SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: The Bottle Imp of Bright House
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S): Llewellyn, Thomas Richard
BIRTHDATE: 12/30/1964
WEBSITE:
CITY: Tacoma
STATE: WA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 234
http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=119039&view=full_sptlght http://www.thetiltinghouse.com/ http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Llewellyn/e/B0031GFE4C/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born December 30, 1964, in Tacoma, WA; married; wife’s name Deb; children: Ben, Abel, Bizayehu, Genet.
EDUCATION:University of Washington, Seattle, B.A. (with honors; creative writing).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Copywriter, journalist, and author. Russell (investment company), Tacoma, WA, creative director; cofounder of Beautiful Angle letterpress poster project. Editorial curator of Rotator magazine, beginning 2011. Volunteer coach for soccer and lacrosse.
AVOCATIONS:Camping, skiing, playing bass.
WRITINGS
Maintains a blog.
SIDELIGHTS
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Tom Llewellyn now lives in a late-nineteenth-century house located in western Washington. With its canted floors and strange history, this home has evoked Llewellyn’s memories of growing up in an old house where chilly drafts and frozen water lines and loose, squeaky boards were the norm. These images from past and present melded into an eerie setting that, peopled with characters also based in real life, ultimately inspired Llewellyn’s darkly humorous fiction debut, The Tilting House.
Featuring appropriately macabre black-and-white art by Sarah Watts, The Tilting House introduces narrator Josh Peshik as he and his family move into an old house in Tacoma. The house was purchased at a bargain price and Josh’s parents initially view it as a definite step up from apartment living. However, Josh quickly recognizes that many things in the Peshik’s new home seem a bit “off”: handwriting and mathematical equations are scrawled on the dingy plaster walls, the floorboards bowl down to the center of each room, and things that family members unpack keep going missing. As Josh and his brother Aaron begin to investigate, they discover that they are sharing the house with talking rats. Soon rumors surface regarding a mad scientist and a body that is supposedly buried somewhere beneath the squeaky floorboards of the front porch. Then there are the things that suddenly expand to enormous size, supposedly the result of a strange blue powder. Clearly the Peshiks now share their living space with a growing malevolence, and it is up to the two brothers to keep their family safe.
Llewellyn’s “decidedly nonlinear” plot in The Tilting House “ranges from exaggerated humor to Gothic horror to downright grotesque,” noted School Library Journal contributor Elaine E. Knight, and a Kirkus Reviews writer commented that the book’s colorful narration “nails the sibling cadences and camaraderie” to produce a “genre-blending page-turner.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer cited the “quick pace” and unusual storyline of The Tilting House, noting that “Watts’ shadowy woodblock-style illustrations … will keep readers attentive.” In Booklist Ian Chipman also recommended the novel, writing that Llewellyn “takes the classic family-in-a-new-house motif and mixes in just the right creaky touches of the macabre.”
Since writing The Tilting House, Llewellyn has continued to pursue other innovative ways to tell a story. Using the blog format, he decided to craft a second novel, Letter Off Dead, in “real time,” writing one segment every day. Asked how the unusual format affected the structure of his story, Llewellyn told Seattle Post-Intelligencer online interviewer Mark Baumgarten: “It was figuring out, if you were writing a book as a blog, what would be a good format? What could fit into that page-a-day, max? I didn’t want to take a novel and cut it up into increments, because that seems kind of phony and a bad reading experience. So, I thought that the letter format … seemed like just a great way to do it.”
By creating the same anticipation among readers that nineteenth-century novelists Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope nourished with their serialized novels, Llewellyn was committed to finishing Letter Off Dead , which focuses on the feelings of a boy whose father is now dead. That meant creating a new post each day, whether he was in the writing mood or not. Soon he had thousands of readers following LetterOffDead.com, which played out, live, from September of 2009 to June of 2010. Letter Off Dead has since been picked up for publication by Tricycle Press, retaining the original illustrations by Llewellyn’s friend, artist James Stowe.
(open new)In 2015, Llewellyn released The Shadow of Seth: A Seth Anomundy Murder Mystery. Set in Llewellyn’s hometown of Tacoma, the novel follows the sixteen-year-old title character as he investigates the murder of his mother, Eve. Eve was close friends with Miss Irene, but the two had a big falling-out on the day Eve was killed. Miss Irene is now missing and is considered the prime suspect. Seth knows Miss Irene well and does not believe her to be capable of murder. He is sure that someone else is responsible for killing Eve and determines to find out who it was. Seth begins his own investigation, which quickly puts him in danger. Meanwhile, he struggles in his relationship with his new girlfriend, Azura Lear. Azura’s affluent parents disapprove of her dating Seth, who is from a poor neighborhood called Hilltop. Her group of friends is also not in favor of their relationship.
A critic in Kirkus Reviews suggested: “Many readers will identify the murderer long before Seth does. Read this mystery more for its local interest than its plot.” “This is a solid noir mystery,” asserted Krista Hutley in Booklist. Hutley concluded: “Readers looking for an old-school, straight-up mystery will enjoy this.”
