Potter,
Ellen The Humming Room
Macmillan/ Feiwel & Friends 2012 184p $16.99 978-0-312-64438-3
ms VG-BN Mystery/Detective
When tragedy forces Roo Fanshaw to move
to a remote island to live with her eccentric uncle, she becomes determined to
discover what is behind the humming that comes from a part of the house that she is forbidden to
enter. In the tradition of The Secret
Garden, Potter captures the dreaminess and tone of the original novel, as well as its theme
of growth and awakening.
Potter’s characters are engaging and slightly dysfunctional. Roo is still reeling from her parents’ deaths when she must relocate to isolated Cough Rock Island to a residence that once served as a tuberculosis sanitarium for children. Her wealthy but eccentric uncle forbids Roo from entering a part of the house. Naturally, Roo is intrigued, and despite the best efforts of her uncle’s lackeys, Roo discovers the house’s hidden room -- a garden with a tragic secret.
Although the ending is contrived and a bit abrupt, Potter deftly weaves characters and plot together to create an atmospheric and memorable story. Although it is a "rewrite" of a children’s classic, The Humming Room stands out due to its own merits. This is a promising gateway book for middle-school readers.
Potter’s characters are engaging and slightly dysfunctional. Roo is still reeling from her parents’ deaths when she must relocate to isolated Cough Rock Island to a residence that once served as a tuberculosis sanitarium for children. Her wealthy but eccentric uncle forbids Roo from entering a part of the house. Naturally, Roo is intrigued, and despite the best efforts of her uncle’s lackeys, Roo discovers the house’s hidden room -- a garden with a tragic secret.
Although the ending is contrived and a bit abrupt, Potter deftly weaves characters and plot together to create an atmospheric and memorable story. Although it is a "rewrite" of a children’s classic, The Humming Room stands out due to its own merits. This is a promising gateway book for middle-school readers.
VG-BN Hilary
Welliver Orphans, Gardens, Islands
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