Review: The Doldrums and the Helmsley Curse, by Nicholas Gannon

9780062320971

$17.99

I absolutely adored the first book in this series, and asked for a sequel in my review. I'm sure Mr. Gannon obliged just for me. Ahem.

Archer Helmsley’s grandparents—famous explorers who went missing on an iceberg two years ago—are finally coming home. Archer is overjoyed, but he may be the only one. Rumors are flying that Archer’s grandparents were never really abandoned on the iceberg; that they’re making it all up. Archer knows that the rumors are false. With his best friends, Oliver and Adélaïde, and their new neighbor, Kana, Archer sets out during a snowstorm to rescue his grandparents’ reputation.

The second in this series did not disappoint in the least! Favorite old characters (mother gets a little more depth this time), new intriguing characters, adventure and mystery and exquisite illustrations. Speaking of illustrations, don't just skim over the cover illustration: as with the first volume, there are bits and pieces of the story hidden in plain sight, and you will find yourself flipping back and forth at times as you spot them! I took this with me to a week-long jury duty and was able to read it much more quickly than the first. I kept stopping, however, to mark favorite lines! Here are just a few:

"People do love to talk." Grandma Helmsley shook her head in disgust. "Especially when they've not the slightest idea what they're talking about. Makes them feel clever."

I saw a lot of this on Facebook this weekend...

His face was filled with wrinkles, but dust had settled into the cracks and softened them a bit.

What a lovely description! Don't you just automatically like this person?

Archer tried to play the fool, but fooling a one-legged French girl is no simple task.

Well, that's what I always say!

This time I was able to close the book with a sigh, happy in the wrap-up of this particular adventure, but confident that there will be more to come. If you do not have this series in your library, pick up both volumes immediately! It will not be a hard sell at all, especially once kids start telling each other about it!

Review: The Doldrums, by Nicholas Gannon

9780062320940

Archer B. Helmsley wants an adventure. No, he needs an adventure. His grandparents were famous explorers . . . until they got stuck on an iceberg. Now Archer's mother barely lets him out of the house. As if that would stop a true Helmsley. Archer enlists Adelaide—the girl who, according to rumor, lost her leg to a crocodile—and Oliver—the boy next door—to help him rescue his grandparents. 

What a fun book! It took me forever to read it, simply because I haven't had more than ten minutes at a stretch to read. Anyone without four children needing six Halloween costumes and an entire house to paint will no doubt tear through this in one or two sittings. 

Other than the delightfully evil Mrs. Murkley, characters are multi-layered and intriguing. While some surprises are easy for readers to figure out before the three children do, others are indeed a surprise, and add more depth to certain characters. Amazing illustrations, fantastical but not fantasy, and while the real action happens in a rush over the last 50 pages, the whole story has the feel of an adventure. The ending was not at all what I expected, but I was wholly satisfied with it. Sequel, please, Mr. Gannon?? I definitely want to see more of this entire cast - even Mrs. Murkley!

*Note: The younger me would have ADORED this book, so I will be looking out for "younger me"s to hand it off to. Think children who like C.S. Lewis, Roald Dahl, E. Nesbit, or Kate Coombs.