Interesting fact: the book was previously printed under the title of ‘Freaks’. The little details that fill each chapter are great for discussion about the past. Mudlarks (folk who trawl the Thames for anything of value) play a huge role in the tale.
The historical setting allows the author to show a side of London not often explored in schools. The action is so well written and with kidnappings, fights, mechanical monsters and a heist to name just a few of the events, there is plenty of opportunity to be thrilled throughout the book. This leads to a case far, far bigger than any of them can imagine. Things begin to take a turn towards the interesting when Sheba and her friends are asked to find a missing child. My personal favourite character is Plumpscuttle the freakshow owner, more due to his overall laziness and lack of effort in anything other than eating. The ninja like Sister Moon, Mama Rat, Monkeyboy and budding writer Gigantus make up the rest of the crimefighters. Larwood has a talent for creating memorable characters and this book is filled with them. Our eyes, ears and nose to this strangest of worlds is Sheba, a young wolf girl, who arrives in London and is totally over-whelmed by big city life. The Peculiars of the title are a rag tag bunch of unfortunate freakshow folk who become entangled in a crime that no one seems to have even noticed, let alone care about solving. A touch of steampunk and several allusions to Oliver Twist round the story out nicely, and fans of historical fiction, adventure, and even fantasy will find this hard to put down.Kieran Larwood has made a fantastic fantasy world with Podkin, but before that he took to the real streets of London Town to engage us all with the adventures of a freakshow. The malodorous milieu makes an excellent backdrop for nefarious doings and narrow escapes, both of which make plenty of appearances in this fast-paced adventure through the back-alleys of London. It's if anything even more atmospheric, however, and the filthy streets, mucky river, and decaying wharfs make a perfectly gothic setting. This is an unromanticized version of Victorian London in fact, it's downright rank, as it's described mostly via the findings of Sheba's keen nose.
Putting their peculiar talents to good use, Sheba and her friends track down the culprits behind the disappearances, only to discover they may provide a link to Sheba's mysterious past. Soon, though, news reaches the group that street children are disappearing down near the river. Despite their abnormalities, Mama Rat, Gigantus, Sister Moon, and Monkeyboy all welcome Sheba and she begins to settle into the milieu of Victorian London.
After being sold from one abusive freak-show owner to another, Sheba the Wolf Girl is pleasantly surprised to find camaraderie amongst her fellow freaks in her latest stint with Plumpscuttle's Peculiars.
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