Review by Booklist Review
Twelve-year-old Roman is the youngest in a large family with a complicated history full of secrecy and mystery. Everyone appears determined to keep him in the dark about most things, leaving him feeling lonely and isolated. The only family member who truly connects with Roman is Grandpa Henry, a weird and wonderful man who loves spinning unusual yarns, the oddest of which involves the loss of his toe and how it heralded the arrival of the Toe Beast--a story that spooks Roman so much he's never had the courage to hear it all the way through. When Grandpa Henry passes away suddenly, Roman is tasked with clearing out his old house. There, he stumbles upon a smattering of unusual objects that seem to lend credence to his grandfather's odd tales. These discoveries set Roman on a fantastic and bewildering journey through the tangled past, where he will uncover not only the secrets that make his family extraordinary but also the courage to carve out his own place within it. Brimming with heart and creativity, Starmer's strange and spellbinding story of family, kinship, and coming of age is a triumph of imaginative storytelling that belongs on the same shelf as other offbeat classics of children's literature like Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland series.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Twelve-year-old Roman Barnes always ducks out of the room when Grandpa Henry starts telling Roman's older brother and cousins about the infamous Toe Beast, a story about how Roman's grandfather lost his pinkie toe and the events that occurred thereafter. Though the rest of the children love Grandpa's tales, squeamish Roman--who often feels like an outsider in his own family--finds the stories, and Grandpa, frightening. When Grandpa Henry unexpectedly dies, Roman is tasked with packing up the late elder's belongings. In the attic, Roman finds a jar of murky green liquid--supposedly where the fabled toe was once kept--and a notebook containing a bizarre yet alluring story about a young girl and a pack of dogs. That's nothing compared to what he finds locked up in Grandpa Henry's shed, though. Roman's curiosity about his family and his place within it propels him on an unsettlingly strange and seemingly disjointed journey that Starmer (Night Swimming) cleverly conjures into a cohesive, genuinely touching narrative. Moody gray Steven Kellogg--esque illustrations by Zollars (Snowshoe Kate and the Hospital Built for Pennies) amplify the unrepentant weirdness of the setting. The Barnes family is depicted as white. Ages 10--up. Author's agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. Illustrator's agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. (Mar.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4--7--Starmer (Night Swimming) combines magic, whimsy, and the unexpected in this exploration of one family's history. A normal day for 12-year-old Roman Barnes is shattered when his Grandpa Henry warns him of the Toe Beast, a supposedly fictional creature rooted in family lore. When Henry dies the next day, Roman feels compelled to investigate, looking for answers in his grandfather's house. While the search is toe free, he does locate a mysterious journal and a key to the shed, where he finds Henry, somehow alive and well. Henry explains that the Toe Beast is his doppelganger, born in the aftermath of a wood chopping accident and sustained on a diet of human hair. But while this explanation is jarring, it is merely the prelude to a host of other tales, including a girl with an ability to influence people's wishes, a teleporting bucket, and a location in space and time that somehow links Roman's extended family. While Starmer has built captivating hooks with interwoven threads, the payoff is too long in the making. For instance, the journal contains an important story concerning a girl and her dogs, but it is untethered to Roman's experience and comes immediately on the heels of the Toe Beast reveal. Even Starmer seems to concede the difficulty of following the plot with a section titled, "The Chapter in Which Roman Becomes Even More Confused." VERDICT Ultimately, the patience required to juggle multiple plotlines make this an additional selection for the middle grade magical realism audience.--Michael Van Wambeke
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Family secrets lead to an unexpected quest. On the day before he turns 12, Roman Barnes wishes for someone who understands him. The next day, a Magic 8 Ball arrives, sent by an unknown person. But every time Roman shakes it, the answer is the same: a resounding "Yes." When Roman's Grandpa Henry dies, things get stranger. Roman tries to make good on his promise to Grandpa Henry not to let the Toe Beast out. As he sorts through his grandfather's belongings, well-kept family lore emerges--including the origins of the very real Toe Beast. With each story he uncovers, Roman has more questions than answers. When an opportunity to travel through time and uncover the truth presents itself, he thinks he should just stay home, but the Magic 8 Ball finally gives a different message: "No. Absolutely not. Go. Now." Starmer's latest calls to mind Rebecca Stead'sWhen You Reach Me in the way the intricate plot similarly--and bafflingly--comes together with surprising twists. Most chapters focus on Roman's point of view, with perspective shifts clearly delineated throughout. Upon rereading, readers will discover cleverly placed clues that were there all along. Starmer explains the time-travel elements just enough while retaining an air of mystery. The overall theme that there's always more to the story leads to a willing suspension of disbelief and a wild ride. Characters largely present white. Intriguingly bizarre and wholly original. (family trees)(Fiction. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
