Reuben is a city explorer, poking his nose into deserted alleys, climbing rooftops, and discovered hidden places. He finds a mysterious hidden clockwatch that leads him into adventure and danger. Reuben is hunted by the criminal mastermind, The Smoke, who is searching for the clock. Reuben must find out the secrets of the clockwatch and its origins before The Smoke and his henchmen, The Directions, find him and steal the clock.

Such a wonderful plot! I was interested to see how the mystery of the clockwatch played out, and I loved all the twists and turns. A couple of plot things were a little obvious, but I still loved it! The pacing of the writing, and the way the story moves along is just perfect. The city/country setting made a good backdrop for the story, and pushed the narrative along as though the city were its own character. I was pulled into the suspense, and I laughed and chuckled. The book really drew me into the world.

I adore all the characters! Reuben is a delightful main character. He's curious and bold and independent. I especially loved his relationship with his mother, and how those two are such good friends and look out for each other.

I liked the fragile Mrs. Genevive, the clockmaker, and how she immediately becomes a grandmotherly figure in Reuben's life.
I loved the wild and carefree Penny, with her flaming red hair and freckles. Her joyful spirit just flies off the page!
And I fell in love with the deliciously sly Jack! He is such an enigma, but I love how commanding he is without being bossy, how brave he is without being stupid, and how he always manages to be a rogue without being a jerk. He's so dashing and wild!