The Clockwork Three
Fiction
By: Matthew J. Kirby
Reviewed by M. Diego
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Three kids by the names of Giuseppe, Hannah and Frederick are brought together by secrets, crime and the thought of a better life. The help they give one another ends up changing their lives forever. It all takes place in the city where the poor have hard lives and the rich live carefree lives, living in the same place but separated by their circumstances. Giuseppe is a poor, street busker who was brought to America from his home in Italy by a man named Stephano. His life is difficult; where everyday he plays his old violin at street corners to make money for Stephano to have food and a place to live. Until one day he stumbles upon a green violin floating in the water that when played makes amazing music. He thinks this might be what he needs to escape and get home to his family across the ocean to Italy. Hannah is a girl whose father is very sick and she works at a hotel for her family to keep them going. She hears of an old resident of the hotel that died a long time ago and is known to have hidden a treasure. Hannah is determined to find the treasure, that will allow her and her family to pay for her father’s medication, so she can have him back in her life again. Frederick is a clock worker’s apprentice who is secretly working on a clockwork mechanism to win him journeyman so he can open his own shop. When he hears of a head that would finish his piece he is bound to have it, even if it means stealing it. Together, these three kids needs and wants bring them together and they help each other to achieve them. Will they achieve their goals?
The Clockwork Three is an entertaining and enjoyable book for many ages. It is a fast paced book that draws you in and makes you want more. With surprises and twists it keeps you wondering what will happen next. The chapters alternate from character to character, telling you what is going on in each of their lives and how they are dealing with their situations. This book demonstrates how three kids work together to solve life’s problems. At times it is suspenseful and exciting but also has some sad moments. I would say that it is a great book and I would gladly read it again. I would recommend this book to people that enjoy easy reads that leave them feeling happy for the characters in the end. This book teaches a good lesson that friends are there to help in times of need.
