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Book: The Wig in the Window
Author: Kristen Kittscher (@KKittscher)
Pages: 288
Age Range: 9-12 

The Wig in the Window is a middle grade mystery featuring a pair of 12-year-old sleuths and best friends. Sophie and Grace are next door neighbors in the small town of Luna Vista, CA. The girls' FBI-obsessed efforts to spy on their neighbors go awry after they observe bizarre behavior by Ms. Agford, the counselor at Sophie's middle school. (Grace is home-schooled.) 

The Wig in the Window is ever so slightly over the top, which keeps it middle grade reader friendly despite some dark elements. There's a clique of do-gooder girls that virtually amounts to a cult. Sophie has an obsession with Chinese culture, The Art of War, and feng shui. She becomes ostracized at school after a single incident. And, as the narrator, she displays a dry sense of humor. Like this:

"My grandpa spent his days playing canasta with other veterans down at the VFW, a club for Veterans of Foreign Wars. (Besides the Civil War, were there any non-foreign wars?)" (Chapter 3) 

"Students bearing unwieldy instrument cases and mangled lunch bags poured forth. Marissa and her friends arrived as a set, looking like displaced flight attendants as they strode along the sidewalk, their matching rolling backpacks in tow." (Chapter 15)

The friendship between Sophie and Grace, which we see filtered through Sophie's perceptions and mis-perceptions, is complex and conflict-filled, lending another layer of drama to The Wig in the Window. I actually preferred Sophie's new friend, Trista, over Grace. Trista is an outcast who doesn't seem to mind her lack of social position, who befriends Sophie when others cast her aside. Sophie's hint of a developing relationship with a book in her class didn't quite work for me for some reason, but is a very minor part of the book, and may add interest for middle school readers. 

I am always on the lookout for middle grade mysteries that feature real stakes and active investigation on the part of the protagonists, and The Wig in the Window fits the bill. The mystery in The Wig in the Window is not watered down for young audiences, though Kristen Kittscher uses middle-school-appropriate humor to keep things accessible. The balance between having kids running around investigating on their own and having them get in trouble with concerned parents is a tricky one, but I think that Kittscher nails it. You also have to love an author who can use the word "recapacitate" in a sentence (Chapter 22). Recommended for mystery fans, ages 9 and up, particularly girls. 

Publisher: HarperCollins (@HarperChildrens)
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Book: Boy Nobody
Author: Allen Zadoff
Pages: 352
Age Range: 12 and up

Boy Nobody is a tense thriller about a 16-year-old boy who has been trained as an assassin. The first person narrator (we don't learn his real name until late in the book, but let's call him Benjamin) was kidnapped by a shadowy organization, apparently part of the government, after a boy named Mike killed Benjamin's parents. Benjamin was trained to execute meticulously planned missions. For each mission, he is inserted into a school, where he befriends some key student. His target is someone close to that student, such as a parent. His job is to kill the target. 

Benjamin has a distinct voice. Not knowing much about the premise of the book, I thought at first that he was supposed to be some sort of alien. He calculates his every move and reaction. Like the scene below, in which a bunch of kids are hanging around after a baseball game.

""Your best kicks ass and takes names," Jack says, and he punches my shoulder again.

This time the big man doesn't move. But the other players are looking at us. 

Two punches on the arm. A way of asserting dominance.

Dominance is a threat. It must be dealt with.

I run a checklist in my mind:

I can let him punch me. Choose a lower status.

I can retaliate in equal measure, with equal force.

I can escalate. Assert my dominance.

Which should I choose?" (Chapter: I Pick Up a Baseball Bat)

He's like a human computer, the ultimate, unquestioning tool for killing people. But when the next student that Benjamin is supposed to befriend turns out to be the smart, extremely attractive daughter of the mayor of New York City, things become a bit more complicated than usual. Like this:

"Because my mind is thinking the wrong things. I should be thinking about finishing my assignment, but I'm thinking about the curve of Sam's neck, the corner of her lip, the way her breasts swell against the fabric of her dress." (Chapter: I Slip into the Bathroom down the Hall)

There is certainly violence in Boy Nobody, though I didn't find it gratuitous. (I mean, the book is about an assassin. The fact that he kills a few people should not be surprising.) There's a hint of a James Bond feel to the violence, and to the couple of sexual incidents (which are not described in detail). 

The teen assassin is an interesting premise for a young adult novel. Kind of takes teen alienation to a new and toxic level. Imagine having to go into school after school, reinventing yourself each time, figuring out the social dynamics on the fly? Now imagine doing that with no parents behind you (just two controllers who communicate via technology), and no one to confide in. Even if he didn't have to kill people, Benjamin would still be about as alienated as it gets. 

Boy Nobody is fast-paced, with lots of short paragraphs leaving white space in the text, and plenty of action to move the plot forward. Benjamin is a unique character, his damaged mind revealed through is first person narration (and his actions). Sam is also surprising and intriguing. And a nerdy computer geek comes into Benjamin's sphere, adding a bit of humor and humanity. 

While the main plot in Boy Nobody wraps up neatly, quite a few details are left unexplained. I don't know whether or not Zadoff intends to write other books about Benjamin, but he has certainly put the elements of a bigger picture in place. Personally, I hope that there are more books - I'm interested to see where this story goes. In the meantime, I recommend Boy Nobody for teen and adult readers who enjoy thrillers, and aren't put off by the idea of reading one told from the assassin's perspective. Boy Nobody is well worth a look!

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (@LBKids)
Publication Date: June 11, 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Book: The Girl from Felony Bay
Author: J. E. Thompson
Pages: 384
Age Range: 9-12 

The Girl from Felony Bay is a middle grade mystery set against a deeply layered South Carolina coast backdrop. Abbey Force has had a bad year. Her father is in a coma after an apparent fall, accused of a crime that Abbey is certain he didn't commit. Abbey's home, Reward Plantation, has been sold to cover remunerations from the crime. Abbey is living with her snake-like Uncle Charlie, and Charlie's downtrodden wife Ruth. As the summer vacation after sixth grade begins, Abbey's number one goal is to prove that her father didn't commit the crime he is accused of. She is helped in her quest by Bee Force, the daughter of Reward's new owner. 

