Book Review: The Clockwork Three

Summary: An enchanted green violin, an automaton that comes to life, and a hidden treasure . . . THE CLOCKWORK THREE is a richly woven adventure story that is sure to become a classic!
  Giuseppe is an orphaned street musician from Italy, who was sold by his uncle to work as a slave for an evil padrone in the U.S. But when a mysterious green violin enters his life he begins to imagine a life of freedom.
  Hannah is a soft-hearted, strong-willed girl from the tenements, who supports her family as a hotel maid when tragedy strikes and her father can no longer work. She learns about a hidden treasure, which she knows will save her family -- if she can find it.
  And Frederick, the talented and intense clockmaker's apprentice, seeks to learn the truth about his mother while trying to forget the nightmares of the orphanage where she left him. He is determined to build an automaton and enter the clockmakers' guild -- if only he can create a working head.
 Together, the three discover they have phenomenal power when they team up as friends, and that they can overcome even the darkest of fears.

Thoughts: Awhile back I read Kirby's book Icefall and really enjoyed it but kept hearing that his debut novel, The Clockwork Three, was supposedly even better, so I picked it up at the library and set about reading it. It's different from Icefall in writing style as here Kirby uses the third person form of writing as opposed to Icefall's first person. He also flips from three different characters almost per chapter, instead of sticking to just one. The way he moves from each character and slowly meshed them together was masterful and I was amazed. Each character was unique and lovable (especially Giuseppe!), and the story was a piece of art! I did find it hard to believe the children weren't any older than twelve or thirteen because they all acted so mature, but that didn't take away from the story. First off, I knew how it was going to end, from the summary most people will be able to figure out how it has to end. Books like this just have a set way of ending, but the journey to that end, how it was reached, was amazing! If you can simply accept that end won't be a surprise, you can really enjoy the way Kirby slowly brought everything together, tied up all the ends, and brought you to your destination in a breathtaking way! Feeling wonderfully reminiscent of The Thief Lord this book was a fantastic read and I really enjoyed it!

Content: There is mention of woman flirting at least. Other than a little magic, action, and abuse, this book is pretty clean. There is even a wonderful group of actually helpful and caring adults which is a rarity in books starring children!