Book Review: The Timble Family Curse
The Timble Family Curse by Laury Falter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Timothy Timble is having a lousy childhood. Orphaned as a babe, he’s being raised by mean Storka Ickle in a terrible home for wayward children. Storka doesn’t celebrate kid’s birthdays, and even worse, refuses to give him any information about where he came from or what happened to his parents.
But one day Timothy finds a map left behind by a strange visitor, and when he decides to try to use it, he finds himself entering a world filled with eye-popping magic, terrible pirates, fantastic lands, and for Timothy, the most exciting thing of all—people here know who he is, and seem to know all about the Timble family! A family which, to young Timothy’s confusion, seems to carry a curse.
While readers will no doubt be reminded of Harry Potter, I think I also spied an homage to Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and a shout-out to the fantasy movie Labyrinth. Young readers will love seeing adults thwarted by clever, scheming kids, and will certainly enjoy the whimsical style of magic. It can be quite dangerous, but sometimes it’s just hilarious.
Laury Falter has created a lavishly detailed world for Timothy and his new friends to travel in search of adventures and answers. The story is well-told, with a setup that arouses our curiosity, and a satisfying conclusion which leaves us hoping for more. I hope the author plans on taking Timothy Timble and all of us on more magical adventures.
Lori Alden Holuta
Lori Alden Holuta lives between the cornfields of Mid-Michigan, where she grows vegetables and herbs when she’s not writing, editing, or playing games with a cat named Chives.
