by Beth Lincoln
Illustrated by Claire Powell
5 stars
An absolutely fantastic read. Lincoln creates a fun blend of The Westing Game and Lemony Snicket with a style and characters all her own.
Each member of the Swift family is named by the Family Dictionary with the expectation they will live up to their name. But Shenanigan isn’t so sure she wants to live up to hers. As the Swift Family Reunion gets underway, Shenanigan is excited to hunt for the family’s long-lost treasure. But an attempted murder puts a halt to her plans. In the aftermath, she must join with her siblings and newly-befriended cousin to solve the mystery, find time to look for the treasure, and come to terms with her name and her identity.
This book had me from page 1. I really enjoyed the writing style and the world Lincoln created. The characters are fun, lovely, horrible, mischievous, supportive, hilarious, sweet, heartwarming, and frustrating. Such a wonderful cast. There are also wonderful illustrations from Claire Powell throughout, which really brought the characters to life.
A fantastic mystery, coming-of-age, adventure with themes of destiny, family, and doing the right thing. Along with the humor and puns, it wonderfully tackles some difficult issues as well such as being your authentic self and respecting others’ identities even if it means going against family expectations.
A hefty book that goes by quickly because it is so easy to get caught up in the shenanigans. Perfect for lovers of words and wordplay.
Though this is a satisfying, self-contained adventure, I’d love to see more of Shenanigan and her family, especially her evolving relationship with her sisters and her friendship with Erf.
Suspenseful, humorous, with plenty of twists, The Swifts is a wild ride well worth diving into.