The Remarkable Inventions of Walter Mortinson

February 18, 2019
Walter Mortinson, 12, decides to run away from Moormouth, his bleak factory town, after an unfortunate funeral incident leads his mortician mother to demand that he destroy his many miraculous inventions. Joined by his onetime friend Cordelia, who has her own reasons for leaving, he steals the family hearse and embarks on a strange and wonderful road trip to find the famed inventor Flasterborn, mentor to his deceased father. The meandering plot relies on some tenuous connections and drops a few too many threads. Oddly, it’s Walter’s mother, not the young protagonists, who emerges as the most interesting character—through the use of multiple timelines and points of view, Sosna-Spear skillfully alters both Walter’s and the reader’s perception of her as the book progresses. Striking scenes feature vivid descriptions of places such as a treetop city, playful and odd devices including a parade that travels in an endless loop, and characters who would be at home in a Roald Dahl novel. Despite the sparkling visuals and humor, loss and death are the real themes, explored effectively in many ways through this uneven yet thoughtful debut. Ages 8–12.