SUMMARY: Joel has always dreamed of being a Rithmatist. Rithmatists have the power to bring two-dimensional drawings to life, defending people against merciless chalklings (who are unleashed by an unknown source). Chalklings are evil creations whose intent is to kill. Joel befriends a young girl Melody, and together they end up helping Professor Fitch with the scandalous and mysterious disappearances of students. This is all you should know, as it is more enjoyable going into the book blind.
WRITING: Brandon Sanderson is one of my new favorite authors. I appreciate his magic systems, world building, and all-over creative talent. I loved just about all facets of the story. The only teeny thing that bugged me were the names of the United Isles (the fantasy world's version of the United States). Georgiabama and Cincinnatus are prime examples. Some of the states we know in the US stayed the same, like Texas and Tennessee. I realize this was intended for geographic familiarity, but I would have preferred wholly original names.
CHARACTERS: The characters perfectly fit with the story. In the beginning a bully tells Joel (the main character) "You have to admit, everyone treats you pretty well here. You've got a good life. Nobody picks on you." Gee, how sweet. You're an outcast, but at least you aren't tortured. The elite high school pecking order is an annoying reality in this novel. Sanderson cleverly shows how this behavior can make the bullied party prone to treating others poorly as well- partially as a way to compensate, and also passing on the learned behavior. Joel does this to Melody, is quickly shamed, and never makes the mistake again.
I ended up liking Joel and his earnest passion for Rithmatics, Melody for her sweet, eccentric charm, Professor Fitch for his quiet dignity and intelligence, and Principal York for having great morals and always doing what was in the students' best interest.
PLOT: The story is very well-developed and fits in that rare category of being not just suitable, but enjoyable for all ages. It would appeal to any kid who likes math, enjoys a good puzzle or mystery, and/or is artistic in any way. Geometry was one of my worst subjects in school and I was still utterly sucked in by the chalkling theory, history, and illustrations.
Example of awesome sketches:
PACING: I would recommend this to any reader, particularly those who tried Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy and found the pace quite slow. It has the same great sense of imagination, but is much faster paced. As in Mistborn, I'm not entirely sure I 100% understand the magic, but no matter because it was SO MUCH FUN and is slated to be a series.
WORLD BUILDING: I enjoyed the steam punk aspects- horses replaced with springwork beasts (fully functional with gears that click and twist), the innovative transportation method of traveling through springrail, and the lanterns. Armedius Academy was fully imagined, and I felt like I had a keen sense of the world with the added illustrations.
FINAL RATING: 5 STARS
I'm glad Sanderson initially wrote this book as a creative diversion from his current project. Once he finished Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, he revisited and revised this story. It was his first foray into the Young Adult genre, and coupled with the spectacular illustrations by Ben McSweeney (my favorite were the fighting unicorns!), I think he knocked it out of the park. This book is especially distinctive in that I could read it in any mood and find the story enjoyable. It could be classified as a "lighter read", but still had depth and attention to detail that is often reserved for more "literary novels". I'm reviewing this two days after finishing, and am still realizing brilliant things the novel accomplished- in addition to being such a fun experience. For example, the attached reading and activity guide would be a great resource for schools. It is perfect for sparking ideas through artistic projects. I can't wait for my girls to read it in a few years. Luckily, Sanderson is prolific and the abruptness of the ending lends itself to a series continuation.
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