**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

If you love your classics or books about books this novel is for you!

Charley Sutherland – child prodigy, Oxford grad and now Dickensian university professor – has a secret. He can summon fictional characters from books into the real world.
Rob Sutherland – hot shot lawyer – loves his younger brother, but this particular talent of Charley’s has been the bane of Rob’s life for the past 26 years and he wouldn’t mind if it just disappeared.
When characters that have nothing to do with Charley start popping up around their home city, causing trouble and spreading a message about “a new world”, the two brothers come together to find out what is going on.

This was such a fun read. What I really liked was how this book was primarily told from Rob’s perspective and not another story narrated through the voice of ‘the chosen one’. Paired with Parry’s beautifully immersive writing, being led through the story by Rob – a somewhat outsider to all the magic – really enhanced the reading experience as it added to the feeling of being pulled along on the adventure too.

As you would expect the book is jam packed full of classical literary references and characters that you’re bound to have heard of, if not read about. I don’t want to give away too many of the book’s secrets but I will commend Parry’s imagination. The whole concept behind how the fictional characters were brought to life was brilliant! The family dynamics were also very well written.

Though I did catch on to a couple of the twists in the story before they occurred, the overall plot is one that will definitely keep you on your toes. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading Parry's future works.
Final Rating - 4.25/5 Stars

As a literature student, the 'book about a book' theme is something that I really enjoy. This theme and the portrayal of the intersection between literature and reality have been quite popular lately, with a number of high profile books being released own these categories and extensive coverage of many of them on social media.

With this in mind, Parry has created a world which feels at once comfortably familiar, but also refreshingly different. The character of Professor Charles Sutherland is the perfect balance of reader and critic, and it is the emphasis on literary criticism and interpretation which sets this book apart from others in the sub-genre. Less 'literary world comes to life' and more 'literary world is brought to life, most deliberately and with a great deal of thought.

The mystery element is a true harkening back to the Victorian detective novels referenced within, and the twists and revelations along the way were deeply engaging.

A truly spellbinding read.

My thanks to Little Brown Book Group U.K./Orbit for an eARC via NetGalley of H. R. Party’s ‘The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep’ in exchange for an honest review.

It was published on 23 January and as I started reading after this date I obtained its audiobook edition, expertly narrated by Calum Gittens, to listen alongside reading the eARC. His performance of its large cast of characters was brilliant.

Since Charley Sutherland first began to read he has had the extraordinary ability to bring characters from books into the real world. It’s a family secret only shared with his parents and his older brother, Rob. Charley tries to control his gift though it’s at times difficult.

Meanwhile Rob is a young lawyer with a normal life. He feels very protective of Charley, who has recently returned to Wellington to take up a professorship in the English Department of Prince Albert University.

The novel opens with Rob receiving a 4am phone call from a panicked Charley: “Uriah Heep’s loose on the ninth floor and I can’t catch him”. It isn’t the first time that Rob has had to help Charlie wrangle a fictional character back into their book and unlikely to be the last.

However, not long after this literary characters, including an alternative Uriah Heep, start popping up in Wellington and the brothers receive ominous warnings about the destruction of the world. It appears that there is another ‘Summoner’ out there and Charley and Rob are the only ones that can stop them.

This was a tour de force. Brilliantly plotted, fantastic characters, wonderful dialogue. Intelligent, witty, and exciting.

Along with a number of familiar names from English literature, including those from Dickens, Austen, and Conan-Doyle, popping up, Parry has created the delightful Millie Radcliffe-Dix.

Millie had been the lead in a 1930s-40s series of children’s adventures that Charley had been avidly reading when he was six. Millie is “an intrepid orphan, adopted by a wealthy family, who with her pet monkey Vernon battles pirates, smugglers, kidnappers, and thieves every summer.” She is delightfully plucky in a ‘jolly hockey stick and lashings of ginger beer’ way and her common sense makes her a wonderful ally for the brothers.