The Bottle Imp of Bright House, released in 2018, is a middle grade novel inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Bottle Imp. Like The Shadow of Seth and The Tilting House, the book is set in Tacoma, WA. Its protagonist is Gabe, a seventh grader, who comes to be in possession of a bottle imp, or genie, who grants wishes. Gabe is thrilled at his good fortune and quickly submits his wishes: junk food, a fancy car, and a hot tub. However, Gabe quickly learns that the granting of wishes leads to terrible luck for others. When Gabe wishes for his father to regain the job at the university from which he was fired, his wish is granted, but it leads to the firing of one of his father’s honorable colleagues. When he wishes for a Ferrari, a rich relative dies, and Gabe’s family inherits the vehicle. Soon, Gabe decides that the bottle’s magic comes with too many drawbacks, so he sells it. Gabe is close with Joanna, his neighbor, whose mom has a terminal illness. Gabe regrets not having wished for Joanna’s mom’s health to return after having sold the bottle.
Reviewing The Bottle Imp of Bright House in Booklist, Julia Smith remarked: “With a narrative directly addressing the reader, this cautionary tale feels intimate and the stakes all the higher.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor suggested: “Lively, over-the-top characterizations and a heavy use of foreshadowing draw readers into this brisk, suspenseful, and highly imaginative tale.” The same contributor described the book as “exciting and irresistible.” Writing in School Library Journal, Eva Thaler-Sroussi commented: “Llewellyn skates the line between humor and horror, allowing readers to vicariously experience the highs and lows.” (close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, August 1, 2010, Ian Chipman, review of The Tilting House, p. 56; May 1, 2015, Krista Hutley, review of The Shadow of Seth: A Seth Anomundy Murder Mystery, p. 53; October 15, 2018, Julia Smith, review of The Bottle Imp of Bright House, p. 53.
Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2010, review of The Tilting House; May 15, 2015, review of The Shadow of Seth; August 15, 2018, review of The Bottle Imp of Bright House.
News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), February 7, 2010, Rosemary Ponnekanti, “Book as Blog: Writer Finds Format Works, Forces Discipline”; June 4, 2010, Rosemary Ponnekanti, review of The Tilting House.
Publishers Weekly, June 21, 2010, review of The Tilting House, p. 46.
School Library Journal, June, 2010, Elaine E. Knight, review of The Tilting House, p. 110; September, 2018, Eva Thaler-Sroussi, review of The Bottle Imp of Bright House, p. 108.
ONLINE
Seattle Post-Intelligencer blog, http://blog.seattlepi.com/city-arts/ (November 15, 2010), Mark Baumgarten, interview with Llewellyn.
Tom Llewellyn blog, http://blog.tommyllew.com/ (January 16, 2018).
Tom Llewellyn is the author of four novels for children and young adults. First published in 2008, his books have been translated into five languages.
Along with Lance Kagey, Llewellyn is co-founder of the street-art team, Beautiful Angle, and their award-winning letterpress poster project.
Tom graduated with honors from the University of Washington's creative writing program. His personal blog can be found at tommyllew.com. He was born in Tacoma, Washington and lives there with his wife and four children.
Follow Tom on Twitter @tommyllew.
My most recent book, The Shadow of Seth, published by Poisoned Pen Press, is available everywhere, but I hope you buy it from my favorite bookstore, Kings Books.
My first book, The Tilting House, is available from Random House. Buy it here.
Follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/tommyllew
Aaand, send me an email.
Want some bio stuff? I'm the father of four kooky, genius, beautiful kids: Ben, Abel, Bizayehu, and Genet. Ben and Abel were born right here in Tacoma. Bizayehu and Genet were born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I'm the husband of Deb, my beautiful force of nature. Aside from writing books, I'm half of Beautiful Angle, a letterpress poster project.
I'm Creative Director at a pretty wonderful investment company. But this blog has NOTHING to do with that job, which I love and hope to keep for years and years.
QUOTED: "With a narrative directly addressing the reader, this cautionary tale feels intimate and the stakes all the higher."
The Bottle Imp of Bright House
Julia Smith
Booklist. 115.4 (Oct. 15, 2018): p53.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
The Bottle Imp of Bright House.
By Tom Llewellyn. Illus. by Gris Grimly.
Oct. 2018.224p. Holiday, $17.99 (9780823439690); e-book, $17.99 (9780823441228). Gr. 4-7.
