The Mystery of the Masked Medalist follows Andy and Mika, a brother and sister duo, as they explore Tokyo while attending the Summer Olympics. These not-quite-teenage protagonists make their way through the city, spending most of the time on their own as their parents cover various aspects of the Games and the city as journalists. The children are, quite literally, left to their own devices, as most of their attention is focussed on a device-based game called Olympifan, which is an app that allows users to see fun facts about the city of Tokyo while looking for clues to a mystery. Teams race to find the identity of the game’s creator and win the grand prize.
The Masked Medalist is a novel that has much to offer culturally, as the kids explore various landmarks of the city. However, other than mentioning the contents of some dishes, and some brief descriptions of various sites, the authors don’t really explore that potential. The story is more focused on the fictitious game that the kids are playing. Most young readers will sympathize with the enthusiasm that the protagonists have for playing the game, and may even have a small bit of jealousy at how lenient the Kudo Kids’ parents are with allowing them to focus so heavily on a digital game and the amount of freedom afforded to the kids to just wander the city. Though this opportunity would undoubtedly be exciting for young readers, the plot itself is not very exciting at first. The authors spend a good deal of time setting the mood and emphasizing how exciting and important the game is to the characters, rather than getting to the heart of the story. Once the mystery really gets going, it’s fun and engaging, but it takes such a long time to get there that some young readers may abandon it before they get to the excitement.
Overall, this book is good, and a patient reader will find much to enjoy in it. The characters are likeable, and a novel that includes in its premise both sports and video game is one that should appeal to a broad group of young readers. However, I would not recommend it for a reluctant reader or one who likes stories with a faster pace, because this literary race is more of a cross-country than a sprint.
Review of an Advance Reading Copy
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Razorbill
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: A few religious exclamations. Note: the acronym “OMG” is used a few times in text messages within the novel, and those uses are not tallied toward the profanity/language rating.
Violence/Gore: None
Sex/Nudity: A man kisses a woman on her cheek.
Mature Subject Matter:
Internet stalking.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Adults drink wine at dinner.