Aside from an exciting adventure, this novel also explores the bonds of family, especially between siblings.

I adored this so much and want to run around wildly encouraging everyone I know to read it.

I was delighted to see that her second novel is set to be published in the U.K. in June 2020. It is titled ‘A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians’, a historical fantasy set during the Enlightenment. I can hardly wait!

Well, we’ve all read about superheroes and their superpowers: being able to fly, being invisible, having superstrengths - but how about if you could materialise a character straight out of a book by simply reading it? This is the superpower of the gifted Dr Charley Sutherland, literary professor at Wellington Uni, much to the chagrin of his straight-laced lawyer brother Robert. Because those characters, once freed from the confines of “their” book, can be quite a handful. And, once freed from their books, where do they go? Is Charley the only “summoner” and IF there are others, could they have an ulterior motive for summoning?
At first I thought: what a great idea, then: surely this ought to be a children’s book plot, then: 11+ hours projected reading time...ouch! But then I settled down with it and time just flew by and a plethora of characters from Victorian BritLit appeared at the rate of knots. It helps if you know your Darcys, Heathcliffs, Dorians, Copperfields and Sherlocks - just dive in and enjoy!
A glorious love letter to reading.

Wow!! The book appealed to the adventure spirit in me. I loved the way it started, slowly unfurling the story of two brothers where Charley had the magical talent of bringing characters to life. Oh my!!

Charley's amazing talent meant that brother Rob had to help him out when the characters ran amok. One such character was Uriah Heep from David Copperfield, and that was the beginning of this wonderful adventure. And then another person with such a magic Lal talent was discovered. Now it was up to Rob and Charley to save the world.

My first book by author H. G. Perry, I was so delighted to meet all the literary characters. They made my heart dance. The wicked ones made me laugh in glee. They brought a spice to story especially when Uriah Heep escaped and they discovered things and places which were a secret.

Characters were familiar and varied, each found a perfect place in the book to uplift the story. The author had crafted a brilliant tale, so well seamed together that I felt I was on an adventure with these two. I could imagine the scenes easily, and that made the book come alive. The love between the brothers were palpable. A sense of family was embedded in the entire book.

The world around me disappeared, I ran along with Rob and Charley. I interacted with the characters, I got to meet Sherlock Holmes (sorry, Benedict Cumberbatch was all in my mind, he is Sherlock for me always). The writing was electric, it made for an immersive read. There was a joie de vivre in the words, I literally felt happy reading this book.

It was different and fun; it was serious and humorous; it was family and warmth; it had characters old and new; it had adventure and spirit. It captured the child in me, it made the adult sing with a delight that I thought I had lost.

It was simply a wonderful journey!! A magical one!!

Oh wow, if there was ever a book that I wanted to be part of it would have to be this one. What a tremendously brilliant story, I am not really one for blurbs but I am a real sucker for book covers and the titles that make them stand out, so with that in mind, I went into this story quite blind.
I was utterly giddy when Rob Sutherland tracked his younger brother Charley down at the university where he worked, then read open-mouthed as he eventually came face to face with the real-life Uriah Heep from the Dickens books. Charley had been born with a gift, a gift where he could literally read characters out of stories! Rob a lawyer, had been called on over the years to help Charley control and return the characters back between the covers. I felt like I was a girl again meeting these characters that I had grown to love as a child in the classics.
It isn't long into the story that things take a seedy direction with characters popping up that Charley had nothing to do with. Something big is going to go down and the race is on to find out who is behind it all. I still get butterflies in my tummy when I think about the story as character after character made their appearance. The thought of having Sherlock Holmes at the dinner table regularly as the brothers grew up just made me chuckle.
It turned into a race against time to find out who could be the other summoner of characters. The story drops back to when Charlie was born and what life was like for the family, who had to keep Charley's gift a secret. Such a terrific read that I feel will be a huge success with a wide age range from 12 to 100. This is the author's debut novel and I simply loved every page.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Interesting but overlong literary fantasy novel

Probably longer than necessary, this fantasy story is original and interesting, especially if you’re familiar with nineteenth century literature. Taking place in Wellington, New Zealand, it’s about two brothers, one of which can bring literary figures to life. The plot involves dastardly goings-on with devastating consequences, untrustworthy characters and a fair amount of action. I didn’t find the whole experience deeply satisfying and I am not convinced that this will appeal to many in the final instance.

