The House with a Clock in Its Walls

Clever story, but oddly paced. The hidden ticking clock is meant to portend some imminent evil, and as the story builds, it seems that young Lewis is going to be in the thick of it. But then suddenly it's all over. What? Also, unfortunately, there's a lot of outdated name-calling–too many “fatso” and “fatty, fatty two-by-four” taunts.

I imagine these shortcomings will be corrected in the upcoming movie, and I definitely can see Jack Black as Uncle Jonathan. So, despite the two stars, not a waste of my reading time.