Every Hidden Thing
ISBN13
9781910989579
Review published
25/02/2017
By Reviewer
Sue
Star Rating
By Author / Illustrator
Kenneth Oppel
Age range(s)
11+
Review
Samuel Bolt has spent his whole life surrounded by bones. His father is a paleontologist, but lacks the respect of those backed by the establishment - like Professor Cartland. Cartland's daughter, Rachel, is also part of this world, yet society frowns on her inclusion and ambitions to go to university. Their worlds collide as their fathers chase the same specimin - the owner of a huge tooth. With such high stakes and intense rivalry, their developing friendship looks unlikely to succeed. 'Romeo and Juliet' in the Wild West with dinosaurs! Every Hidden Thing certainly ranks amongst the most original books that I have ever read. The 'wild west' setting is obviously well researched and convincingly portrayed. 'The dusty throughfare was treeless. The town looked lie it was making things up as it went along. Buildings of wood, buildings of canvas, empty lots marked out with stakes. Horse manure mingled with the sweet scent of fresh-milled wood...' The work of early paleontologists is celebrated and details of the digs are incorporated seemlessly into the story. Tension between the different factions helps develop the sense of adventure and the urgency of the rivals to uncover the 'rex' first. Told in the alternating voices of Samuel and Rachel, the story is also built around their relationship and place in the social order of the time. They are very different characters - he impulsive and naive, she reserved and calculating - both rebelling against the social expectations of the time. The physical side of their relationship is dealt with in some detail which makes this a read for an older audience. Perfectly named as the reader discovers many 'hidden things' along the way, this is an original, enjoyable adventure story. 368 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher.
