Stefan Bachmann was born in Colorado and spent most of his childhood in Switzerland, where he graduated from Zurich University of the Arts with degrees in music composition and theory. He is the author of The Peculiar, his debut, which was published to international acclaim when he was nineteen years old. His other books include The Whatnot, A Drop of Night, and Cinders and Sparrows. He is the coauthor (with April Genevieve Tucholke) of The Secret Life of Hidden Places. He lives in Zurich, Switzerland, and Berlin, Germany.
"Bachmann's prose is beautiful, and his story is swift, strong, and entertaining. Highly recommended. I can't wait to see what Bachmann writes next." -- CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle)"Stefan Bachmann's sparkling debut is sure to get a lot of well-deserved notice. He breathes fresh life into ancient magic." -- RICK RIORDAN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Kane Chronicles and Percy Jackson and The Olympians"Polished and fun to read...Bachmann's steampunk fairy tale...recalls Dostoevsky, Dickens, and more recent classics, such as J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events....Bachmann leavens the dark goings-on with whimsy...in spectacular and hilarious fashion....[An] unusually gifted young writer." -- Los Angeles Times"Richly realized . . . accomplished ... This is a story young fantasy buffs are sure to enjoy." -- The New York Times Book Review"Imaginative, highly descriptive writing . . . Thrilling adventure." -- Booklist"An absolute treat for readers of any age." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Gripping . . . with a wry humor and unusual characters. Fans of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book (HarperCollins, 2008) and young steampunk enthusiasts will find much here to enjoy." -- School Library Journal"The Peculiar has the kind of enchantment, whimsy, and utter wonder that stands the test of time. An astounding debut!" -- Marie Lu, New York Times best-selling author of the Legend trilogy
Gr 5-8-This gripping debut novel opens with a prologue that describes how the fairies left their own land, came to England, fought a war with the humans, and lost, leading to a mechanical Age of Smoke where church bells, iron, and mechanics are used to prevent magic. In this alternative world, Bartholomew Kettle and his sister, Hettie, are changelings, also called Peculiars, children of a human mother and a faery father who has abandoned the family. They live in the faery slums of Bath and follow their mother's rule, "Don't get yourself noticed and you won't get yourself hanged." When Bartholomew watches a beautiful lady from his window, she notices him, and his adventures begin. The lady is involved in a plot whose victims are changeling children, and when Hettie is kidnapped, Bartholomew joins forces with Arthur Jelliby, a member of Parliament who is investigating the plot and sees the boy as a person, not just a Peculiar. Arthur and Bartholomew begin to understand the scale of the plan and the danger that faces all of England, and they travel across the country to gather clues and save Hettie. Bachmann began writing this novel when he was only 16, and he's still a teenager, making the atmospheric writing and tense plotting even more of an accomplishment. The Peculiar combines fantasy, mystery, and suspense with a wry humor and unusual characters to create an intriguing, thought-provoking whole that will leave readers looking forward to sequels. Fans of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book (HarperCollins, 2008) and young steampunk enthusiasts will find much here to enjoy.-Beth L. Meister, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, WI (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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