Quick paced, easy to read novel for kids. It jumps around very quickly which I think will be good for kids with short attention span.

Great, fast-paced adventure set in France and involving a search for the magical snakestone. Will definitely be getting a copy for my class.

A classic story of the greed for personal power over family, finding true friendship and the real bond and strength of loving families.
Zélie is a servant girl in Paris, sent there by her father until things at home in India improve. The other servants accuse her of being a witch even though Zélie doesn't even believe in magic. Then Jules the son of a sewer worker finds a locket with strange powers and bumps into Zélie before he can try to sell it back to the person who lost it. Zélie recognised the locket as her father's and realises that he is in terrible danger. Persuading Jules to help her, Zélie escapes the house where she works and they set off to find the powerful snakestone that should be held inside the locket and hopefully find her father too. But the snakestone is hugely powerful and there are other people desperate to get their hands on it. So the race begins taking them around and under Paris, into the world of the circus and facing horrible dangers. With adventures, betrayals and the usual topics of greed and selfishness, will they find the Snakestone first and will Zélie ever find her father alive.

Secrets of the Snakestone
Piu Dasgupta
It is 1895 and deep in the sewers of Paris a boy finds an mysterious locket. In the streets above him Zélie, a servant from India, is tormented by accusations of witchcraft and by concern for her father who is not responding to her letters.
Secrets of the Snakestone is a suspenseful children’s historical novel filled with science and magic. A determined Zélie and a reluctant Jules team up in a dangerous quest to solve the mystery of the locket and find out what has happened to Zélie’s father.
It takes them from strangers to friends, and from the city’s sewers to the grand houses of Paris to the mesmerising Circus.
This is a fast-paced, evocative mystery aimed at middle grade readers.

A fast-paced historical adventure with plenty to keep readers of all ages turning the pages.
I particularly liked Zelie's 'pep talks' to herself and her letters home - the actual and the 'censored' versions! Zelie and Jules made an excellent mis-matched team, his common sense was much needed at times. The world of the secret societies, magnificent circuses and then the dangerous underworld of the sewers and tunnels of Paris made for a compelling setting for the story.
I like the cover and how it shows the elements of the story within the body of the snake. I'm not sure how well it will sell itself to our readers though, so will need some book talking to ensure they pick it up for a look!

This fast-paced adventure gripped me from the start, and whisks you along with Zelie as she tries to solve the mystery of the snakestone, and her father's disappearance. Taken from her home in Calcutta (now Kolkata) to be a maid for a rich and frankly suspicious woman in 19th century Paris, Zelie's adventures with her new friend Joules take her from the rooftops to the sewers, and into the catacombs, where she encounters exciting new friends and terrifying villains.

The historical elements are paired with the fantasy elements perfectly, with a little smattering of steampunk for good measure - great protagonist, great story, would LOVE to follow along with Zelie and Joules as they solved another mystery please?!

We enjoyed following Zelie and Joules exciting (and slightly reckless) adventures. Both are very different relatable child characters and the grandchildren would very much like to have been running about in the sewers of Paris with them (well, maybe not the teens).

An imaginative adventure for middle-grade readers !

When we first meet her, the young Zélie is working in Paris. Soon, she finds herself thrown into adventure when she bumps into a boy who, surprisingly, has in his possession an important object belonging to Zélie’s father.

The story is fast paced and imaginative: perfect for middle-grade readers !

Thank you to Nosy Crow and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest opinion. Review available on Goodreads now.

Ho scelto questo libro attirata dalla bellissima copertina, dall'ambientazione storica e dal titolo che evocava La pietra di luna di Wilkie Collins. Non ne sono rimasta per nulla delusa.
Zelia è una ragazzina bengalese che si ritrova a vivere come cameriera nella Parigi del XIX secolo. Che fine ha fatto suo padre? Perchè è stata allontanata dalla sua famiglia? Il mistero si infittisce quando Zelia incontra Jules, un ragazzo che ha trovato per caso un medaglione che apparteneva al padre della ragazza.
Pietre maledette, enigmi, società misteriose, un tocco di steampunk, un ritmo serrato e una protagonista accattivante rendono questo libro una lettura perfetta per ragazzi tra i 10 e i 13 anni.
Che sia l'inizio di una nuova serie?

