I'll admit it. the cover is what first drew me to this book. I liked the glowing clock hands and the fog with the creepy things standing in it. Then I flipped it over and read that the main character, Arthur Penhaligon, was supposed to die, yet he didn't. Instantly, I was intrigued. Arthur has asthma, which is something I can relate to since I had it as a kid too. He pushes himself too hard because he doesn't want to feel alienated by his weaker lungs. It's an asthma attack that almost kills him, but he is saved through the efforts of a small piece of a Will and a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock. Soon after the arrival of the key come those who wish to hunt it down and return it to Mister Monday. Among those are the army of doglike and winged creatures, all dressed in attire befitting a civilization one hundred and fifty years ago. With them they bring the sleepy plague that begins to overtake Arthur's homeland. Arthur uses the key to enter into a mysterious house (that only he can see) in hopes of finding a cure. There he discovers a world beautifully ripe with clockwork imagery and centralized around the written word. Those that reside there trade in paper and ink materials instead of money. Plus there are ever present characters of Monday's army, such as Dawn, Noon, and Dusk. Although I liked the concept of this book, I found Arthur's overall journey to be a bit too contrived and that he is led where he goes simply because the author placed him on that path and not because it was the pull of the character leading us on his story. Overall, despite the quirky environment and characters, the story felt predictable and a bit templated in its structure. I also picked up on a religious tone to the book, which I only mention to make you aware that it's in there. I did find the setting fun to visualize and it is because of that, I will be checking out Grim Tuesday next
Among those are the army of doglike and winged creatures, all dressed in attire befitting a civilization one hundred and fifty years ago