The True Adventures of Nicolo Zen

November 1, 2013
Accomplished poet and novelist Christopher delivers a debut for teens thickly woven with 18th-century Venetian intrigue and metaphysical magic. Nicolo Zen, a mason's son, possesses an enchanted ivory clarinet--acquired by his father through barter--along with an innate talent for reading and interpreting music. His rustic life on the tiny island of Mazzorbo is sundered when a malaria epidemic fells his parents and three sisters. Aided by a neighbor, the 14-year-old orphan survives his own fever and heads to Venice. After several uneasy nights on the street, Nicolo auditions for an orphanage's esteemed orchestra, overseen by the Master, Vivaldi himself. The catch: Nicolo must disguise himself as a girl. Despite his tenuous charade, he befriends several girls and the cook but soon confronts the Ospedale della Pieta's sinister backdrop of human trafficking and conspiracy. Nicolo's first-person narration is delivered, memoirlike, from a mature perspective. This limits the in-the-moment impact of a teen boy's adventures, which include sexual initiation and first love. Happy endings click into place for the good guys and girls here, with a sequel intimated even as Nicolo and his bride settle down in Modena. As Nicolo morphs from street kid to orphanage crasher to Europe's foremost solo clarinetist, abetted by a fascinating pair of magician brothers, engrossed readers should gladly ride the plot's twists and turns. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

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December 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-Fourteen-year-old orphan Nicolo Zen's most prized possession is an ivory clarinet, a new instrument in the early 18th century. However, this clarinet is even more unusual because he believes it's enchanted; the first person to play it becomes a virtuoso. Nicolo's desperation and his love of music lead him to the Ospedale della Pieta in Venice, a girls' orphanage which is the home of a renowned orchestra led by Antonio Vivaldi. Nicolo disguises himself as a girl in order to become a member of the orchestra. However, life in the orphanage proves to be dangerous, as there are unscrupulous people there who exploit and even abduct some of the orphans. When Adriana, the girl he loves, is endangered, Nicolo has to abandon his disguise. Forced to flee, he then goes on to have numerous adventures, including an encounter with Massimo the Magnificent, the magician who placed the spell on the clarinet. Nicolo eventually finds his happy ending. This lush tale of music, magic, and intrigue contains numerous detailed descriptions of everyday life and music in 18th-century Venice, which balance the more fantastical elements. The complex plot and language could mean that this title will not have broad teen appeal, but it would be a good choice for those looking for a lush, challenging read.-Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014
Grades 9-12 Nicol Zen begins his musical career busking on the streets of eighteenth-century Venice with an unusual new instrument, the clarinet. Nicol's clarinet, however, is really unusual: it has been enchanted by an enigmatic stage magician. But no amount of talent can make living on the streets safe, especially for a young, beautiful boy like Nicol. Soon, posing as a girl, he wins a spot in the prestigious Ospedele, an orphanage for girls, whose orchestra is conducted by none other than Vivaldi. From there, Christopher's first novel for youth sprawls over all of Europe, following Nicol from his deceit at the orphanage, to his daring escape, to his renowned career as a premiere clarinet virtuoso, and then his triumphant return to Venice, where he is reunited with the girl he fell in love with at the orphanage. Magical realism, accurate historical details regarding eighteenth-century Europe and Vivaldi's orphan orchestra, and richly detailed musical ephemera combine in a sprawling, poetic, sophisticated, and atmospheric novel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)