Customer Reviews
Very Good Read 
2008-07-04
Grim Tuesday was a good read for me. In the beginning, it starts off on Earth, and Grim's Grotesques are affecting the world around Arthur. Houses were sold, including Arthur's own home. His family was in financial trouble, as well.
Eventually, it becomes darker with Arthur being in the pit, and then when he begins on a journey on a ship that looks like a turtle, his journey isn't so dark. I found the second half of the book was a better read, more interesting. I like the fact there wasn't really a drawn out fighting scene between Grim and Arthur, but more of a competition of creativity. It is quite different, and I wasn't expecting it.
I wanted to add that I was glad to see a difference in personality with the second part of the Will from the first part of the Will. I also like the difference in Grim's Tuesday Noon, Dawn, and Dusk from Mister Monday's Noon, Dawn, and Dusk. All the new characters made the book worth reading, more interesting.
Also, I want to add that I completely enjoyed Suzie. I felt she kind of stole the show with her quick wit and her stubornness. I even laughed at a few things she said and did.
I am very glad to have read this book. I felt like it was a wonderful look into Garth Nix's imagination, and I look forward to reading Drowned Wednesday.
Thanks.
Great Series 
2008-01-07
Garth Nix's Keys to the kingdom series is an excellent read. easy to comprehend and follow. I highly reccomend this series. the books are short and you can get them cheap right here on amazon.com
the books are in order
Mister Monday (The Keys to the Kingdom, Book 1)
Grim Tuesday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 2)
Drowned Wednesday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 3)
Sir Thursday (The Keys To The Kingdom, Book 4)
Lady Friday (The Keys To The Kingdom, Book 5)
and two more on the way!
good read 2007-11-07
This book was very good to read. This one along with the others that go along with it should be made into movies.
This Book Deserves 7 Stars! 2007-07-19
Possibly my favorite book of the Keys to the Kingdom series Grim Tuesday has a lot of twists and suspense. My heart raced from page 2 (not saying page 1 wasn't interesting, it just reminds you of Mister Monday and introduces Grim Tuesday. I couldn't even guess what was going to happen by the end of the story but once I got there I was still in shock. It seemed short to me but nevertheless still a great read
If you thought Monday was bad..... 2007-07-16
This is the second book in Garth Nix's engaging fantasy series Keys to the Kingdom, although it is billed as children's literature, it contains many sophistocated allusions that most kids probably wouldn't get (and some adults might not get either), and is extremely well written and highly recommended for anybody who likes fantasy, be warned however that it is not typical fantasy, it is sometimes very dark (this book is particularly dark and dreary).
After Arthur defeated Mister Monday and cured the Sleepy Plague which threatened to ravage his town and possibly his whole world, he thought he'd get 6 years off to grow up and relax before having to deal with the fantastical realm of the House again, unfortunately the greedy and corrupt Trustee of the Architect, Grim Tuesday has other ideas, he has sent two of his twisted warped Grotestques to Arthur's world where they have proceeded to commence the ruining of Arthur's family's finances and the finances of a good portion of the rest of the world, in order to stop them, Arthur must find a way back into the House, and once there survive Grim Tuesday's horrible Pit, which he has dug in his greed to mine Nothing, which can be made into everything. Along the way he teams up with various characters, new and old, including the irrepressible and irreverent Suzy Blue, and one of Grim Tuesday's many indentured Denizens, a former Theasureus named Japeth, who has a bad habit of talking, well like a theasureus which provides a certain amount of comic relief in the despair of the Pit. He also must convince the sullen stubborn Second Part of the Will to co-operate with him and beat Grim Tuesday in a contest of artistry in order to obtain the Second Key to the Kingdom of Reality and, most importantly as far as Arthur is concerned, save his family and his world from a new Great Depression and get back home.
All and all this is a great book, although not quite as interesting as the first one, perhaps because the first one had more mystery in it, in this one Arthur knows what is going on.
A Grim Outing ... 
2007-06-17
Arthur doesn't think he will ever have to return to the strange house that nearly killed him on Monday -- the house that contains an entire world. But Tuesday brings new challenges -- in the form of an enemy named Grim Tuesday, who threatens the well-being of both Arthur's family and his world. Arthur must retrieve the Second Key from Grim Tuesday in order to save everything -- an adventure that will include stealing a Sunship, surviving a very weird work camp, befriending a bearlike spirit, fighting the voidlike Nithlings, and traveling to the scary Far Reaches for the ultimate showdown.
