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Andrew Smith
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The Marbury Lens Paperback – Bargain Price, October 2, 2012

by Andrew Smith (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 115 ratings
Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk and is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is kidnapped. He escapes, narrowly. The only person he tells is his best friend, Conner. When they arrive in London as planned for summer break, a stranger hands Jack a pair of glasses. Through the lenses, he sees another world called Marbury.  There is war in Marbury. It is a desolate and murderous place where Jack is responsible for the survival of two younger boys. Conner is there, too. But he’s trying to kill them.  Meanwhile, Jack is falling in love with an English girl, and afraid he’s losing his mind.  Conner tells Jack it’s going to be okay. But it’s not.  Andrew Smith has written his most beautiful and personal novel yet, as he explores the nightmarish outer limits of what trauma can do to our bodies and our minds.
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  1. Book 1 of 2
    Marbury
  2. Print length
    384 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Square Fish
  5. Publication date
    October 2, 2012
  6. Grade level
    9 - 12
  7. Reading age
    14 - 17 years
  8. Dimensions
    5.46 x 1.12 x 8.32 inches
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The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Booklist Editor’s Choice 2010

Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Books of the Year

 “This bloody and genuinely upsetting book packs an enormous emotional punch. Smith's characters are very well developed and the ruined alternate universe they travel through is both surreal and believable.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

"Mixing a trauma reckoning with dark, apocalyptic fantasy and notes of psychological horror, this commandeering novel’s multiplicity is elusively complex yet never complicated: although the many gut-quivering story elements are not clearly defined, they always speak to each other, and Smith wisely leaves much up to the reader. People will talk about this book and try to figure it out and maybe try to shake it off. But they won’t be able to.” --Booklist, STARRED review

“An engrossing horror/fantasy hybrid…Nightmarish imagery is chillingly effective, and the pacing superbly builds suspense.” --Kirkus Reviews

"Andrew Smith's The Marbury Lens will own you, mind, body and soul. You can't put it down, but you'll want to.  You'll want to put it down and walk away but that is not happening. The Marbury Lens crawls inside your head and won't leave. Scary, creepy, awful and awesome. What a cool book!"  --Michael Grant, author of Gone and Hunger  

“Andrew Smith (Ghost Medicine; In the Path of Falling Objects) once again proves his ability to penetrate complex psyches and mature themes within the framework of a spellbinding plot… Smith keeps the tension between Marbury and the present-day worlds as taut as the tightrope Jack walks. As readers, we feel the addictive pull of The Marbury Lens every bit as strongly as the hero does. Just try to put this book down.” --Shelf Awareness

 

“Teen readers will be riveted by this story which explores alternate worlds and realities while posing important questions about loyalty, revenge, and grief.” --SLJ Teen

 Previous praise for Andrew Smith: “...16-year-old Jonah and his brother, Simon, two years younger, embark on a brutal but mesmerizing road trip that steers an unswerving course toward tragedy. …[O]lder teens will be riveted.”—Kirkus Reviews for In the Path of Falling Objects
“Smith’s first novel, a deceptively simple coming-of-age story, defies expectations via its sublime imagery and its elliptical narrative structure. … While the summer climaxes with jarring violence, the possibility of a true departure never materializes: the outside world is held at bay by the inscrutable questions unveiled in the book's conclusion.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review for Ghost Medicine
“… Troy wishes to be lost, but his greatest hope is to be found, and Ghost Medicine beautifully captures that paradox in this timeless and tender coming-of-age story. Not only will it inspire readers to prod the boundaries of their own courage, but it will also remind them that life and love are precious and fleeting.”—School Library Journal for Ghost Medicine

2008 Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA) Nominee for Ghost Medicine

About the Author

Andrew Smith is the author of Ghost Medicine, named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, and In the Path of Falling Objects. In addition to writing, he teaches high school advanced placement classes and coaches rugby. He lives in Southern California with his family, in a rural location in the mountains.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00DF2JUKG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Square Fish; Reprint edition (October 2, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 - 17 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 9 - 12
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.46 x 1.12 x 8.32 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 115 ratings

About the author

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Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith

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Andrew Smith knew ever since his days as editor of his high school newspaper that he wanted to be a writer. After graduating college, he experimented with journalistic careers – writing for newspapers and radio stations – but found it wasn’t the kind of writing he’d dreamed about doing.

Born with an impulse to travel, Smith, the son of an immigrant, bounced around the world and from job to job, working at various times in a metals mill, as a longshoreman unloading bananas from Central America and imported autos from Japan, in bars and liquor stores, in security, and as a musician, before settling down permanently in Southern California. Here, he got his first “real job,” as a teacher in an alternative educational program for At-Risk teens, married, and moved to a rural mountain location. Throughout his life, Smith continued to write, but never considered seeking publication until challenged into it by lifelong friend, author Kelly Milner Halls.

In 2008, Smith published his first novel, Ghost Medicine, an ALA/YALSA “Best Books for Young Adults.” This was followed in 2009 with In the Path of Falling Objects, also a BBYA recipient. The Marbury Lens is Smith’s third novel, and will be followed in 2011 by Stick.

