Shelly's Book Blog

Mister Monday is the first in a series called The Keys to the Kingdom, by Garth Nix. Each title includes a day of the week, and there are seven parts of a mysterious Will that the hero, Arthur Penhaligon, seems destined to reassemble. It took me a while to become interested in this story, perhaps because the fantasy world Nix has created for this series is complex. It is also highly imaginative, cleverly drawing on both time (days of the week, hours of the day) and print (ink, paper, letters) motifs as building blocks for both character and plot.
7th-grader Arthur is supposed to die from a severe ashtma attack; instead, he is chosen to take possession of a very special key, which is also the minute hand of a clock. The key gives him great powers, and the evil Mister Monday wants the key for himself. Meanwhile, strange soldiers from this other world have unleashed on Arthur's city a plague reminiscent of the Black Death which struck Europe in the 14th century, and Arthur is determined to find a cure. Arthur is challenged or helped by many interesting characters during his adventure. I especially liked the Old One, whom Arthur befriends despite advice from several characters to stay away. Up next: Grim Tuesday.