The Incredible Charlotte Sycamore

March 11, 2013
Charlotte Sycamore is the 16-year-old daughter of the royal surgeon of Queen Victoria’s court. She lives in a steampunk London with mechanical butterflies and battery-powered swords, but also the same oppressive restrictions on women that “Victorian” has become a byword for. Charlotte’s father has arranged a marriage for her, but she still longs for freedom and adventur, which she gets by sneaking out with her servant-class friends, Jillian and Peter. On one such expedition, the three are savaged by
mechanical dogs, apparently contaminated with rabies. With Jillian and Peter locked in quarantine, only Charlotte is free to seek answers. Who made the dogs? Did they really carry rabies? And can Charlotte find an antidote? This is a debut children’s book from Maddison, who writes adult romances as Kate Bridges. Socioeconomic divisions,
women’s equality, and arranged marriage versus true love emerge as major themes—despite the book’s adventure trappings—all couched in researched
detail. Preteens might be interested, but YA readers are more likely to be swept away by the charm and excitement of the tale. Ages 10–up. Agent: Erica Spellman Silverman, Trident Media Group.

March 15, 2013
Can the bites of mechanical dogs induce artificial rabies? Charlotte, the 16-year-old daughter of Her Majesty's royal surgeon, and her two friends are attacked and severely wounded by a pack of the vicious beasts while out on an illicit nighttime lark. With Peter and Jillian severely injured, she must defy her father by secretly studying his medical books and use her cunning and courage to discover the cause and cure before the symptoms cause death. While lemons temporarily alleviate the pains, an antidote is needed. Maddison weaves the proprieties and improprieties of late-Victorian courtly life (especially as applied to young women), Charlotte's unwanted arranged marriage and her inventions into the rapidly paced plot. Detailed descriptions set cinematic scenes and reflect careful research of the times and place. All of the story threads--romance, cloud covers of rabid bats, a plot to kill the queen--are as skillfully drawn together as a surgeon's stitches. Black-and-white spot drawings at the beginning of each chapter foretell the key component for the next episode. This steampunk novel has it all: deceptions, a brainy and courageous girl, violence, inventions and mystery set in Victorian England. Charlotte's tale is indeed incredible--in a good way. (Steampunk. 10-15)

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July 1, 2013

Gr 7 Up-Miss Charlotte Sycamore, 16, lives a sheltered life as the daughter of the royal surgeon to Queen Victoria. To escape the doldrums of court life and preparations for her impending nuptials, she ventures out of the palace to rendezvous with siblings Peter and Jillian, two working-class teens she has befriended. Within the opening pages, they are attacked by rabid, mechanical dogs. The rest of the action-packed story centers around Charlotte's efforts to tend to their serious wounds, prove the existence of the mechanical beasts and expose their creators, and keep her father oblivious to her double life. A romance between Charlotte and Peter develops. Maddison uses Charlotte's trips to the city, during which she cares for her friends, to convey details about Victorian London and the teen's compassion for her friends and others. With her high-energy plot, Maddison leaves little room for character development or theme delineation. Stereotypical characters, like a bumbling, kindhearted scientist; a preoccupied father; and two self-absorbed young ladies who share Charlotte's social stature, combine with some unbelievable events (magical Chinese checkers and emergency surgery in the park by the inexperienced Charlotte) to make for an entertaining, albeit frivolous, read.-Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY

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