Fly By Night, Frances Hardinge

From the end of the prologue: Quillam Mye's great treatise on "The Fractured Realm" was never given an ending. Eight years later the historian Quillam Mye was dead, and his books had been burned. Twelve years after the night she was named, his daughter could be found hiding inside a dovecote, with a goose tucked under one arm. 

I've been really wanting to read this children's book for a long time. The plot sounded fascinating. Twelve year old Mosca Mye lives with her cruel uncle who locks her up in his mill. Her only friend is Saracen, a vicious goose. But she does have one ability: she knows how to read. And in a world where most books are banned and words are dangerous, this is a risky and life-changing gift. For when Eponymous Clent, a con man who loves words as much as Mosca herself, she runs away with him and becomes entangled into a life of deceit and danger. There is a lot of mystery in this book.

Sounds like a great book. And it is. There are a lot of terms to keep of track of when dealing with this world (which is similar to England in some ways), but once you learn them, you'll enjoy this book a lot. At times, it was funny, at other times, it was suspenseful. The mystery elements were really good too; a lot of seemingly unconnected things that Mosca notices and hears about turn out to be part of a nefarious plot. There is a sequel to Fly By Night as well. Also, Frances Hardinge has the perfect name for this sort of thing. Hardinge sounds so medieval doesn't it? Much better than plain old Harding. 

Read Fly By Night:

• if you like stories about words and books
• if you like stories featuring a cantankerous goose
• if you like mysteries
• if you are looking for a juvenile book that is fairly challenging for that age level

483 pages.

Very Good! I would recommend this book!