This book is about a boy going to visit this house he owns for winter week. They were having a really bad storm, because the storm was really soliders coming to attack the boy to get this key to unlock a treasure chest. So boy had to bring back his great uncle back to life to fight off the soliders to protect the key.

When I first came across a banner for The Icy Hand by Chris Mould, I thought it would be an incredibly fun book. With a werewolf, a headless ghost, angry pirates back from the dead and a talking fish, how could it possibly go wrong?

*sigh* Let me tell you how…

Within the first 30 pages, this book was off to a bad start. Part of its problems are poor transitioning. There are times when it goes from one event to another, hours later, without any break. The pacing and tempo is either all over the place or completely M. I. A. from this book. My thoughts on this issue were that, given it’s listed for ages 9-12, maybe it’s a style that works for the younger, less patient audiences?

So I grabbed my 9-12 year old (Maggie, age 10), and read her the books description. Like me, she thought werewolves, headless ghosts and pirates sounded promising. However, after only a few pages, she brought the book back to me saying, “It’s not my thing. I like stories with main characters in them.”

Which brings us to another problem with this book. The characters are poorly developed and rather two-dimensional. It is possible that they were developed in book one, which I have not read, but I’m disinclined to believe that. Again, with the characters, this book is all over the place. They do this then that… sometimes seemingly without purpose.

There is a bright spot with this book. The illustrations are fantastic. They’re dark and creepy, but still maintain a safeness that keeps them from being terrifying to small children. In some ways, the illustrations remind me of the Lemony Snicket series (though I don’t know exactly why), but they are uniquely Mould’s creations.

While The Icy Hand by Chris Mould has a few problems, it’s not entirely unlikeable or readable. I’d be willing to bet, though, this is one of those books that would make a much better movie. I definitely think it’d be a really cool movie, but it’d probably be better to make one of the whole series instead of just one book.

Click for full review: http://thekoolaidmom.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/the-icy-hand-by-chris-mould/ ( )

“The Icy Hand” is the second book in the “Something Wickedly Weird” series. I originally requested the first book, but the publisher graciously sent this one when they ran out of the first. I was assured in my letter from the publisher that this sequel totally stood on its own. That is true in some respects, but I think I really lost something by reading this book by itself. This children’s series (think 4th or 5th grade) has the potential to be a lot of fun, but I’m not totally sure whether it is or not, without being able to read the story from the beginning.

If you have children around the right age, I would recommend perhaps starting with the first book “The Wooden Mile” to see if you like this series. ( )

Stanley Buggles has inherited Candlestick Hall from his uncle, Admiral Bartholomew Swift. He is beginning his second trip to Crampton Rock - and it will be just as exciting as his first (you can read about his first adventure in The Wooden Mile). When he arrives at the Hall, he is warned of a grave danger approaching from the north. Stanley must work with his friend Daisy, the headless ghost of Admiral Swift, and a talking pike to foil a duo of ghostly pirates and protect the magical Ibis. If he succeeds, there are many more adventures ahead of him. If he fails.....

This story has a little of everything - mystery, intrigue, ghosts, pirates, a talking fish, and a brave, young protagonist. This is the perfect series for those youngsters who are enthralled with Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Chronicles of Narnia. Mould's writing is fast-paced and is he is able to hold the attention of kids and adults alike. In addition, the illustrations are captivating, adding another level to this already wonderful book. I highly recommend The Icy Hand - It makes me wish my son was younger, so we could read it together. ( )