The Rise of the House of McNally: The Third Unlikely Exploit (Unlikely Exploits) - Hardcover

Ardagh, Philip

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805074783 ISBN 13: 9780805074789

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2005

Synopsis

A WORD TO THE WISE
There are those of you who were saddened by Fergal's death in The Fall of Fergal. Now Fergal is back.
There are those of you who recoiled at yet more death in Heir of Mystery. This should cheer you up.
There are those of you frustrated by not knowing what was causing the terrible outbreak of holes across the land. Your frustration will soon be at an end.
There are those of you eager to find out the secret of Mr. Maggs's teddy bear. The wait is over.
And as for LeFay, Albie, and Josh's particular powers? Just give me time.

--PHILIP ARDAGH

The third and final Unlikely Exploit!

In this, the third and final Unlikely Exploit, the reader is taken on a journey through time in all directions, even revisiting some events from the previous Exploits and traveling back further still to a time before the McNally family's extraordinary adventures began. And as if that wasn't ridiculous enough, there's also a glimpse of the shape of things to come. This is the Exploit where the McNallys' powers are finally revealed and everything falls into place. Whether it makes sense or not is another matter. It's all so unlikely!

About this title

Review

First there was The Fall of Fergal, then Heir of Mystery, both deemed Unlikely Exploits by British author Philip Ardagh, creator of the Eddie Dickens trilogy. In the third (and last) installment, readers, especially those new to the series, will be catapulted into chaos in Chapter One as four motley characters escape unseen danger through a time-travel Doughnut; a large earthquake is recorded in Australia; and Le Fay McNally is confronted with the creepy, pumpkin-headed Mr. Maggs, who was thought to have fallen to his death in the previous book. The next chapter introduces the rest of the secretly magical McNally siblings, Fay's twin brothers Albie and Josh, her older sister Jackie (who can transform into a jackal at will), and even Fergal, who died in the first book but who now seems to be a dog. Readers may have trouble trying to make sense of all this even as the author loads up the pages with the back story -- particularly since the novel rewinds and fast-forwards in a deliberately jerky fashion. Perhaps the point is to instead relax and revel in Ardagh's chatty style, wry first-person narrative asides, and vivid character descriptions. David Roberts' quirky black-and-white illustrations suit this time-travel tale to a T. (Ages 9 to 12) --Karin Snelson

About the Author

Over six and a half feet tall, with a bushy beard, Philip Ardagh is not only very big but also very hairy. He is the author of the Eddie Dickens Trilogy and when not writing silly books, Mr. Ardagh is quite serious and frowns a great deal. He lives in a seaside town somewhere in England with his wife, and their son, Fred. Mr. Ardagh is currently collaborating with Sir Paul McCartney on a book due out in 2005.

About this edition

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0805074783
• ISBN 13: 9780805074789
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160
• Illustrator: Roberts David