Stray
by Rachel VincentI look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two wor
Read ReviewA Pocketful of Eyes
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12
12
Bee is in her element working in the taxidermy department at the Museum of Natural History, but her summer job turns out to be full of surprises.
A dead body in the Red Rotunda. A mysterious benefactor. A large stuffed tiger in the Catacombs. A handsome boy with a fascination for unusual animal mating habits. And a pocketful of glass eyes.
Can Bee sift through the clues to discover whether her mentor really committed suicide... or is there a murderer in their midst?
(5 votes)
Reviews
Aug 11,2012
Bee is an amazing heroine and reminds me of a detective in an Agatha Christie novel. She doesn't let anything get past her when she's looking for answers. If you are looking for a book to read that has mystery and romance at the same time, THIS IS THE ONE. The author of this book visited my school recently and this is how I came to love her book. A must read for every wannabe detective! :)
Mar 11,2012
Our heroine, Bee, is definitely a girl after my own heart. Incredibly observant and a lifelong fan of detective novels, Bee is not only very smart, but has a brilliant, wry wit to her that makes her very endearing. Like Ava in Pink, I loved that Bee is slightly flawed and allowed to make mistakes through the course of the novel - in the way she navigates through the museum murder mystery and the changing relationships with both Toby and her mother, making her very real and relatable to a teen reader.
One of my favourite things about A Pocketful of Eyes is the way that Lili has successfully blended the elements of a traditional whodunit mystery with a contemporary Australian setting (another book set in Melbourne!) and the light-hearted, enjoyable style of a YA rom-com. Whilst aspects of the mystery genre are often incorporated in paranormal and dystopian YA, it was great to work nicely in a contemporary story (and I loved the way Lili references preceding literary sleuths from Poirot to Encyclopaedia to Trixie Belden).
Like any good mystery, this one had me guessing until the very end, and like any good YA, A Pocketful of Eyes has clever, fun characters, an engaging plot and a healthy smattering of pop culture references. As you can probably tell by my overuse of adjectives in this review, it's was one of my favourite reads of 2011.
My full review of A Pocketful of Eyes can be found here.
Oct 11,2011
I am currently reading this book- A pocketful of eyes- by Lili Wilkinson. This book is about a girl called Bee who works at a Natural History Muesuem in the taxidermy department for a summer job. One day she comes to work discovering that her boss has died from sucide- at least that's what most people think. Bee and the new, weird but handsome boy working with her as a taxidermist believe that Bee's boss, Gus, was in fact murdered. Together Bee and him go on a mission, searching for clues and evidence of who could have murdered Gus and their motives behind the attack. Through their mission, secret ideneties are revealed and secrets unfold. This book is the defintion of an intresting and thriling summer not just the average girl experiences.
For people who like a good mystery novel, I defiantly recommend this read. I am loving the book and can't wait to find out the resolution. The book is not terribly long yet it is still a fantastic story. This book also feautures themes such as romance and friendship- suitable for girls aged 11 to 14. I would rate this book a 9 out of 10, well done Lili Wilkinson!
Jun 14,2011
A pocketful of eyes, a suspicious murder or suicide, many suspects and a taxidermist in-training is a great plot for a fantastic story. A Pocketful of Eyes by Lili Wilkinson is a fun, exciting page-turner.
When Bee (a young girl working at a Museum of Natural History) comes to work one morning to work, leaving behind her mum and the Celestial Badger her mother is dating, soon learns that her boss is dead and is believed to have committed suicide. Yet Bee, curious and intrigued, does not believe this. Bee has a totally different suspicion up her sleeve. Bee believes her boss has been murdered, but who she is yet to find out. With many suspects that are all just as likely to have had some input into this supposed murder, Bee and her new, flirty associate at work, Toby, evaluate the situation and find a very complicated solution to this thrilling mystery.
This book is cleverly put together to create a fabulous conclusion that sums up the whole book really well. It is a great book that you can read in a few hours of intense reading, as it is so good and I would recommend it to people that enjoy reading realism and mystery with a touch of romance. I loved this book and would highly suggest people interested in this type of genre to read it.
May 10,2011
When you imagine a summer job in the taxidermy lab at a museum, the first words that come to mind usually aren't 'crime', 'hot guy' and 'Dungeons and Dragons'. But then again, A Pocketful of Eyes is full of surprises.
An engaging teen mystery, A Pocketful of Eyes has multiple elements which make an awesome novel, for me personally: clues, crime, random trivia, nerdy moments, suspense, and romance. All of these come together in Bea's story which you can't help but see through until the end.
And who doesn't want to know about the odd mating habits of a number of different species, or that Patricia Highsmith (author of Strangers on a Train) smuggled snails in her bra? Honestly?
