SMART PHONE

In Eber’s YAdebut, a group of kids become friends and pursue a mystery in Los Angeles.

In 2009, 13-year-old Jeffrey James’ parents are getting a divorce, so they send him from his home in Iowa to visit with his family in Los Angeles for a week. There, he quickly befriends his cousin Margaret (who prefers to go by “M”), a loner who is in need of friends. He also meets the charming and beautiful Diana, who immediately connects with Jeffrey and M. As they begin to explore the city, Jeffrey starts getting odd messages on his phone that at first don’t seem to mean anything (“an innocent technical glitch made more sense than anything else”)—but when the kids decipher them, they discover that they lead to scenes of accidents and other unexpected, violent situations. While the three differ in personality—Jeffrey is nerdy, M is aloof, and Diana is extroverted—they find they share the commonalities of being only children and hungering for connection. The week in L.A. soon bonds them together as they become amateur detectives, following the clues Jeffrey’s phone sends them (and roping Diana’s limo driver Ty into their sleuthing as well). Making references to The Wizard of Oz and Nancy Drew, Eber brings old-school children’s adventure and detective tales into the 21st century with a fresh and modern appeal. The use of the smart phone—still a novelty in the 2009 setting—drives the fast-paced plot forward and keeps the trio on their toes. Eber strikes a pleasing balance between exciting thrills and scenes of the kids just having fun together. Jeffrey, M, and Diana are distinctive characters with their own complex personalities who lend a grounded feeling to the speculative plot device. The code-breaking adds a fun dynamic to the story, adding another layer to the already satisfying adventure narrative.

A thoroughly enjoyable coming-of-age mystery yarn.