Hay libros con los que aunque entiendo sus virtudes soy incapaz de conectar y pienso que no soy su público objetivo. No es que sean malos libros es que no son para mí. Con The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep me ha pasado justo eso.

Me llamaba la atención en primer lugar la localización geográfica del libro ya que la acción se desarrolla en Wellington, Nueva Zelanda y creo que no he leído ningún libro que suceda en este país. Este hecho, que no deja de ser accesorio para la narración, al menos destaca un poco.
Sin embargo, la principal fuerza motora de The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep es el amor a los libros de una época muy específica. Y es que muchas de las novelas victorianas a las que se hace mención en la novela han quedado por derecho propio en el imaginario de la humanidad como grandes obras destinadas a perdurar. El amor que siente la autora por la obra de Dickens, Doyle, Brönte y compañía se nota en cada página del libro y en el tratamiento que hace de sus personajes y por lo tanto logrará mayor resonancia con alguien que conozca y ame esos libros de la misma forma que H. G. Parry.
La trama es eminentemente lineal, con la presencia de Charley, un prodigio precoz capaz de insuflar vida a los personajes de los libros que está leyendo y traerlos a nuestro mundo. Casi toda la narración la realiza su hermano mayor Rob, que siempre ha estado protegiéndolo y que tiene una relación ambivalente con él, al que ama pero al que también envidia en algunos momentos. Esta relación fraternal está bastante bien trazada y servirá como base para todo el desarrollo de la novela.
Los giros y revelaciones que la autora va poniendo en nuestro camino son bastante previsibles e incluso cuando hay un cierre en falso de la novela sabemos que la cosa no puede quedar ahí. En este aspecto, el libro es bastante inocente y no trata para nada de engañarnos, solo nos lleva de la mano por una historia agradable y entretenida.
Es difícil recomendar un libro que no te ha llegado a llenar totalmente, pero sinceramente creo que cualquier lector de los autores clásicos anteriormente mencionados podrá sacarle más rédito a esta novela que yo.

This book is already in the running for one of my books of the year! Out of the 12 books I have read so far in 2020 it is by far the best. It is a book nerds dream and for me was a five star read from the very first page.

Our main character Charley Sutherland, is an English lit scholar with a bit of a difference, he can pull characters out of the books and into the real world. Who wouldn’t want to have tea with Sherlock Holmes, be courted by a Mr Darcy or two, or hang out on the back of The white witch of Narnia’s Silver Harley Davidson? Charley can do all those things, he certainly has his favourite characters focusing mainly on Dickensian characters. He is not the only summoner. Another is threatening way of life for both the literary characters thing to make there way in the world and the city of Wellington, New Zealand.

For me to have an urban fantasy set in New Zealand is actually a novelty. I have not come across this as a setting before. Both the reality setting and then when we enter a semi-fictional setting had real atmosphere that really made them distinct. It was easy to imagine the juxtaposition between the two places, the crumbling, higgilty piggilty Victorian cobbled street compared to a more modern built up inner city just stood out. This also had somewhat of a duel function. The City itself was very much the domain of our narrator Robert Sutherland. Robert is Charley’s older brother. He has a normal life, in a city he adores, and while he loves his brother he sees his skill set as a family secret looming over them and threatening that normal contented life. He is very much Wellington while his brother lives half his life in books and is connected just as much to the fictional world.

