Eli Brown (1)Critiques

This story is so much fun! Swashbuckling, cooking, love, and more! I was given this as a surprise gift from my son. I never heard of it (don't know why)! The characters are vivid, engaging, sweet, and crusty! The writing is wonderful.

In 1819, gifted but persnickety cook Owen Wedgwood is captured during a raid led by the ruthless pirate captain, Mad Hannah Mabbot. She promises to spare his life as long as each Sunday he serves her up an exquisite meal conjured from her ship's scant supplies—all while she and her crew sail the world in a quest for revenge, and a hunt for the notorious Brass Fox.

The basic premise, plus the colourful crew who walk the decks of the Flying Rose, make this initially seem like it's going to be an old-fashioned romp of an adventure story. Cinnamon and Gunpowder definitely has such flourishes to it, but Eli Brown is also interested in telling a deeper story: about grief and compassion and exploitation and defiance. At times the seams between the swashbuckling quirk of the book and the points it was making about the devastation wrought by colonialism were too obvious, and the dramatic climaxes perhaps not as big as some of the explosions that accompanied them. That said, this was an engaging and vivid read which made me want to go down to the sea again.

Cinnamon and Gunpowder is an incredibly fun book that is not particularly funny. Narrator Owen "Wedge" Wedgwood is press-ganged into "Mad" Hannah Mabbot's rag tag crew of pirates with the express purpose of cooking a fine meal for pirate captain Mabbot every Sunday from whatever happens to be available in the middle of the open ocean as she continues on her journey to hunt down the elusive Brass Fox, who has been plaguing the shipping lanes in the early decades of the nineteenth century.

Told from the staunchly anti-pirate Wedge's perspective through makeshift journal entries on whatever scraps of paper he can find, Cinnamon and Gunpowder focuses on his relationships with the crew, the Fox, a mute cabin boy, and the captain herself. Despite constant escape attempts, Wedge's opinion of his fellow shipmates changes, practically against his will, and he gradually finds himself enjoying the company of his compatriots on board.

Cinnamon and Gunpowder was not the book I thought it would be and, for once, it was a very pleasant surprise instead of a disappointment. Eli Brown's storytelling is superb and his cast of characters are richly developed and thoroughly intriguing.

I feel like I would have rated this book higher if I had read it over a shorter period of time. But the narrative had a hard time holding my attention. I loved the premise, of a pirate queen and a captive chef, forced to cook a new weekly dish for her a la 1001 Arabian Nights.

It was fascinating watching Wedgwood's character development, going from unwilling captive to eventual ally, and seeing Mabbot and her crew through his eyes. I also gained a whole new appreciation for cooking.

There was a lot packed into this book and maybe one day I'll read it again and hopefully get more out of it. My head wasn't in the right place for it, I think.

I actually read this book shortly after I received it, forgot to review it and now don't really recall it. I went back to read the first few pages and none of it sound familiar, but I know for sure that I read it. Definitely going to re-read it because I know I enjoyed it, but sadly nothing really stuck with me from it. (This is a common problem for me - remembering if I liked or disliked a book, but not why - so don't blame it on the book. I'm still intrigued by the premise though and I'm looking forward to reading it again and actually writing down my thoughts afterwards.

Creating an alternate timeline along with populating it with apparently magical items is an ambitious undertaking. To sell it, the characters need to feel natural — like they belong in their world. Clover understandably spends much of her time after her father's death thinking about him. That leaves her traveling companions, a snake oil saleswoman and a talking rooster who unfortunately brings to mind Chicken Run, to fill in the world of the oddities. They don't beyond one quick tale of a wine goblet making a marsh after spilling and getting lost in the process.
It's just not holding my attention beyond reminding me of other books I've read and would rather re-read.

