Reviewer: The Curious Quill
Received: Publisher (Algonquin Young Readers)
Quills: 5/5
Goodreads Summary:
"Illusions, so many masks and facades. All the world's a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain."-Jackaby
The year is 1892, and Abigail Rook has just made it to America without any idea of what the future may hold. She has left her family, is currently homeless, possesses a small suitcase of items, and is in search of a grand adventure. By chance she stumbles across a peculiar add for a vacant assistant position for an investigator by the name of R. F. Jackaby. However, Jackaby turns out to be an anomalous fellow with an astounding gift: the ability to see that which is hidden from the normal human eye. Jackaby sees the world in a different light and labels himself a seer. Many do not believe in the "nonsense" he spouts of fantastical creatures and the paranormal. Abigail, however, is a bit more open-minded than your average Joe, and she has a knack for noticing the plainest of details. Jackaby's supernatural gift and Abigail's sharp eye for important details makes them the perfect team.
New England is soon shook by a horrific string of serial murders and Jackaby is on the case. The police department wants nothing to do with Jackaby's wild claims of an extraordinary and nonhuman killer, and Abigail proves to be an invaluable associate as they delve deeper into the gory details and the horrific truth. Jackaby must learn that working alone isn't always the best way to go about his line of work and that the police department may be hiding the deadly killer.
My Thoughts:
Jackaby was an outstanding novel, and it possessed a compelling story! I absolutely love Ritter's writing style and the chemistry that he created between Jackaby and Abigail. I have to say that both characters are quite refreshing, and I loved both of them equally. Jackaby has such an odd personality and way of speaking that I adore, while Abigail is a strong-willed individual that can hold her own ground in a world where men believe that women should never be in such a dangerous line of work. They have a wonderful relationship, making their banter so fun to read! I actually laughed at quite a few things that Jackaby said and did (I just love how Ritter describes his mannerisms and how dead serious Jackaby can be while explaining past events involving supernatural creatures to people that don't believe a word he's saying --- I especially enjoyed the extra letter that Jackaby wrote to the police department about his tuning fork!).
I also liked the fact that Ritter did not include generic and extremely overdone supernatural creatures, such as werewolves and vampires. He included qhosts, trolls, goblins, banshees, and shapeshifters, which you don't usually get to see in the limelight. I also have to say that Jackaby kind of reminds me of a young version of Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes and that just made me love the character even more! Plus, Ritter created some awesome settings, including Jackaby's house which holds quite a few fantastical secrets and surprises. And Charlie Cane was definitely a nice addition to a wide range of interesting characters. I loved his qualities and the fact that he was loyal to a fault! Everyone absolutely has to read this book!
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