The Hunchback Assignments (by Arthur Slade)
common sense media says
Horror mystery is too dark for most kids' tastes.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there are some mature elements in this dark story: young men murder their fathers; experiments are performed on children and adults. The poor treatment of children may be historically accurate but disturbing to younger readers today. There is no background information that explains why some of the villains are German, and female villains abound. There is some discomfort reading about children fighting evil adults without the magic powers that Harry Potter has available. This falls into the steampunk genre, which has dark story elements and is often, as here, set in the industrial age. This alternative history will be more appealing to older readers with some idea of the real history of the period and the elements being changed.
Educational value:
Not applicable.
Positive role models:
Modo and the other agents think they are working for the good of London. There are distincly evil characters at work, but the motives of the Permanent Guild are also questionable, especially their employment of children. There are some stereotypical characterizations of evil Germans.
Violence:
Adults and children are kidnapped, drugged, held captive, and have metal bolts implanted in them. Captives are enslaved and/or drugged to follow orders, including murdering their fathers.
Sex:
Not applicable.
Language:
Not applicable.
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
This is historical ficiton -- there are references to laudunum and opium. Some children and adults are enslaved by being forced to drink a tincture.
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book master0192
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this book is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think that the hunchback assignments is a very good book where there is adventure and suspense on every turn of the book. I recomend that this book is good and not bad enough to where your kid will have nightmares, so pick this book off the story book shelf and get reading.
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