Author Ally Carter nails it again in this middle grade series. This book has it all: adventure, mystery, great characters, atmosphere, and heart. The plot takes twisty turns instead of a more linear path, as some books for young readers do. It is this blend of progress and regression, explanations and mysteries, character growth and consistency that make this novel so well-executed. The protagonist, April, has the right amount of spunk and vulnerability so that the reader is able to root for her. Slowly throughout the book, more and more characters join her orbit until there is full cast of characters and a reluctant hero.
This is the first book in a series. Masterfully, a satisfying number of answers are provided to many questions, but an oddly equally satisfying number of answers are not provided so there is plenty of room for the author to run in future installments and the reader is itching for more.
The audio version is excellently executed and highly recommended.
Review of the unabridged audiobook version
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: None
Violence/Gore: Destructions of property in fire, minor injuries; character cut on glass; report of deaths of family members in an accident, no details; verbal and implied threats; adult threatens child with gun; brief fight scene involving knives/swords, resulting in severe injury and mention of blood; wound treated with mention of blood; report of a death; recount of event involving explosion and death of family members; report of death of family members and revelation that it was murder; brief recounting of unsuccessful murder attempts on an individual; adult shows children how to use a sword; when a character’s shirt is removed, there are many scars visible; characters are pursued; brief fight scene with swords, resulting in characters falling and jumping from a great height, speculation is that deaths resulted; adult character enters a children’s bedroom with a knife; character vocalizes intent to kill another; struggle between an adult and a child, with adult intending to harm child/knife to throat of child, adults fight with knife.
Sex/Nudity: None
Mature Subject Matter:
Orphans, foster homes, murder, crime, arson.
Alcohol/Drug Use:
None
