The Starlight Watchmaker by Lauren James

Today I’m sharing something a little different: a mood board for The Starlight Watchmaker by Lauren James. I don’t do mood boards very often, but when I do, I make them with photos I’ve taken myself. And, for this book, that was a challenge. The Starlight Watchmaker is a book with a BIG imagination. Alas, I do not have any friends who are islands or androids, so I had to improvise. I hope you’ll forgive me!

About the Book

Wealthy students from across the galaxy come to learn at the prestigious academy where Hugo toils as a watchmaker. But he is one of the lucky ones. Many androids like him are jobless and homeless. Someone like Dorian could never understand their struggle – or so Hugo thinks when the pompous duke comes banging at his door. But when Dorian’s broken time-travel watch leads them to discover a sinister scheme, the pair must reconcile their differences if they are to find the culprit in time.

A wildly imaginative sci-fi adventure from YA star Lauren James, particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 13+

My Moodboard

In this collection of pictures I’ve tried to represent the galaxy (actually a photo of clouds I took on a recent trip to the Lakes, but I love how it turned out), and the academy, which I picture as quite a grand building (my ‘school’ is actually my local Waterstones which is a stunning building. My photo of the bright sunlight through the trees is to represent the quantum energy that powers the students’ watches, and the giant watch parts (photo taken at the Harry Potter Studio Tour) to represent the watches and the role of Hugo the Watchmaker. The final four photos represent the main characters in the book: Dorian , Hugo  and Ada (if you want to know which picture represents which character, you’re going to have to read the book!) and the last one represents the importance of inter-species friendships. I don’t have any friends who are from other planets, so I’ve included a boy and his dog, both of whom often feel like they’re from a different planet!

If you don’t already have The Starlight Watchmaker on your TBR, then I’d urge you to add it: it’s a brilliantly imaginative adventure, with a gorgeous theme of friendship and wanting to make the world a better place. It is due to be published next month by Barrington Stoke!

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