The Eye Of The North

Our Review

The Eye Of The North by Sinead O’Hart is a children’s book aimed at children of middle grade age.

Emmeline Widget has grown up with her eccentric scientist parents in Widget Manor. From a young age she has been convinced her parents are trying to kill her and her trained herself in survival skills.

“For as long as she could remember, Emmeline Widget had been sure her parents were trying to kill her.

Why else, she reasoned, would they chose to live in a creaky old house where, if she wasn’t dodging random bits of collapsing masonry or avoiding the trick steps on the stairs, she had to be constantly on guard for booby-trapped floorboards or doors that liked to boom closed entirely by themselves? She’d lost count of the number of close calls she’d already clocked up.”

One morning her parents are gone and there is nothing but a letter from her mother saying they are in all likelihood dead and Emmeline is to board a ship to Paris immediately.

“Dearest Emmeline, the letter began. If you are reading this, then in all likelihood you are no an orphan.”

Once she is on the ship Emmeline reluctantly makes friends with a scruffy stowaway named ‘Thing.’

Before she can reach Paris Emmeline is kidnapped by Dr Siegfried Bauer. He believes Emmeline holds the key to summoning a legendary creature from the icy depths.

Dr Bauer isn’t the only one wanting to wake the creature, the Northwitch also wants the creature to herself.

With all the obstacles against them can Emmeline and Thing save the world, or will their enemies defeat them?

When the book begins Emmeline has no friends and very rarely sees her scientist parents as they are often off exploring looking for rare and dangerous creatures. As a result, Emmeline spends most of her time reading, not just fiction books but also practical books which have enabled her to develop the survival skills necessary to survive her parents house.

Emmeline also has a satchel she brings everywhere with her filled with useful tools. Scientific equipment and at least two books.

I liked ‘Thing’ as a character much more than I liked Emmeline on first impressions. I thought he had something interesting about him, his own story.

“Something moved to Emmeline’s left, and her gaze was caught by a dusty head emerging from a grating in the wall. The head- the colour of whose hair was impossible to determine – was swiftly followed by a grubby body dressed in overalls. The fingernails of this creature were clotted with dirt and oil, and it’s – his? – face was smeared with grease.”

When Thing and Emmeline come back to her cabin after exploring they are shocked to see two men ransacking her cabin and flees with Thing. Thing helps her find somewhere to hide but it isn’t long before she finds herself in trouble again, kidnapped and taken North.

Thing is distraught and knows he must help her but how can he when he doesn’t know where to begin looking for her and the adults who want to rescue are reluctant to let him come along.

As an adult reading this book it wasn’t for me but I think a child of middle grade age would definitely enjoy it.

Our Final Rating...

Wed, 7th February 2018