I chose this book attracted by the beautiful cover, the historical setting and the title that evoked Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone. I was not disappointed at all.
Zelia is a Bengali girl who finds herself living as a maid in 19th century Paris. What has become of her father? Why is she estranged from her family? The mystery deepens when Zelia meets Jules, a boy who has found by chance a locket that belonged to the girl's father.
Cursed stones, puzzles, mysterious societies, a touch of steampunk, a fast pacing and a captivating heroine make this book a perfect reading for 10-13 year olds.
Could this be the start of a new series?

If you're looking for a gripping, fast-paced fictional adventure that's set in 19th century Paris, has a backstory set in India and is inspired by historical places and events, then Secrets of the Snakestone is a must-read. It's dark and twisty narrative will whisk you away to the streets of Paris, the sewers of Paris and the rooftops of Paris and, if that isn't enough, then add in a circus, a railway and some secret passages for good measure...

Zelie doesn't believe in magic, despite people thinking she is a witch. But when she meets a boy, Jules, who is holding a golden locket which belonged to her missing father, Zelie is plunged into a sinister adventure.

A dangerous and secret society is on a ruthless search for the Snakestone - a powerful and mysterious jewel that was once kept inside the locket. If Zelie finds the stone, she knows she'll find her father. But, can Zelie keep herself alive? She's going to need help to find it in time...

This is a novel that means business. The dark and sinister atmosphere hit me smack between the eyes and, right from the off, the pace is like a horse bolting from a starting gate. Zelie, a mistreated maid, is a great character facing overwhelming odds and Jules was the perfect - but very reluctant - sidekick.

The villains we meet are ruthless. From Madame Malaise to Brother Ombre, the author gives a clear sense of what the poor suffered at the hands of the powerful. There's lies, corruption, deceit as Zelie and Jules navigate an adult world that's as rotten and dank as the sewers. And yet there are lighter moments too with Madame Drusilla and Titicaca the baby sloth, whose wellbeing took up a lot of my thoughts.

There was a magical layer as well to this tale, with the evil power of the snakestone. Whether the story will develop into a series remains to be seen but there is definitely the potential for us to see the snakestone again. The backstory had been superbly plotted and really added to the story as a whole. It's a fast and furious read that you don't want to miss.

I received a review copy of this book from Nosy Crow via NetGalley for which my thanks.

A cursed gemstone, a dark secret society, a colourful circus and a sweet sloth, all amidst nineteenth century Paris where a young Indian girl must find her missing father and solve the mystery of why she was so suddenly sent to Paris make Secrets of the Snakestone by Piu DasGupta an entertaining read full of mystery, adventure and some drama as well!

In the book we meet Zelie Dutta, a young girl from Bengal, working as a lady’s maid with the awful Madame Malaise. Because she has mismatched eyes, the other servants in the house see her as a witch, all too eager to blame not only all that goes wrong but their own mistakes on her as well. Zelie is not too sure why she was withdrawn from school and sent there in the first place for her father Robi’s story of owing the Malaises some money doesn’t ring true, and she knows there is more to it. When she meets a young sewer boy Jules who has found her father’s locket in a Paris sewer, thousands of miles from where it (and he) should be, she knows something is very wrong. With the initially reluctant Jules’ help, and her own resourcefulness, she sets off to solve the mystery, on the way encountering a dark society up to no good and sinister villains and uncovering various secrets while also rescuing a darling sloth on this adventure which takes them from the sewers and catacombs under Paris to secret lairs and a circus full of flamboyant characters.

This fast-paced and adventure-filled read was absolute good fun from start to finish and besides the mystery and quest elements also weaves in themes of family, friendship and trust, as also the important lesson of not judging people, much like books, by their ‘covers’.

The author packs in numerous shades and aspects into the story from the classic sensation-novel elements of cursed stones and mysterious societies (and of course, the ‘India’ connection) to riddles, steampunk, circuses and a very dramatic, film-like conclusion but without it feeling like too much. Additionally there are aspects of colonialism, prejudices, class elements and the setting itself which takes one mostly through the city’s underbelly.

Zelie makes for a great heroine, who while not faultless, is courageous, resourceful and determined, willing to go to any lengths to help those she loves. Her little pep talks to herself (mostly reiterating her various achievements, from doing away with a dangerous snake to beating her father at chess multiple times) are great fun, as is the inspiration she draws from the fictional character she enjoys reading about, Count Rodolphe (from The Mysteries of Paris by Eugene Sue, an actual book as the author points out in her afterword as are also some of the other historical elements woven in with the fictional). Jules too makes for a very likeable character, drawn into the mystery unwillingly but soon a valuable participant.

