The Figure in the Shadows (2) (The House with a Clock in Its Walls)

by John Bellairs

Paperback, 2019

Status

Available

Call number

FIC BEL

Call number

FIC BEL

Description

A painfully overweight sixth-grade boy receives a magic amulet which brings him luck, but also terrifying side effects.

Publication

Zaffre (2019), Edition: None, 160 pages

Original publication date

1975

Original language

English

Language

User reviews

LibraryThing member AliceaP
I gobbled up The Figure in the Shadows in one sitting. This could lead you to believe that I thoroughly enjoyed it but really it was super short coming in at 160 pages with quite a few of Mercer Mayer's illustrations sprinkled throughout adding to that number. The plot of this installment revolves
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around an amulet which Lewis acquires and which seems to hold a 'spirit' of some kind which he has awakened and which turns out to be rather malevolent. (If you think this sounds similar to the first book you're not alone.) Once again, he keeps this a secret from his uncle and the witchy neighbor, Mrs. Zimmerman, next door. Instead he shares his discovery with his new friend, Rose Rita, who is virtually Lewis's opposite in every conceivable way. I will say that Lewis is a unique character in that he's not brave, overly intelligent (although a voracious reader), good looking, talented (described as quite fat), or particularly good-natured (in fact he's rather whiny and prone to childish fits of anger). He doesn't fit the prescribed parameters of a typical protagonist. He's bullied and anxious about the possibility of even being bullied or 'bawled out' by adults. (I was nervous about the latter through my adolescence as well so in that regard I can relate.) Magic + mystery + misadventure = the plot 5/10
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LibraryThing member mrsarey
The second in the Lewis Barnavelt series, this novel finds Lewis in possession of a mysterious old coin that has more powers than Lewis can ever imagine.
LibraryThing member bubbleumbrella
This is the first chapter book I ever read when I was a kid. I read it over and over and I STILL pick it up and read it every once in a while. It's a great mystery as are all of Bellairs' books. I recommend to kids and adults both.
LibraryThing member rarararassberry
this book talks about a bot named Lewis, who is scared of fighting and scared of getting beaten up, but he liked to watch the big boys fight. One day Lewis was studying Grandfather's old trunk and he found an old coin which he showed to Uncle Jonhathan. Uncle said that the coin was an amulet which
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would protect Lewis from the big bullets. Soon Lewis met a new girl named Rosa rita. Lewis told her everything about the amulet. IF he treid to see if the amulet actually worked, might get hurt really badly by the bullies, or the amulet would save him, but which one would it be?
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LibraryThing member lizzybeans11
This is the second book in the Lewis Barnavelt series by John Bellairs. I greatly enjoyed the first one and thought I'd give at least a few of the others a try.

This one was not illustrated by Edward Gorey, so it has a slightly softer/cartoony feel to it. The plot was incredibly suspenseful and
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fairly creepy (mostly you find this out at the end), but not too scary for kids probably 6-8+.

I definitely want to read more in this series.
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LibraryThing member bplteen
This book is about a young kid named Louis that finds an amulet. This amulter raises a spirit of a ghost and the ghost haunts him. He is on the verge of death, will he be saved?
Review by: rocky means

Is was a little slow in the begginning and not that exiting but in the middle it got great and
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scary. I would rate it a five if the begginning was not boring. The ending was great and topped it all off.
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LibraryThing member mstrust
From the series featuring young misfit Lewis, his magician uncle and guardian Jonathan and the witch next door, Mrs. Zimmerman.
Lewis finds an old coin on a chain that his great grandfather had worn for years, one that he believed brought him luck. Lewis finds that when he wears the coin, he's
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suddenly allowed to play ball with the other boys and he can beat up the class bully. Lewis' friend Rita Rose thinks the coin is bad luck, and Lewis eventually agrees, because now he's receiving anonymous threatening letters and a shadowy figure is following him.

Fast-moving and with just enough darkness to it that it's on the edge of being a supernatural mystery.
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LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
This one is kind of eerie, but not really scary - the creepiness is so condensed into the latter part of the book. It's more a juvenile moralistic story than anything else.
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
I dunno. ?áI have this memory of the first being some classic of childhood, as if I should have read it long time ago and made it part of my being, in almost the same leage as Phantom Tollbooth or Misty of Chincoteague. ?áWell then I finally read it last week, and of course was disappointed, so
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much so that I can't really be fair in my judgement. ?áOf course it didn't live up to expectations, but how good, or lacking, is it truly? ?áAnd then I read this, and again am disappointed. ?áIt's a thrilling little paranormal, with real danger, and magic, and a true anti-hero, and a marvelously brave girl who-is-a friend, and humor... but it just left me feeling 'meh.' ?á

I'm fairly sure it's me, not the books. ?áYou read them yourself, without the high expectations that I had. ?áYou'll probably love 'em.

----------------------

Also, ?áI had trouble finding my review from a few days ago when I actually read this. ?áFinally did, and here it is:?á
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LibraryThing member themulhern
Sooo soothing. Also, it introduces the female heroine, Rosa Rita Pottinger. I enjoyed it and can barely remember it already.
LibraryThing member LynnMPK
Lewis conveniently forgets what he learned in the first book, so that he can unleash an evil spirit. This time he has a new friend though, Rose Rita, to save his ass.

ISBN

1848127928 / 9781848127920
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