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Splendors and Glooms Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,733 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Newbery Medal-winning author Laura Amy Schlitz has garnered starred reviews and popular acclaim for her Victorian gothic thriller Splendors and Glooms. When Clara Wintermute, the only child of a wealthy doctor, pleads that mas-ter puppeteer Gaspare Grisini perform at her birthday party, she unwittingly places herself in the utmost peril. After Clara disappears the night of the show, Grisini's innocent assistants attempt to locate the missing birthday girl- but dark and terrifying forces await.
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"I really really really really liked this book. Does that make it a 5 star? Almost. The writing is fantastic. The characters are wonderfully developed and the plot is exciting and engrossing. It touches on some deep themes and at times it really tugged at my heart. It made for a great diversion on a long airplane ride and I highly recommend it. It is written for older children, but it is a great read for adults too."
— Cathy (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Schlitz skillfully manages multiple narratives as the story makes its complex way forward, creating scenes of warmth and humor along with those of drama and horror…Filled with heart-pounding and heart-rending moments, this delicious, glorious novel is the work of a master of children’s literature.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Few books can be called both delightful and eerie - this novel is one. Utterly transporting.”
— Rebecca Stead, Newbery Award-winning author of When You Reach Me -
“Newbery Medalist Schlitz delivers many pleasures—fully dimensional children, period details so ripe one can nearly smell them, and droll humor that leavens a few scenes of true horror. A highly original tale about children caught in a harrowing world of magic and misdeeds.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“A brooding Dickensian novel with a touch of fantasy and a glimmer of hope…Vividly portrayed and complex, the characters are well defined individuals whose separate strands of story are colorful and compelling. Schlitz weaves them into an intricate tapestry that is as mysterious and timeless as a fairytale.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“The book builds slowly and ends stunningly.”
— Chicago Tribune -
“A superb gothic novel…Vivid and strange, this latest work by Ms. Schlitz—a Newbery Medal-winner—is, like a marionette show that the orphans see one night, a spectacle sharp-edged, exquisite, and eerily alive.”
— Wall Street Journal
Awards
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One of the 2012 Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books for Children
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Selected for the Autumn 2012 Indie Next List for Children (Ages 9-12)
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Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
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A 2012 Booklist Editors’ Choice Selection for Youth
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A 2013 Audie Award Finalist for Children's Titles for Ages 8-12
Splendors and Glooms Listener Reviews
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" Fun story for children ... Resonates with issues they may feel "
— Kathleen, 2/13/2014 -
" A haunting tale that was hard to put down! This is a must read if you like mystery, suspense, and don't mind a little scare. "
— Katie, 1/6/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this plot. It is dark, two orphans who live with a very evil man. However, the way the plot came together was very interesting and between the elements of magic and adventure, I really enjoyed how it all turned out in the end. "
— Michelle, 1/2/2014 -
" Very dark and creepy and funny. "
— Erin, 12/17/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this, nice dark Victorian setting, the end verges on sappy but what do you expect from J fiction? "
— Carla, 12/7/2013 -
" Good book. Great idea but with a slow start. I wonder if kids will get too lost in the beginning to stick through to the fabulous conclusion? "
— Margaret, 11/25/2013 -
" Luscious writing, but the plot loses steam. "
— Catherine, 11/23/2013 -
" A good level of creepy. I enjoyed it quite a bit. "
— Emily, 9/5/2013 -
" I listened to this one. The narrator, Davina Porter, is fabulous! "
— Nicole, 9/3/2013 -
" Well I love puppets and I enjoy Laura Schlitz' books, so this was a gripping read. It is not for the feint of heart. Great feel for the time and place. "
— Ruth, 8/28/2013 -
" This book, I believe, is labeled as Junior Fiction. I loved the story, but was surprised at how scary and gory it was. It also had a few significant swear words. I was glad I read it before my daughter and will not have her read it. "
— Amber, 6/29/2013 -
" What a gorgeous book. It was just awarded the Newbery Honor, and it deserves every bit of praise. All the characters are vividly captured, pacing is fabulous, story is fascinating - a mix of realism and magic ground in a tale of sorrow, adventure, and redemption. "
— Vicky, 6/23/2013 -
" A delightfully creepy Victorian tale! I was very positively surprised by how much I enjoyed Splendors and Glooms--this is an intricate but incredibly readable novel full of twist, turns, dirty London streets, and sinister puppeteers! "
— Kelly, 5/20/2013 -
" Unique story filled with magic, madness, and macabre. "
— Deirdre, 3/14/2013 -
" I liked the interaction of the characters. But there was a lot of cruelty for my taste, and the magic that changed the girl into a puppet and back wasn't really believable to me. "
— Anne, 1/23/2013 -
" I liked it, but just wasn't driven to race right through it. While the premise is intriguing the story is often slow and quite dark. "
— Tessyohnka, 1/13/2013
About Laura Amy Schlitz
Laura Amy Schlitz is the author of the Newbery Medal winner Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village; the Newbery Honor Book and bestseller Splendors and Glooms; the Scott O’Dell Award winner The Hired Girl; the chapter book The Night Fairy; and other critically acclaimed books for young readers. She is a teacher as well as a writer in Maryland.
About Davina Porter
Davina Porter has been enthralling listeners for over twenty-five years with her ability to mine the psychological depths of the characters she reads and bring them convincingly to life. In 2006, she won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Female Narration and in 2004 for Best Inspirational Literature Narration. She has been honored as an AudioFile Golden Voice and has won nineteen AudioFile Earphones Awards. As an actress, she has appeared on stage at the Vineyard Playhouse and the Square One Theater, among others.