This theme of the sibling relationship is prominent all the way through. As an older Sister myself, I found myself identifying with Roberts and his conflicting feelings towards his brother. He adores him but also feels responsible for him, while trying to let Charley be an adult and overcoming that need to protect your younger sibling. This aspect of the storyline was filled with such subtlety exploring the feelings and their relationship with such grace that was just beautiful to read. It really resonated with me. While they are in conflict they are still loving siblings, it was just a great relationship to read about.

The magic system was genius. The Characters that come to life embody the literary interpretation of the summoner. Therefore, you can read multiple copies of the same character but they will all be a little bit different as your interpretation of that character within the story changes. This was also great in introducing our villain. We could see the difference in their personality from Charley’s from how they interpreted the character when reading them out of the book. It allowed for some very dark twists and turns.

Charley definitely has his favourites, usually from the world of Dickens, which is his academic speciality. You by no means need to have read Dickens yourself. H.G Parry does an excellent job of exploring and explaining the characters and stories without it feeling in for dumpy. They are as natural as the characters she has created and integrate into the story fantastically. I have not read Great Expectations but the book manages to convey enough that you can enjoy and understand the aspects it contributes to this tale. H.G. Parry never lets the reader feel out of their depth, but also has mastered the art of imparting information without you feeling like you are reading a textbook on the subject.

In fact a number of the characters and their interpretations included in this book made me want to go back and read the originals. I loved the interpretation of Dorian Gray and I think it would be fun to re-read it to see how it has coloured my view of him. This book made me want to go and relive other books, while still captivating me with its unique story. That is just awesome.

My only negative is there is the troupe of miscommunication between two characters, which is one of my pet peeves. However, this is a very minor plot point that has little to no impact to the overall plot so is easily overlooked. Overall I just adored this book. I think it is one of those books that will have something for everyone. If you love exploring fictional worlds, if you love classics, if you love urban fantasy, if you love books exploring family relationships and found family vs family, if you are just a giant book nerd that love books about books, READ THIS BOOK!

I could go on and on but I am trying to avoid spoilers. It’s a 5 star read all the way.

Not my cup of tea, sadly!
I think the main problem, as far as I am concerned, is that it reads as a young adult or even a children book for very confident readers. There was no way for me to actually enjoy it. But as far as children books go, this is a good read. The writing style is solid and avoids "readability" that most modern books are guilty of. But it does lack lyricism(particularly troubling as this is a book about fiction and words and imagination) and that dreamy quality so necessary for a magical realism book to work. Plot wise...just the eternal battle between good and bad, pretty forward, no twists and the mystery is a bit lame.
Some things I did like/appreciate: the exploration of family and siblings relationships, the underworld of Dickens' books (this would make for a very interesting non-fiction read if I would have the time and energy) and some of the themes permeating his fictional world. Quite interesting how characters had particularities due to the way the readers imagined them. Plus exploring the idea that words on paper can create entire worlds and the effect it can have on the reader.
But once again, I've enjoyed all this at an intellectual level; emotionally this book failed to engage me in any way!

Thanks to NetGalley for bringing to my attention a book that is an unashamed testimony to loving Literature.
For anyone who loves books, this is a delight. Reading about the summoners who form such a bond with the books they read that they can create these characters in real life was always going to be fun.
Our main characters are brothers, Rob and Charley. Since they were little the brothers have kept Charley’s secret safe. They fondly recall childhood teas with Sherlock Holmes and so on, but as they’re older things have become a little more serious.
When we meet them, Charlie is a professor at the university of Wellington. He calls to ask Robert to help him as he has brought Uriah Heep to life, and things aren’t going smoothly. What comes next is a frightening scenario for anyone, but because it features so many familiar faces it really is concerning.
As we progress through the story we learn that Charley has a nemesis. It takes the time to work it out, and there’s a very real chance that people will not survive. This story could have gone in numerous directions, but throughout it had me gripped.

