and it says a lot about Teodora's character.
I've read the book at least twice and there's nothing I dislike about it. The plot changes and there are many layers and conflicts, but they all are connected. It is easy to follow, but nowhere near predictable. One of the favorite things about the book is that at the end, it includes all of the places mentioned in the book and the legends that go with them. There is also a map to show where all the places actually are and where the book would have taken place if it had actually happened. I recommend this book to anyone who especially loves fantasy, but really anyone could follow the plot.
My favorite character in the book is Teodora, who originally never felt like she belonged anywhere until she visited Venice, and discovered how her past connects to the city. It is easy to relate to Teodora and her lack of belongment, until she finally finds her place. I love how this books plays her as practically the chosen one, but still keeps you guessing.
My favorite part of the book was at the end of the battle between the Venetian spirits who protect Venice and Il Traditore (Bajamonte Tiepolo) and his army of evil spirits who also want to get revenge on Venice. To banish Bajamonte Tiepolo, Teodora has to recite curses from his evil spell almanac to curse him to a permanent death. Teodora did not want to speak them aloud, but she knew she had to to protect her city. As Teodora spoke the curses, Il Traditore was slowly drowning in a whirl pool, but when his hand was the only thing still out of the water, Teodora had to say one more curse to permanently banish him to death, but it was the worse one of all. She was too kindhearted to speak the last curse, so Bajamonte was not permanently banished to death, but temporarily banished until his spirit was released. That part leaves it at a cliff-hanger for the next book, and it says a lot about Teodora's character.
I've read the book at least twice and there's nothing I dislike about it. The plot changes and there are many layers and conflicts, but they all are connected. It is easy to follow, but nowhere near predictable. One of the favorite things about the book is that at the end, it includes all of the places mentioned in the book and the legends that go with them. There is also a map to show where all the places actually are and where the book would have taken place if it had actually happened. I recommend this book to anyone who especially loves fantasy, but really anyone could follow the plot.
July 18, 2011
The short version? People will probably compare this to books like Harry Potter. In a generic sense it could be fair - There's a bad guy who is cursed, there is magic afoot, and really for all practical purposes only the children are useful in saving the world they care about (here that world is simply the city of Venice), there are some fantasy creatures and it's a fairly long story for a childrens book.
On the other hand The Undrowned story takes place in Venice and attempts to drop us right there next to Teo and her sidekick Renzo making sure we see the city just as well as we see the kids and the characters they bump into along the way (after the book ends, the author gives us an extended tour explaining what in the book is based on fact - how loosely, what structures we can see to this day, etc).
The violence in HP tends to be, well, magical. There is much of that here too... However, the author also takes us back to the days where both fairy tales and the news were scary and where we didn't try to shelter the wee ones in random ways - no these children know quite well of the butcher who eats children and in fact stumble upon him making for both a character and scene that could be quite scary for the younger readers this books targets.
This is definitely one of those books that can get kids interested in reading. Sadly there were a few sections that felt as though they dragged on a wee bit too much and as is common with so many stories lately, it makes up for it by having a quick final battle scene. Being that stereotypical cliched kind of plot is the only reason I'm knocking it down to 4 stars. Otherwise Teo and Renzo's adventures through Venice are exciting. These children are not afraid of being outcast (mainly for being smart) and it is refreshing, yet they're still compassionate with others - even to the bullies and bad guys, yet not so weak that they can't stand up for themselves. They experience mermaids, ghosts, vampiric eels, pirates, humans turning to well... hideous creatures... etc. Yeah it's a full on fantasy adventure and most importantly (to me) it did not feel as though the author was just rushing a partial book in order to collect on a series as so many seem to do after the popularity of so many other series lately - this is a complete book that does not leave you hanging by the end, yet if she really wanted to write another later, she could.
On the other hand The Undrowned story takes place in Venice and attempts to drop us right there next to Teo and her sidekick Renzo making sure we see the city just as well as we see the kids and the characters they bump into along the way (after the book ends, the author gives us an extended tour explaining what in the book is based on fact - how loosely, what structures we can see to this day, etc).
The violence in HP tends to be, well, magical. There is much of that here too... However, the author also takes us back to the days where both fairy tales and the news were scary and where we didn't try to shelter the wee ones in random ways - no these children know quite well of the butcher who eats children and in fact stumble upon him making for both a character and scene that could be quite scary for the younger readers this books targets.
