{"product_id":"the-whatnot-9780062195227","title":"The Whatnot","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Whatnot\u003c\/em\u003e is the acclaimed international bestseller and sequel to Stefan Bachmann's riveting debut novel, \u003cem\u003eThe Peculiar\u003c\/em\u003e, which \u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e called \"an absolute treat for readers of any age,\" and which the \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/em\u003e compared to \"Dostoevsky's \u003cem\u003eCrime and Punishment\u003c\/em\u003e, Charles Dickens's \u003cem\u003eA Tale of Two Cities\u003c\/em\u003e, and more recent classics, such as J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwelve-year-old Pikey Thomas is missing an eye, a family, and friends of any sort. One day, running from bigger boys set on bullying him, Pikey finds himself in front of a grand, beautiful house. There he meets and helps a black-winged faery who is injured. It's a small gesture of kindness and bravery in steam-powered Victorian London, where faeries, now banned, are on the run or imprisoned; where the human armies are preparing for war; and where the changeling Bartholomew Kettle, aided by Arthur Jelliby, still searches for his missing sister, Hettie. This is the epic, dark, imaginative, unforgettable, and ultimately hopeful sequel to Stefan Bachmann's acclaimed debut novel, \u003cem\u003eThe Peculiar\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"An enthralling read . . . Bachmann combines the pleasures of a Dickensian cast of characters with the eldritch qualities of British faerie lore and adds a touch of steampunk to entice readers into an alternate universe in which the English are on the verge of war with the fay. The breathtaking beauty of his prose is coupled with a plot that also leaves his audience breathless.\"--\u003cem\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBachmann, Stefan:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eStefan Bachmann was born in Colorado and spent most of his childhood in Switzerland, where he graduated from Zurich University of the Arts with degrees in music composition and theory. He is the author of \u003cem\u003eThe Peculiar\u003c\/em\u003e, his debut, which was published to international acclaim when he was nineteen years old. His other books include \u003cem\u003eThe Whatnot\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eA Drop of Night\u003c\/em\u003e. www.stefanbachmann.com \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Greenwillow Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51175025017106,"sku":"9780062195227","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_eaa418fd-a094-44eb-999e-5a1d81c0b2ea.jpg?v=1744281951","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-whatnot-9780062195227","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}