The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann

I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Review Copy of The Peculiar at Book expo America this spring.  The cover is beautiful and whimsical.  I just HAD to read it.  Here is the Goodreads Blurb:

Don't get yourself noticed and you won't get yourself hanged. In the faery slums of Bath, Bartholomew Kettle and his sister Hettie live by these words. Bartholomew and Hettie are changelings--Peculiars--and neither faeries nor humans want anything to do with them. One day a mysterious lady in a plum-colored dress comes gliding down Old Crow Alley. Bartholomew watches her through his window. Who is she? What does she want? And when Bartholomew witnesses the lady whisking away, in a whirling ring of feathers, the boy who lives across the alley--Bartholomew forgets the rules and gets himself noticed. First he's noticed by the lady in plum herself, then by something darkly magical and mysterious, by Jack Box and the Raggedy Man, by the powerful Mr. Lickerish . . . and by Arthur Jelliby, a young man trying to slip through the world unnoticed, too, and who, against all odds, offers Bartholomew friendship and a way to belong. Part murder mystery, part gothic fantasy, part steampunk adventure, "The Peculiar" is Stefan Bachmann's riveting, inventive, and unforgettable debut novel.

The Peculiar is a unique book with plenty of steampunk, adventure, and magic.  I have never read another book like this one and I'm willing to bet that you haven't either.  This is a middle grade book but anyone could read it and love it much on the order of Percy Jackson or Harry Potter (if you can read those and NOT like them... well, I don't think I want to know you).  The book focuses on Batholomew and his sister who are changelings or Peculiars.  I love faeries and the legends of changelings.  Bachmann has changed the world and thus the legend of changelings for his story.  In this world changelings are the children of a human and a faery.  They are vilified by both humans and many fae.  Bartholomew feels alone and worthless.  He loves his mother and sister but everyone wants to be somebody.  The other main character that we see is Arthur Jelliby.  Arthur is a great character because he's someone who lives a life of leisure and frivolity before he gets pulled into the awful plot against changelings.  He realizes that as easy as it would be for him to pawn this off on someone else, he is the one who must leave his comfort zone and stop the murders.  I love the idea of someone so unlikely having to become a hero.  This is definitely a story of unlikely heroes.  This book is set for release on September 18th according to Amazon so go pre-order it now!

You can find Stefan Bachmann on his blog and on Twitter.  There is also a great video of him introducing himself and his awesome book on Youtube.  I give The Peculiar 4 Fairies for a great book that my son will be reading SOON.