For readers who love a thrilling mystery, this book plunges a young hero into a dangerous time-travel adventure where trust is scarce and finding family is key.
A parent might reach for this book when their child feels lost in a new environment or is facing a challenge that feels too big to handle alone. The Curse of the Midions follows Jarvey, a boy whose parents suddenly vanish during a trip to London. A magical book then throws him into a dangerous, alternate version of the city, where he must rely on a streetwise gang of orphans to survive and find his way home. This fast-paced fantasy adventure explores deep feelings of fear, loneliness, and the struggle to find belonging. It's a great choice for middle-grade readers who love a good mystery, as it thoughtfully models resilience and the courage it takes to trust others when you feel completely on your own.
The story is driven by the protagonist's parents being missing and features a gang of orphans.
Sensitive Topics
The central conflict is parental disappearance, which is treated as a frightening and urgent mystery. The approach is direct and secular, driving the plot forward. The resolution is hopeful, as finding his parents is Jarvey's ultimate goal. The book also depicts the harsh reality of orphans living in poverty on the streets, but it focuses on their resilience and community rather than graphic suffering.
Ideal Reader
This book is perfect for a 10- to 12-year-old who devours portal fantasies and magical mysteries. They enjoy high-stakes adventure, like in the Percy Jackson or Fablehaven series, and appreciate a resourceful protagonist who has to think their way out of trouble. This reader is comfortable with sustained peril and enjoys stories about kids forming their own 'found families' to survive against the odds.
Parent Prep
The book can be read cold. A parent should be aware that the theme of missing parents is constant and drives the entire plot, which could be a trigger for a child with separation anxiety. The depiction of life on the streets is gritty but age-appropriate, with a focus on teamwork and survival rather than bleakness. A parent has noticed their child feeling overwhelmed by a new school or neighborhood, or expressing fears about being separated from family. The child might also just be asking for a thrilling, magical adventure story that isn't too dark but still has real stakes.
Age Experience
A younger reader (9-10) will be captivated by the magic, the secret city of Lunnon, and the page-turning adventure. They will see it as a straightforward quest story. An older reader (11-12) will better appreciate the psychological elements: Jarvey's internal struggle with trust versus desperation, the moral complexities of Gwinnet's character, and the theme of finding strength and belonging outside of a traditional family structure.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many portal fantasies that transport a character to a purely magical realm, this book's setting, 'Lunnon,' is a unique and unsettling mirror of a real place. This creates a distinct Dickensian-fantasy atmosphere. The focus on the social dynamics and trust issues within a gang of orphans also gives it more psychological depth than a typical magical quest story.
Read plot summary
Twelve-year-old Jarvey Midion accompanies his parents to London for the reading of a distant relative's will. When his parents mysteriously disappear from their hotel, Jarvey discovers a powerful, magical book called the Grimoire. Interacting with it transports him to Lunnon, a grim, quasi-Victorian alternate version of London. Alone and hunted, he falls in with the Free Folk, a gang of resourceful orphans led by the charismatic Gwinnet. Jarvey must navigate the dangerous streets of Lunnon, decide whether he can trust Gwinnet's offer to help him use the Grimoire to get home, and uncover the mystery of his family's connection to the magical tome.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Gwinnet and the Free Folk have their own set of rules for surviving in Lunnon. Which of their rules did you think was smartest? Would you be able to follow their rules if you were in Jarvey's situation?
2
Jarvey constantly has to decide whether or not to trust Gwinnet. What was the moment in the story where you, as the reader, decided you could (or could not) trust her? What clues led you to that decision?
3
The Grimoire is a very powerful and dangerous book. If you could ask it to take you to one time or place in history, where would you go and why, even knowing the risks?
4
Jarvey starts the story as a regular kid and ends it as a brave survivor. What key event do you think changed him the most? How did his experiences in Lunnon help him find his courage?
