The Inventors at No. 8 by A.M. Morgen
Meet George, the third Lord of Devonshire and the unluckiest boy in London. Why is George so unlucky? First, he’s an orphan. Second, unless he sells everything, he’s about to lose his house. So when his family’s last heirloom, a priceless map to the Star of Victory (a unique gem said to bring its owner success in any battle) is stolen by a nefarious group of criminals, George knows that there is no one less lucky–or more alone–than he is.That is until Ada Byron, the future Countess of Lovelace, bursts into his life. She promises to help George recover his family legacy, and is determined to find her own father along the way–all in a flying machine she built herself. Joined by a mischievous orangutan and the long-lost son of an infamous pirate, Ada and George take off on a cross-continent journey through the skies that will change their lives, and perhaps the world, forever.
The Good
Ada and Frobisher try to help George get out into the world and make new friendships.
The Bad
George’s father gambled away more money than he owned, so George sells everything in the house to pay for his father’s debts. Charles Darwin is a character in this book and he’s started to put his theories of evolution. The Organization that is “chasing” the three friends is made up by Ada to explain why she can’t see her father any more.
Ages
Ages 9+ would be a good age for this book. It would also be a good read-aloud.
My Take
I enjoyed The Inventors at No. 8. The adventure started a little too quickly in the book I thought, but the storyline was very good. It has several historical characters in it, but I’m not quite sure if it would make the cut for historical fiction. I chose to put it in that category anyway because Ada was a real person who did make inventions, and so is the address where George lived. The clockwork creatures and inventions remind me of the book Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes. I would definitely recommend it, just as it was recommended to me.
Story line
Characters
Scary stuff
Romance
Weird Creatures
Overall Rating
Review by Kaitlyn
Oh I am glad you enjoyed this one overall!
Yes I did Laura! I also liked the twist A.M. Morgen put on the book with the villains Ada and her mother made up. The snippet of historical fiction was very interesting. I had never heard of Ada Bryon before! I’m looking forward to getting the sequel from the library!