Ritter, William. Jackaby. New York: Algonquin Young Readers, 2014.
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction
Intended Audience: 12 and up
Personal reaction to the book…
Jackaby has been heavily branded as “Doctor Who meets Sherlock,” by the publisher and by reviewers, and to some extent it lives up to that tag line.
I have not seen many episodes of Doctor Who but I can definitely see the Sherlock elements. In the author picture at the back, Ritter is very obviously imitating the BBC Holmes with the expensive coat and scarf.
Surprisingly enough, I did not mind that, even though Sherlock is one of my favorite shows.
On its own, though Jackaby doesn’t have a whole lot to offer. Set in New England sometime during the 19th century, Jackaby counts its narrator and heronie as Abigail Rook, an English woman who has recently come to America in hot pursuit of adventure. After scrambling to find lodgings and a job, she is employed by R. F. Jackaby, a private detective versed in both the scientific and the supernatural whose quirky, idiosyncratic style is alienating to some and magnetic to others. Jackaby is looking for an assistant and hires Abigail on a trial basis while they investigate a series of murders.
If my niece is any indication, Sherlock and Doctor Who are very popular among a subset of teens (and adults).
For that alone, Jackaby is worth having in a collection. It also has an appeal for fantasy/sci-fi/mystery fans as a crossover book. Furthermore, it plays on enough mythology and folktales to appeal to Percy Jackson and Harry Potter fans. I guess the best I can say is, I don’t regret that I spent time reading it.
Author Facts:
- Ritter’s favorite mythology is Norse.
- Ritter is completing the sequel to Jackaby.
- Two recent books that Ritter endorses are Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane and The Witch’s Boy by Kelly Barnhill.
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