Review: The Toymaker by Jeremy de Quidt

Waterstones Children's Book Prize

When Gustav, Mathias’ grandfather, is drunk he talks of a secret that men would kill for. Before Mathias can discover what the secret is, Gustav has an disagreement with a mysterious man then dies. Mathias is sold to and escapes from the menacing Dr Leiter. Then the hunt is on, for Mathias has a piece of paper his Grandfather had hidden in the lining of his coat. A piece of paper that might be the key to Gustav’s mysterious past and the secret he talked of. In a world of shadows and fear, Mathias is on a quest to stay alive and uncover the secret.

There is an eerie gothic quality to this novel. Yet while threaded through with scenes that are dark, terrifying, and violent, it is also exciting, atmospheric and intriguing. Well paced, with an inventive plot, it has a rather sudden ending.



Gary Blythe’s fabulous illustrations deserve a special mention. I first discovered his work some years ago in a picture book called Whale Song.

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