This is definitely one of those books that can get kids interested in reading. Sadly there were a few sections that felt as though they dragged on a wee bit too much and as is common with so many stories lately, it makes up for it by having a quick final battle scene. Being that stereotypical cliched kind of plot is the only reason I'm knocking it down to 4 stars. Otherwise Teo and Renzo's adventures through Venice are exciting. These children are not afraid of being outcast (mainly for being smart) and it is refreshing, yet they're still compassionate with others - even to the bullies and bad guys, yet not so weak that they can't stand up for themselves. They experience mermaids, ghosts, vampiric eels, pirates, humans turning to well... hideous creatures... etc. Yeah it's a full on fantasy adventure and most importantly (to me) it did not feel as though the author was just rushing a partial book in order to collect on a series as so many seem to do after the popularity of so many other series lately - this is a complete book that does not leave you hanging by the end, yet if she really wanted to write another later, she could.
August 11, 2011
Teodora is certain about two things in her life: the first that she is adopted, and the second that she belongs in Venice. Hanging out at the old bookstore all day is the perfect life for Teo. That is, until a mysterious book falls onto her head and knocks her unconscious. The book is titled The Key to the Secret City, and suddenly Teo's life will never be the same again. There is more to Venice than meets the eye, and Teo and her friend Renzo are about to see it all firsthand. Plus, something evil lurks beneath the murky waters of the great floating city, and it has plans to destroy everything in its way.
I have to start off mentioning how totally awesome Teo's paranormal power is in this book. Being able to see speech written in script above the speaker's head is the best power EVER. it made me wonder what font my voice would be? It was a totally cool idea. I am also a long time fan of Michelle Lovric. She writes beautiful books about Venice, yes, but she also tends to writes stories that involve powerful books. Books about books. And mermaids. Seriously, does it get any better than this? The mermaids in this story were so awesome. Their dialect was funny and smart and entirely unique. And that's another thing that keeps me coming back to Lovric's books. Her writing style is gorgeous. She can create atmosphere with ease and every single word on the page seems to serve a very specific purpose in her dialog and description. The last thing I will mention is that I think the UK cover for this book is much more inviting and pretty than the US cover. This US cover looks almost frightening. Regardless, I am looking forward to diving into the sequel, called The Mourning Emporium!
I have to start off mentioning how totally awesome Teo's paranormal power is in this book. Being able to see speech written in script above the speaker's head is the best power EVER. it made me wonder what font my voice would be? It was a totally cool idea. I am also a long time fan of Michelle Lovric. She writes beautiful books about Venice, yes, but she also tends to writes stories that involve powerful books. Books about books. And mermaids. Seriously, does it get any better than this? The mermaids in this story were so awesome. Their dialect was funny and smart and entirely unique. And that's another thing that keeps me coming back to Lovric's books. Her writing style is gorgeous. She can create atmosphere with ease and every single word on the page seems to serve a very specific purpose in her dialog and description. The last thing I will mention is that I think the UK cover for this book is much more inviting and pretty than the US cover. This US cover looks almost frightening. Regardless, I am looking forward to diving into the sequel, called The Mourning Emporium!
June 17, 2010
The moment I started this book I knew I would love it. I'm a sucker for anything set in Venice anyway, but the opening pages told me that this was a writer with a story to tell. I was excited at the prospect of getting lost in the plot...
One of the main characters in this book has problems with verbosity. He cannot recant a tale without filling in details that drag the story out unnecessarily. This is an unfortunate ailment from which Michelle Lovric herself seems to suffer, along with a tendency to add twists and turns that, rather than exciting, lead you to think - Really? Are we STILL not getting to the point yet?
And I think this may, in part, be the curse of the historian. While the underlying plot is brilliant and compelling, Lovric's agenda in retelling so much of the history of Venice clouds the telling of the tale. A historian needs to pay attention to detail in order to deduce fact and truth: a children's story has no need for such minutiae.
If you're wondering why I've awarded this novel four stars and then criticised it so blatantly the answer is simple. I love Venice. I love reading about Venice. I thoroughly enjoyed all the historic references, geographical tours and tourist trap cameos. My favourite part of the entire book was without doubt the appendix, in which Lovric not only highlights the places in the novel which can be visited today, but also expands upon the historical elements of the story, stating which bits are fact and which are fantasy.
There is an excellent and imaginative story hidden within this novel. My concern is that most 9-12 year olds won't possess the tenacity to access it.
One of the main characters in this book has problems with verbosity. He cannot recant a tale without filling in details that drag the story out unnecessarily. This is an unfortunate ailment from which Michelle Lovric herself seems to suffer, along with a tendency to add twists and turns that, rather than exciting, lead you to think - Really? Are we STILL not getting to the point yet?
And I think this may, in part, be the curse of the historian. While the underlying plot is brilliant and compelling, Lovric's agenda in retelling so much of the history of Venice clouds the telling of the tale. A historian needs to pay attention to detail in order to deduce fact and truth: a children's story has no need for such minutiae.
