Play Book Tag discussion

This is great for old people too!

This was one of the first books I ordered for the steampunk tag, and I recommended it to many people, but I mistagged it and lost track of it. I suppose I wanted to wait for the hard cover graphic novel before I wrote a review. I listened to the audio first, and I really enjoyed it. The pictures are gorgeous but quite dark, so I’m glad I read the two formats in this order. In my head, Hugo’s whole world got brighter and bigger at the end. While I liked the story about Hogo and his young friends, my heart was most deeply touched by the story of the old man. He felt bitter, marginalized and left behind by the huge technological changes. I especially loved the information about the first motion picture shows.


Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.