The Devil and His Boy

By Anthony Horowitz

Book Overview

A backlist favorite from the #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of the Alex Rider Adventures. In Elizabethan England, young Tom Falconer is recruited by the mysterious Dr. Morbius for an important... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0142407976
• ISBN13: 9780142407974
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 5.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.1" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Ridicules but fun

Anthony Horowitz is famous for his series Alex Rider. I myself am a fan of the books. The first five were beleiveable and got cornier as they went but still kept my attention. That is the kind of writter Anthony Horowitz is and always will be. He will write things that will grab your attention in parts and in parts make you say, "what is he thinking?" This book was like that. I finished this book in one day because I found it fun to read and interesting but the whole thing with the queen and the main character....I don't want to spoil it. I will just tell you that I saw it coming in the first chapter. The book was predictable but a good read. Maybe you should read it on a rainy day when there is nothing for you to do. Courtney <3

Good job!

Horowiz manages to create very earthy, historical surroundings in this book with likable characters. A very good read though a little slow in places.

Elizabethan Skullduggery

"The Devil and His Boy" is an entertaining adventure for readers who enjoy such works as "The Shakespeare Stealer." In fact, the basic plot is very similar: peasant boy from a small town finds himself in London due to mysterious or treacherous circumstances that lead him to the theater where he soon finds himself a player, pursued by a rogue who would do him harm. While "The Shakespeare Stealer" deals with the specifics of theft and deception in regard to playscripts in the Elizabethan theater, "The Devil and His Boy" deals with a broader plot involving the political doings of the time. The broader nature of the plot makes the book somewhat less successful since Horowitz doesn't provide the detail necessary for the reader to get any real sense of the struggle between England and Spain, or any overhanging threat to Elizabeth and England. What Horowitz does do is provide a very good picture of the Elizabethan underworld, including a particularly unsavory character who lends a whole new perspective to street beggars. Still, a fun yarn for anyone looking for more adventure in the world of the Wooden "O".

THe Devil and his boy

This Book is terrific. It is a thrilling and advenurous story. I have never read a better book. It is about a boy who wants to be in a play but his parents are dreadfully mean and wont let him.His real parents are the King and Queen of england but noone but the queen knows. He sneaks away from his Guardians and gets tied up with the most sinister and pulverizing murders in all of London. This is deafinatly a great book and once you start reading this book you won't be able to stop reading. It will keep you asking for more. I really liked this book, and I hope u do to.

Witty and thrilling, a superb historical novel from Horowitz

After such great children's books as 'Granny', 'Groosham Grange' and 'The Switch', Anthony Horowitz has now turned to the Elizabethan age for his latest work. Packed full of wonderful description of the period, which he obviously researched superbly, this book will transform any child's perception of what they may have thought of as a boring period in history. It brings the time and the characters of the time (including Queen Elizabeth herself and Shakespeare!) to life and makes them seem fun and interesting in much the same way as 'Shakespeare in Love' did at the cinemas recently. The characters are brilliantly depicted and children will identify with both Tom and Moll as well as laugh at some of the great villains and revolting adults that Horowitz is so good at creating. I have recently read the story to my Year 6 class (11 year olds) and I could not get them to go home! They always wanted me to read on and adored every minute of it. Probably Horowitz's best book yet - many of the children certainly thought so. Extremely well written and reminiscent of Dickens at times. We successfully turned the story into a play, which we performed at school at the end of July 1999 - it made a wonderful play too! Someone should make a film of this book! Horowitz is truly the master of children's fiction today. Also recommended: Other Horowitz classics - 'Granny' 'Groosham Grange' 'The Unholy Grail' 'The Switch' 'The Falcon's Malteser' 'South by SouthEast' 'Public Enemy Number Two'