The Collectors
2019 Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book
"Original, brave, and addictive."--Adam Gidwitz, bestselling author of the Newbery Honor Book The Inquisitor's Tale
Fast-paced, witty, and riveting, this contemporary fantasy adventure has magic woven through every page. The Collectors begins an enchanting two-book series from Jacqueline West, the New York Times-bestselling author of The Books of Elsewhere series. For fans of Serafina and the Black Cloak, The Isle of the Lost, and The Secret Keepers.
Van has always been an outsider. He's hard of hearing, collects trinkets, and lives with his single mother--an opera singer with a huge personality. Then one day, Van notices a girl stealing pennies from a fountain, and everything changes. He follows the girl, Pebble, and uncovers an underground society full of wishes and the people who collect them. Not all wishes are good and even good wishes often have unintended consequences, and the Collectors have made it their duty to protect us. But they aren't the only ones who have their eyes on the world's wishes--and they may not be the good guys, after all.
Jacqueline West spins a story about friendship, magic, and the gray area between good and evil. The Collectors is for fans of Cassie Beasley's Circus Mirandus and Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener. Booklist calls it, "A brilliant fantasy adventure exploring the consequences of getting what you wish for."
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Community Reviews
The idea that our two adventurers were girls made me smile, and I giggled along as each new treasure was "too..." much for them to bring back home. I greatly appreciated that the girls, while sad that they were unable to find that one last magnificent prize, were encouraging each other of what they *had* accomplished..."cataloged a rare bird species" and "explored farther than ever before."
However, I'm still a little torn on the ending - hence why I only gave 4 of 5 stars at first. When I initially read it, my gut reaction was, "Is this encouraging the reader to not venture out? That you don't need to go looking for things - just stay safe at home?" However, after a reread, I feel that the story, instead, is helping our readers appreciate what is in front of them, AS WELL.
Though, because I had these questions about the ending, I give this beautiful book 4.5 Stars. Still a wonderful read, I just wish the ending had less of a conflict in my head and heart.
A Huge THANK YOU to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
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