2.5 stars

This was quite bland, and despite the intrigue from the synopsis and cover, I really didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would. I wanted more mystery, more adventures, more something! The ending is just abrupt and unsatisfying. I don’t think I will continue on with the series because this one did not leave me feeling like I wanted more. Which is sad because I usually love middle grade mystery/adventure type books but this one was just not my cup of tea.

Thought the name was familiar, having recently read Wed Wabbit as part of the 2018 Carnegie Shadowing. This story also explores themes of family and loss, but in a more light-hearted way.
Stuart Horton is used to being short. He’s mocked for it, and when his parents move him to Beeton (where nothing ever happens) he’s expecting a wholly uneventful summer holiday. That’s not what he gets at all!
Stuart learns about his great-uncle Tony, a magician of some repute, who disappeared mysteriously. Nobody knows anything of his whereabouts, but when Stuart discovers a letter and a series of clues from Tony himself, he is determined to work out where his secret workshop is.
In this story Evans provides us with a great adventure and a character with plenty of heart - perfect for bridging that upper primary/lower secondary age.

I like the scavenger hunt-like aspect of the plot, but honestly this was boring.

Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms is a charming read. It manages to combine elements of some of my favorite American books from childhood - Encyclopedia Brown, Harriet the Spy - while managing to have a decidedly British flavor of storytelling. In its storytelling style it reminds me most of Joan Aiken with a bit of Roald Dahl mixed in. If you're thinking that this is high praise, it is. This book really delivers.

Horten is a misfit kid, plopped into a new environment, and given that very best thing of all - an adventure. There are puzzles and clues and destinations and secrets and evildoers plus it's all one great big scavenger hunt. Along the way Horten gains confidence and makes friends in unlikely places. Everything wraps up into a delicious ending and the entire book was an enormous pleasure to read. Highly recommended for middle grades and up (that includes all the rest of you that really need a good kids' book to read).

Marvelous fun for this age group! Inventions, puzzles, and magic (both illusory and "real") that pull you through the book. It's surprisingly short, though, so one is forced to run right out and purchase [b:Horten's Incredible Illusions: Magic, Mystery & Another Very Strange Adventure|13584622|Horten's Incredible Illusions Magic, Mystery & Another Very Strange Adventure|Lissa Evans|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346632239s/13584622.jpg|21849141]. Well if I must, I must.

It's a mystery-adventure with a touch of magic. I will be recommending this book to any kids looking for a good mystery. A page-turner all the way!

This is a fun book which contains pretty much what it says on the tin - magic, mystery and a very strange adventure.

Stuart moves with his family to his father's childhood town of Beeton, much against his will. When there, he finds out some things about his family - including the fact that his great-uncle was a magician of the prestidigitation variety. Half by accident, Stuart is set on a journey to discover the lost workshop of his uncle, coming across mysterious clues in a National Treasure type quest.

As will happen, along the way he encounters allies and enemies, and it becomes a race against time and each other to see if Stuart can gather the clues and find the workshop before its lost forever.

I liked the characters, though I found Jeanie, the main villain, a bit overdone. Then again, I found the annoying, bossy, nosy triplets a bit overdone, too, but they grew on me - especially April, as she's the largest part of the story.

I was going to bump it up to 3.5 stars, but I found the ending both a bit rushed and overly convenient. That said, I'm not sure things are as wrapped up as they may seem.

I'll most likely look into the next in the series at some point.