The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone

Author(s): Jaclyn Moriarty

Middle Fiction

Jaclyn Moriarty returns with her first middle-grade novel, a buoyantly high-spirited fantasy adventure.


Bronte Mettlestone is ten years old when her parents are killed by pirates. This does not bother her particularly: her parents ran away to have adventures when she was a baby. She has been raised by her Aunt Isabelle, with assistance from the Butler, and has spent a pleasant childhood of afternoon teas and riding lessons. Now, however, her parents have left detailed instructions for Bronte in their will. (Instructions that, annoyingly, have been reinforced with faery cross-stitch, which means that if she doesn't complete them, terrible things could happen!).
She travels the kingdoms, perfectly alone, delivering gifts to ten other aunts: a farmer aunt who owns an orange orchard, a veterinarian aunt who specializes in dragon care, a pair of aunts who captain a cruise ship, and a former rock star aunt who is now the reigning monarch of a small kingdom. But as she travels from aunt to aunt, Bronte suspects there might be more to this journey than the simple delivery of treasure.

Freya's Review:


This is Jaclyn Moriarty's first middle grade children's novel (having primarily written YA before now) and it is absolutely stellar. Bronte has grown up without her parents; they left her in the lobby of her Aunt Isabelle's apartment building when she was a baby, so as to continue their adventures unencumbered by offspring. But at ten years old, Bronte learns that these absent parents have been killed by pirates. This would be quite enough for a ten-year-old to deal with, but it turns out they have also left a will containing a series of extremely complex instructions that Bronte must follow to the letter if she doesn't want her entire home town to be destroyed. The instructions take Bronte on a massive journey across the Kingdoms and Empires to visit each of her ten other aunts. The stakes are high and the premise is fertile ground for an excellent adventure story, and Moriarty does not disappoint - she is so obviously enjoying herself in the telling of the tale that you cannot help but be drawn right in. The host of vibrant characters and diverse settings are luxuriously illustrated by Kelly Canby, so it's a gorgeous book to hold as well as a brilliant story. (9+)


Product Information

Jaclyn Moriarty is well-known as the prize-winning, bestselling author of novels for young adults (and sometimes for slightly older adults). A former media and entertainment lawyer, Jaclyn's books include the Ashbury-Brookfield series and the Colours of Madeleine trilogy. The first two books in that trilogy were both awarded the NSW Premier's Literary Award and the Queensland Literary Award. Jaclyn grew up in Sydney, lived in the US, the UK and Canada, and now lives in Sydney again. The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone, her most recent book, is the first she has written for younger readers.

General Fields

  • : 9781760297176
  • : A&U Children's
  • : A & U Children
  • : 616.0
  • : October 2017
  • : 210mm X 135mm
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Jaclyn Moriarty
  • : Hardback
  • : Kelly Canby
  • : English
  • : 823.92