‘Everyone said she had a lovely head of hair. This is the story of Sheba, a ‘wolf-girl’ who is part of Grunchgirdle’s very small, shabby travelling freakshow. Well, you’ll find all that in Kieran Larwood’s debut novel (now republished), with added friendship, escapades and dung pellets. Want a tale of hair-raising adventure, a smattering of steam-punk inventions, a break-in to The Crystal Palace, a quick look at the Great Exhibition of 1851 (in the dark), get your hands on Faraday’s machine and even see the Ko-i-Nor diamond? Minor warning of some ‘rude’ language like fart due to Monkeyboy’s antics.Fancy reading a story about a Victorian freakshow? Likewise, Chapter 4 – which has more importance to the over all story – can be used as an excellent short story for building unnerving terror. Chapter 8 is a fantastic ‘tale’ about Barnabus Bilge and his close shave with kidnap.

However, what stood out for me as an awesome way to use the book is down to the fact that certain chapters read like short, stand alone stories. Real places are described that are still there today making this great as a pre-London trip text for anyone making the journey to the big smoke with excitable kids. Not only does it paint a vivid picture of London at the time – all sewage and poverty – it also manages to build a geographical understanding for the capital. 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. 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.

Freaks by kieran larwood