The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone
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Author // Jaclyn Moriarty
Publication Date // October 2017
Publisher // Allen & Unwin
Readership // Kids
Genre // Fantasy
Australian RRP // $22.99
Rating // ✭✭✭✭
Synopsis
An enchanting and whimsical spell-filled fantasy novel from Jaclyn Moriarty, the award-winning author of Feeling Sorry for Celia and A Corner of White, suitable for readers who loved A Most Magical Girl.
I was ten years old when my parents were killed by pirates. This did not bother me as much as you might think - I hardly knew my parents.
Bronte Mettlestone's parents ran away to have adventures when she was a baby, leaving her to be raised by her Aunt Isabelle and the Butler. She's had a perfectly pleasant childhood of afternoon teas and riding lessons - and no adventures, thank you very much.
But Bronte's parents have left extremely detailed (and bossy) instructions for Bronte in their will. The instructions must be followed to the letter, or disaster will befall Bronte's home. She is to travel the kingdoms and empires, perfectly alone, delivering special gifts to her ten other aunts. There is a farmer aunt who owns an orange orchard and a veterinarian aunt who specialises in dragon care, a pair of aunts who captain a cruise ship together and a former rockstar aunt who is now the reigning monarch of a small kingdom.
Now, armed with only her parents' instructions, a chest full of strange gifts and her own strong will, Bronte must journey forth to face dragons, Chief Detectives and pirates - and the gathering suspicion that there might be something more to her extremely inconvenient quest than meets the eye...
From the award-winning Jaclyn Moriarty comes a fantastic tale of high intrigue, grand adventure and an abundance of aunts.
Review
The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone is an enchanting story of intrigue, adventure and family. Be prepared to dive into a world of Whisperers and spellbinders and faery-cross stitch!
I was so excited when I found out Jaclyn Moriarty had a middle-grade book coming out, even more so when I read the description, and boy, this book did not disappoint. It has pirates, faeries, dragons and a never-ending supply of aunts, and it’s all rolled up into one very beautiful hardcover book.
Bronte Mettlestone was raised by her oldest aunt, Isabelle, after her parents went of on adventures, leaving her behind. She grew up without any adventures of her own, and was quite satisfied with that until her parents are declared dead and Bronte must fulfil their very detailed will, which dictates the order in which to visit her aunts to pass along their inheritances.
Each time Bronte visits a new aunt, a new adventure unfolds within the larger narrative, making this a perfect book to read in short sittings, but also a lot of fun to read in larger ones, when you can begin to piece together all of the clues. Bronte is such a fun character, too - she’s happy, independent and occasionally annoyed at her parents for leaving her behind. She lives in a fantastical world, with magic and the real world woven together.
I loved how Bronte’s time with each of her aunts helps her to learn a little more of her parents - and their lives before Bronte - and the importance of family in this story. Bronte forges connections not only with the adults, but her cousins, and all of this becomes important towards the end of the story when Bronte finds she needs allies as the intrigue deepens.
This is perfect for young readers of fantasy (and old ones, too!) - both independently and as a read-aloud story.
I rated The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone 4 out of 5 stars.
(Thank you to Allen and Unwin for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own.)
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