I had no idea what to expect with this book. All I knew is that I had to see what connection it had with the world of Who. This short book was a delight. It was kind of like a mix of Nancy Drew, Harry Potter, but mainly Doctor Who. The main character, Kate Webster, is so obviously a young Clara, which I'll get back to in a minute. She was sassy, clever, curious, and headstrong. The year and ages are ambiguous, but I would guess about 12-14 for Kate. Like "Angel's Kiss" this book and even on Amazon kept up the pretense of being written by Amelia Pond in 1954, but unlike the previous book, does not give the true author's name. This is the book that Artie was reading in "Bells of Saint John," and I am not ashamed to admit that while I didn't cry my eyes out at chapter 11 like Clara suggested, I did get teary eyed and had to blow my nose, so good job "Amelia Williams."
The story centers on Kate, who has just moved to the small seaside town of Watchcomb. With her mother ill, or perhaps suffering from a depression, Kate is determined to find something worthwhile to do. On her search she discovers The Curator, in charge of the local museum, neighbor boy Armand, who warns Kate that his father kills people, a strange painting on a curious canvas, and rumors surrounding recent deaths. But it's the curious grey cat crossing her path that will be the first in a series of unplanned events that will change Kate's life completely.
Getting back to The Curator. It's The Doctor. I'm not even going to pretend to put a disclaimer since it doesn't actually say it, but take my word for it, it's The Doctor. He speaks of events out of time, alludes to his shed being the TARDIS, mentions something being cool, and says he is between names at the moment. I am almost quite as sure that Kate is Clara helping The Doctor like she sent herself out to do. She even mentions souffles at one point. Then I came across this picture from "The Name of The Doctor." After Clara steps into The Doctor's timeline, she mentions living a thousand lives and we see this girl in the window. Coincidence?
I highly recommend this book. You can pick up the Kindle version here at Amazon. It took me about an hour to read, but it was packed with adventure. I am looking forward to more quick read stories like this in the future.