TW: parental death

Oddity is not only an apt title, but an apt description of this book. As I was listening to it, talking with a friend, I just kept describing it as odd. Our main character Clover is the daughter of doctor, in a land where the Louisiana Purchase failed. The nation, especially the south are really worried that Napoleon will send his troops over to conquer and take the land that that was up for sale. Napoleon is a constant fear in the back of most people’s minds.

The world is not as we pictured it. There are “oddities” in the world. These are everyday objects that have “power”. For example, the wine glass that is never empty, the ice hook that is always cold, the gun that never misses, and the doll that walks, talks, and creates havoc. This is just a sampling of oddities. There are also vermin – animal parts cobbled together and given new life. Clover’s dad has always warned his daughter to beware of oddities. They may seem great and interesting, but they can cause great damage. However, due to her father’s death, her place in the world, and her heritage, Clover cannot stay away. The “American” troops are on a hunt for an oddity that can stop Napolean, for they fear he has an oddity of his own that ensures he always has troops. so Clover, ever curious, and wanting to help people, is in the middle of it all.

I picked this book up because it was supposed to be a middle grade western. That might be a bit of a stretch. It does feel more western in the second half of the book as Clover heads west on the search for her mother and the oddity to end all oddities. This is historical magical realism that is done so well, the reader is just enveloped in the story and does not want to leave. Saying this book is odd, is a compliment. There is nothing else like it out there, it stands on its own two feet. While the book cover matches the story, I think the book cover is why this title is a sleeper. If it would have had a more modern cover, a cover like Rick Riordian Presents, or more colorful and comic like, I think this would fly off the shelf more. But give it a try. It is entirely worth it. This book was a lot of fun, had a lot of heart, and had an amazing concept. It will live in my mind, and be on my recommendation list for years to come.½

A pirate tale modeled much like 1001 Arabian Nights. In this case, Scheherazade, was a cook that was kidnapped and he had to cook the female pirate captain a delightful meal each Sunday or walk the plank. There was some slight humor here and some dishes that sounded tempting. However, the rest was too fantastical or slapstick for me.

I LOVED this book!!! It sucked me in completely and I was really sorry when it ended. I checked it out from the library but am probably going to buy my own copy because it's one I think I'll read again.

This book is winner if like me, you like pirates and you enjoy reading recipes or books by chefs. Sounds like an odd combo--but it completely works and is a lot of fun.

Loved Cinnamon and Gunpowder, but I couldn't finish this one. The world building was quite odd. The French are real but the Native tribes are fake; odd. I found it so distracting, like halfway between historical fiction and fantasy.

Very similar to Garth Nix writing in that its a fantasy with twists and turns that the reader doesn't see coming. The Oddities are various objects with magical properties like a wine glass that never empties and a match that once struck, can stop time until it burns down. Set in the Southern States of the US in an alternative historical time after the Louisiana Wars were fought between the southern states, the French and a combined force of Native Americans, an uneasy truce has settled over the land. Clover Elkin follows her Doctor father as he tends the pioneers in a southern backwater. It seems her father is keeping secrets - like what happened to Clover's mother and why won't he ever leave the area where they appear to be hiding from someone? Clover herself is fascinated by the rumoured existence of Oddities and yet her father refuses to talk to her about them.
Then one day they are ambushed by a gang of lawless men and before he is shot, Clover's father thrusts his medicine bag into her hands and pushes her off a bridge into a fast flowing river telling her to protect the oddity he has been protecting himself. Clover then finds herself travelling across the state to discover answers to her questions and escape the outlaws chasing her. At one stage she teams up with a Talking rooster ( himself an Oddity) called Hannibal and a travelling charlatan potion seller called Nessa. But are Nessa and Hannibal on Clover's side and what about the new oddity called Susanna - a doll with superhuman strength - is she a friend or a foe?
Excellent alternate history fantasy story with magic and twisted characters galore! Clover herself is an interesting main character and the more she discovers about her past and the world around her, the more complex she is shown to be. This might be the first in a series but stands alone with no real cliff hangers at the end. SPOILER ALERT : Don't get too attached to Hannibal.½

