Heap House by Edward Carey (Hot Key
Books)
PB
RRP $16.95
ISBN
978-1-4714-0157-2
Reviewed
by Jacque Duffy
Set
in an alternate Dickensian London Heap House
is a quirky and dark read. Definitely, not everyone’s cup of tea.
I
was attracted to this book because it reminded me of Edward Gorey’s
characteristic dark pen and ink comics. I struggled at first with the
Dickensian language, and managed to muddle up the characters, finding it
difficult to get my head around the story. Once I settled though and found my way,
I enjoyed it. The creepiness of the story combined with
the language made me forget that it's meant to be a middle grade book. In fact
I counted a few swear words in there. I do think you'd have to have a real book
lover on your hands for the intended audience to get to grips with this story.
It is for a patient reader.
Carey
has created a strange Gothic world. Heap House and its inhabitants are isolated from the city. The
Iremongers find treasure in the rubbish (heap) that keeps growing. The heap
acts as an ocean and sweeps people and things out to oblivion when a storm
blows in. Clod, the main character, isn’t quite
like the rest of his family, he hears objects whisper and recently they’ve not
just been saying names. Every Iremonger has a 'birth object': an everyday
household object that they must keep with them at all times, or else they will
die. Clod has an unusual talent: he can hear birth objects speak names. His own
birth object, a universal bath plug, says "James Henry Hayward". Clod
is seen as strange for this talent and has therefore grown up to be rather
unpopular. One day he meets Lucy Pennant, an orphan who has been brought to
Heap House to be a servant. When she arrives, strange things begin to happen
and Lucy is blamed for them. She and Clod must find out what is happening in
order to clear her name and save her from bloodthirsty Iremongers who hate all
outsiders.
If you like Howl’s
Moving Castle,
Lemony Snicket’s Unfortunate Events and
Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, then this
book could be for you.
Jacque Duffy is the author and illustrator of picture book The Bear Said Please and the series ‘That’s not a …” learn to read books used
in all Queensland State Primary Schools and one local history coffee table
book.
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