I loved that the animal characters too were different from the usual but felt ‘natural’ and not contrived whether it be Zelie’s ‘pet’ pigeon, Rodolphe or Jules’ pet snails, or even the sweet baby sloth they rescue along the way.

The ending keeps open possibilities for newer and further adventures, so if the author does decide to develop this into a series, there will be lots more fun to look out for.

4.5 stars

A jam packed, edge of your seat thrill ride with an energetic main character who you will fall in love with.

Actual rating 3.5
A middle grade historical mystery with fantasy elements set in 19th C Paris.
Zélie Dutta works as a housemaid when her father's locket turns up in the hands of a sewer worker Jules. Knowing something is wrong after not hearing from her father for two months Zélie and Jules set out in a mission to find him and the Snakestone missing from the locket.
They follow a trail round Paris including the catacombs coming across circus folk, the brotherhood of blood and a baby sloth!
great story younger me would of loved it!

This remarkable MG story with that gorgeous cover takes readers to 19th century Paris, as plucky heroine Zélie tries to rescue her father from the clutches of a secret society. Unique and magical!

I received an early e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Secrets of the Snakestone is a really fun historical mystery middle-grade book, with a touch of fantasy.
Zelie is working as a maid for a French lady when her fathers locket (which he never takes off!) mysteriously turns up in Paris, even though he is supposed to be at home in Calcutta, India. With the help of a sewer boy, Jules, she goes on a fantastic adventure, uncovering secret after secret about the mysterious nature of the locket.
I really enjoyed this book! Zelie is a great main character in an interesting setting. Jules is also really fun and their friendship is great. I also really enjoyed Blanche's character arc. The circus folk are great, and I liked that the young main characters had some adults they could trust to help them. The Brotherhood of Blood was very interesting and I would have liked to have heard more about what they get up to!
The story was fast paced and easy to follow. It has a good amount of peril, without being too scary. It's perfect for the intended age range but also a very fun read for adults who love a good adventure :)

Inspired by the same legends that informed Wilkie Collins’s ‘The Moonstone’, ‘Secrets of the Snakestone’ is a thrilling, pitch-perfect middle grade adventure set in the streets and the sewers of Paris at the end of the nineteenth century.

Zélie has been sent away from her family in India to live in Paris and work as a maid. But when a boy appears out of the sewers with a mysterious locket belonging to her father, the two children are swept up in a breathtaking mystery involving a cursed stone, a dark secret society and a vibrant cast of circus performers. There is also, very importantly, a baby sloth.

Zélie is a brilliantly bold and audacious narrator, balanced by the more careful and considered character of Jules. I particularly loved the little pep talks that she gives herself throughout the book, whenever she’s feeling nervous or uncertain.

Though it has a historical setting, this story combines a classic feel with contemporary pacing. The action is fast and furious and I read it in one sitting, engaged all the way though.

I also have to mention the thoroughly eye-catching and enticing cover design – what an absolute triumph! Designed by Elisabetta Barbazza and illustrated by Helen Crawford-White.

This engaging, evocative adventure is perfect for fans of Sophie Anderson, Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Katherine Rundell’s ‘Rooftoppers’. I know it’s going to be popular in the library!

Thanks to Netgalley and Nosy Crow for the digital ARC.

A gripping, twisty adventure filled with magic and mystery at every turn. I loved the sense of intrigue which built up around the snakestone. The characters were interesting and representative of the time in which the story was set.

I really enjoyed Piu DasGupta’s Secrets if the Snakestone. It’s a total gallop from start to finish both above and below the streets of Paris.

A brilliant setting for a novel in both time and place. Paris, at the end of the nineteenth century, was a place of innovation and the creation of new social spaces- leading to new levels of decadence (in the pursuit of beauty and culture, of course…). For settings, we are spoiled: the iconic Rue Morgue, the Opéra, the circus, the railway are but some of the places we visit… above ground!

Many of these spaces remained a preserve of the rich until industrialisation eventually led to some social levelling. Our heroes belong at the other end of the social order. Zélie thrust by circumstance from her home in India into the service of the formidable Madame Malaise. Jules, a ‘sewer boy’ who does not realise the turns his life is about to take when he finds a curious golden locket under the Parisian streets.