Note: I started this book in March, but had to set it aside for other priorities. I was able to pick back up without a hitch.
This is the definition of rollicking adventure. In every way the story spins on the chase. The reader is drawn in by the narrator and becomes witness to the violence, determination, vengeance and frivolity of life as a pirate on the high seas. Turning away from the usual pirate tale, the captain is a is a woman. She bargains with the narrator, a captured chef, to produce gourmet meals for her as a way of saving his life---think Scheherazade. The author's vivid descriptions of the world of the seafaring bandits is somewhere between poetic and flowery, but much appreciated by this reader. All in all a fun read. Thanks to Strong Sense of Place podcast (https://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts) for the recommendation!

In an alternate 19th century history, where these items called "oddities" exist, small trinkets that have some magical ability, and which are fought over by varying factions, the main character, Clover, doesn't know much about her past, but knows her mother died from collecting them. She is forced to travel to an oddity collector, and has adventures along the way.

This book is written for the YA crowd but is thoroughly enjoyable by adults. The characters are easy to fall in love with. I particularly like the depth that the author brings to the characters. No one is solely "good" or "bad." The plot is fast-moving and engaging, with great twists, funny where it's supposed to be, and serious when necessary.

Overall an engaging, fun read.

This is a world in which both the Civil War and the Louisiana Purchase hasn’t happened, and magical items abound. My oh my what a wild ride. Dramatic imagery and dangerous situations throughout.

Thanks to Library Thing for an ARC. I can honestly say that I did not realize from reading the blurb on this book that it was middle school or YA, silly of me yes, but as it happens, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not saying that I would not have enjoyed if I had known, but I might have been less likely to request it, and that would have been my loss. I am not completely sure how best to describe it, but alternate history comes to mind and fantasy of course. The characters were endearing, the plot engaging and the oddities inventive. The world building was thorough and I hope that another adventure will be forthcoming. I loved Susanna the most and I know if I had read this at the same age of the main characters I would have been totally entranced. Librarians, get this one for your shelves!!

This one is immediately hitting my favorite middle grade reads list for 2021. There are simply so many wonderful aspects at every twist and turn: the writing sits, the pacing sits, the characters are amazing, tension is high, and imagination fills every page. In other words, this one has everything needed to make an amazing middle grade read.

Clover works with her very talented father and travels the border areas of the United States around the time period of the Louisiana Purchase to heal, whoever is in need. Clover is clever and hard working, and has become a noteworthy physician herself even at a young age. But there's one thing her father refuses to teach her or even talk about: Oddities. These magical objects are hidden through-out the world and caused her mother's death. But Clover secretly is more than curious about the Oddities, and when she stumbles across one left in the brush, she's over-joyed. But it's exactly these Oddities which are about to turn her world upside-down.

The idea of Oddities caught my attention right away: a tea pot always pouring hot tea, a rag doll coming to life, a hat to steal all secrets stored in someone's head...the imagination is endless, and this tale lets exactly that soar. We meet Clover right smack-dab in her life as her father's assistant. Her life isn't easy, and while she does have a whimper or two about some aspects, she's proud of him and the job they both perform. Her respect for her father is inspiring, and from her thoughts, it's clear she sees the world through pretty realistic and down-to-earth eyes. She does dream, too, but her asperations are nothing extreme. Add the sad death of her mother, and she's definitely a character root for all the way through. But then, all of the characters in this one are rich and carry enough quirks and corners to make them more than interesting.

This is one of those reads which is hard to put down. Right away, Clover is thrust into an exciting adventure. It's impossible to guess what will come next and what dangers she'll have to face. And there are tons of those. Here, I'll put in a little warning for those more sensitive readers. Clover's adventure is definitely not an easy one, and the evil she's up against shows no mercy. There are several darker moments as vermin are sewn together, deadly shots are fired, and dark creatures attack. None of this is out of range for the middle grade audience, though.