Gather your Dahl and Snicket fans. Llewellyn's tale of the price of wishes and dealing with the Devil will please them to no end, and it may even prick a few consciences. Gabe Silver is bummed about moving into Bright House, a dumpy apartment building full of odd folks, but since his father lost his job, it's all their family can afford. Almost impossibly, a trip to the cheese shop alters Gabe's fate when a man sells Gabe a wish-granting bottle. Naturally, there are a few caveats, the biggest being that if you die with the bottle in your possession, the Devil gets your soul. Skeptical but eager to change his family's fortune, Gabe makes a few wishes but quickly learns this magic comes with dangerous consequences. 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. With a narrative directly addressing the reader, this cautionary tale feels intimate and the stakes all the higher. Satisfyingly off-kilter for those who find Aladdin too bubblegum.--Julia Smith
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Smith, Julia. "The Bottle Imp of Bright House." Booklist, 15 Oct. 2018, p. 53. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A559688210/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=41ade684. Accessed 20 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A559688210
QUOTED: "Lively, over-the-top characterizations and a heavy use of foreshadowing draw readers into this brisk, suspenseful, and highly imaginative tale."
"exciting and irresistible."
Llewellyn, Tom: THE BOTTLE IMP OF BRIGHT HOUSE
Kirkus Reviews. (Aug. 15, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Llewellyn, Tom THE BOTTLE IMP OF BRIGHT HOUSE Holiday House (Children's Fiction) $17.99 10, 9 ISBN: 978-0-8234-3969-0
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)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Llewellyn, Tom: THE BOTTLE IMP OF BRIGHT HOUSE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A549923672/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=fbe5cafe. Accessed 20 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A549923672
QUOTED: "Many readers will identify the murderer long before Seth does. Read this mystery more for its local interest than its plot."
Llewellyn, Tom: THE SHADOW OF SETH
Kirkus Reviews. (May 15, 2015):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Llewellyn, Tom THE SHADOW OF SETH Poisoned Pencil (Children's Fiction) $10.95 8, 4 ISBN: 978-1-9293-4518-2
Old friends become suspects when a working-class Tacoma teen investigates his mother's murder. When Seth's mother, Eve, is found dead in her Jeep, the police think it's pretty clear who's responsible. Eve had quarreled with her best friend, Miss Irene, on the day she died, and Miss Irene has disappeared. Seth can't believe Miss Irene is guilty, so he begins his own search for the killer. Having grown up poor in Tacoma's rough Hilltop neighborhood, 16-year-old Seth is tough and street-smart, but trouble finds him quickly when he starts asking questions about his mother's last day. It doesn't help that he's recently begun dating the beautiful Azura Lear, whose wealthy father and popular friends very much disapprove of their relationship. Seth's determination and grit make him an appealing protagonist, but other key characters lack depth, especially poor little rich girl Azura. Llewellyn's love for the Tacoma setting is evident in the barrage of local detail incorporated into the story, and local fans will appreciate the many references to well-known personalities, places, and businesses. Other readers may find the detailed descriptions (which at times include turn-by-turn driving directions) tedious at best. The actual murder mystery is fairly simple, and many readers will identify the murderer long before Seth does. Read this mystery more for its local interest than its plot. (Mystery. 12-17)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Llewellyn, Tom: THE SHADOW OF SETH." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2015. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A413234186/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=54f6a866. Accessed 20 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A413234186
QUOTED: "This is a solid noir mystery."
"Readers looking for an old-school, straight-up mystery will enjoy this."
The Shadow of Seth
Krista Hutley
Booklist. 111.17 (May 1, 2015): p53.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
By Tom Llewellyn.
Aug. 2015. 184p. Poisoned Pencil, paper, $10.95 (9781929345182); e-book, $7.99 (9781929345199). Gr. 9-12.
In this hard-boiled teen mystery, 16-year-old Seth must solve the murder of his loving but wild-hearted mother. In a rough Tacoma neighborhood, Seth and his mother live paycheck to paycheck; his mother works nights as a cleaner, while Seth goes to school, works odd jobs, and spars at the boxing gym. When she is found dead in her car, poisoned, the police think the murderer is Miss Irene, the owner of the Shotgun Shack, where Seth works as a line cook. However, Seth can't believe their long-time family friend is to blame. As Seth looks for the real killer, he falls for a girl from the privileged part of town, which has violent repercussions for them both. This is a solid noir mystery, with classic clues, red herrings, and a big reveal at the end. The Tacoma setting is infused with plenty of local color, and Seth is pragmatic and loyal to his neighborhood family. Readers looking for an old-school, straight-up mystery will enjoy this.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Hutley, Krista. "The Shadow of Seth." Booklist, 1 May 2015, p. 53. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A417131126/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=4c95aad0. Accessed 20 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A417131126
QUOTED: "Llewellyn skates the line between humor and horror, allowing readers to vicariously experience the highs and lows."
LLEWELLYN, Tom. The Bottle Imp of Bright House
Eva Thaler-Sroussi
School Library Journal. 64.9 (Sept. 2018): p108.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
LLEWELLYN, Tom. The Bottle Imp of Bright House. illus. by Cris Grimly. 224p. Holiday House. Oct. 2018. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780823439690.
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
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Thaler-Sroussi, Eva. "LLEWELLYN, Tom. The Bottle Imp of Bright House." School Library Journal, Sept. 2018, p. 108. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A553280071/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e971d771. Accessed 20 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A553280071