City of Secrets

by Victoria Ying

Read the graphic novel that Caldecott medal-winning illustrator, Dan Santat, calls, "An edge-of-your-seat thriller!"

Ever Barnes is a shy orphan guarding a secret in an amazing puzzle box of a building.

Most of the young women who work at the building's Switchboard Operating Facility, which connects the whole city of Oskar, look the other way as Ever roams around in the shadows. But one of them, Lisa, keeps an eye on the boy. So does the head of the Switchboard, Madame Alexander . . . a rather sharp eye.

Enter Hannah, the spunky daughter of the building's owner. She thinks Ever needs a friend, even if he doesn't know it yet.

Good thing she does!

Lisa and Madame Alexander are each clearly up to something.

Ever is beset by a menacing band of rogues looking to unlock the secret he holds--at any cost.

And whatever is hidden deep in the Switchboard building will determine all of their futures.

On a journey that twists and turns as much as the mechanical building Ever Barnes calls home, he and his new friend Hannah have to find out what's really going on in this mysterious city of secrets . . . or else!

• ISBN10: 0593114493
• ISBN13: 9780593114490
• Publish Date: 28 July 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 25 June 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Viking Books for Young Readers
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 256
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593114490

Reviews

[Nicole Lynn]

Initial Thoughts:
Really enjoyed this graphic novel. Readers are thrust into the story and it's very action pact from page one through until the end. I felt like I couldn't stop reading it once it started. I enjoyed the characters, the mystery, and the art in this one. It felt very steam-punk to me which I enjoyed. The ending definitely made it seem like there could be another book, but I wasn't sure if that was the plan or not. Either way, this was a great, fast-paced graphic novel perfect for the Upper Elementary/MG age range. Of course, I as an adult also really enjoyed it so it could be fun for older readers, too. More of a review to follow!