Exciting part two! 2006-11-05
In this second part of the Keys to the Kingdom series, the protagonist, Arthur, faces a much darker enemy than in part one. It forces him to descend into the lowest part of The House, where there is no light and the continuous rain contains all-dissolving Nothing. Arthur needs all of his resources, his courage and his friends to make his way out of this hell hole. You'll be begging your Mother for a sic-day off school to finish it!!
the drive behind the story too similar to Mister Monday 
2006-10-07
After _Mister Monday_, I was hoping the author would take _Grim Tuesday_ a step further and really draw the readers into the story. I wanted to know more about the House and the Will, and see Arthur and Suzy really grow as characters. Unfortunately, none of those things happened. Arthur and Suzy seem exactly the same as before, the drive behind the story is exactly the same (Arthur needs to get the Keys in order to save his family), and that made the story very predictable and boring. Disappointing.
Granted, the drive behind every story in this series will have to be similar, because Arthur is the heir apparent and must eventually inherit all the keys to the kingdom. But it's the author's job to keep his readers interested, so he must give us new and exciting aspects to the House, the Will, and the characters in each book. Unfortunately, he didn't do that here.
This also had a rushed-out-the-door feel to it. The writing was clumsy in places, with a lot of telling instead of showing. It felt as if the author were laying the groundwork for further stories. If so, then the best thing to do would be to keep the important pieces, cut the rest, and add it to the real story.
The most intriguing part was the end, where we see how Arthur will meet Wednesday. Wednesday sounds like an intriguing and dangerous character, much more so than Tuesday. It's too bad Tuesday couldn't have been as well.
And you thought Mondays were bad 2006-07-02
If you're going to read this book, I strongly recommend that you make sure that you've read "Mister Monday" first. That way you see, I don't have to explain all about the Architect and the Will, and the seven hidden fragments and the treacherous trustees and all that. Just call me lazy if you like.
Our young and most unlikely hero has barely returned from Mister Monday's domain, when the telephone hotline starts ringing again. Arthur quickly learns that Grim Tuesday has found a convenient loophole in the Trustee agreement, and that all Mister Monday's substantial debts have been passed on to him as the new Master of the Lower House. Grim T. means to collect one way or the other, and as the world's economy gets turned on its end, Arthur realizes that he has no choice but to go back and sort it all out, and of course get the second key and some added responsibility that he can well do without.
Greedy Grim Tuesday runs a huge "nothing" mine using slave labor, and makes all the gadgets and widgets and doodads needed by the Days and anybody with the right currency. Lots of new and deadly creatures await Arthur, some of whom are allergic to salt and some to silver, but all have the common goal of inflicting upon him as much pain as possible. With the help of his friend Leaf (from book one) he finally finds the entrance to Tuesday's mineshafts, and begins his new quest, going deep, deep undercover as one of Tuesday's slaves.
Fortunately for him, he gets a little help from Suzy Turquoise Blue, Japeth the walking Thesaurus, Captain Shelvocke the sea-faring brother of the Pied Piper, and to a lesser extent a hairy, materialistic bit of fluff formally known as "eyebrow". Soon he's sailing off into very strange waters to retrieve the second fragment of the Will, with a heavy heart, a broken leg and almost more problems than he can bear.
Exciting and imaginative, although sometimes a tad long on description, Nix wraps this one up rather quickly at the end, and gives a tantalizing glimpse into Wednesday's woes. A must-read if you've completed your Monday reading.
Amanda Richards, July 1, 2006
another fun read by an author with great imagination (4.5 stars) 2006-03-28
Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others
THE STORY:
Arthur Penhaligon is once again drawn into the mysterious House where he has to defend his right as the heir as Grim Tuesday gets access to the Secondary Realms and threatens Arthur's family and friends and society if Arthur doesn't hand over ownership of the Lower House to Grim Tuesday.
THE GOOD:
As with the first book in the series this is a wonderful exploration of places and people that leaves the reader wanting more. Nix's imagination in the creation of the House and its denizens continues strong in the second book as we are whisked away to the Pit of Nothing or sailing into the middle of a star.
Normally sequels fail where the first book was strong but overall this book keeps the pace, action, story and interesting characters as with the first book. Its obvious in the first book that this story is going to span a minimum of seven books and it leaves one thinking what more could the author give us, but the surprises keep coming.
Also, Arthur actually grows as a character in this book. By the end he has made up his mind about a thing or two where before he was in denial or avoidance. For a book about discovery, it was nice to see some character development.
THE BAD:
My only complaint with this book is that Nix leaves the physical problems of Arthur's asthma in the first book for a different physical challenge in the second. Yet for making such a big deal about it all, the ailment didn't seem to turn the tide of the story, nor did any of the bad guys try and take advantage of his ailment. Left me thinking, "What's the point?!"
THE OVERALL:
Read the first book and you'll be hooked on this series. By the time you get to this book you'll want the next book in the series after this one right away. Great imagination! Great sense of discovery! Great series!
