The Incredible Charlotte Sycamore and the Secret Traps

Maddison’s self-published sequel to The Incredible Charlotte Sycamore (Holiday House, 2013) finds the intrepid 16-year-old inventor exiled from Buckingham Palace and brooding over her father’s expressed desire to kill her. The poor doctor is unaware that the thief he wants hanged is his own daughter, but Charlotte is certain he’ll pursue his vow regardless of whether she is revealed as the culprit. Against this backdrop, Charlotte continues to steal his medical supplies, practice illicit healing, and spend every moment she can working on mechanical novelties that annoy, unnerve, and awe her circle of less socially exalted friends—especially Peter, the boy she is not supposed to love. There is mystery, adventure, and steampunk, but though these elements are familiar from the first installment, Maddison is less adept at blending them. This is in part because the characters inhabit more firmly circumscribed worlds than in the previous book. The dichotomies of Charlotte’s rigid society create gaps that the narrative traverses with distinct lurches in tone. The thrills carry the day, but it’s an uneven effort. Ages 12–up. (BookLife)