Zélie provides a fascinating lens through which to view the city, also highlighting the trappings of colonialism which are everywhere- in physical form and exposed in the mindset of the more villainous characters.

Zélie is a fantastic lead: she is courageous in many ways, big and small. Whenever societal expectations or negative feelings are becoming a barrier, she lists off affirmations, which propel her forward and reveal more about her character and past adventures! It’s clearly not only in Paris that she’s found character and courage in spades! Jules, for his part, is the perfect foil to Zélie’s impulsivity while proving himself quite the young adventurer too.

From a Y6 teacher’s POV, I loved the signature use of simile- lots of which made me laugh. I enjoyed the peppering of French language and cultural allusions. I admired the way readers were nudged to understand the crimes of colonisers- (and of their beneficiaries in succeeding generations) helping children to come to some conclusions about European history.

Thanks to NetGalley and Nosy Crow for the eARC. Publication date: 14th March, 2024.

Set in Paris in the 19th Century, this rollicking tale based on an old story of a cursed gemstone stolen from India is full of twists and turns.

A long way from home and trying to make the best of living and working as a maid in the home of a haughty benefactor, Zélie makes an unlikely ally in a sewer boy called Jules.

Jules has somehow found Zélie's father's locket in the underground sewer tunnels, despite the man himself being thousands of miles away at home in India.

This discovery sets Zélie and Jules off on an adventure to work out what has happened, with lots of spooky gothic detail along the way. Themes of trust, friendship and self-belief weave through the book too.

This is a story pitched at middle grade - so 8 to 12 years old. I'd exercise caution at the lower end of that band due to the peril and violence, but it's a fantastic book especially if kids or adults alike have a taste for mystery and macabre!

I'm happy to post on Goodreads, Instagram, Facebook, Storygraph etc nearer the publication date.

3.5 stars
One Liner: Fast-paced and entertaining

1895, Paris
Zelie Dutta is not a witch, even if she is accused of being one. However, a chance encounter brings her face-to-face with Jules, a sewer cleaner boy who found a gold locket. This locket once held the (in)famous Snakestone, the one Zelie needs to find her father.
However, the quest is far from easy, with a dangerous brother society wanting the same magical stone. Time is running out, and Zelie has to use all their talents to stay alive and find her father. Can she do it?
The story comes in Zelie (mostly) and Jules’ third-person POV.

My Thoughts:
How can I resist a book that has Indian characters? And, of course, the vibrant cover grabbed my attention. This one connects colonial India and France (Paris) with magic, science, mystery, adventure, steampunk, and loads of danger.
The narration is fast-paced, so much so that we don’t get time to breathe before Zelie is off on another adventure. This suits her character, as she is a bundle of energy, ready to jump, leap, and rush (for different reasons). However, there isn’t much time for anything else, be it character development or detailed world-building.
The book starts with Zelie being called a witch. We see how the fellow maids in the house are wary of her for belonging to another race and most importantly, because her eyes are of a different color. Zelie has heterochromia, where the color of each eye is different.
Jules is a sewer boy, twelve years or so. He is not eager to help Zelie but agrees eventually. There were instances when I liked Jules more than our MC. He is balanced and not prone to impulses like her. However, I didn’t find any mention of Zelie’s age. She should be around the same or a year younger, based on my calculation. It’s hard to imagine the characters in such instances.
In a way, I like that Zelie is not perfect. She is judgmental, stubborn, reckless, and not someone who will listen to good advice. Despite that, I feel many young readers will connect to her determination to find her father and the risks she takes in the process. Her love for her family comes across very clearly. She is kind, which works in her favor.
The overall content is darkish but nothing too scary. There’s no time to feel scared with the girl racing off to a bigger danger. Sigh!
The book deals with themes like trust, friendships, family, greed (for fame and money), privilege, differences between rich and poor, the lack of pockets in women’s wear, etc. And oh, it puts forward an important question - why do men’s dresses have buttons in the front and when women have to deal with buttons at the back? So unfair, right?
Each chapter comes with a title, hinting at what’s to come. Some of these are spoilers, too. It won’t be a problem for all, but some readers won’t like it.

To summarize, Secrets of the Snakestone is an entertaining adventure set in the dark side of Paris. Despite the flaws, the book is a good read and should keep young ones hooked.
The Kindle version is okay, but the formatting is the best in the PDF.
Thank you, NetGalley and Nosy Crow, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
*******
The review will be rounded up to 4 stars on Amazon.