Most importantly, Clover finds the meaning of friendship and family along the way. There is hope even in the darkest corners, and surprises make it clear that not everything is as awful as it might seem (although many things are truly terrible). It's a lovely round-up for an exciting read, and one I can highly recommend.

Clover has been raised by her doctor father, left motherless by a tragic accident. She is fascinated by "oddities", especially since her late mother was a well known collector but her father believes she should leave them strictly alone. Then Clover's father is killed and she embarks on an adventure to preserve the "oddity" her father entrusted to her. The tale of self discovery and bringing peace to her own family history is full of twists and turns and near escapes.

I overall enjoyed the experience of reading this book, while at the same time I had a hard time really categorizing it. There's a little more violence and death here than I would expect in a book for younger readers, but the writing style feels younger than YA. This is a coming of age story of a young girl in a very alternate US south who finds herself alone and on the run, puts together a group of misfit allies, and ends up going off to save the world (or at least this corner of it). There's hints of lots of broader stories in here too, but the heart of the book is a much more personal story. As a fan of Warehouse 13, I also really enjoyed the enchanted objects in here, though I wish the book had done more with them. On the whole I did enjoy this book, but it didn't leave me wanting more of it.½

I'm giving Oddity 3 stars. It's an interesting premise (think of a Warehouse 13 story for kids without much historical information about the oddity), sitting on the border between junior fiction and young adult. The fantasy side of it and the violence puts it in the YA genre, but I've found lately that good YA novels are more sophisticated in the writing than this, which makes it hover on the JF side. The character development was slow in the beginning and I didn't really feel into the characters until Part 2. I had hoped for more meat than what this offers. Not a tale for the younger junior fiction readers.

A quick summary: It's a time when certain objects have special powers. A young girl get caught up in the efforts of powerful people trying to get amass all of them.

Novel reads like a frightening fairy tale. Clover helps her doctor father heal people. But she wants to know about her mother and the oddities she collected. After he is killed by bandits believing he had useful oddities, Clover has to run and hide. She believes the oddity bandits are hunting are hidden in the medical bag her father pushed to her as he was attacked. She looks through the bag and finds no oddities just his medical tools and supplies, and a watch.

Clover's insane adventures begin. And there are a muddled many. Ok, here's what I think. The plot and writing are fine. But the pace for a novel is too frenetic; might work for short story. Clover seems never to eat, sleep or bathe. The significance of this is that Brown doesn't give her time to process and absorb the madness going on around her.

I feel Brown has taken small bits and large pieces from other children's books; the mad characters and potions from Alice in Wonderland, the frozen tundra from The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, Smelt seems awfully similar to The Hobbit's Golum, and the journey to the mine in the mountain to find the seamstress is similar to the journey in The Hobbit as well. Smelt's hat, could that be from the Harry Potter series?, Clover locked up in small cage appears similar to the Hansel and Gretel story in which Hansel is caged by the forest witch & Gretel nearly is roasted in her oven. And Nessa's travelling wagon and her scam remedy reminds me, of course, of the medicine man's wagon in The Wizard of Oz. And there are probably other bits I haven't connected yet. If and when I do, I hope I remember to revisit this review and update it. I would have preferred something totally original, of course. So while this book is definitely imaginative and readable, I doubt it will end up a children's classic in any sense.

The story line about the goodness and integrity within Clover's father, the widow Henshaw, Nessa, and of course in Clover. Her ability to recognize hypocrisy, racism and poverty in Louisiana, and the suffering they cause. And Clover's courageous efforts to prevent loss of life in an unneccessary war promoted by a power-hungry politician is wonderful.

I believe there is also a strong message in Oddity against folks dangerously fooling around with technology and science, trying to change the nature of our world.

You will need to read this book to fully understand what an oddity is.

