Book Review of The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Hugo and the book

Hugo and Isabelle in one of the illustrations

  The Invention of Hugo Cabret  by Brian Selznick is a great book that keeps you guessing to the end!! Hugo Cabret is an orphan, a tinker, a clock-worker...and a thief living in a Paris train station in 1931. Always on the run from the stationmaster who will kick him out if he finds out the truth- that the "man" who runs the clocks is a twelve-year old boy living in the clock worker's apartment. When Hugo's father died, Hugo was sent to live with his uncle, a clock worker. But when his uncle leaves him all alone,Hugo must find a way to survive- and a way to repair the mysterious automaton (a mechanical man) his father leaves behind. With no way to buy tools, Hugo steals windup toys  from a grumpy old man. Together the old man's ward, Isabelle, and Hugo discover an age-old secret, resulting in mystery, wonder, and magical movies!! The book has 264 full page illustrations that are astounding and in great detail. I give this book 5 stars.