The Starlight Watchmaker by Lauren James

The Starlight Watchmaker by Lauren James
Buy The Starlight Watchmaker by Lauren James at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Dyslexia Friendly
Reviewer: Judy Davies
Summary: The Starlight Watchmaker is an amazingly creative science fiction story for younger teens, which really does stretch the imagination. Full of quirky characters and intriguing mystery, this is a fast-paced, dyslexia-friendly novella for young adults.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 136	Date: July 2019
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 9781781128954
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This is a dyslexia-friendly, science fiction novella for young adults. It tells the tale of Hugo, an unwanted and rather lonely android, who makes a living for himself mending time-travel watches. When one of his clients demands that his broken watch be mended, Hugo realises there is a mystery to be solved, and is only too ready to help. An exciting journey of discovery unfolds, which takes Hugo out of his drab attic workroom and into a scary adventure with some amazing new friends, exploring regions of the planet never before known to exist.

Lauren James wastes no time getting straight into the plot and the action starts from page one. It's such an innovative story, told in a way that immediately captures the imagination. The mission for Hugo and his client, Dorian, is of great planetary importance and it's impossible not to keep reading to find out what happens and whether they will be successful. For a short story there is a lot of action, and it does leave you feeling that the next adventure for Hugo and Dorian might be just around the corner. Along the way, we are introduced to awesome special powers, the dangerous threat of a bomb and a sorrowful underground world.

The characters in The Starlight Watchmaker are very interesting and highly unusual beings form other universes. James gradually helps us to understand them by some clever story-telling and we come to love them. Hugo, for instance, has a wealth of very useful gadgets that help him mend watches, many of which I would actually like to try myself. As the action unfolds, we get an insight into the personalities and special talents of the characters. It's not long before we are completely attached to Hugo, Dorian and Ada, willing them on to survive all dangers and solve the mystery. I like the way that ideas about diversity are carefully introduced into this story, and the way different beings with a variety of strengths, can work successfully together. It's a lovely story that above all, celebrates friendship.

While set on a far-off planet in a distant universe, James manages to create a totally believable backdrop for her story. I think younger readers would very easily understand why the characters are there and what they are going through (exams are coming up for Dorian, and his indispensable watch has broken!!).

This is a dyslexia-friendly novella, and therefore features short, uncomplicated sentences and simpler narrative that is not overburdened by description. I really hope the final copy will have plenty of illustrations, which will enrich the text and serve as cues to prompt younger or less confident readers. It will also help us to visualise the brilliant alien landscape full of the most unusual beings, that the author has in mind.

This book has a whole host of other specialist features designed to help dyslexic readers. Barrington Stoke produces books with dyslexia-friendly fonts and prints on heavier paper to reduce bleed-through and visual stresses. Award-winning authors ensure short, sharp, unpatronizing content matched to the age of the reader and not their reading level. It's not just people with dyslexia who benefit from these clever changes, but most younger readers will find the books easier to read and more enjoyable, as well as older readers with sight problems or restrictions.

I loved the innovation in this sci-fi novella and it made me think, particularly, about whether androids can have feelings, as Hugo and Dorian begin to make friends and rely on each other to solve the mystery. Another very serious theme in The Starlight Watchmaker, is that of social class, which James tackles in a way that is easy for the younger reader to understand but still raises some thought-provoking ideas about society and social hierarchy.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

For more dyslexia-friendly fantasy we can recommend Robot Girl by Malorie Blackman and Peace Maker by Malorie Blackman.

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You can read more book reviews or buy The Starlight Watchmaker by Lauren James at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Starlight Watchmaker by Lauren James at Amazon.com.

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