3.0
Curious Toys
ByPublisher Description
An intrepid young woman stalks a murderer through turn-of-the-century Chicago in "this rich, spooky, and atmospheric thriller that will appeal to fans of Henry Darger and Erik Larson alike" (Sarah McCarry).
In the sweltering summer of 1915, Pin, the fourteen-year-old daughter of a carnival fortune-teller, dresses as a boy and joins a teenage gang that roams the famous Riverview amusement park, looking for trouble.
Unbeknownst to the well-heeled city-dwellers and visitors who come to enjoy the midway, the park is also host to a ruthless killer who uses the shadows of the dark carnival attractions to conduct his crimes. When Pin sees a man enter the Hell Gate ride with a young girl, and emerge alone, she knows that something horrific has occurred.
The crime will lead her to the iconic outsider artist Henry Darger, a brilliant but seemingly mad man. Together, the two navigate the seedy underbelly of a changing city to uncover a murderer few even know to look for.
Unbeknownst to the well-heeled city-dwellers and visitors who come to enjoy the midway, the park is also host to a ruthless killer who uses the shadows of the dark carnival attractions to conduct his crimes. When Pin sees a man enter the Hell Gate ride with a young girl, and emerge alone, she knows that something horrific has occurred.
The crime will lead her to the iconic outsider artist Henry Darger, a brilliant but seemingly mad man. Together, the two navigate the seedy underbelly of a changing city to uncover a murderer few even know to look for.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesCurious Toys Reviews
3.0
“I really wanted to like this book, when reading the blurb I was excited about this young girl hunting down a murderer…. However I feel it really dragged, the big ‘showdown’ I was waiting for was very anticlimactic.
I didn’t necessarily understand or enjoy the style in which it was written.. too many characters who I felt were unnecessary.. too many puzzle pieces which I still can’t seem to fit in place…
Wouldn’t read again sadly.”
“3.5 i love the slight lesbian awakening with pin. a fun mystery with maybe too many povs (why do i care about charlie chaplin in this story?) but it was fun”
“I really enjoyed this thriller involving a serial killer of children, set in Chicago in 1913 ish. The story was extremely well researched and gave the reader an immersive environment of what the time period was like. There were numerous minor characters that stood out along with their everyday struggles to simply survive as a woman, minority, queer person, honest police officer, or parent.
It has a satisfying, realistic ending. What I really loved was the back story of the one flawed protagonist and his struggles with mental illness and desire to protect children. The fact that this was based off a real person made the character that much more likeable.
The fact that the author glanced over the sensuality of the characters as minor subtleties rather than that being their sole defining characteristic like most authors recently is even more refreshing. The story was the focus.
No cheap thrills or tricks. Just well researched and believeable story. Enjoy the ride.
Side note: there is nothing worse to me than someone that preys upon children and the weak
I didnt really get to attached to any of the characters..... it did feel a bit cold where I feel like I should have strong feelings about some situations.”
BelievableLikeableMinor characters stand outMultilayeredOriginalUnforgettable protagonistAddictiveClever plottingGripping/excitingPredictable but satisfyingSatisfying conclusionSteady pacingSuspensefulWell-structuredHistoricalImmersive world-buildingRealisticSetting fits the storyVivid descriptionsBeautifully-writtenDescriptiveOriginalStraightforwardBigotryChild abuseChild lossDeathDomestic violenceEating disordersGriefHomophobiaMisogynyRacismSelf-harmSexual assaultSubstance abuseViolence
About Elizabeth Hand
Elizabeth Hand is the author of more than fourteen cross-genre novels and collections of short fiction. Her work has received the Shirley Jackson Award (three times), the World Fantasy Award (four times), the Nebula Award (twice), as well as the James M. Tiptree Jr. and Mythopoeic Society Awards. She's a longtime critic and contributor of essays for the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Salon, Boston Review, and the Village Voice, among many others. She divides her time between the Maine coast and North London.
Other books by Elizabeth Hand
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