Book review: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
My rating: 4 1/2 of 5 stars (View all my reviews)

A 3 1/2 star story in a 5 star book.

I'd call it a graphic novel for children, but that's not quite right. It's a children's book (not a novel), at what felt like the same reading level as the 1st in the Harry Potter series, and the story is told in a combination of text and narrative illustrations, by which I mean that the pictures (beautiful two page spreads with no dialogue) tell parts of the story, rather than simply accompanying it. The story told is, in my opinion, mediocre. It's not bad, but could have been better - there is something not-quite-right about the pacing, the main character never completely drew me in, and the big surprise concerning one of the characters seems rushed or just clumsily done.  But, the combination of the story and the form in which it is told elevates the material.

Check out the author's page for more information: the invention of Hugo Cabret.