A storm. Rain-lashed city streets. A flash of lightning. A scruffy lad sees a girl leap desperately from a horse-drawn carriage in a vain attempt to escape her captors. Can the lad stand by and let her be caught again? Of course not, because he's . . . Dodger.
Seventeen-year-old Dodger may be a street urchin, but he gleans a living from London's sewers, and he knows a jewel when he sees one. He's not about to let anything happen to the unknown girl—not even if her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England.
From Dodger's encounter with the mad barber Sweeney Todd to his meetings with the great writer Charles Dickens and the calculating politician Benjamin Disraeli, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery.
About the Author
Sir Terry Pratchett's many honors include the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Printz Honor, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Britain's Carnegie Medal, the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Award for lasting contribution to young adult literature, and the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award. His books have sold more than 75 million copies worldwide. Knighted for his "services to literature," Sir Terry lives in England with his wife and many cats.
Beloved and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett combines high comedy with deep wisdom in this tale of an unexpected coming-of-age and one remarkable boy's rise in a complex and fascinating world.
Industry Reviews
"Masterful. Unexpected, drily funny and full of the pathos and wonder of life: Don't miss it."--Kirkus Reviews "Superb."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Fun and fantastic and thoughtful."--Chicago Tribune PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF TERRY PRATCHETT: "Exuberant and irresistible."--Washington Post "Fresh, vibrant and full of energy, a triumph."--SFX (UK) "Wonderful."--Daily Mail (London) "Masterly and entertaining." (Children's Book of the Week)--Sunday Times (London) "A masterwork from a treasure and hero of a writer, and it will delight you."--Cory Doctorow, New York Times Bestselling author "Ebullient, funny and delightful."--The Guardian "Pratchett weaves fact and fiction seamlessly."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review) "Compulsively readable."--Washington Post Superb. --Publishers Weekly (starred review)" Compulsively readable. --Washington Post" Lovingly crafted and completely enjoyable. The temptation to quote sentences, whole paragraphs, and possibly entire chapters is almost irresistible. --Booklist (starred review)" It s a glittering conjuring act, but there s real heart here, too. --Horn Book (starred review)" Pratchett does a bang-up job of re-creating Old London, complete with pathos, humor, and danger, all narrated in Dodger s unique voice. --School Library Journal (starred review)" Masterful. Unexpected, drily funny and full of the pathos and wonder of life: Don t miss it. --Kirkus Reviews" Pratchett weaves fact and fiction seamlessly....Genius. --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)" A masterwork from a treasure and hero of a writer, and it will delight you. --Cory Doctorow, New York Times Bestselling author" Ebullient, funny and delightful. --The Guardian" Wonderful. --Daily Mail (London)" Fresh, vibrant and full of energy, a triumph. --SFX (UK)" Masterly and entertaining. (Children s Book of the Week)--Sunday Times (London)" PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF TERRY PRATCHETT: Exuberant and irresistible. --Washington Post" Fun and fantastic and thoughtful. --Chicago Tribune" Passionately wise, spectacularly hilarious, and surpassingly humane. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)" Moving and highly satisfactory. --Publishers Weekly (starred review)" Pratchett combines gut-busting humor and genuine poignancy. --School Library Journal (starred review)" Thrilling, humorous, moving, and most wise. --Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (Starred Review)" "Thrilling, humorous, moving, and most wise."--Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review) "Pratchett combines gut-busting humor and genuine poignancy."--School Library Journal (starred review) "Moving and highly satisfactory."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Passionately wise, spectacularly hilarious, and surpassingly humane."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Pratchett weaves fact and fiction seamlessly....Genius."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review) "Pratchett does a bang-up job of re-creating Old London, complete with pathos, humor, and danger, all narrated in Dodger's unique voice."--School Library Journal (starred review) "It's a glittering conjuring act, but there's real heart here, too."--Horn Book (starred review) "Lovingly crafted and completely enjoyable. The temptation to quote sentences, whole paragraphs, and possibly entire chapters is almost irresistible."--Booklist (starred review) "Superb."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
