Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy
Advance Reader Copy , Fantasy , Middle Grade / February 25, 2014

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy. Karen Foxlee. 2014. Knopf Books [Source: ARC provide courtesy of NetGalley] Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy came my way as a pre-approved book on NetGalley. I’d never heard of it and I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but I absolutely loved reading this. It’s a substantial read and its plot and style are engaging throughout. While I found the plot enjoyable, the themes in the book were mature enough that I could appreciate them as an adult. The story follows Ophelia and her older sister Alice while they accompany their father Malcolm as he facilitates the opening of an expansive sword exhibit at a museum. All are still coping with the death of the girls’ mother, Susan, three months prior. Ophelia is a timid girl who views everything through a scientific lens, which makes it so difficult for her to process the experience she has in the museum after she finds the Marvelous Boy in a locked closet.