Smith prefers the seclusion of his rural setting, where he lives with his wife, 16-year-old son, 13-year-old daughter, two horses, three dogs, three cats, and one irritable lizard named Leo.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
115 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's plot captivating, with one review highlighting its multi-layered structure and engaging action. Moreover, the writing quality and character development receive positive feedback, and customers describe it as a fantastic read. However, the language quality receives mixed reactions, with one customer noting excessive swearing.

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20 customers mention "Plot"14 positive6 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, finding it captivating and entertaining, with one customer highlighting its multi-layered structure and engaging action sequences.

"...trauma of losing one's grip on reality, at least read it for the engaging action and the dark, thrilling and ultimately addictive atmosphere it..." Read more

"...The conflict in this book is an interesting one, but not always one that demanded I read...." Read more

"...Now since I've bashed it so much, I'd like to say the plot itself is neat and it's worth the read to dive into Jack's world and the world of Marbury...." Read more

"...Although the conclusion fit well with the story, I was really hoping for a "mind blowing" incident that brought everything together...." Read more

12 customers mention "Readability"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and fantastic to read, with one customer noting how believable it is, while another mentions its addictive atmosphere.

"...it for the engaging action and the dark, thrilling and ultimately addictive atmosphere it creates." Read more

"...He's a ghost, so we know his story doesn't end well, but so worth the read to experience the life he lived...." Read more

"...pain of freddies rope, the joy of connors carelessness, all make this book so believable. The entire time I read this I was pulled inside...." Read more

"...The first half of this book I thought was pretty fantastic and written beautifully, and I was so into it that I read the first half in two days...." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one noting it is easy to read and another describing it as masterfully crafted.

"...and protector instead of a frightened boy, is one of the most masterfully crafted and well delivered fictional devices I have come across in YA..." Read more

"...Good work author." Read more

"...The first half of this book I thought was pretty fantastic and written beautifully, and I was so into it that I read the first half in two days...." Read more

"...Andrew Smith is a wonderful author and he is able to weave together a variety of themes, levels of metaphors and odd people..." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"...This frightening page-turner immerses the reader in complex characters and a thought-provoking plot...." Read more

"...Makes you wish for a follow-up book. Memorable characters. Five stars" Read more

"...Unique story, great characters and super writing makes this one of my favorite books." Read more

3 customers mention "Language quality"0 positive3 negative

Customers criticize the language quality of the book, with one mentioning excessive swearing.

"...of a sentence and the sentence says the same thing, that word is just annoying filler...." Read more

"...content, rape, murder, cannibalism, drug use, underage drinking, lots of swearing. I would recommend it to more mature readers...." Read more

"...Still have some questions I want answered but it was great. It has curse words so beware. Other than that it was great." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Veronica Sicoe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating, addictive and impossible to forget
    Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Andrew Smith absolutely delivers on his initial promise of building a haunting, multi-layered story, which he foreshadows in the beginning by comparing the story to a Russian Matryoshka doll.

    The Marbury Lens encapsulates several kinds of trauma into the fragile mind of John Wynn Whitmore (known throughout the story as Jack). It takes you deeper and deeper into the world of a teenager who struggles to regain a sense of self, and repair the growing crack in his reality after he was kidnapped and almost raped. With every layer that peels away as you slide deeper into the story, you discover more about what it means to be a victim or a fighter, and what it takes to transition from the first to the latter.

    I am truly astonished by the depth of the psychological analysis hidden within this gripping, fast-paced story, and will do my best to bring this to the attention of potential readers. I will not recount the plot, as it absolutely suffices to read the product description and know that the subsequent development of events doesn't fail to deliver upon that premise.

    I have read other reviewers who commented on Jack's addiction to the Marbury Lens and the brutal, apocalyptic world it takes him to, as being either an unappropriate and troubling topic for a YA book, or an "illustration of the dangers of drugs & alcohol", which is in fact completely missing the point. The core problem of this novel isn't by far the episodic violence Jack faces in Marbury, or his clumsy and childish attempts to justify and treat the trauma he suffered at the hands of his kidnapper and molestor by substance abuse. Those are nothing but symptoms, shells upon another "doll" hidden inside.

    The core problem, and the backbone of this story, is Jack's struggle to escape the role of victim he was forced into, and defeat the side of him that is convinced on top of it all that he deserves it. This book is about Jack's desperate fight to break out of the paralyzing and addictive state of mind that accompanies victimhood, and to become a strong, self-reliant person. The fantastic element of the Marbury Lens being a portal into a parallel existence, where the world's malice and brutality is laid bare instead of hidden as it is in ours, and where Jack is a warrior and protector instead of a frightened boy, is one of the most masterfully crafted and well delivered fictional devices I have come across in YA fiction. To say that this is too much for a young mind to handle is a gross undervaluation of today's youth's ability to process complexity, and in my opinion contributes to the mentality that prevents young minds from being exposed to challenging topics and being left with video games and music clips instead.

