Christine (luvmygem) - reviewed on 12/31/2009 + 86 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

This is a novel about what happens to Tim Cratchit, 'Tiny Tim", as a young adult living in mid-19th century London. The story line is very interesting - Tim is a grown man, trying to make a living on his own while also trying to distance himself from his longtime benefactor, "Uncle" Ebenezer Scrooge, after the death of Bob Cratchit. Rather than a polished fantasy, you find that while the Cratchit family's fortunes improve after Scrooge's change of heart, a dose of realism is inserted in that not everyone lives happily ever after. Tim himself is somewhat haunted by his past as he eeks his way through the underbelly of 1860's London, trying to make a living and find purpose in life. The depiction of life in that era is fascinating - raw and realistic, you really get a feel for what it must have been like during that time. Part of the story delves into the subject of the child sex trade, which to me felt just a bit too gratuitous. This novel could have been just as effective without pursuing this specific storyline, but it still was an interesting book. AT first I found it a bit difficult to get into, but in the end I actually read the entire book in one day, and it is one that I will remember as it really stirs the imagination.

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