First, the illustrations in this book are gorgeous. Selznick's drawings really do bring the story of Rose to life clearly with very little need for text to clarify what's occurring. 
 Overall, I thought the book was cute, but not outstanding. We are introduced to Ben, who is living with his aunt and uncle due to his mother's recent death. While spending time in his mom's old bedroom, Ben makes a discovery, but the house is then struck by lightning, rendering him completely deaf. Ben is sent to a hospital in Duluth for treatment, then all of a sudden he's in New York City attempting to follow through on his discovery. I felt like the pieces came together in a way that was too convenient. Perhaps that has to do with the short length of the actual text, but to me it seemed a bit rushed and the storyline was rather contrived.