Oddity
Binding: Paperback
Imprint: Walker Books
Age 12+
General Fiction Fantasy & Magical Realism Adventure Stories Historical Fiction
A fantasy adventure powered by a kick-ass wild-west heroine and a collection of magical objects known as Oddities.
"A thrillingly original fusion of adventure, magic, and epic alternative history." - Jonathan Stroud
"Written with insouciant charm ... eccentric adventure that is true to its name." - Wall Street Journal
The daughter of a murdered physician vows to protect the magical Oddity he left behind – if only she knew what it was – in an alternate nineteenth century in which the United States is at war with Napoleon’s France.
When her physician father is murdered, thirteen-year-old Clover Elkin embarks on a perilous mission through warring frontier territories to protect the one secret Oddity he left behind. And as she uncovers the truth about her parents and her past, Clover herself emerges as a powerful agent of history.
A rich, startling, funny fantasy adventure, powered by an irresistible force-of-nature heroine; Clover Elkin is a born fighter – a heroine to rival Lyra Belacqua or True Grit’s Mattie Ross.
"Imaginative fantasy adventure ... packed with magical items, full of unexpected twists." - School Library Journal
Creators
Eli Brown is a Yaddo fellow with an MFA in creative writing from Mills College. His acclaimed adult novel, Cinnamon and Gunpowder, was a finalist for the California Book Prize, a San Francisco Public Library One-City One-Book selection, and an NPR Book Review Staff Pick. This is Eli's debut children's novel. He lives in California.
Jacket illustration by the American artist Teagan White.
Interior illustrations by Karin Rytter, including specially commissioned linocuts of the Oddities themselves. Karin is a Scandinavian printmaker and illustrator living in Denmark.
Reviews
A fantasy adventure powered by a kick-ass wild-west heroine … A rich, startling, funny fantasy adventure, powered by an irresistible force-of-nature heroine; Clover Elkin is a born fighter – a heroine to rival Lyra Belacqua or True Grit’s Mattie Ross.
bookish biologist
I really enjoyed this quirky alternate-history fantasy novel.
Kids Book Review
Who doesn’t love meeting a fierce new female protagonist? … A fast paced, thrilling journey!
Matilda Bookshop Kids
readers are swept along in this wonderful historical romp that is at times funny, but also heart-wrenching.
Readings
Aesthetically, Oddity is a delight for appreciators of art and design…. Oddity is a coming of age story. It is a coming home story. It is a challenging, disquieting powerful read.
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