Masterpiece

By Elise Broach

Sophia Robertson

Masterpiece is an interesting and action-packed book by Elise Broach. The story is about a beetle named Marvin who befriends James Pompaday, a human, and they have great adventures. James lives with his mother, Mrs. Pompaday, and his stepfather, his mother’s second husband, Mr. Pompaday. Karl Terik, James’s father, is a memorable character though he plays a small role. Christina Balcony and Dennis, often known as Denny, are workers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for the story is mainly set at the Met in New York City. Later in the story the reader finds that Denny is the main antagonist of the story, and he does some bad things.  The story starts out with Marvin drawing with a pen-and-ink set and realizing he is an amazing artist. Although James knows that Marvin is the one who did it, everyone else thinks that the young boy drew the incredible picture. The main problem in Masterpiece is that three of the four Albrect Durer Virtues: Justice, Temperance, and Prudence, have been stolen ages ago. The only one left in the museum is the fourth; Fortitude. Christina Balcony plans for James (actually Marvin, the protagonist) to forge Fortitude, and the fake version will be stolen and they will be led to the other three Virtues. But the night the plan is put into action, Marvin realizes that the real Fortitude is the one getting stolen instead of the forged version, therefore placing the valuable drawing at a serious risk.

Soon, the real plot unfolds. Marvin goes on the journey with Fortitude to make sure that it stays safe. Being a beetle, he has not often ventured into the wide world, and this is a great trek for him. Then both the reader and Marvin find out that Denny is the thief of all of the Durer’s. Marvin helps lead James to the apartment where the sacred drawings are being kept, and soon they have retrieved the drawings and brought them back to Christina’s office and revealed the truth about Denny. An interesting quote from the book is Marvin’s thought, Keep going. You’re about to see the four Virtues together for the first time in decades. Centuries maybe. However, while Christina and Karl are in tears over the truth of their friend, the thief is making a getaway.

At the end of the book, it is a bit unsatisfying. Denny has not been captured by the police and is still on the run. Although the reader is left with a few questions, the story captures many people’s attention. I think that Masterpiece is a wonderful, story about a bond between a human and an insect that work together to achieve a goal. I think that the moral of the story is teamwork and to never stop believing in yourself and others. I loved the book because of the smart vocabulary, fun-filled journey, and the way everyone helped each other a lot. I believe that a reader who likes action-packed, out-of-the-ordinary fun, and art history would enjoy this book. I would give this book four-and-a-half stars.