There's a lot to like about The Girl from Felony Bay. The mystery is well-developed, with clues parcelled out gradually, so that young readers can figure things out along with Abbey. I know that I read this quite quickly, eager to understand what was happening. I found the resolution of the mystery satisfying, but was pleased that the author didn't feel the need to fix every single loose end. 

Thompson's characterization is superb. Abbey fairly leaps from the page, and a number of secondary characters are revealed to have unexpected (but plausible) depths. The friendship between Abbey and Bee develops a bit quickly, but Thompson doesn't gloss over the awkward aspects of their relationship. Bee is living in the house that Abbey grew up in, sleeping in her very bedroom. And Abbey and Bee both understand immediately that Bee's family is descended from slaves that Abbey's ancestors owned (it having been common practice for freed slaves to take the last name of their owners as they left the plantations). These uncomfortable realities could have derailed the girls' friendship, but don't. 

Abbey's voice frequently made me smile. She has a wry humor, and a keen wit, with just a hint of the south in her diction. Like this:

"He sipped on his drink and squinted at me with the same face he'd use if he just discovered the meat in his lunch sandwich had gone bad. Uncle Charlie is about six feet two, nearly as tall as Daddy, but no longer thin. He's not exactly fat, either, at least not yet. He reminds me of a candle that's been sitting in the sun too long and is starting to bulge in the wrong places." (Chapter 2)

"She managed to hold back her sorrow when I told her I wouldn't be around for dinner." (Chapter 17, in reference to a neglectful and lazy aunt)

"Rufus was jumping up and down, which is what he did most of the time, since Labrador retrievers are just born happy. The only time they are even happier than usual is when there is a bowl of food nearby." (Chapter 29)

Thompson also does a fine job in portraying the South Carolina coastal region, including its beauties, inconveniences, and dangers. Like this: 

"We could still see the river through the trees off to our left, it's brown water glittering like hot butterscotch. To our right the heavy shrubbery of palmetto trees, live oaks, hanging drapes of Spanish moss, and tangles of honeysuckle and wild oleander and river oats and plants I couldn't begin to name cut off our view after only a few yards." Chapter 7)

"After another couple minutes, the cacophony of the frogs had become almost deafening, so I knew One Arm Pond had to be directly to our right. I couldn't see it through the leaves, not even moonlight reflecting off the surface, but I could smell the musty odor of pluff mud. I was studying every single root, vine, or stick with great intensity now, and that's when I came to a quick stop.

Two feet ahead of me, way to close for comfort, something that looked at first like a thick black root had just crawled from underneath a layer of dead magnolia leaves. It was maybe four feet long and as thick as a beer can in the middle." (Chapter 18)

So there you have it. An absorbing mystery for middle grade readers, with strong characters, and a setting that the reader can practically smell and taste. The fact that The Girl from Felony Bay also matter-of-factly takes on race relations in the south (including a sub-plot regarding heirs' property rights "and how a lot of African American people have gotten cheated out of valuable land over the years") is a nice bonus. 

Although the two main characters are girls (and there's a girl in the title), I think that The Girl from Felony Bay is quite boy-friendly. There are, after all, alligators and poisonous snakes, and hints of pirate treasure. The Girl from Felony Bay is a great choice for anyone looking for a middle grade mystery that has suspense and complexity as well as emotional depth. Highly recommended. 

Publisher: Walden Pond Press (@WaldenPondPress)
Publication Date: April 30, 2013
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Book: Strangelets
Author: Michelle Gagnon
Age Range: 14 and up

When I learned from Colleen Mondor that Soho Press was debuting Soho Teen, a mystery/thriller imprint for young adults, I was intrigued. I am generally on the lookout for teen mysteries. So I went onto NetGalley, and found Strangelets available for review. Once I started to glance through it, I couldn't put it down, actually pre-empting the book that I was already reading.

I would call Strangelets science fiction with a mystery slant, rather than pure mystery/thriller. Strangelets begins with three geographically separated teens, each facing imminent death. A hole opens up, sucking each teen into a vortex. They wake up locked in an otherwise abandoned hospital wing, together with three other teenagers with similar near-death stories. When they eventually make their way outside, they find themselves in a crumbling, overgrown complex of buildings. The truth about where they are, and why, is revealed gradually over the course of the book. The puzzle of trying to figure things out kept me reading long into the night.

Strangelets is plot-driven and suspenseful, with a delightfully creepy atmosphere. Like this:

"They emerged from it into an enormous room, the size of an airplane hangar. It was filled with computer equipment, huge towers, and complicated looking panels. Silent and dark as a tomb, cast in an eerie red glow by emergency lights place at staggered intervals. It looked like a scene straight out of an old James Bond film; Declan half-expected to find a villain in a swiveling chair stroking a cat."

The limited third person viewpoint shifts frequently between the three primary protagonists, but I never found this disruptive. Terminally ill Californian Sophie, Irish bad boy Declan, and defecting Israeli soldier Anat have quite distinct voices. Sophie evokes sympathy (and is clearly intelligent), while Declan adds charm, street smarts, and humor (as above). Anat is not particularly likeable, but has other strengths. Here's Anat:

"Not that any of these kids were her fellow countrymen. Far from it, she thought with a snort. They were all soft, whining about missing a single meal. If anything happened, she was clearly the best equipped to handle it."

 Here's Sophie (with elipses to avoid spoilers):

"Of course, it was pretty absurd for a bunch of teenagers to get sucked across the planet into the infirmary beneath a research facility, too. And for ... Absurd was the order of the day."

