City of the Uncommon Thief
Lynne Bertrand
Dutton Books, February 2021
Hardback, £15.99
ISBN 9780525555322
I suggest you tie yourself securely to the nearest structure before embarking upon the reading of this novel, for you are about to have the ground swept from beneath you. Much of the mysterious allure of this book is supplied by the setting: a quarantined city of 1,000 sky scraping guild towers, each with their own painstakingly crafted exports. The inhabitants of the towers never have to set foot on the streets below.
Your guide for this journey, one Odd Thebes of the knitting needle guild, is a lucky one, a runner who runs, or rather flies, errands from rooftop to rooftop. Odd feels it is his purpose in life to be a bard, to tell the stories of others, and so he does for the jaw dropping and oftentimes grisly tale of his cousin, the much loved Errol Thebes.
At some moments in this story I admit to feeling a little lost in the waves of mysteries, but I implore you not to give up, for the depth of your confusion will only add to your astonishment when the answers are brought to light. Social class is a predominant theme, with working class guilders divided from the destitute foundlings, who are deemed subhuman. Jamila Foundling is an exquisitely written character, the first I have encountered with the sensorial cross-wiring condition, synesthesia. She is rich in determination and care for her kind, but not much else.
This book contains so many mind-bending plot twists that, at the very least, you will be left reeling — and at the very most, left with a severe case of whiplash. One thing is for certain: this is an uncommon tale.
Shona Gogarty, teen reviewer.
afterword, there are not many stories for queer teens about a happy character with a nice family and with a satisfying ending.
decisions.
inventive and immersive.
premise, and it kept me entertained with its excellent and teen-friendly depictions of the climate crisis, racism, and LGBT+ love. The protagonists get what they need by the end of the book, but not necessarily what they want. The story emphasises that this is okay. While aimed at readers aged twelve and up, this novel is a mesmerising science-fiction story perfect for children, teens and adults alike who like to step into a new world.
audience between ages 12-14 especially enjoying it. To me, it was evident that the characters portrayed classic stereotypes: the nerd, the prankster, the popular girl and the troublemaker. The most entertaining character was the prankster Jason, Ashley’s childhood friend. A key characteristic to this book is the references to Taylor Swift songs as they complement moments that happen to Ashley and describe her feelings. This adds a soundtrack to the book which I thought was a nice addition. I believe this book would be an amazing introduction for young readers into contemporary YA!
feels written rather than said. Set at a summer camp for eight- to ten-year-olds, Camp Pine Lake provides the perfect mix of a sunny home-away-from-home and a stifling settlement of strangers.