    However, even if you do not consider allowing your kid to read this, at least give it a try yourself. There isn't so much as a single wasted page in this story, and if not for the exploration of adolescent fears and the trauma of losing one's grip on reality, at least read it for the engaging action and the dark, thrilling and ultimately addictive atmosphere it creates.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Tim
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, but different without the humor of Grasshopper Jungle
    Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    After loving the humor and characterization in Grasshopper Jungle, I had to keep reading Andrew Smith's works. I picked this up with very high expectations, while also knowing it would be different than Grasshopper Jungle. I knew it would be darker, and while I think he did an excellent job portraying a difficult situation, I missed the humor that Grasshopper Jungle mixed with the dark parts. There are some really touching moments as we get to know the two narrators, the sixteen year old Jack who discovers a hidden alternate Earth by putting on glasses, and the ghost, Seth, that he meets on the other side. Both of their stories picture emotional loss. Jack's mom birthed him and abandoned him and he's had trouble bonding emotionally since. He has a best friend, but there is separation when Jack fears his friend could keep him from experiencing the alternate reality he's become addicted to. Seth is an orphan rescued by a family with a girl he falls in love with. He's a ghost, so we know his story doesn't end well, but so worth the read to experience the life he lived. I may have enjoyed his story more than Jack's. Jack falls in love with a girl, but there isn't a whole lot between them as far as time together. Part of the side effects of wearing the glasses is that while he's on the other side, he doesn't remember what he's done on this side, and the first time he met her, he didn't remember. He's sixteen though. I remember falling for a girl that hard and only having spent a weekend with her.

    The conflict in this book is an interesting one, but not always one that demanded I read. On our side, I was interested in Jack's happiness, which the story skirts around as possibly requiring him to get rid of the glasses that allow him to see the other side, which is called Marbury. (view spoiler in Goodreads) Aside from the Seth stories, I didn't enjoy the trips to Marbury. The two side characters, Ben and Griffin, were not deep characters and while I would rather they not die, I didn't really care as much as Jack did to go to Marbury to save them from danger. Marbury as a concept is very interesting, a world full of cannibal crazies infected by a virus that steals their humanity, with Jack as the possible savior for the surviving few humans left. Jack's real story, or what I wanted to read about, was how he would overcome his past suffering and current addiction, in order to have a better life on this side, with his new girlfriend, his best friend, and his family.

    The end of The Marbury Lens leaves many questions about Jack's future unresolved. I'm still a fan of Andrew Smith, even if I didn't find The Marbury Lens to be as outstanding as Grasshopper Jungle, but I don't think my next read of his will be the sequel to The Marbury Lens, Passenger. I think I like his humor best, so I'm going to try Winger
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Mike
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good!!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    This review has spoilers. Only the 1st paragraph should be read.

    If you ask me how the book was, I could only give 1 answer. Amazing. 1st things 1st, this is an ADULTS book. It's with kids for a reason I do not know. this is an incredibly inappropriate, disturbing book. Not good amazon.

    But aside from the improper rating, this is an amazing book. It had incredible description even of the disgusting monsters. When Conner was lying, being eaten by Freddy it was so... Weird. Kudos to the author, good job churning our stomachs.

    It also made you feel like you were jack, in a way. Nickie, up against him. Seth, being absorbed by him, the seering pain of freddies rope, the joy of connors carelessness, all make this book so believable. The entire time I read this I was pulled inside. I despretly needed to get on with life but, just like the lens, I was trapped in the text of this amazingly scary, entertaining read.

    Good work author.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Jamie-Lee Turner
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Marbury Lens is a fantastic fantasy thriller where friendship becomes blurred and more than ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 1, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Riveting and wild, The Marbury Lens is a fantastic fantasy thriller where friendship becomes blurred and more than one world is at stake.
    Would highly recommend this to someone looking for something that little bit different!
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  • Miranda016
    4.0 out of 5 stars A great book that had me asking questions
    Reviewed in Canada on December 22, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I won’t lie: The Marbury Lens, by Andrew Smith, is one of those books I had on my to-read list for a long time before I read it. I don’t even know why it took me so long; every time I saw the book, my desire to read it was renewed. I just never seemed to get to it, for some reason.

    That changed recently. I was looking for something a little bit dark, a little bit literary, and a little bit fantasy. The Marbury Lens fit that perfectly.

    True, that can be a bit of an odd combination, but it works for this book.

    It’s that “not entirely sure” concept that had me hooked. Are the goggles taking Jack into a new world? Or is he experiencing a form of PTSD, an aftereffect of his recent kidnapping? In the early parts of the novel, Smith certainly provides evidence of both scenarios, and it’s not until later that we start to become more sure of one answer over the other.

    I’ll admit, those first couple of chapters can be a little bit confusing, but that’s part of the appeal. That was the case for me, at least. The confusion had me asking questions, and it made me want to keep reading so that I could get the answers.
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  • Eloise Appleby
    1.0 out of 5 stars It's one of the few books he hasn't persevered with and I'm embarrassed to have made such a bad choice.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Bought for teenage son with fairly grown up reading tastes, based on summary of plot and a 'suggested for teenagers' recommendation that I'd found somewhere. It turns out to be deeply unsettling and needs some kind of health warning. It's one of the few books he hasn't persevered with and I'm embarrassed to have made such a bad choice.
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