Review by dimitrihk on 17th Nov 2012

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"This is a beautiful edition of an excellent story. The feel of the book itself is pure quality and I particularly like the design on the spine. The story has all the elements of a perfect childre..." [read more]

"This is a beautiful edition of an excellent story. The feel of the book itself is pure quality and I particularly like the design on the spine. The story has all the elements of a perfect children's tale and yet, it is an exciting and enjoyable read for big kids too. The characters are memorable and credible and the story keeps readers eager for more. I'm undecided about the style in which the story has been illustrated, but I do love this book and I'm glad that I bought it (despite it's size)." [hide full review]

Review by patrickodaniel on 27th Apr 2012

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"I just received my copy and as noted by some of the other reviewers, this is a "little" edition--and indeed it is, about the size of a small paperback (8 inches x 5 1/4 inches). For the price, it sho..." [read more]

"I just received my copy and as noted by some of the other reviewers, this is a "little" edition--and indeed it is, about the size of a small paperback (8 inches x 5 1/4 inches). For the price, it should have been more the standard size for these kinds of books (light fiction): 9 inches x 5 3/4 inches. And it's a real shame because otherwise, as the other reviewers have noted, this is a well-nigh PERFECT edition. I feel like Oliver Twist: "more please."" [hide full review]

Review by stevenew5349 on 13th Apr 2012

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"I have heard of Mr. Garfield but to my shame have never read any of his output, so when this little edition appeared in the new extra Folio prospectus I decided to take a "punt". As other reviewers ha..." [read more]

"I have heard of Mr. Garfield but to my shame have never read any of his output, so when this little edition appeared in the new extra Folio prospectus I decided to take a "punt". As other reviewers have attested this book works well on two levels, for younger readers and also for older. What I found interesting was that it did put me very much in mind of Treasure Island, with which it does share several parallels with, both focus strongly on a young person living, and surviving in a hostile and dangerous adult world. The works of Mr. Dickens come to mind also, Smith is taken in by a kindly benefactor, similar to what occurs to the young orphan Oliver Twist, both books also feature, lurking in the background like an omnipresent observer, the city of London itself, almost another character in this dark, dingy, and dangerous world. A sinister web of lies and deceit hound and menace Smith throughout the pages of this fine adventure story, and just one of the many things Smith learns is about trust and betrayal, the trust of an adult, and the betrayal by an adult when he is given a bitter and hard life lesson through his betrayal by his "friend" Lord Tom, a lowlife highwayman. Indeed most of the characters in this sharply drawn and observed novel are from the lower levels of society, again reflecting the influence of Mr. Dickens. Mr. Garfield has a unique style in his writing prose, with many an evocative and textural turn of phrase, adding depth to the many layers of fine detail in the writing. The vernacular dialogue, the Verisimilitude, all ring true, my only quibble, and it is a very minor one, is that I would have preferred the illustrations to have been in black and white, maybe to reflect the dark and dangerous time this novel is set in. " [hide full review]