For the young reader who loves strange, gothic tales and characters who feel delightfully out of place, this book explores finding your identity amidst peculiar family secrets.
When your imaginative child feels like the odd one out, even within your own family, Heap House offers a wonderfully weird world where being different is a strength. This gothic fantasy introduces Clod Iremonger, a boy living in a sprawling mansion made of trash, whose family members are each "born" from a specific object they must carry forever. Clod is an outcast because he can hear the objects whispering secrets. He soon discovers his family's history is darker and stranger than he ever imagined. This book is a fantastic choice for readers aged 10-14 who are drawn to the peculiar and mysterious, reminiscent of Tim Burton or Roald Dahl. It thoughtfully explores themes of identity, loneliness, and the courage it takes to question tradition. While it contains some unsettling scenes and a melancholic tone, it's a brilliant story that champions curiosity and the power of seeing the world in a unique way. It is the first book in The Iremonger Trilogy.
Characters are in danger from the oppressive family and a mysterious, mind-altering sickness.
Sad ThemesMild
Strong themes of loneliness, being an outcast, feeling trapped, and family secrets.
Sensitive Topics
The book deals metaphorically with loss of identity and personhood. The "sickness" involves characters losing their minds and memories, which can be unsettling. This is handled as a gothic mystery, not a realistic depiction of illness. The resolution of this first book is a cliffhanger, leaving the main conflicts ambiguous but with the protagonist beginning a hopeful journey of resistance.
Ideal Reader
A thoughtful 11 to 13-year-old who loves atmospheric, deeply weird, and slightly dark stories like *Coraline* or *A Series of Unfortunate Events*. This reader enjoys intricate world-building, is not put off by a slower, character-driven pace, and appreciates a story with an unconventional, artistic style.
Parent Prep
Parents should know this is the first book in a trilogy that ends on a major cliffhanger. The world and its rules are bizarre, but the author explains them well. The book's unique atmosphere, enhanced by the author's own illustrations, is its key feature. It can be read cold, but setting the expectation of a strange, slow-burn mystery is helpful. A parent notices their child is drawn to quirky, melancholic, or gothic stories and art (Tim Burton is a common favorite). The child might express feelings of being different or not quite fitting in, even with their loved ones.
Age Experience
A younger reader (10-11) will likely focus on the adventure plot, the mystery of the whispering objects, and Clod's friendship with Lucy. They may find the strange relatives and the concept of people getting "lost" quite scary. An older reader (12-14) will better appreciate the sophisticated themes of social class, conformity vs. individuality, and the oppressive weight of family history.
What Makes It Special
Its remarkable originality in world-building and its cohesive artistic vision. The concept of people being born from objects is wholly unique. Furthermore, the author's own cross-hatch illustrations are integral to the book's identity, creating a singular, immersive, and wonderfully creepy reading experience that feels like a lost Victorian artifact.
Read plot summary
In a fantastical, quasi-Victorian London, the eccentric Iremonger family lives in Heap House, a mansion built in the center of the city's enormous rubbish heaps. Each family member is mystically tied to a "birth object." Young Clod Iremonger is an outcast because he possesses the forbidden ability to hear the objects whisper. When a girl from the Heaps, Lucy Pennant, is brought into the house as a servant, she and Clod form an unlikely friendship. Together they begin to unravel the dark secrets of the Iremonger family, the source of their wealth, and a mysterious sickness that causes people to become "lost" or "misplaced."
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Every Iremonger has a 'birth object'. If you had one, what do you think it would be and why? What does Clod's birth object, a universal bath plug, suggest about his personality or destiny?
2
Clod's ability to hear objects makes him an outcast. Why do you think the other Iremongers, especially his cousin Moorcus, are so afraid of this talent? Can you think of a time when a skill that seemed strange was actually a strength?
3
The author, Edward Carey, also drew the illustrations for the book. How did the pictures affect your reading experience? Did they make the characters and Heap House feel more real or more strange?
4
Compare the lives of the Iremongers inside Heap House to the lives of the 'filthies' like Lucy Pennant in the Heaps. In what ways is the grand house also a prison for its inhabitants?