If you're wondering why I've awarded this novel four stars and then criticised it so blatantly the answer is simple. I love Venice. I love reading about Venice. I thoroughly enjoyed all the historic references, geographical tours and tourist trap cameos. My favourite part of the entire book was without doubt the appendix, in which Lovric not only highlights the places in the novel which can be visited today, but also expands upon the historical elements of the story, stating which bits are fact and which are fantasy.
There is an excellent and imaginative story hidden within this novel. My concern is that most 9-12 year olds won't possess the tenacity to access it.
May 25, 2015
So I picked this book up because I hoped it would have mermaids and yes, it totally did have mermaids in, but that was not all! It had everything: mermaids that swore like sailors, evil seagulls, ghost both evil and nice, cats of all sizes with WINGS, statues coming to life, werewolves, darkelves, a great evil returning from beyond the grave, sharks ... basically it had so many magical creatures I lost count and it was amazing.
Venice is in trouble, and Teadora is the only one who can save it from turning into a swamp and having everyone dying. With the help of a magical book (YES, magical book!) and her snobbish but brave friend Renzo she sets out to stop a great evil ... by cursing at it.
I love long children's fantasy books. They have all the twists and turns and magic of any good fantasy book, but you don't have to deal with the dark and edgy topics of rape and shit that adults feel they need to include to have a good time. It's just fanastical story WITH MERMAIDS WHO SPEAKS LIKE PIRATES. I mean I can't stress that part enough.
Loved it. I really did.
Venice is in trouble, and Teadora is the only one who can save it from turning into a swamp and having everyone dying. With the help of a magical book (YES, magical book!) and her snobbish but brave friend Renzo she sets out to stop a great evil ... by cursing at it.
I love long children's fantasy books. They have all the twists and turns and magic of any good fantasy book, but you don't have to deal with the dark and edgy topics of rape and shit that adults feel they need to include to have a good time. It's just fanastical story WITH MERMAIDS WHO SPEAKS LIKE PIRATES. I mean I can't stress that part enough.
Loved it. I really did.
September 1, 2011
What a wonderful book. I would recommend this for the LoneStar award ! Michelle Lovric gives you a true sense of life in Venice in the late 1800's and mixes in a powerful combination of the creepy and mysterious. Teo is feeling a bit lost while visiting Venice from her native Naples when she is hit on the head by an old book. The book leads her on a mad dash around Venice along with a young guy she meets along the way to save Venice from an ancient evil guy who is regaining power and sending his legions of creepy critters and one horrible headless butcher after the children. Teo and Renzo must get help from a group of nuns, ghosts and mermaids (who learned to speak English from sailors!) as well as sea creatures and others determined to save Venice. Wonderful for older kids who can handle the graphic descriptions without it keeping them up at night.
January 23, 2011
The Undrowned Child is a book that makes me excited about books – about the art of story-telling, about imagination, about the cleverness and beauty of the English language, about great characters and about the ability of a story to transport you someplace else. It was the best kids book I read last year. It is a shame it doesn’t seem to be well-known (as far as I can tell, in Australia). Maybe the release of the suquel, The Mourning Emporium, will change that – I hope so, because The Undrowned Child has all the qualities that made Harry Potter so popular and successful – wit, humour, adventure, genuine chills, complex, appealing characters and story-telling that is completely immersive.
Full review at:
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Full review at:
http://bookgrotto.blogspot.com/search...
June 28, 2011
I borrowed this book from my niece, who loved the story as much as the beautiful cover, which she admitted was the reason she chose it. I was certainly not disappointed. The author skilfully brings the city of Venice to life (quite literally in parts) in this historical fantasy novel. The reader is taken on a wonderful journey through this magical city, as the central characters - Theodara and Lorenzo - uncover the truth behind the many strange and increasingly disturbing events, which threaten Venice's survival.
Overall this is a very clever story; and although it was written for younger readers, will appeal to the "inner-child" in many adults as well.
Overall this is a very clever story; and although it was written for younger readers, will appeal to the "inner-child" in many adults as well.
February 28, 2012
First, mermaids in a good way. Don't judge this book by it's cover unless it's the blurbs on the back. Teodora is adopted and has wondered about her past. She seems to sense a place, a home, when her family goes to Venice. Strange things begin to happen when a book literally falls on her head. The book has a message just for her. The pages change to tell her what she needs. She teams up with a Venetian boy and they discover the ruin that is descending on 1899 Venice is the result of the return of an evil force from the past. At times there seems to be just too much going on, too many types of magical creatures, but in the end the sense of place and magic make a great story.
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