4 stars
A fantastic read with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. This was especially fun to read having grown up in Wisconsin and currently living in Milwaukee. Always nice to see a Wisconsin author.
I’ll admit, it took me a little bit to get into the style of this book. The narration follows all of the characters, hopping from one’s thoughts to another. This was disorienting at first, but I did get used to it.
The mystery itself is very involved with various layers. A Knives Out-style storyline for young readers. Personally, I had no hope of putting all the pieces together, but it was entertaining to watch the characters figure things out and the hijinks that ensued. One mystery spins itself into multiple and its becomes quite chaotic at times.
While at the face of it, this is a fun mystery and scavenger hunt with high stakes, it also deals with a lot of complex issues. Raskin works in stereotypes and expectations based on sex and race, forcing her characters to recognize their own unconscious behavior and beliefs.
As it’s a rather old book, there are some terms used that are considered offensive today. There’s quite a cast of diverse characters and some terminology is quite outdated (terms for people with Down’s Syndrome or those with disabilities). This doesn’t mean it’s not a great book. But it may warrant a discussion with younger readers on how the terminology has changed.
Overall, I found this to be an entertaining read. The action is pretty much nonstop as the characters try to piece together Westing’s puzzle while also trying to identify whose been setting off the bombs in Sunset Towers and whose been stealing their things. A hectic race to solve the murder mystery that will have the reader questioning everything they think they know.