In 1925, earthquakes and a rising sea level left Lower Manhattan submerged under more than thirty feet of water, so that its residents began to call it the Drowning City. Those unwilling to abandon their homes created a new life on streets turned to canals and in buildings whose first three stories were underwater. Fifty years have passed since then, and the Drowning City is full of scavengers and water rats, poor people trying to eke out an existence, and those too proud or stubborn to be defeated by circumstance.
Among them are fourteen-year-old Molly McHugh and her friend and employer, Felix Orlov. Once upon a time Orlov the Conjuror was a celebrated stage magician, but now he is an old man, a psychic medium, contacting the spirits of the departed for the grieving loved ones left behind. When a seance goes horribly wrong, Felix Orlov is abducted by strange men wearing gas masks and rubber suits, and Molly soon finds herself on the run.
Her flight will lead her into the company of a mysterious man, and his stalwart sidekick, Joe Golem, whose own past is a mystery to him, but who walks his own dreams as a man of stone and clay, brought to life for the sole purpose of hunting witches.
- Books
- Young Adult Fiction
- Joe Golem and the Drowning City
Joe Golem and the Drowning City
Author(s)
Publisher
Genre(s)
Age Range
14+
Release Date
March 27, 2012
ISBN
0312644736
Buy This Book
Editor reviews
1 reviews
Joe Golem Packs a Mighty Punch!
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
4.0
Characters
4.0
Writing Style
4.0
Fairly new to steampunk novels,, I was pleasantly surprised with Joe Golem and the Drowning City. Set in an alternate reality where New York City has been flooded, the story takes place in 1925. Molly, a spunky girl, works as an assistant to Felix Orlov. Although she has a trouble past, she is content to work for this unusual old man, a man she sees as a father figure. Then, everything goes wrong. Joe Golem walks into her world when everything seems at its darkest.
As the mysterious Mr.Church exclaims, "It's time to speak of impossible things." Molly and Joe face the dark, the supernatural, and magic. It is in this world that "humanity [has] been perverted by magic and men [seem] as hollow as the dead"
Although Joe Golem and the Drowning City starts off slow and at points complicated, it provides an awesome thrill ride of a novel full of twists and turns into the darkest of places, some that can be found not only in the outside world but in the hearts of many.
I was slightly disappointed that the illustrations were sparse. I had envisioned an illustrated novel with more images. However, the illustrations provided are not only meaningful but add to the mysterious feel of the story.
This book appeals to fans of the steampunk genre as well as the fans of Hellboy. Due to some mature fears and experiences of Molly I would not recommend the story to some of my 7th graders. But overall I would recommend Joe Golem to ages 13 and up. Adult fans of steampunk will not be disappointed. Dark and mysterious Joe Golem packs a punch in the Drowning City bringing the evils in this world and others to their knees.
As the mysterious Mr.Church exclaims, "It's time to speak of impossible things." Molly and Joe face the dark, the supernatural, and magic. It is in this world that "humanity [has] been perverted by magic and men [seem] as hollow as the dead"
Although Joe Golem and the Drowning City starts off slow and at points complicated, it provides an awesome thrill ride of a novel full of twists and turns into the darkest of places, some that can be found not only in the outside world but in the hearts of many.
I was slightly disappointed that the illustrations were sparse. I had envisioned an illustrated novel with more images. However, the illustrations provided are not only meaningful but add to the mysterious feel of the story.
This book appeals to fans of the steampunk genre as well as the fans of Hellboy. Due to some mature fears and experiences of Molly I would not recommend the story to some of my 7th graders. But overall I would recommend Joe Golem to ages 13 and up. Adult fans of steampunk will not be disappointed. Dark and mysterious Joe Golem packs a punch in the Drowning City bringing the evils in this world and others to their knees.
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