The Black Book of Secrets

by F.E. Higgins

Book Overview

A boy arrives at a remote village in the dead of night. His name is Ludlow Fitch--and he is running from a most terrible past. What he is about to learn is that in this village is the life he has dreamed of--a safe place to live, and a job, as the assistant to a mysterious pawnbroker who trades people's deepest, darkest secrets for cash. Ludlow's job is to neatly transcribe the confessions in an ancient leather-bound tome: "The Black Book of Secrets."Ludlow...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312368445
• ISBN13: 9780312368449
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
• Length: 273 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.7" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Wonderful

This book is a compelling story I read all in one night. I couldn’t put it down. 10/10 would recommend, it’s one that stays on my bookshelf even after going through so many more books, it’s never replaced.

One of my new top 10

I read this book out loud with my son, one or so chapters a night. It is complex without being difficult to follow. There are stories within the story, but then everything comes together nicely in the end. It is not straight forward everything is not black and white, the good guys have a touch of gray. It is scary and suspenseful, but not enough to keep a young one awake at night. Looking forward to more from this author. Other books that we have read out loud recently: Mysterious Benedict Society, Hobbit, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Here Be Monsters, Leon and the Spiting Image, The Somebodies, The Nobodies, The Anybodies.

Who has a secret to sell?

Everyone has secrets. Some small, others big. Imagine if you could sell your worse secret and have someone else deal with it. Such is the premise of the book, THE BLACK BOOK OF SECRETS. Ludlow Fitch barely escapes a terrible fate in the City. Latching onto a carriage he finds himself in a village and a new twist of fate. A mysterious pawnbroker, Joe Zabbidon, offers him employment to write down the villagers deepest, darkest secrets in the Black Book of Secrets. At first everything seems like a dream come true-Ludlow has a warm bed, employment, and respect. This was something that alluded him as a pickpocket back in the City. But not all villagers are happy with the pawnbroker. Jeremiah Ratchet owns most of the village. He watches as those who used to be in his debt, no longer fear him. What secrets are in the book? Jeremiah hatches a plot to gain assess to the book and hopefully get the villagers back into his debt. All the while Ludlow has his own secret, one that gives him nightmares every night. Though he is thankful to Joe for what he's done, he can't help but wonder about the pawnbroker. Is he the devil like some whisper? I LOVED this book! From the very first page I was transported to this fantasy world. Who wouldn't want to sell their darkest secrets? This is a fast-paced read that will keep you glued to each villager's secret. Some of the secrets are pretty graphic but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to read more! The details of the time period were realistic. I admit, I squimmed when I read about Barton Gumbroot's special talent of pulling teeth to sell to the wealthy. I recommend this book to those who love reading historical fantasies.

A clever supernatural book, or is it supernatural?

This book is very unique in that the plot reveals little secrets and hints about the character that make you wonder if the book is in the supernatural genre. However, the author leaves that open for interpretation because everything could easily be explained by natural causes and effects. It is a fun mystery book for the young adult audience with twists and turns sure to keep anyone enthralled. This book is also unique because the author takes the time to describe all of the characters in depth. Every character is important and none are to be overlooked. There is also the clever placement of a symbol at strategically placed intervals in the chapters. Its meaning is revealed at the end of the book. It's a very clever tool to use in the formatting of the book. Even the outward appearance of the book is interesting. It is built as the Book of Secrets is described in the story. It almost gives it a creepy feeling when you look at its black edged pages. As a whole, the book is very clever and an enjoyable read. I would especially recommend this book for the grades of seven through ten, but anyone could enjoy this book.

Richie's Picks: THE BLACK BOOK OF SECRETS

"When I opened my eyes I knew that nothing in my miserable life prior to that moment could possibly be as bad as what was about to happen. I was lying on the cold earthen floor of a basement room lit by a single candle, no more than an hour's burning left. Instruments of a medical nature hung from hooks in the beams. Dark stains on the floor suggested blood. But it was the chair against the opposite wall that fully confirmed my suspicions. Thick leather straps attached to the arms and the legs were there for one purpose only: to hold down an unwilling patient. Ma and Pa were standing over me. " 'E's awake,' crowed Ma excitedly. "Pa dragged me to my feet. He had me in an iron grip, my arm wrenched up behind my back. Ma held me by the hair. I looked from one to the other. Their grinning faces were only inches away from mine. I knew I should not look to them to save me. "Another man, concealed until now in the shadows, stepped forward and took me by the chin. He forced open my mouth and ran a blackened, foul-tasting finger around my gums. " 'How much?' asked Pa, drooling with anticipation. " 'Not bad,' said the man. 'Thrupence apiece. Maybe twelve in all.' " 'It's a deal,' said Pa. 'Who needs teeth anyway?' " 'Someone, I hope,' replied the man dryly. 'I sell 'em for a living.' "And they laughed, all three, Ma and Pa and Barton Gumbroot, the notorious tooth surgeon of Old Goat's Alley. "Once the money for my teeth was agreed with Barton, they moved quickly. Together they dragged me over to the surgeon's chair. I kicked and shouted and spat and bit; I wasn't going to make it easy for them. I knew how Barton Gumbroot made his living, preying on the poor, pulling their teeth, paying them pennies and selling them for ten times as much. I was racked with fear. I had no protection. I was going to feel it all. Every nerve-stabbing twinge." Oh man! I shiver as I read that opening scene and realize how, four decades later, I am still so traumatized by my own childhood experiences in the world of dentistry. In contrast to the struggling Ludlow Fitch -- who is about to escape that basement room with most (but not all) of his teeth still intact -- I was more like the lamb being led to slaughter. Every six months I would obediently enter the little shop of horrors that constituted the office of my childhood dentist, Dr. Arthur Roberts, where he would constantly discover new places to drill into my teeth. I would sit there and quietly endure the agony of every nerve-stabbing twinge. It was not until I was in middle school, when my mother found a new dentist closer to where we then lived, that I learned that other dentists first administered Novocain to eliminate the pain of the drilling. I am still unclear whether Dr. Robert's lack of pain management was a strategy to get me to do a better job of brushing my teeth, was a byproduct of my parent's dental plan, or whether Dr. Roberts really was a nineteenth century kind of dentist and I was just too young to be

THe magic rocks!

The Black Book of Secrets is written by a new author, F.E Higgin's she just graduated from Ireland and wrote her first book. After reading her first book she is one of my favorite authors. She is currently writing her second. When you read this book you will be desperate to read the others. The Black Book of Secrets is a great, entertaining book. If you like to read mysteries and horror books this is the right one for you. The best time to read this is while you are bored. You will get hooked by the magic of this book. I know you are desperate to find out about this book, so lets bring the magic on. This book is about a little girl who lives with her step-parents, who are very cruel. She finds a book of secrets. This is where it all begins. To find out what happens next read this great book by F.E Higgins. She will soon be one of your favorite authors. You might also like to know that her second book is now in press. By: Minahil (Pakistan)