Oddity is at times a really fun book, but at other times it’s a bit of a rambling story. I was sucked in at the beginning, but as the tale wore on, I got a bit bored. It’s also on the longer end for middle grade novels, and considering the violence and implied violence, I would recommend Oddity to older middle grade to young adult readers who are interested in something strange and interesting.

I requested this ARC because the concept of Oddities fascinated me immediately. Does anyone remember the SyFy show Warehouse 13? The concept of Oddities is just like the artifacts in Warehouse 13, and I was fascinated to learn more about the magic, history, and mythology woven into these objects. There was some of this, though there were a limited number of Oddities (in all fairness, there were never going to be enough to sate my curiosity – I love magical objects like these). I thought Brown did a decent job describing the magic in this world, and while it isn’t entirely unique, it’s a flavor we don’t see often. I enjoyed that.

I also felt that the characters were well flushed out. In middle grade novels, depth of character is hit or miss, to the point where I’ve come to expect a “miss”. Oddity was a refreshing change from that, with Clover’s journey driving her forward and a collection of mostly dishonest (but loveable) characters urging the story forward. Susannah was easily my favorite character. Even the villains in this story were interesting and well-written, with their own histories and motivations. I love me some complex characters.

For me, the pacing was a little slow, and I felt like Brown started to be repetitive about the functions of individual Oddities, and Clover’s personal drive. I think the book could have been tightened up a little bit to create a better reading experience. The plot itself moved along, but there some repetitive explanations and some emotional cycling that didn’t add to the story and made scenes drag out.

The one other thing I would like to mention is that Oddity takes place in the American west. Westerns are traditionally fraught with problematic elements, and unfortunately, Oddity is no exception. There’s a couple mentions of slavery and we learn that Clover was basically raised by a Black woman, perpetuating the “Black nanny” stereotype. I didn’t realize the character was Black until there was an illustration and brief comment later in the book. Additionally, the Native people in Oddity are constantly referred to as “Indians” and there are a couple scenes with Native people in them that I feel were not handled well. They weren’t handled poorly, per se, but once again Brown fell into stereotypes. It was really unfortunate because these elements were not at all essential to the story and added a bit of a sour taste because of their handling.

As a whole, the book was fun and creative and as a whole, I enjoyed my experience reading it. However, the poorly handled rep turned me a bit off the story. I also want to acknowledge that as far as middle grade novels go, Oddity is pretty dark, so please take that into consideration before offering it to a middle grade reader. The writing is also pretty simple, as is often the case with MG books so that is not a criticism, just a fact.

Since this was only an ARC, please note that some of the elements I found concerning may be addressed before full publication. If they are, it would make Oddity is a book I would have loved when I was younger. As it stands, it needs a little work.½

What a lucky find this was! A male chef is kidnapped by a female pirate captain and forced to cook a meal for the captain every Sunday using only what he can find in the provisions on the ship to save his life. I was moved to tears by the writing more than once and laughed out loud.

Pirates and gourmet cooking? This is Games of Thrones meets Pirates of the Caribbean - with Gordon Ramsey as chef. In 1819 famed chef Owen Wedgwood is kidnapped by a red-haired tempestuous pirate queen. He must cook her an exquisite meal every Sunday or lose his life. The catch? Meager food supplies and an ill-equipped kitchen on her ship The Flying Rose. Juxtaposing the drama of creating gourmet meals from practically nothing is the excitement of pirate raids on trading vessels, defending themselves against a saboteur, a deadly privateer, and the many escape attempts by chef Wedgwood. Lots of blood and gory injuries from cannonballs and swords. Our book group was inspired to dress like pirates and hold a potluck inspired by the ingredients in this original novel.

I discovered his book accidentally, browsing through Goodreads. I am VERY happy that I did!
The story of notorious lady pirate "Mad" Hannah Mabbot, and her war against a British trading company name Pendleton. In the process she kidnaps a chef and away they go to sea.
I don't want to give away too much, bu I will say this book is fabulous. Read it!