Charley was a gifted child, talking at 8 months old and reading soon after. When his mother found him sat with Dr Seuss’ Cat In The Hat, they realise he has a talent. A talent that enables him to bring characters from literature alive and into the real world….

At 26 years old, he has moved to New Zealand and lives close to his brother Rob. One night Rob receives a call…..Uriah Heep has escaped.

Uriah is eventually returned to David Copperfield, but he had been talking of a New World…..and so the adventure begins.

Someone else has Charley’s talent and Rob and Charley need to put an end to nefarious plans and get various characters back in their books…

Along the way we meet Dorian Grey, Sherlock and so many more characters from classic literature. I loved their interactions and it really appealed to the book nerd in me.

This is a fun romp through literature, a real boys own adventure. At its heart is a tale of two brothers and their relationship in a totally unique and so thoroughly entertaining read. I love it.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this for free. This is my honest, unbiased review.

Charlie Sunderland has a gift. Not only is he a child prodigy - reading Great Expectations at 2 years old - when he gets engrossed in a good book, he can bring the characters out into the real world. He and his family - mother, father, and our narrator, his brother Rob - have carefully hidden this secret his entire life. But now Charlie is moving back to New Zealand after gaining an Oxford education, and Rob finds himself increasing called in to help mop up the mistakes. 

One mistake is Uriah Heep, a slimy villain from Dickens' David Copperfield, who ends up holding a knife to Rob's throat...

Books about books are always a favourite for me, and the fantasy of being able to bring a beloved character into the real world has a great appeal. However, I must confess I almost passed on this book, as school left me with a strong dislike of Dickens, and I'm completely unfamiliar with Copperfield or Uriah Heep. Turns out, none of that matters - and I'm very very glad I took the chance with this!

As well as the fantasy plot, which is twisty and exciting, TUEoUH has extra layers. First, the love of literature shines forth brightly, and Charlie's professor-ish insights - gracefully wound into the plot - are making even Dickens look more appealing. The other main theme is that of sibling relationships. We discover the story through Rob's eyes, how he dealt with having a gifted younger brother both as a child and their different bond in adulthood. I'm not sure the big childhood 'secret' is worth all the build up it gets through the book, but at the same time, the way a small boyhood incident can loom over a whole life felt very authentic.

Overall, very recommended!

This book was a smorgasbord of literary delights and a true feast for the eyes and soul. I loved each and every minute of my time spent amongst the pages of this dazzling book. As a literary lover, the premise of well loved characters breaking free from their book bound bonds and wrecking havoc on the world at large has always appealed to me so it went without saying that I was not going to let this little gem pass me by.

The narrative was an entertaining variety act of legendary literary characters and I was on the edge of my seat with excitement over who I was likely to encounter next. The writing was crafted to perfection with a story that was rich in layers and meaning to capture my heart with its addictive quality. Our duo of protagonists shaped and moulded the piece in brilliant fashion, turning it into a tale that I could not put down, even for a moment.

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is a melting pot of all that is great in literary fiction. From the opening chords to the concluding moments I was hooked and didn't want the story to come to a close. This is certainly one book I won't forget in a hurry that's for sure.