The science in the science fiction of Strangelets is a bit vague, but still thought-provoking. I don't want to say more, because a big part of the fun of reading the book lies in figuring out what's going on. I found the ending a little more tidy than I might have personally preferred, but I think that most teen readers will like it. 

I enjoyed Strangelets, and I think that teens (boys and girls) will too. I look forward to seeing what else Soho Teen comes up with. Recommended. 

Publisher: Soho Teen (@soho_teen)
Publication Date: April 9, 2013
Source of Book: Advance review copy from NetGalley

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you). 

Book: Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator
Author: Josh Berk (@JoshBerkBooks)
Pages: 240
Age Range: 12 and up 

Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator is part mystery, part family drama, and part day-to-day high school adventures of geeky slacker guy. It's an unusual mix, but one that works. After Guy's 70-something father dies, Guy joins the forensics club at school. He also starts writing a book containing various pithy maxims of his much-traveled, larger-than-life dad. He soon run across several potentially intersecting real-world mysteries (including a potential murder attempt). Together with his friends (and fellow geeks) from forensics club, Guy attempts to pull it all together, and pull himself out of an extended period of depression.  

Guy has a great voice. He's over-the-top lazy, and funny in spite of his depression (Crime Scene Procrastinator is much more about black humor than sadness). Like this:

"I had a bunch of tissues. Before we left the house (for the funeral), I jammed my suit pockets with them until my pockets were bulging cartoonishly, like I was a shoplifter swiping throw pillows. The last time I bought a suit was for my bar mitzvah, so it hardly fit. I looked ridiculous. I knew that. I had two whole boxes of tissues in there. I feared I'd need them all. I was wrong. I needed more." (Page 1)

"After Social Studies, Anoop and I go to lunch. School lunch sucks. Ever since the "healthy lunch" program began last year, there's no more pizza, burritos, barf-a-roni, tots o' tater, or even those awesomely gooey chocolate chip cookies. We can't even have peanut butter anymore, because one kid is allergic to peanuts and apparently can't be in the same room with even a dab of PB&J without having his face explode or something." (Page 13)

Guy's is definitely a teen boy voice. There's another kid who is called "Penis-head". There's a documentary with "boobs ... flopping around like pizza dough." There is a scene in which Guy resists going up to the front of the classroom, for a particular reason (though not explained in painful detail), etc. These things don't dominate the book, but they definitely make it more YA than middle grade. And they make Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator more boy book than girl book (though there are two strong girl characters, and no reason at all why girls wouldn't enjoy all of the forensic science discussed in the book). 

The plot in Crime Scene Proscrastinator meanders a bit, and I saw most of the twists coming. But it's nice to see a book that makes science (forensic science) cool, and relevant. Also, Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator is life-affirming without being didactic (as Guy comes out of his depression), and tackles real subjects without letting go of humor. Recommended, particularly for high school libraries. 

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (@RandomHouseKids)
Publication Date: March 13, 2012
Source of Book: Library copy on Kindle (but quotes checked against finished review copy from the publisher)

© 2012 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Book: The Book of Blood and Shadow
Author: Robin Wasserman (@robinwasserman)
Pages: 448
Age Range: 12 and up

Robin Wasserman's The Book of Blood and Shadow was already on my short stack when I read this at Chasing Ray:

"If you're looking for a great escape this summer, you absolutely have to pick up Robin Wasserman's recent thriller The Book of Blood and Shadow. Comparisons have abounded to Dan Brown's juggernaut The Da Vinci Code (I would also make the case for The Eight by Katherine Neville) ..."

There was more, of course, but those two comparisons from Colleen Mondor were enough for me to decide to read it next. And I'm glad that I did. The Book of Blood and Shadow is an intelligent, suspenseful thriller that happens to feature a teen protagonist. Honestly, it didn't feel much like a young adult novel to me - I think that it could easily have been published for adults, and that it holds plenty of adult crossover appeal. It certainly kept me reading late into the night (no small feat these days!). 

The Book of Blood and Shadow begins with the grief of high school senior Nora over the murder of her best friend, Chris. Nora's tale then moves backward, to the events leading up to Chris' death, and then forward, as Nora embarks on a quest for understanding. The plot hinges on a 700 year old coded book, a series of four hundred year old letters (written in Latin), two secret societies, and multiple alchemists. The first part of the book is set in New England, the later part in Prague. There's a compelling mix of careful research and desperate action. 

Nora is a well-developed character. Her parents were broken by the death or her reckless brother six years earlier. Chris and his girlfriend Adriane form a substitute family of sorts for her (to which Chris' roommate Max is eventually added). She bears the scars of her family trauma, but still wants to see the best in the people she loves. She is wryly witty, with realistically low self-esteem. Like this:

"I'd never understood girls like her--as in literally couldn't comprehend how they achieved perfection by seven a.m., hair sleek and dry, lip gloss and mascara and foundation and the variety of cosmetics of whose existence I remained unaware masterfully applied, accessories matched to sartorial selection matched to freshly polished nails. Whereas I inevitably showed up to school late, with tangled, wet, and, several months of the year, frozen hair tucked into a lopsided bun, my socks mismatched, and, on truly special occasions, some hastily applied drugstore foundation that couldn't disguise the fact that my nose was slightly too big for my face." (Page 15-16)

"It's not often you get the opportunity to casually destroy something of value. When you're a kid, there's always a new tower of blocks to knock over, another Barbie to microwave. When you grow up, they take away your toys." (Pag

Book: Flirting in Italian
Author: Lauren Henderson
Pages: 336
Age Range: 12 and up 

Flirting in Italian is the start of a new series by UK author Lauren Henderson. Henderson also wrote the Scarlett Wakefield series, which I reviewed here and here. Though set in a different country (Italy vs. England), Flirting in Italian has a very similar feel to the Scarlett Wakefield books. So similar that I am certain that had I started Flirting in Italian without knowing the author, I would easily have been able to name her. This is not a criticism - I enjoyed the Scarlett Wakefield books thoroughly, and found Flirting in Italian equally pleasing. But the strength of Henderson's voice makes it a bit difficult to distinguish between Scarlett and Violet (note similarity of names), despite differences in the two girls' situations. 

Anyway, Flirting in Italian is about Violet Routledge, a teen from London who signs up for an eight week summer program at the Villa Barbiano in Tuscany. Though the program is ostensibly to help Violet with her University applications, Violet's real reason for choosing this particular program is the Villa Barbiano's proximity to the Castello di Vesperi. The Castello di Vesperi is linked to a late 18th century painting of a woman who looks remarkably like Violet (who has no resemblance to either of her parents). Violet wants to learn about the unknown woman in the portrait, and find out whether she shares some secret connection to Violet. The fact that Violet will be able to flirt with handsome Italian guys while she's there (including the young scion of the Castello di Vesperi), well, that's an added bonus. 

Flirting in Italian is part mystery (as Violet finds her life in danger) and part teen romance, with the faintest hints of the supernatural. It does take a while for the plot to really get going - there's quite a bit of description of the villa and the other girls sharing Violet's course, etc. There are digressions regarding "the Swimsuit Beauty Parade" (and body image insecurities to which many teen girls will relate), and the different flirting styles of Italian vs. British and American males. But I still found the book to move along quickly, thanks to Henderson's breezy style, a mix of dramatic teen intensity and apt description. For example:

"I bite my lip. I don't know anything about the portrait. I can't even buy a postcard of it. So how am I ever going to find out who the girl in the paining is? I have to discover why on earth a girl who lived in the late eighteenth century -- in Italy! -- looks so like me she could be my twin sister." (Page 4)

"I fumble in my bag for my sunglasses, holding up the people behind me. Warm, humid air wraps itself around me insistently, demanding that I unzip my jacket, pull off my cotton sweater, bare my arms and neck to the blazing mid-afternoon sunshine. By the time I'm down the wobbly metal stairs, by the time my feet touch Italian soil, I've wrestled off the outer layers I w

Book: Reality Check
Author: Peter Abrahams
Pages: 352
Age Range: 13 and up

Peter Abrahams is the author of Down the Rabbit Hole and Behind the Curtain, both of which I liked because they are middle grade/middle school mystery novels that deal with real mysteries (dead bodies, etc.). I also commented when I reviewed those that Abrahams, an author of adult mysteries, has a good feel for the voice of teens (he has four children, and I'm sure that helps).

Reality Check is, I believe, Abrahams' first YA novel. Cody Larado comes from a difficult background (dead mother, alcoholic father). His only hope for getting out of his small town is football. Cody, a high school junior, is the school quarterback, at least until he blows out his knee. The contrast between Cody's life and that of his wealthy, perfect girlfriend, Clea, eventually becomes too much. The two break up right before Clea goes east to attend boarding school. But when Clea disappears while riding her horse in the snowy Vermont woods, Cody drops everything and leaves his home in Colorado to try to find her.

Reality Check is a somewhat bleak novel. Cody's future looks pretty grim, and the atmosphere in Clea's snowy Vermont town is downright ominous. You don't know whether or not Clea is dead. This is definitely YA, not middle grade. There is also some mature language, and not-very-graphic references to sex.

Reality Check is also suspenseful and (for a mystery novel), quite realistic. I did see the ending coming before Cody did, but not by much (there's one line that positively gives the game away -- I think that Abrahams wants the reader to see what trouble Cody is getting into before he does).

I didn't identify very well with Cody, a struggling student whose only real interest (besides Clea) is football. But I still liked him, and wanted him to succeed. There was one passage that made me feel old, when Cody, in a hotel room, sees his first black and white televsion set. But this is probably realistic. And, of course, I'm not the target audience. Reality Check is definitely boy-friendly, with plenty of references to sports, and a boys-eye view of being in love. We get a lot of Cory's inner monologue, like this:

"Mr. Weston's eyes--similar in color to Clea's but in no other way--rose slowly up to Cody's face. DId he notice that COdy was wearing his shirt. No way to tell.

"That your car in the drive?" he said, not furious, not even loud, but Cody's spine felt icy just the same. "I asked you a question," Mr. Weston said after a moment or two of silence.

Was it a serious question. Mr. Weston had seen Cody's car before, and besides, who else's could it be, an old banger like that in the Weston's circular driveway." (Chapter 2)

I would recommend Reality Check for fans of John Feinstein's sports mysteries, or anyone looking for a mystery/thriller for teenage boys. It's a quick read, with a distinctive voice, and an intriguing, twisty plot. 

Publisher: HarperTeen (@HarperTeen)
Publication Date: Apr

Book: Between
Author: Jessica Warman
Pages: 464
Age Range: 13 and up

Between is a paranormal mystery by Jessica Warman. When popular it girl Elizabeth Valchar wakes up in the middle of the night on her father's yacht, she hears something thumping against the side of the boat. She's horrified to see the dead body of a girl facedown in the water. She's even more horrified to realize that the body belongs to her.

Liz finds herself trapped in limbo, able to see and hear her friends and family members, but unable to communicate with them. The only person she can communicate with is Alex Berg, a boy from her class who was killed in a hit and run accident a year earlier. She has only limited memories of her life and who she is. Liz travels back into her own memories, between watching her family and friends in the present, trying to figure out what kind of person she was in life and what caused her death.

Between is compelling - I read it in just a couple of days, sneaking in a few pages whenever I could. The resolution of the various mysteries wasn't a big surprise, but it was interesting to see how the various plot threads tied together.

Liz, particularly the living Liz, isn't particularly likeable. Neither are her friends (with the possible exception of her boyfriend, Richie). Neither is Alex, unpopular in life, and wearing an enormous chip on his shoulder in death. Early in the book, there's a fair bit of Liz ranting about how popular she was, and Alex being sarcastic and nasty about it. The two do reach an understanding, eventually, but their roles still feel a bit stereotyped. Like this:

"This cannot really be happening," I say, even though I know it is happening. "It's my birthday. People aren't supposed to die on their birthday! Especially not me. I'm Liz Valchar." I'm almost shouting. "I'm very popular, you know! Nobody will be happy about this."

His voice is bone dry. "Yes, Liz. I'm aware of your social status." (Page 26)

And this:

"He looks around my room, observing the mess and disarray. "It's funny," he says. "I always thought you guys -- everyone in the upper social echelon -- I assumed you had such simple, perfect lives. Everything seemed so easy for you." (Page 147)

We learn that a number of things in Liz's life weren't easy, as she examines how these things made her who she was. I found her self-analysis a bit overly explained, but I suspect that teen readers will be more able than I am to relate to that figuring out of self. And that is the point of the story, after all, for her to be caught in limbo until she figures things out.

There's a fair bit of discussion about eating disorders in Between. Not the mechanics of eating disorders, but the motivation, the need to exert control, that can lead to anorexia. I thought that this aspect of the book was well done.

I also thought that Warman did a nice job with mood and setting. There's a vaguely otherworldly tone to the book (helped out by the creepy cover), in contrast to the real-world settings. Liz's street, the boat, and the graveyard where she ends up buried all feel three-dimensional, despite not being described in great detail. Warman uses flashes of images, l

Book: One Was A Soldier (A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery)
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Pages: 336
Age Range: Adult

Background: I don't generally review fiction published for adults on this blog. However, I make the occasional exception for some of my favorite mystery series. I have found a considerable overlap between adults who read children's and young adult literature and adults who enjoy mysteries - so I figure I'm doing my audience a small service.

Review: One Was A Soldier is the 7th title (due out in early April) in Julia Spencer-Fleming's Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series, set in Millers Kill, NY. If you haven't read the earlier books in the series, I recommend that you do so before reading this review. The Fergusson/Van Alstyne books feature a small town police chief who falls in love with an Episcopal priest. [Some additional background on the series is included in my review of Book 6.]

As One Was A Soldier begins, Russ and Clare are finally free to be together, after overcoming various hurdles. Clare is back from 18 months flying helicopters in Iraq, and Russ has an engagement ring in his pocket. The events of the summer are described via the shifting viewpoints of several characters (including Clare, Russ, and rookie police officer Hadley Knox). Interspersed between these passages are flashes forward to September meetings of Clare's veterans' counseling group, from the relatively objective viewpoint of the group's leader. The two timelines eventually meet, mid-way through the book.

The mystery in One Was A Soldier involves the suspicious death of a newly returned soldier, a death that strikes a bit too close to home for Clare. Her tenacious investigation of this death threatens to create a rift between Clare and Russ, and puts various members of the counseling group in danger. The plot is complex, involving a variety of different threads and a host of potential suspects. Mystery fans will find themselves mulling this one over, trying to solve the puzzle.

But One Was A Soldier is really about the physical and emotional scars that war leaves on people. Clare is traumatized, having nightmares, drinking too much, and relying on pharmaceutical help to get her through her work-filled days. Another member of the group has serious anger issues, while another struggles to conceal his memory problems. All of these damaged individuals are portrayed sympathetically, but unflinchingly.

One Was A Soldier is not an easy book. Those looking to mysteries for "comfort reads" will probably want to look elsewhere. Readers have to pay close attention to keep up with the shifts in time and viewpoint, and the intersecting details of the various stories. And seeing Clare struggle, for fans who have loved her through six earlier books, is gut-wrenching. But for those who are prepared to invest the time and effort, this is a very rewarding read.

One Was A Soldier offers a window into the reintegration challenges that soldiers face. This is set against an intriguing puzzle, the ongoing personal progress and mis-steps of the characters, and, fortunately, dry witticisms that lighten the tone. I think that Russ is my favorite viewpoint character. He's full of heart, bu

This post was originally published at Booklights on September 7, 2009.

Two Types of Series Books

Continuing my post on favorite series from last week, I've spent a bit of time thinking about two types of series books. The first type of series consists of multiple books that follow one primary story arc. Examples include the Inkheart series, the Percy Jackson books, and the Lord of the Rings series. While there are, of course, multiple plot streams within each of these series, the books are meant to be read together, to tell a single, epic, story. Clues are planted in one book that aren't explained until the end. There are sometimes major cliffhangers between books. When I wrote about series books last week, I limited my discussion to series with more than three titles, to keep the number of favorites under consideration manageable. But obviously, most trilogies fall within the spectrum of these single story arc series. In general, many fantasy titles fall within this single arc, multiple-book format.

The other type of series is more episodic. Susan alluded to this in her original post, when she talked about kids who need to read even the Magic Treehouse books in order (even though there's no strong continuing arc across the books). An episodic series (like the Captain Underpants, Junie B. Jones, and Encyclopedia Brown books, to name a few) might have dozens of titles. While the books generally all feature the same primary characters, each book has an independent storyline. This is commonly observed in mystery series (for kids and adults). The same characters solve each mystery, and the story is usually wrapped up within the course of each book.

Of course the difference between these two types of series is not always black and white. For example, in many episodic series (though by no means all) the characters experience personal growth and/or changes in their personal lives from book to book. This keeps the series from becoming flat, and adds an additional incentive for readers to pick up the next title. Still, there's nothing stopping a reader from picking up and reading a title from the middle of the series - the plot won't be confusing.

Also, just because a series ends after a few books doesn't mean that it was a single arc series. All of the books might be only loosely connected, and able to be read out of order. The end point of the series could be arbitrary. It's also not uncommon for something to start out as a standalone book, and then have one of more sequels added. By definition, such books weren't originally published to tell a single story. I don't think that we can expect them to hold up together as one, consistent story arc when they weren't planned that way (though the books may still be wonderful as individual books).

Still, despite some blurriness in this classification, I do think that this breakdown of single story arc vs. episodic is helpful in thinking about series books. The different formats serve different needs. Episodic series are a huge part of various markets, from early readers to adult mysteries. There's something satisfying about reading bite-sized books, at one's own leisure, and then having new books, with familiar

I'm working on a post for Booklights (inspired by a recent post of Susan's) about my favorite series titles. This made me think about my favorite series titles published for adults, and I decided to publish that list here. What follows are twelve mystery series that have caught, and held, my interest. (Linked series titles go to the first book in each series.)

• Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity series (review of a recent title here)
• Lee Child's Jack Reacher series
• Robert Crais' Elvis Cole series
• Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series
• Jo Dereske's Miss Zukas series (review of a recent title here)
• Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series
• Laurie King's Russell/Holmes series
• Barry Maitland's Brock/Kolla series
• Carol O'Connell's Mallory series
• Julia Spencer-Fleming's Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series (review of a recent title here)
• Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mystery series
• Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series (review of the third title here)

These are series that haven't petered out for me - I'm just as interested to read the 10th book in hardcover (if available) as I was to read the second. They are automatic selections for me. Once new installments are available, I purchase them or request them from my library, and read them right away. There are lots of other series that I have enjoyed in the past, and a couple of new ones that I'm working my way through now, but the 12 here all meet my definition of favorite series (for more on that definition, and what makes a series hold up over time, stay tuned for my Booklights post on Monday).

What are your favorite mystery series?

Book: Closed for the Season
Author: Mary Downing Hahn
Pages: 192
Age Range: 10-14 

Background: What right-minded kid (or former kid, for that matter) could resist a mystery centered around an abandoned, kudzu-covered amusement park? Certainly not me. So when Jenny from Clarion offered me an ARC of Mary Downing Hahn's upcoming title Closed for the Season, I jumped at the opportunity. The book went immediately to the top of my reading list.

Review: In Closed for the Season, 13-year-old Logan Forbes moves with his parents from Richmond to the small town of Bealesville, Virginia. There, Logan and his new neighbor, Arthur, investigate the murder of the previous owner of the Forbes' house. Their search ranges from a dusty attic to a tiny library to a cemetery to to the local Wal-Mart to a nearby abandoned amusement park, the Magic Forest. The Magic Forest is a creepy, vine-covered, snake-filled place, littered with hints of a more festive past. It is the perfect setting for a middle grade/middle school mystery. Here's a brief description:

"Arthur led me down an overgrown path, stopping now and then to examine a crumbling building or the remains of a ride. Here and there, storybook figures emerged from the kudzu, lopsided, grotesque, their noses gone, their fingers missing, their skin leprous with moss and mold. The place was a nightmare version of Mother Goose." (Page 52, ARC)

Closed for the Season is a straight-up mystery, without the supernatural trappings found in many of Hahn's other books. Hahn has a real knack, however, for depicting kid-friendly settings and plots, and for quick, insightful descriptions of people and places. For example:

"Arthur signed. "Grandma and I knew something was wrong. It was one of those weird feelings--you know what I mean?"
I nodded. "Like in a movie, when the music gets scary and you can tell something bad is going to happen?"
"Exactly."" (Page 11, ARC)

"Inside (Wal-Mart), the cold air smelled of popcorn, hot dogs, and unidentifiable synthetic substances. A cheap smell, Mom called it. But no matter how the store smelled, it was better than the heat outside." (Page 73, ARC)

"Violet blew her nose again, and I stole a glance at Danny. He sat there eating his cookies as if they were enemies, biting into them fiercely, chewing hard, and swallowing noisily. He didn't look at anyone. And he didn't say a word." (Page 104, ARC)

Don't you love that? Eating cookies as if they were enemies. Hahn also, as in All the Lovely Bad Ones, is not afraid to include imperfect characters. Arthur, in particular, is downright annoying, a geeky kid who has no idea when he's crossing the line of acceptable behavior. Logan, more conventional and more introspective, struggles between his growing loyalty to Arthur and a wish not to brand himself as unpopular in a new place. This combination of realistic interpersonal dynamics with atmospheric, suspenseful mystery is sure to please kids. Especially those kids who aren't athletes, and have been known to spend an afternoon or two in the local library.

Closed for the Season is Mary Downing Hahn's 30th novel in 30 years, and is dedicated to her long-time editor, James Cross Giblin. I think that the abandoned amusement park setting might be intriguing enough to lure in some new readers for her. I hope so, because this one is a keeper. Recommended, especially for middle grade mystery fans. [The mystery itself is probably not complex enough to satisfy adult mystery fans - the culprit doesn't come as a huge surprise. But for adults wanting to recapture that feeling of riding a bike around during the summer, looking for adventure, this one is not to be missed.]

Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date: June 15, 2009
Source of Book: Advanced review copy from the publisher. Quotes are from the ARC, and should be compared against the final printed book. Cover image courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Other Blog Reviews: None yet, but here are my reviews of Hahn's titles Deep and Dark and Dangerous and All the Lovely Bad Ones.

© 2009 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.

Book: The Crossroads
Author: Chris Grabenstein
Pages: 336
Age Range: 9-12

The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein is a supernatural mystery aimed at middle grade readers. It's the first middle grade title by an author of adult mysteries and thrillers. Grabenstein's adult titles are madcap romps, though, and the transition to writing for kids seems natural for him.

The Crossroads is a fun, if somewhat unusual, title. While the main protagonist is an eleven-year-old boy, many of the scenes are told from the perspective of adult characters. And some of those characters are ghosts. The Crossroads features very short chapters (some just a couple of paragraphs), and the viewpoint skips around frequently from chapter to chapter. While the action takes place in the present, the plot is driven by a mystery 50 years in the making. The short chapters, combined with the developing mystery, make this a fast-paced, intriguing read.

The story begins when Zack's widowed father remarries, giving Zack a far-from-wicked stepmother named Judy. Judy is a children's book author, a woman who wears purple to her wedding, and doesn't know how to cook anything. Zack is a baseball fan with a rich fantasy life, haunted by memories of his rather wicked mother. After the wedding, Zack and his family move from New York City to the rural town in Connecticut where Zack's father was born. Their newly built house is near the infamous intersection of County Route 13 and State Highway 31, where a terrible accident once took place. A huge oak tree on the family's property serves as a memorial to one of the people who died in the accident. The family members soon find themselves accosted by ghosts, as well as by the living descendants of people involved in the tragedy. Zack learns that he has a pivotal role to play in bringing the situation to rest.

The Crossroads is creepily atmospheric, yet laced with humor. Zack is a likable kid, a realistic mix of regular kid who builds a treehouse and damaged son of a toxic parent. When he sees a worker who hasn't, apparently, shaved or showered in a few days, he thinks that the man looks like "a pirate or a mechanic". One of my favorite aspects of the book is the developing relationship between Zack and his well-intentioned, if wholly inexperienced, stepmother. That relationship feels real and solid, in a story where reality is often called into question. Here's an early example:

"Zack looked into Judy's eyes. She had big brown ones, the kind you see on friendly cartoon bears --the ones you can trust, not the growly, grizzly types you can't." (Page 17)

I enjoyed Grabenstein's writing. He seems to have fun with words.

"They recognized the antique automobile and knew that inside was the sole surviving member of the family that had made North Chester famous. In fact, the quaint little town was still called Clocksville, as it had been for nearly a century, because of the timepieces once mass-produced in the sprawling Spratling Clockworks Factory." (Page19)

I wonder, did he name the family Spratling just so that he could use the phrase "sprawling Spratling Clockworks Factory"? Because it's perfect.

The Crossroads is that rare middle grade mystery in which people are actually murdered (both in the past and in the present). Though, the fact that most of them hang around as ghosts softens the blow a bit. The violence has an other-worldly feel about it, and I don't think that it will scare young readers off. The scary part is the ghosts, and the truly evil old woman who drives much of the plot, rather than the deaths themselves.

I do have one quibble about the book. I found Zack's family to be unnecessarily wealthy. They move from a three bedrooms, 2.5 bath apartment in New York to a newly built Victorian with five bedrooms and five baths. There's a scene where "Zack stumbled out of bed and slogged across the soft carpet to his own private bathroom." Seems to me this might be off-putting to your average middle grade reader, and I don't see what it adds to the story to make the family so well off. Maybe this is so that the reader won't worry about them later, when they suffer a potentially significant material loss, but I'm not sure your average 10-year-old reader worries about things like that anyway.

But that's a minor point, and perhaps says more about my own biases for middle grade adventures than about the book. Overall, I think that middle grade fans of mysteries and ghost stories will gobble this one up. It's a book to read under the covers with a flashlight, one that will make you stay up late, and notice the shadows of branches moving on your bedroom walls.

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 27, 2008
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher
Other Blog Reviews: The Well-Read Child (this was the review that made me want to read the book), BlogCritics, On My Bookshelf, Midnight Twilight's Book Blog
Author Interviews: Lesa's Book Critiques (more of a description of an author appearance)

Scholastic is running an Alec Flint, Super Sleuth contest. The first three people to e-mail [email protected] with their mailing address, saying that they read this message on Jen Robinson's Book Page and correctly cracking the coded message below will receive a free, autographed copy of The Nina, The Pinta and the Vanishing Treasure. (Hint: The key to Alec and Gina's code is over on www.jillsantopolo.com)

Here's the coded message that needs to be cracked: RM ULFIGVVM SFMWIVW MRMVGB GDL, XLOFNYFH HZROVW GSV LXVZM YOFV.

Enticing? Here's a bit more about the book, from Scholastic's press release:

"Alec Flint is practicing to be a super-sleuth. He's got a pair of super-sleuth pants with lots of hiding pockets, a sleuthing side-kick, and now a major robbery to investigate.

In the first book in an exciting new series, Alec's dad, a local police officer, discovers the Christopher Columbus exhibit has gone missing from the town museum, and Alec is on the case!

With help from his side-kick, Gina, and his fourth grade history class, Alec is determine to uncover the truth. Santopolo's debut book will have middle grade readers racing to solve this clever crime."

Doesn't that sound fun? I'm always on the lookout for good books for early elementary school kids (this one is aimed at kids age 7 to 10), and especially for mysteries, so this one caught my eye. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but it's nearing the top of my list. Enter the contest above, and find out about the book for yourself.

Book: I Shall Not Want
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Pages: 336
Age Range: Adult (mystery)

Background: When I'm not reading children's and young adult titles, my reading genre of choice is mysteries. For several years I've been a fan of Julia Spencer-Fleming's Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series. Enough so that I signed up for the author's email list, and jumped at the chance when she offered ARCs of the series' sixth title: I Shall Not Want.

Although this is a mystery series about a small-town police chief, the real tension comes not from crime scene investigations, but from the relationship between the police chief and a local minister. The series begins with In the Bleak Midwinter, in which Clare first moves to the snowy Adirondack town of Millers Kill, and falls head over heels in love with the married police chief, Russ. Clare is an Episcopal priest, and as such is permitted to marry, but her church, and her own conscience, frown on affairs with married men. Thus a huge theme for the first book, and the books that follow, involves the unrequited passion felt between the two main characters.

I am a solid fan of the unrequited passion storyline, when it's done convincingly. And Julia Spencer-Fleming is very good what she does. The reader positively aches for Russ and Clare, two kindred spirits who eventually can't even spend time together as friends, because of the risks of gossip. The problem with unrequited passion storylines in a continuing series, however, is that in order for the series to progress, you have to eventually allow the couple to be together. And, usually, that's the beginning of the end for the dramatic tension in the series. (For some pop cultural examples, Grey's Anatomy flagged once Meredith and Derek were finally together, and they had to break them up again. And the old television show Scarecrow and Mrs. King couldn't survive once Mrs. King became Mrs. Scarecrow.) This puts the reader (and I presume the writer) in a bit of a bind. We love these characters. We want to see them happy. And yet, once they come together, we see that as the happily ever after (Elizabeth and Darcy, for example) and we don't really need to read about them anymore. And that's where Julia Spencer-Fleming is with Russ and Clare - at the precipice.

I highly recommend this series, as long as you start at the beginning. These are darkly atmospheric tales, set in a rural location with harsh weather and strong-willed characters. The books are mysteries, but they are also in-depth character analyses, and provide a sharp look at religion and moral values. They are leavened with humor, too, through the voices of the characters.

The review that follows will contain spoilers for the series as a whole, especially book 5. So stop here if you haven't read All Mortal Flesh. And if you are new to the series, go get yourself a copy of In the Bleak Midwinter. You won't be disappointed.

Review: As this sixth installment of the Fergusson/Van Alstyne series begins, tragic heroes Russ and Clare can theoretically be together, because of Russ's wife's death in book five. Russ, however, is consumed by guilt over the fact that had he been with his wife, instead of with Clare, his wife wouldn't have died. His guilt is compounded by the fact that he wants to be able to be with Clare openly, but feels like his potential happiness is at the expense of his dead wife. Clare, meanwhile, is a mess, because Russ has been pushing her away, at a time when she is coping with her own guilt regarding the events of All Mortal Flesh.

But I Shall Not Want Doesn't start with Russ and Clare at all. Instead, the book introduces a new character and thrusts her into compelling action from the very first page. How is this for an opening line:

"When she saw the glint of the revolver barrel through the broken glass of the window, Hadley Knox thought, I'm going to die for sixteen bucks an hour."

Hadley turns out to be a new cop on the local police force, a struggling single mother who isn't sure whether or not being a cop is the best thing, but is in it for the benefits. Hadley's outsider perspective freshens the series a bit, and allows the reader to see things about Russ and Clare that might be hidden from the heroes themselves. The perspective of the book shifts seamlessly between these three primary protagonists (with occasional digressions). For example, here is Hadley's first meeting with Clare:

"I'm Clare Fergusson." She moved close enough for Hadley to make out her face, cheekbones, chin, and nose, all points and angles. "I'm the rector here at St. Albans." She smiled a welcome, but there was a bone-deep sadness about her that the smile couldn't dissipate. (page 15, ARC)

Hadley's opening scene is filled with drama and tension, and ends with a major character in jeopardy, possibly dead. The next chapter begins six months previously, as the reader learns of the events that brought the characters to that pivotal scene. Talk about keeping the reader turning the pages! I stayed up until 2:00 am reading this book, because I had to know what happened.

The plot of I Shall Not Want involves illegal Mexican immigrants (working at local farms), a caring nun, racist rednecks, and suspicious activities by newcomers to the area. These various plot elements end up pulling Russ and Clare together, in spite of themselves, as each works to help people in trouble. Although the plot is suspenseful, I found myself flagging many passages along the way that were well-written, or illuminating, or humorous (or all three). For example:

Sister Lucille patted her hand. "Not meaning to be nosy. It's just that I've found one of the great benefits of the celibate life is fearlessness. Especially for women. You can see what needs to be done and do it, without fear of how it's going to affect your family or your reputation." Where she had been patting she squeezed, hard. "Don't let anyone convince you it's a flaw. We need more fearless women following Christ, not less." (page 25, ARC)

I Shall Not Want also has a fun nod towards adult readers of children's books. One of the cops mentions the Weasley twins (in context of a younger cop being a red-head), and an older cop doesn't know what he's talking about. Here's the exchange:

"Harry Potter?" Kevin said. "Everybody's heard of that."

"MacAuley made a face. "Kids' books."

"I like 'em." McCrea twisted a faucet on. "Last one came out, I read it before my son did."

"Grown-ups reading kids' books," MacAuley said with disgust. "It's no wonder we're importin' men from Mexico to do our work for us. We're all getting too dumb to know one end of a hammer from the other." (page 43-44, ARC)

And we're back on track to the plot. Honestly, I don't know how Julia Spencer-Fleming pulls it off. I'm reading as fast as I can to find out what happens, but I'm also happy to stop and read little insider passages about what it's like to be the rector of a small church, or about the police chief's steps to limit fraternization among the police force (given the presence of a new female cop). And I'm smirking over witty internal monologue like:

"Her twenty-year old refrigerator was almost buried beneath photos, clippings, comics, and brochures. He figured the whole appliance was held together by magnetic force at this point." (page 124, ARC).

and

"... Neil said. "He didn't understand when she told him to clear off, 'cause he don't speak no English."

Kevin thought Neil wasn't doing so hot in that department himself." (page 200, ARC).

Funny, profound, intriguing, moving. This book has it all.  The addition of Hadley as a new character, and the inclusion of another young cop's viewpoint, keep this sixth book fresh. The reader continues to care what happens with Russ and Clare, but also gets a bit of a break from the intensity of their emotions. And the way that the plot strands come together is satisfying, without being obvious.

Highly recommended for fans of the series. New readers should start at the beginning. Clare, Russ, and the rest of the Millers Kill team are well worth spending time with.

Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur
Publication Date: June 10, 2008
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the author. All quotes are from the advance copy, and may not reflect the final printed book.
Other Blog Reviews: The Mystery Gazette, Citadel of Stars
Author Interviews: Poe's Deadly Daughters

He had no idea how much trouble he was in...

Anette Heiberg - www.wynlen.no