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Jeremy De Quidt

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The Toymaker Paperback – August 23, 2011

by Jeremy de Quidt (Author)

4.5 11 ratings

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What good is a toy that will wind down? What if you could give a toy a heart? A real heart. One that beat and beat and didn't stop. What couldn't you do if you could make a toy like that?

From the moment that the circus boy, Mathias, takes a small roll of paper from the dying conjuror, his fate is sealed. For on it is the key to a terrifying secret, and there are those who would kill him rather than have it told.

Pursued by the sinister Dr. Leiter with his exquisite doll and malevolent dwarf, preyed on by the circus master and his vicious painted wife, Mathias is drawn into a relentless nightmare. A nightmare that will lead him to the Toymaker, and to a knife as cruel as frost.

A relentlessly dark and sinister tale of a young boy's living nightmare, this debut novel will send shivers down your spine and will haunt you long after the final page. With the atmosphere of Philip Pullman's I Was a Rat!, this is a brilliantly frightening tale from an exciting new literary talent.

From the Hardcover edition.

Reading age

10 - 12 years
Print length

368 pages
Language

English
Grade level

5 - 6
Dimensions

5.25 x 1 x 8.25 inches
Publisher

Yearling
Publication date

August 23, 2011
ISBN-10

038575227X
ISBN-13

978-0385752275
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeremy de Quidt lives in Somerset, England, with his wife and their three children. This is his first novel.

From the Hardcover edition.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yearling; Reprint edition (August 23, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 038575227X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385752275
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12 years
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 6
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 1 x 8.25 inches

Customer Reviews:
4.5 11 ratings

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4.5 out of 5

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Lalalei

but it was fun to read

Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is one of the darkest, scariest things I've ever read, but it was fun to read! I want to say more than that, but I'm not sure how to without spoiling things. this entire book has a feeling of unsettling intensity to it, and it made my own heart beat a bit faster when the wicked Toymaker cut sparrows' hearts to make them clockwork toys--and that happens in the prologue!

Poor Mathias doesn't really do much of importance--he only does one significant thing that I recall--but, as what happens to Kattia shows, not doing much can be the only thing that saves you in the end. Do NOT read this before bed--you'll likely have nightmares.

One person found this helpful

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JennHay

Big Hit

Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is a dark novel for kids, if your kid likes that sort of thing it is right up their alley. My Son really wanted this book, I was glad to find it for him and when he opened it on Christmas he was so excited that I listened to him and got him his own copy.

2 people found this helpful

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Carl Waluconis

Mystery with a disturbing difference

Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2019

This novel is filled with surprises and almost never a ray of light. It is a kind of "coming of age" allegory, with a very dark premise. Would you want to "come of age" in this world? The position of the Toymaker in the novel creates an even darker allegory. At the same time, it has events and places often associated with storybooks. In the end these leave it even more grim, though it is never trying to be ironic. It has a mystery with a McGuffin to solve. I would say noir except for the fairy tale background and images. I immediately wanted to see what else the author had published, but so far no new novels. This also had interesting, "picto-realistic" black-and-white illustrations that were strangely fitting for the content. In the end, the novel is disturbing without trying to force the issue.

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2019

Verified Purchase

Really is an amazing book. I'm buying a few copies for friends this Christmas!

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J.Prather

Amazing storytelling, but not for the faint of heart

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2010

The Toymaker is an amazing read. From the very beginning we are treated to things such as evil carnival sideshows, and toys that come to life with the hearts of living things. At the heart of it all is young Mathias, who we meet as a virtual prisoner of a conjurer he believes to be his grandfather. Mathias has been told that old Gustav has a secret, and when the old man finally dies, off we go on an adventure to discover the secret and all that it entails. On the way, there is death, torture, grave digging, creepy dolls that can tell when someone is lying and finally a nail biting climax when all is revealed in it's Lovecraftian splendor.

It's hard for me to envision this as a children's book in that it is at times incredibly violent, and the images the author so vividly creates are very horrific. As an adult reader, I found this story very creepy and enough to induce more than a few shivers. I have always been creeped out by evil carnivals, and the whole prospect of an evil toymaker that gives his dolls human hearts is terrifying to me on numerous levels. Perhaps kids won't find it as terrifying, but I'm just not sure. Young horror and fantasy fans ages 12 and up will no doubt find this a delightful read much as I did. I would just be hesitant to place it in the hands of a 9 year old as the publisher's age recommendation shows. This is edge of your seat fantastic storytelling that is not to be missed.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Violence on every page

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2018

This book is frightening, sinister, and gruesome. There is violence on every page. In the library, this book was found in the children's fiction section. But I would never let my children read this--this is not a story for children.

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Marion the Librarian

for kids who like scary, offer this (adults, too!)

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2013

Just wow. If you are a fan of Philip Pullman's Dark Materials, Hesse's Steppenwolf, and Dickens' Oliver Twist this book is for you. Ok, if you're a kid you haven't read Steppenwolf yet, but wait until you discover The Magic Theater--For Madmen Only! Oh, sorry, back to The Toymaker, by Jeremy de Quidt: if you like a dark, gruesome, thrilling page turner, a compellingly original story, full of unique characters, some quite scary, some quite innocent, and some quite like people you know, pick up this book. You won't be able to put it down. Jeremy de Quidt is an astonishing storyteller; I'm entranced--I would follow him anywhere to hear a story. The illustrations are perfect--just enough to give your imagination a foot up. My only complaint has to do with the typeset: the font is larger than it needs to be, and bolder than it needs to be, like shoving the text in your face. It's off putting. This may be just the U.S. Edition, I don't know.

2 people found this helpful

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Don L. Wainwright

Steam Punk Meets Steven King

Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2015

Among the tidal wave of childrens books (I hesitate to call this a childrens book) this is truly a unique story with quite bizarre characters. A truly dark tale that would make a truly great movie and give everyone a rest from all of the re-boots.

One person found this helpful

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