Alistair Grim's Odditorium by Gregory Funaro

Grubb is a chimney sweep.  He's twelve or so and was an orphan.  He was left on a doorstep and the mistress of the house was pleased and surprised to find him.  Life was good while she was alive.  When she passed, so did the toleration of Grubb that the master had shown.  Now he was little more than a slave.

Disney Hyperion and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published January 6th, so make a note to look for a copy next week.

Grubb is an enterprising young man that will accept his fate.  If a chimney sweep is all he can be, so be it.  But when he has an unfortunate experience in one man's mansion, he takes off.  He knows not where he goes, but he goes.  It's a good thing he gets discovered by someone living at the Odditorium.  He's not sure about that at first.

This is a rousting fantasy tale that I really enjoyed.  What fun!  Grubb finds himself in a household where half of the inhabits aren't human.  They're kept alive by a blue flame a bit like electricity.  There's a fairy.  There's a ghost that is actually a banshee.  There's a witch.  The professor is human but he's also an inventor.  With bad men, evil monsters and more to fight, Grubb finds himself siding with the Odditorium residents and feeling like he's found a family.

It's a wild ride with lots of action and I'm not sure it's over.  The author sure could write another book in this series and I'd read it.  Even reluctant middle grade readers should love this one!