Twelve-year old Tom is desperate to escape from Weatherly, the abusive orphanage where he lives with over fifty other children. He’s forced to work all day and only gets one meal to boot, two when he’s lucky. But Tom won’t leave without his best friend Sarah.
One day while the owners of the orphanage are trying to convince Tom to tell them which of the children recently broke the rules, they tell him something that changes his life. That his parents are still alive.
Tom knows that the time has come for him and Sarah to leave. Armed with only one hint to find his family, the name “Britfield”, Tom plans a daring escape.
So begins an adventurous chase all over England that involves hot-air balloons, Oxford professors, and brilliant Scotland Yard detectives.
When I started this book a couple of days ago, I knew by a few pages in that I was going to like it. By the time I had read the beginning I was completely hooked—by the end I was left with a huge grin on my face.
The first book in a seven-book series written by C. R. Stewart, Britfield & the Lost Crown is one of the best books I have read this year. I learned so much about England that I had never known before, and the story gave you a tour all over England. The characters were real and relatable, and the story was unexpected, well-written, and had brilliant twists. One of the reveals at the end left me with my jaw open saying “No way” out loud. (I particularly loved C. R. Stewarts vivid and concise descriptions throughout the course of the story).
Interestingly, C. R. Stewart published these books himself. I was able to find the first book in the series on audio on Hoopla, but unfortunately I can’t find the next two that have been released. I can’t recommend the rest of the series, a. Because I haven’t read it yet, b. Because not all of it has been released yet. But this first book has certainly got me interested, and I plan on buying the next book in the series if I can’t find it anywhere else.
The only content concerns for this book would be a couple of words that, though considered mild swear words in the U.S, are not considered offensive in the UK.
I highly recommend this book. Those of you who love England, history, adventure, and middle-grade books will love it.
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