71. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. Jonathan Auxier. 2011. Abrams. 397 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, j fantasy, mg fantasy, coming of age, quest]
First sentence: Now, for those of you who know anything about blind children, you are
aware that they make the very best thieves. As you can well imagine,
blind children have incredible senses of smell, and they can tell what
lies behind a locked door--be it fine cloth, gold, or peanut brittle--at
fifty paces. Moreover their fingers are small enough to slip right
through keyholes, and their eyes keen enough to detect the faintest
clicks and clacks of every moving part inside even the most complicated
lock. Of course, the age of great thievery has long since passed; today
there are few child-thieves left, blind or otherwise. At one time,
however, the world was simply thick with them. This is the story of the
greatest thief who ever lived. His name, as you've probably guessed, is
Peter Nimble.
Premise/plot: Who is Peter Nimble? Who are his parents? Where did he come from? What
does Peter know about his past--if anything? What do readers know about
his past? Yes, he's an orphan who raised himself on the streets. Yes,
he's a thief by necessity and manipulation. (Peter "being taken care of"
by Mr. Seamus.) But is he destined for more than that? What does his
future hold for him?
My thoughts: Did I enjoy reading Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes? Yes. Definitely. Or rereading as the case may be. There are two more books in the series--one a reread for me, Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard--and one BRAND NEW, JUST RELEASED. I think--if memory serves--I enjoyed the Sophie Quire book MORE than this first book. That's not to say I didn't like it. I did. I just didn't love it.
I liked Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes because it is a fantasy, a grand old-fashioned fantasy. The concept of his "fantastic eyes" is just intriguing. Pairs of magical "eyes" that he can put in and take out that do unusual, fantastic things--though not without risk and danger! And the adventure he lands in and the people he meets...it's just a compelling story, one that's easy to recommend.
© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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