Review: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary:  Caldecott Honor artist Brian Selznick's lavishly illustrated debut novel is a cinematic tour de force not to be missed!
ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

J'adore cet livre!
For those non Frenchies: I love this book! Despite its thickness, it's a quickie because of all of the illustrations, so don't be intimidated by its size,.  I know I was.

Characters: Can't really say much about the two main characters, Hugo and Isabelle. They were like regular little kids, curious and sometimes getting into trouble sometimes. However, I was impressed that Hugo was intelligent enough to realize that something was missing for him. Therefore, I like a few quotes by him and find them truly insightful.

Plot:The plot was very cool in that it incorporated the famous filmmaker, Georges Melies. If you are interested in anything related to movies or anything French, since the setting is in Paris, you will find it interesting. Brian Selznick was very clever in how the automaton, Hugo's father, and Georges were all connected.

Writing: Well, there isn't much of it. This is a children's book, so the writing wasn't too complicated.
Illustrations: Wow! There is no doubt Brian Selznick is talented and spent a lot of time on this. Even if you aren't the hugest fan of his cartoonish drawings, you have to check this out!

Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes, the story was neat and when will you ever read a book like this?

Movie: I saw the movie first actually. It was almost identical to the book. The cinematography was absolutely beautiful. Quite frankly, I enjoyed the cast. Asa Butterfield and Chloe Moretz were great, and Sacha Baron Cohen was hilarious. I know a lot of people don't give this movie the praise it deserves because it is a kid's movie, but this was a very good movie for the whole family:)

View all my reviews