Julie W. (cloverluv) reviewed Candle Man 1: The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance on + 129 more book reviews
Theo has spent all of his life inside and away from people. His guardian Dr. Saint has always told him that he has a deadly disease that makes it so he cannot be involved in modern society. So it's a treat for Theo when as a birthday outing Dr. Saint allows him to take a stroll in the cemetery near the house. Imagine his surprise when he happens to find a gift with his name on it randomly sitting on one of the headstones.
Aside from the strange gift, suddenly Theo is thrown into a world of hidden messages and strangers who keep telling him he's in danger. Eager to get away from his predictable and monotonous existence, Theo follows his deaf maid out the door one night and into the cemetery alone, setting in motion a grand adventure that Theo could never have imagined in his wildest dreams.
Candle Man started out strong. I was hooked. I was on the edge of my seat to find out why Theo was being held in captive and what was going to happen once he escaped. Candle Man had all the makings of a great adventure/fantasy book for kids.
Unfortunately it became tedious. Despite the fact that Glenn Dakin has created a fantasy/superhero plot line in a modern era, I got conflicting feelings from the writing style and the plot itself.
Allow me to explain. The style of writing that Glenn Dakin writes in is very elementary. This is to be expected as Candle Man is a book that is geared towards 10 - 12 year olds to read on their own. However, the writing became annoying after awhile. I mean even I would expect kids to get kind of sick of reading about "Dr. Saint" and "Mr. Nicely" who say things like: "Very nice Mr. Nicely" and "How saintly of you Dr. Saint." I didn't feel like Dakin was giving the kids he was writing for enough credit.
On the flipside, the plot is shockingly complex for a tween book. There were many, many characters to keep straight, plot twists and turns, conspiracy theories, and complex mysteries that never really came to the light of day.
I found that the writing style and the plot were just polar opposites. I found it to be kind of unfortunate because I felt Dakin had a good story and essentially a good series, but I just don't think I could work my way through another book in this series.
Aside from the strange gift, suddenly Theo is thrown into a world of hidden messages and strangers who keep telling him he's in danger. Eager to get away from his predictable and monotonous existence, Theo follows his deaf maid out the door one night and into the cemetery alone, setting in motion a grand adventure that Theo could never have imagined in his wildest dreams.
Candle Man started out strong. I was hooked. I was on the edge of my seat to find out why Theo was being held in captive and what was going to happen once he escaped. Candle Man had all the makings of a great adventure/fantasy book for kids.
Unfortunately it became tedious. Despite the fact that Glenn Dakin has created a fantasy/superhero plot line in a modern era, I got conflicting feelings from the writing style and the plot itself.
Allow me to explain. The style of writing that Glenn Dakin writes in is very elementary. This is to be expected as Candle Man is a book that is geared towards 10 - 12 year olds to read on their own. However, the writing became annoying after awhile. I mean even I would expect kids to get kind of sick of reading about "Dr. Saint" and "Mr. Nicely" who say things like: "Very nice Mr. Nicely" and "How saintly of you Dr. Saint." I didn't feel like Dakin was giving the kids he was writing for enough credit.
On the flipside, the plot is shockingly complex for a tween book. There were many, many characters to keep straight, plot twists and turns, conspiracy theories, and complex mysteries that never really came to the light of day.
I found that the writing style and the plot were just polar opposites. I found it to be kind of unfortunate because I felt Dakin had a good story and essentially a good series, but I just don't think I could work my way through another book in this series.
Jennifer W. (GeniusJen) reviewed Candle Man 1: The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance on + 5322 more book reviews
Reviewed by Lauren Ashley for TeensReadToo.com
Theo has never been around more than three people in his life: his guardian, the butler, and the maid. He has been told he has a serious illness, having to be put inside the Mercy Tube every day, always having to wear gloves, and he's never allowed to do anything too exciting for fear of over-stimulation.
The truth is much creepier. Theo soon realizes that his guardian is not the good man he believed him to be, and that Theo himself is quite powerful in ways he never knew.
CANDLE MAN is a new steampunk series for middle grade readers, with the second book just recently released. Theo is a fun narrator, finding himself as the reader goes along. It's interesting to see how The Society of Good Works is actually a bad group, and just how they disguise their plots as good deeds. It's definitely a lesson in manipulation and secrecy, but good old creepy fun for younger readers!
I loved that the book is set in London, as it fits the atmosphere really well and it makes sense that the various creatures, like Gargoyles, could come to life there. One of the most interesting characters was the butler, as he's a bit conflicting. You can't say he's perfectly good, but you can't say he's truly bad like other characters, either. He's certainly a fascinating man to think about.
THE SOCIETY OF UNRELENTING VIGILANCE is a quick read overall, and sure to excite fantasy fans!
Theo has never been around more than three people in his life: his guardian, the butler, and the maid. He has been told he has a serious illness, having to be put inside the Mercy Tube every day, always having to wear gloves, and he's never allowed to do anything too exciting for fear of over-stimulation.
The truth is much creepier. Theo soon realizes that his guardian is not the good man he believed him to be, and that Theo himself is quite powerful in ways he never knew.
CANDLE MAN is a new steampunk series for middle grade readers, with the second book just recently released. Theo is a fun narrator, finding himself as the reader goes along. It's interesting to see how The Society of Good Works is actually a bad group, and just how they disguise their plots as good deeds. It's definitely a lesson in manipulation and secrecy, but good old creepy fun for younger readers!
I loved that the book is set in London, as it fits the atmosphere really well and it makes sense that the various creatures, like Gargoyles, could come to life there. One of the most interesting characters was the butler, as he's a bit conflicting. You can't say he's perfectly good, but you can't say he's truly bad like other characters, either. He's certainly a fascinating man to think about.
THE SOCIETY OF UNRELENTING VIGILANCE is a quick read overall, and sure to excite fantasy fans!
