What Mumsnetters thought of children's book Cogheart by Peter Bunzl

[SorchaMumsnet]

Cogheart is a Victorian adventure filled with murder, mystery, mayhem and a dash of steampunk. Head to the giveaway page to apply for your copy!

When Lily's father disappears after a routine Zeppelin flight, she is determined to find out what happened. Helped by her friends - the local clockmaker's son, and a wily mechanical fox - she must travel to London to get to the heart of the mystery.

Readers aged 9+ will love this inventive tale - apply for one of 50 free copies of Cogheart by Peter Bunzl now.

We ask all winners to share their thoughts (and their children's thoughts) about the book on this discussion thread. However, you don't have to win a free copy to take part in the discussion - anyone who has read Cogheart can post their feedback here (and you can buy the book now).

Everyone who posts on this thread before 21 October will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 Love2shop voucher.

This giveaway is sponsored by Usbourne

Borrowed from a friend who loved it, and was loved here too. It's not what she would normally read so I wasn't sure but the recommendation from her friend was enough to get her started and once she started she really got in to it.

It was actually that good that she said she would now consider reading more adventure type books

My little boy is only 4 years old so a little young for this book at the moment - however that hasn't stopped me from reading it myself! I must say I really enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to reading this again when my little boy is old enough - will definitely keep an eye out for more titles in this series!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were likeable and I felt you could relate to them easily. Lily was a great heroine, brave but caring, just the kind of character I want my daughter to read about.
Once I'd got my head round the existence of mechanicals, the story raced along and was very gripping. The story introduced some pretty big themes, loss, organ transplant, betrayal, wishes after death, but it handled them well and age appropriately. I really enjoyed it and I'm handing it on to my niece who I'm sure will love it too.

Thank you for the copy of Cogheart. A lovely story set in a steampunk Victorian England, awash with dirigibles and mechanical people and animals. Lily's father is missing, presumed dead, but when Lily receives a message from her pet mechanical fox Malkin, she realises that all is not as it seems. She sets out on a mission to find the truth, with Robert, the clockmaker's son, and Malkin. This story has all the elements of a children's book you'd expect: heroes, villains, adventure and daring - but the author doesn't shy away from deeper themes or grey characters. No endlessly sunny dispositions for our protagonists here! Lily, whilst brave and determined, can also be reckless and rash. Robert is kind and sweet, but unsure of himself to begin with, and in need of a shove to get started in life. Malkin (my personal favourite), is clever, witty, and somewhat bad-tempered.

Peter Bunzl tackles his themes head-on, good and bad, with a favourable ratio of the two: enough positives to make it a happy story overall, but not avoiding deeper issues either.
The world-building was lovely, you really got a sense of this alternate Victorian England. Unusual enough to spark interest, but not so alien that the you couldn't identify with it. All in all, very well done!

My son has nearly finished this book now and it has really kept his interest he says it's a good story and interesting characters

Perfect book for my 11-year-old son. He loved the historical settings, the twisty plot and, most of all, the mechanical machines. We have three pets, and my son was excited by the idea of a different sort of pet.
We will certainly be looking up more books by this author.

My 10-year-old son loved reading his copy of Cogheart! He said the mystery and danger elements made the book intriguing to read and he couldn't wait to find out how it all turned out. As he loved the book so much, I was looking into Peter Bunzl's other books but it turns out Cogheart was his debut novel! More, please!!!

Cogheart was one of the best books that I have read for a while and this was confirmed by my eldest daughter when she read it. Lily was a strong heroine for her who overcame many issues and she also loved the fact that it was set in a different era and so learnt whilst she was reading. I will be looking out for further books that this author might write.

Loving this. A really original and unusual idea. I like the way the mechs are portrayed as more feeling than the human baddies. Looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds. My 10 year old DS will get next read of it.

Thank you for our complimentary copy of Cogheart; my daughter aged 7 loved this book and it has got her into the thriller/adventure genre. She liked the way that at first there were two different scenes and then they joined into one. She has leant this to her friend who is also really enjoying it. The twists and turns where exciting and scary which made it hard to put down at times. She cannot wait for the Bunzl's new book "Moonlocket" to come out next year!

Thanks for this book Mumsnet - it's very good. Unfortunately it arrived while I was away on holiday, & by the time I had a chance to sit down & read it I'd missed the deadline.

I'm something of a steampunk fan and wasn't sure if this sort of mash-up would work in a children's book, but this is brilliant. I shall give it to my 11-year-old GS and hope he enjoys it as much as I have. It's certainly the sort of adventure story he enjoys, as long as the quasi-Victorian setting doesn't put him off!

The story has excitement and thrills and a great stepping stone into an adult thriller .The book is packed with different and somewhat likeable characters although you can't help feeling Robert got the raw deal. My
11 year old was enthralled.