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G Parry is without a doubt a book for book lovers. Charley is the embodiment of every bookworm’s wildest dreams.
Ever since he was little Charley has had a secret ability that nobody outside of his immediate family knew about. He is able to bring any literary character out of their book and into the real world. Charley isn’t always fully in control of when this happens though and sometimes, they are unwilling to go back.
“As I said my brother’s creations are always coloured by his perceptions of them. Sometimes this is slight, and manageable; a shift in personality, or a blurring of appearance. But some colourings are deeper and stranger, and the deeper he gets into literary theory, the stranger they become. Traits that are metaphorical in the text become absurdly, dangerously literal.”
His older brother Rob is a down-to-earth lawyer and wants nothing more than for his brother to stop using his unusual skill. Rob is tired of feeling second best to his child genius brother. Rob desperately wants a normal life, one that doesn’t involve middle of the night calls from his 26-year-old brother.
“At four in the morning I was woken by a phone call from my younger brother. He sounded breathless, panicked, with the particular catch in his voice I knew all too well.
‘Uriah Heep’s loose on the ninth floor,’ he said. ‘And I can’t catch him.’
My brain was fogged with sleep; it took a moment for his words to filter through. ‘Seriously, Charley? I said when they did. ‘Again?’
Rob is disturbed when Charley’s latest creation has a dire warning for him and when not long after this several other literary characters start to create chaos around the city. Soon Charley and Rob realise that there is another Summoner out there and this one might be dangerous.
“You’ll be better off without him anyway, with what’s coming. He’s going to be right at the heart of it. Stay out of it, keep your head down, and don’t look too closely at what’s going on, that’s my umble suggestion, Master Robery.’
Curiosity momentarily overcame my fear, I frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Just what I said, Master Robert. You stay out of it. It don’t concern you. And you wouldn’t want it to.’
‘What doesn’t concern me?’
‘The new world,’ he said, ‘There won’t be a place for you in the new world.’
As an avid reader my heart was with Charley but as an eldest sister, I also felt an affinity Rob in terms of both his need to protect Charley and his resentment at that need.
I have to admit when I started out, I knew I liked the idea of the book, I didn’t know that I would also love the execution.
One thing The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep highlighted for me is that I need to read some more of Dickens’ classics as I when I began reading, I had no idea who Uriah Heep was.
Rob and Charley have a fractious relationship at best but one of the things I loved about their relationship was that it felt so real. The sibling rivalry and resentments that can build up in some sibling relationships but then also the overwhelming need to protect each other.
Rob has many resentments and insecurities when it comes to Charley, in particular, in relation to his intellect and abilities. Charley for his part feels like Rob doesn’t want him around and he is nothing but a problem to him.
The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is a book for lovers of literary fiction, gothic and Victorian era literature. There are numerous Dicken’s characters, Mr Darcy’s, a Dr Frankenstein, a girl detective and even a hound of the Baskerville’s.
“This is how it works. I think. I’ll be reading. Of course, I will. Well, if I know something thoroughly enough – a poem, or a very specific piece of text, something small – I can sometimes just be thinking. But usually I need the sight of words on paper. It has to be paper. That’s me, I think, not the magic or the ability or whatever term applies. Words aren’t the same to me on a screen. I can see them, but I can’t connect to them. They’re too hard and bright; I float on top of them, like a leaf on the surface of a pond. Words on paper are quiet and porous; in the right mood, I sink down between the gaps in the letters and they close over my head.
Words and paper. That is the easy part.”
It really is a treasure trove of a book and spoke to me of my reading experiences as if I had plucked the words right out of my brain.
“You know when you read a book, sometimes, and you suddenly realise you’ve been missing something your whole life; and you weren’t even aware, and all at once you’ve found it and are just a little bit more whole?”
This for me was one of those books.

I didn't know quite what to expect with THE UNLIKELY ESCAPE OF URIAH HEEP by H.G. Parry but I wasn't expecting such a sublime and evocative adventure into the world of classic literature and the importance and power of reading to be so beautifully depicted on each page.

Charley Sutherland has always been unusual from the moment he died at birth and was miraculously brought back twenty minutes later, to attending Oxford University at the age of thirteen and being a Professor in Wellington at the age of twenty-six. But these wonderful achievements are trivial compared to his true depths of skill where he can read out characters from within the pages of a book and bring them into our world. Now, this has often gotten Charley into trouble but who wouldn't want to have a chat with Sherlock Holmes? After all, he is a great conversationalist and Charley has often felt lonely growing up, being nothing but a nuisance to his big brother, Rob. But when Charley inadvertently reads out Uriah Heep from David Copperfield, it sets off a chain of events which will change Charley's life, and many others, forever. With the discovery of a magical street where there are other fictional characters living, it isn't long before Charley, his new friends, and Rob begin to understand that there is someone else summoning characters into being for nefarious purposes and when they hear of a new world order being promised, Charley may just have to save the world with his power. That is if he can figure it out in time and believe in himself for once.

