Alright its kind of super long (has to be 5 par. essay) but im sure youll manage hahaha. Also, in middle of Drowned Wednesday, very good. Pick it up at whatever weird place you collage kids get books and read it! It was like midnight by last 2 paragraphs of this thing but I still think they're pretty good.
Kiera Wolfe 23 Deer Run Drive
Periods 4-5 Clarksburg, NJ 08510
3/16/10 March 23, 2010
Dear Future Sixth Grader,
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. By definition, these are the words that we use in everyday human society to describe and define the days of the week. Monday in particular means “the moons day”, a day sacred to the various goddesses of the moon in many different cultures. But this seemingly simple word is looked at it a whole new light in the book Mister Monday by Garth Nix. This book is an intriguing fantasy that I would recommend to anyone because of its inspiring characters, ingenious setting, and breathtaking plot. You think of something bland and uninteresting when you see this simple title; but the attention-grabbing alliteration hints at the true awe-inspiring creativity and fresh imagination imbedded in this amazing read.
What is one of the most important and vital components in a successful book? A super squad of dynamic and relatable characters! The protagonist and first fly on this well spun web of a tale is Arthur Penhaligon. Arthur is a regular boy just like you and me, who is extremely easy to relate to. He is an adopted, asthmatic, and sarcastic teen boy. His reactions to situations are extremely similar to ones that any average child would have. When you read a book about a superhero or a god it is interesting to think about what you would do if you had their talents but you know it would never be possible. When you read about Arthur and his adventures, you can really imagine yourself in his place, bringing your reading experience to a richer and more refined level. “He (Arthur) couldn’t believe that he was in this situation. He was supposed to be some sort of hero, going up against Mister Monday, and here he was without any pants on … Surely no real hero would end up in this predicament. (Nix,137)” Can’t you imagine yourself in this situation? Thinking of this exact thing? Also, this character brings an element of humor that further improves the literary experience.
Another character intertwined in the web of Mr. Nix’s tale is Suzy Turquoise Blue, a fresh and spunky girl who lives in the main setting of the book. The setting is complex and imaginative, and In Garth Nix’s story, there are two basic settings; The House and the Secondary Realms. The Secondary Realms are the world in which we live, and others that are similar. Arthur lives in Britain (Garth Nix’s home place). The House is the center of everything, and the people that reside there live outside of the realms of time. Suzy lives in the lower part of the house, where people are incessantly running around with paper, papyrus, letters, writing, and anything that in anyway relates to type. Ms. Blue is an Ink Filler, 5th class. She has blonde hair and wears an odd assortment of mismatched and oversized clothing from different time periods that wash into the house like the water onto the shore. She has lived in the house for an indescribably long time. Back in the beginning of the house, Suzy and other children living in past time periods (Suzy is originally from the time of the Black Plague) followed a mysterious Piper that led them into the maze-like walls of the house and they haven’t found their way out since. They sit with other slave-like Denizens, serving the rulers of the house. There are 7 people that rule the house and each represent a day of the week. They are extremely corrupt and are constantly fighting with each other over ownership of the different parts of the house. The setting of this book is very important because it is the place that all of the Days are fighting over. They all want to rule the entire house, and become all powerful, ruling all of the Secondary Realms. Can Arthur stop them?
The plot of this book is simply extravagant, holding you captive until you must put it down. You begin with some chapters dedicated to describing Arthur and his massive adoptive family. But after this there is some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that Arthur is destined to die. The good news is that he doesn’t. Mister Monday (the first Day that rules over the lower portion of the house) arrives at the scene where Arthur is gasping from his asthma attack, induced by making him run the mile in Gym class. He gives Arthur the Minute Hand of the First Key to the Kingdom (the House) after being tricked by his butler. Later, you realize that Mister Monday’s butler was under the influence of The Will. The Will is yet another character in this story, yet it is also an object. You see, when the Architect (or creator) created the House and Secondary Realms at the beginning of time, she composed a Will like one you or I will create. A document that was supposed to enforce her (yes, HER) wants after she died. One of the rules in her will stated that after a certain amount of time, the rulers of the house would pass down their power to a mortal heir from the Secondary Realms (a.k.a. Arthur). The Will was broken up into seven parts and never enforced. So Part One (passages 1-5) of the will broke free and resumed in helping Arthur. The Will is a haughty and arrogant it believes that “Charity is a very labor intensive virtue (Nix, 170u)” So, the Will convinced Mister Monday to give the Key to Arthur (tricking him into thinking there was a loophole in the Architect’s Will) and it immediately heals Arthur to a point where he barely even has asthma anymore. Later that day, a horde of mysterious beings appear and spread a disease or plague that starts to affect residents of his Arthur’s town. Arthur panics, but then realizes he also received a book with the Key, upon opening it, he finds the locations of the House, and realizes that there is a possibility of a cure inside. Arthur finds the house, enters it, and meets Ms. Suzy Blue and the Will. Arthur explores the house with Suzy and part one of the Will, facing many dangers and predicaments. The Will assures him that he is the one that must inherit all the Keys of the Kingdom of which there are seven. (One for each of the Days) In the end, Arthur prevails by finding and defeating Mister Monday and inheriting the first of the Keys, making him Master of The Lower House. (Although “Monday” should be his title, to avoid confusion Mr. Nix refers the previous, overthrown, Monday as Monday and Arthur still as Arthur)
In conclusion, I believe that the book Mister Monday by Garth Nix is an intriguing fantasy that I would recommend to anyone because of its inspiring characters, imaginative setting, and awe-inspiring plot. It is one of my new favorite books, and I keep liking the series more and more after reading of Arthur’s contact with Grim Tuesday, and Drowned Wednesday. So find this book at your local library and start cracking!
Yours Truly,
Kiera Wolfe
