Pick the Lock
- eBook
- Hardcover
Synopsis
From Michael L. Printz Award winner A.S. King, a weird and insightful new novel about a girl intent on picking the lock of her toxic family.
Jane Vandermaker-Cook would like her mother back. As Jane's mother tours the world to support the family, Jane lives and goes to school in a Victorian mansion with her younger brother and their mendacious father who confines Jane’s mother to a system of pneumatic tubes whenever she’s at home. And then there's weirdly ever-present Aunt Finch, Milorad the gardener, and his rat, Brutus. For Jane, this all seems normal until she suddenly gains access to the files for a lifetime of security-camera videos—her lifetime.
A.S. King's latest surrealist masterpiece follows Jane’s bizarre and brilliant journey to reconnect with her mother by breaking out of her shell and composing a punk opera.
Release date: September 24, 2024
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Print pages: 400
Reader says this book is...: emotionally riveting (1) entertaining story (1) family issues (1) imaginative (1) rich setting(s) (1) satisfying ending (1) suspenseful (1) terrific writing (1) thought-provoking (1)
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Jane lives with her brother and father (plus some staff) in a weird old house. Her mother is mostly away from home, and not allowed to interact with them when she visits. The author includes a lot of character information, especially about Jane, and I enjoyed gradually getting to know her better as I read the story. Learning more about the other major characters helped me understand them and get more invested...
Jane lives with her brother and father (plus some staff) in a weird old house. Her mother is mostly away from home, and not allowed to interact with them when she visits. The author includes a lot of character information, especially about Jane, and I enjoyed gradually getting to know her better as I read the story. Learning more about the other major characters helped me understand them and get more invested in their relationships with Jane.
All seems fairly straightforward until Jane finds something she shouldn't have, and some truly strange things start happening. I won't say more about them, as I think the reader will enjoy this more if you don't know what to expect. I loved every bit of it, and couldn't wait to see what unusual thing would turn up next, and how it would help Jane learn more about her family and its history.
So many surprises, and unique things both large and small, combine to make this one of the most unusual and fabulous books I've read in a while.
Also, bonus points for Brutus, the gardener's pet rat.
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