Potkin and Stubbs by Sophie Green
Synopsis
Lil Potkin is a future reporter who is desperate to bring down the corrupt Peligan City. One night she stumbles upon a boy in a bus station and from here the real story begins…
Review
Characters – 7
I think that Lil and Nedly make a great pair. They show a really good relationship and there are definitely some humorous moments in their relationship which I enjoyed seeing. I felt for both of them and enjoyed them as people. Abe acts as the traditional, dysfunctional alcoholic, wished up hard boiled detective – this was a great touch. I really loved that he had been included in the book and formed a counterpoint to Lil. She is more idealistic and it was good to see her counter his pessimistic and destructive ways. As a trio, this group were entertaining and fun.
I don’t feel like the violins were quite as developed as they could have been. It is much more focused on the mystery which means we don’t really see the villain. I liked the inclusion of Owl but wish there had been more further on.
Atmosphere – 9
The chilling atmosphere is reinforced throughout the novel but doesn’t really get boring. It is filled with suitable descriptions of the city which give it a very urban, decayed and destructive vibe. The orphanage and asylum create a compelling and creepy backdrop to the end aspects of the story and made it really enjoyable. The atmosphere was probably one of the best things in this.
Writing – 8
There are amazing descriptive passages in this and I thought they were fantastic. I picked them out, noted them and will be returning to them. The choose of language is fun and interesting with an incredible sense of variety. The style easily fits in with the atmosphere and general genre of the book. The descriptions of the library and cafe are great but my favourite is definitely the opening paragraphs as Lil moves through the city.
Plot – 6
I think this is the only bit that falls short a little bit. Things felt very unresolved. There is definitely something going on with Abe’s past and the past of Lil’s mother. I feel like we should have found out more about Owl in general and I just wanted something a little more in-depth. However, I think a lot of this is going to be explained within the continuing series but I just wish some of it was resolved in the first book.
Intrigue – 8
I was definitely curious throughout the entire things. It is a detective story and there were plenty of things for Lil, Nedly and Abe to find out about. First the mystery of Nedly, then Abe’s old case, the fires and also the corruption. There was also lots of other threads here, things I’m still wondering about at the end. Who is A.J McNair? What is going on with Lil’s Mother? This is novel kept me interested throughout.
Logic – 8
The world created here is consistent and logical throughout. The supernatural elements have a logical set of rules and it seems to adhere to this. I like the cyclic nature to it as well, Nedly’s desire not to go through closed doors and the explanation of his practising works out really well. It may seem odd that a child is left so unattended, but it seems to make complete sense within this urban world that has been created.
Enjoyment – 7
Overall, I enjoyed reading this story. There were elements to it that I really loved and would happily share with others. Most of the reading was fun and I liked the mystery; on the other hand, the ending felt a little more rushed than I would have liked; I felt that the villains could have been more developed and it left me feeling a touch unsatisfied because I just wanted more to be wrapped up. Will I be picking up the next novel? Definitely, and most straight away.
CAWPILE rating: 7.57
4 stars
Afternoon Literature 