The Bottle Imp of Bright House

by Tom Llewellyn, Gris Grimly (Illustrator)

Overview

School vacation for a year. Eternal happiness. You could wish for anything— but if it came at someone else's expense, would you still do it?

When a mysterious millionaire sells thirteen-year-old Gabe a bottle containing a wish-granting imp, it comes with a warning: any time Gabe makes a wish, someone else, somewhere, is going to lose something. Maybe something big.

That means each of Gabe's wishes should be a difficult ethical dilemma—but as he scores a Ferrari, a hot tub, and all the pizza and sub sandwiches a kid could want, he's certain a guilty conscience is worth it . . . isn't it?

The Bottle Imp of Bright House is pithy, dark, and very, very funny, exploring the lengths people will go to for happiness— and the surprising ways small choices can swiftly spiral out of control. Gris Grimly's bold and eerie artwork brings Gabe's misadventures to life.

Inspired by a Robert Louis Stevenson novella, this clever story is full of references to his body of work— and lots of laughs, too.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823445332
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	08/25/2020
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.62(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Tom Llewellyn is a writer, marketer, father, and letterpress poster artist in his hometown of Tacoma, Washington, where The Bottle Imp of Bright House is set. If he were offered a bottle imp, he'd turn it down. So many of his wishes have already come true that he doesn't want to push his luck.

Gris Grimly has been drawing since he was old enough to hold a pencil. Since then, his elegant, haunting, and critically acclaimed art has graced more than two dozen books including The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman, a clothing line for a national retailer, and more. Gris lives with his family in California, where he is wary about deals that involve insidious little imps.

Editorial Reviews

"Gather your Dahl and Snicket fans . . . Llewellyn writes with an edge and with heart, and Grimly’s loose ink-and-watercolor illustrations have a whimsical creepiness that matches the tone perfectly."—Booklist

"Exciting and irresistible, this effort casts a spell."—Kirkus Reviews

"Fans of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach or Louis Sachar’s Sideways Stories From Wayside School will appreciate Llewellyn’s morbid sense of humor."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

09/01/2018
Gr 4–6—Llewellyn's middle grade novel set in "Bright House," an apartment building in Tacoma, WA, is a modern retelling of the original gothic tale, The Bottle Imp by Robert Louis Stevenson. In a Faustian bargain with a twist, seventh grader Gabe becomes the owner of a wish-granting bottle imp. He promptly wishes for pizza, a giant sub sandwich, a hot tub, and a Ferrari, but there are consequences for his wishes. Llewellyn skates the line between humor and horror, allowing readers to vicariously experience the highs and lows of Gabe's fortune. The accompanying illustrations capture the juxtaposition of the dark story with the light, comical approach of tween-aged Gabe and his friends, Henry and Joanna. Deliciously grotesque characters include the landlord of the apartment building, Mrs. Appleyard; Gabe's wealthy hoarder neighbors; and artist Hashimoto, among others, each of whom is distinct. VERDICT A recommended secondary purchase for medium and large middle grade collections. Fans of Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach or Louis Sachar's Sideways Stories From Wayside School will appreciate Llewellyn's morbid sense of humor.—Eva Thaler-Sroussi, Needham Free Public Library, MA

School Library Journal

2018-07-24

Seventh-grader Gabe is in a world of trouble after he purchases a bottle that he's told contains an imp.

At first it seems like a great deal. The imp will fulfill his every wish, but the Devil, Gabe discovers, is in the details. He may win by getting his wish, but someone else will, in turn, have to lose. Gabe's family is down on their luck since his dad lost his job. He wishes for his father to be rehired, and he is—but another worthy professor gets fired instead. More frightening: He wishes for a Ferrari and finds out the previous owner had to die so his father could inherit it. The bottle throws him together with hilariously snarky neighbor Joanna, whose mother is dying of cancer. But by the time Gabe realizes what a wish could gain for Joanna, he's already, perhaps reluctantly, sold the bottle. The rules (if eccentric) are rigid. The bottle can be sold but always for less than its purchase price. When the selling price finally drops to a penny, the Devil will take the unlucky owner's soul. Not surprisingly, the little bottle becomes increasingly burdensome. Lively, over-the-top characterizations and a heavy use of foreshadowing draw readers into this brisk, suspenseful, and highly imaginative tale. Grimly's surreal illustrations, which depict a white primary cast, are a delicious accompaniment.

Exciting and irresistible, this effort casts a spell. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews