Exceptionally entertaining, always suspenseful, and eminently satisfying.
A big case helps an orphan unravel the mysteries of her past.
Enough time has passed since The Queen of Thieves (2024) that the heat is finally off 12-year-old Mika after her explosive prison break. Her newly restored anonymity means she’s once again free to help Constable Valdemar Hoff solve crimes. Valdemar’s been assigned the case of a missing wealthy 14-year-old. But Mika’s friend Tekla leads her to an even bigger case—a new construction job has revealed a mass grave of suspiciously small skeletons. This Swedish import skillfully interweaves its mystery storylines with revelations about Valdemar’s past and Mika’s own family history. Mika’s keen eye for observation, her ability to make connections, her strong moral center, and her boldness keep things fast-paced and grounded, especially as the investigation turns into the most dangerous one she and Valdemar have faced. The story neither shies away from nor sensationalizes its violence and provides the same matter-of-fact treatment to other social ills Mika encounters in gritty 1880s Stockholm, including poverty, alcoholism, and teen pregnancies. Robust prose paints vivid pictures, enhancing characterization, plot twists, and an action-packed finale. The ending resolves mysteries seeded in the first book of the series, but a final image disrupts the happily-ever-after with a promise of more stories to come. Characters are cued white.
Exceptionally entertaining, always suspenseful, and eminently satisfying. (Historical thriller. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781662525940
Page Count: 222
Publisher: Amazon Crossing Kids
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An outstanding new edition of this popular modern classic (Newbery Award, 1961), with an introduction by Zena Sutherland and...
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1990
ISBN: 0-395-53680-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Navigating this stunning novel requires thought and concentration, but it’s well worth the effort.
Returning to themes she explored so affectingly in Moon Over Manifest (2011), Newbery Medalist Vanderpool delivers another winning picaresque about memories, personal journeys, interconnectedness—and the power of stories.
Thirteen-year-old Jack enters boarding school in Maine after his mother’s death at the end of World War II. He quickly befriends Early Auden, a savant whose extraordinary facility with numbers allows him to “read” a story about “Pi” from the infinite series of digits that follow 3.14. Jack accompanies Early in one of the school crew team’s rowing boats on what Jack believes is his friend’s fruitless quest to find a great bear allegedly roaming the wilderness—and Early’s brother, a legendary figure reportedly killed in battle. En route, Early spins out Pi’s evolving saga, and the boys encounter memorable individuals and adventures that uncannily parallel those in the stories. Vanderpool ties all these details, characters, and Jack’s growing maturity and self-awareness together masterfully and poignantly, though humor and excitement leaven the weighty issues the author and Jack frequently pose. Some exploits may strain credulity; Jack’s self-awareness often seems beyond his years, and there are coincidences that may seem too convenient. It’s all of a piece with Vanderpool’s craftsmanship. Her tapestry is woven and finished off seamlessly. The ending is very moving, and there’s a lovely, last-page surprise that Jack doesn’t know but that readers will have been tipped off about.
Navigating this stunning novel requires thought and concentration, but it’s well worth the effort. (author’s note, with questions and answers, list of resources) (Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-385-74209-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 30, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
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