I cannot imagine how much research would have gone into writing this fantastic story but I can only admire the author and applaud her at every turn. The descriptive settings, the detailed characters, the insights, the memories, and everything else in between combines to make THE UNLIKELY ESCAPE OF URIAH HEEP by H.G. Parry magnificent in every way. I have a soft spot for classics and Dickens in particular so this story was a dream for me, but if you have never picked up a classic before this is still a story that will work for you - with danger, fantasy, family drama, and secrets to name but a few things you have to look forward to. Many a time, I have found myself lost amongst the pages of a special book and this story made such a feeling shine.

THE UNLIKELY ESCAPE OF URIAH HEEP by H.G. Parry is sure to be a hit and I look forward to more from this wonderful author.

Incredibly fun and adventurous.
I am a big fan of books about books and other authors, so this really hit the spot!
I’m also a big fan of the Victorian/Dickensian era with a touch of darkness too, so this felt like it was written for me.
Perfect mix of fantasy with fiction and I felt like I really invested in the characters and got to know them.
100% would recommend.

Reading the plot I thought this was the perfect book for me, I love books and wow a fantasy book about the power of making characters coming out of books? Amazing.
The reading experience was a little bit different than what I imagined. This is not a bad book but I thinks this is not the book for me. Let me explain, I found it a little bit too much about the suspension of disbelief, I found difficult to believe what was happening, that the characters I've read about in books had a different behavior than I knew. And the two brothers, well they sounded more like teenagers than adults. So, not a bad book but not the book I was hoping for.
I also think that many YA readers will love The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep as it will resonate better with them than me because I'm not a teenager anymore. Sadly.

Overall I did really enjoy the novel. I like the whole idea of bringing characters to life, and even more the idea of bringing your interpretation of the character. It makes perfect sense as we all see every single character and book differently and I loved it! I loved that magical and slightly horror-ish atmosphere.Execution is quite good as well, I couldn't put it down, however towards the end it was dragging a bit. Some conversations seem to be repetitive, not making much sense and childish at times, however it didn't spoil the novel. I didn't read all of the books mentioned and should say, I am not a fan of Dickens, but it was still clear what characters are like and a bit of a story behind them.
I am going to attempt David Copperfield now (it was on my to-read list for ages) and maybe will change my mind about Dickens

When I read the blurb for this book I thought something along the lines of "OMG YESSS" and although it was not a bad book by any means, I'm sorry to say that it didn't meet my expectations either. The idea is absolutely fabulous, the research job is excellent and the writing is good, but it was also completely emotionless. Here I am, reading about the very complicated relationship between two brothers who both love and resent each other, and I'm feeling nothing... Maybe for another reader this is not so bad, but the lack of connection kind of ruined the book for me.

Rob as a narrator was pretty unlikeable. He's petty and clearly resents his brother for his ability, which is totally understandable (who wouldn't??), but it was not fun to be in his head. I tried not to judge him too harshly for his decisions as it obviously was not easy to have a brother like Charley, but I really think he is just a crappy brother (and boyfriend). At first Charley was pretty adorable in that head-in-the-clouds, lives-in-his-own-world way, but I got tired of that quickly too. As for the other characters, Millie was cool, Uriah was creepy, Dorian was the most interesting of the lot and the jokes about the many Darcys were priceless.

The mystery is well managed, although the resolution was not exactly surprising. I saw everything coming from miles away, and there were a couple of twists towards the very end that in my opinion dragged the book rather than making it more interesting, as they didn't add anything to the story. To be honest, I thought the ending was rather predictable and a bit underwhelming.

I would recommend this to anyone who would like to give it a go because the idea really is great, and the experience is obviously different for every person, but for me this was a bit of a disappointment :(