The Westing Game (1978)

I thought this book was ok. Had potential but could have been better. End seemed too ‘fluffy’ and pulled together. At least it was a fast read. ( )

I almost didn't read this book. It came up next on my shelf and I almost passed it up because the reading level is said to be about middle grade. But I am so glad I decided to read it anyway. It's by far one of the best books I've ever read. I thought I had the ending figured out fairly early but I didn't! I believed up until the end that it was "so predictable" but I am happy to admit that I was wrong. ( )

ack! i just managed to come across this here and then realized it's a book i've been trying to find the identity of for a long long time!!! i read this in childhood and i remember loving it. i'll have to look for a copy, somehow. or maybe i should leave it be? no, i really want to read it again. sigh, i love when long-time mysteries are solved.

update:

found a copy and it held up -- no wonder i loved this book as a kid: strong girl character, interesting mystery, commentary on all sorts of issues, like ableism, sexism (including mail-order brides and good girl syndrome), racism, classism, but none touched upon with too heavy a hand.

the one comment i would make, without giving anything away, is one part of the mystery is so completely obvious, at least to most americans, that it's hard to believe the characters wouldn't find it obvious, as well. but, no, we go almost 200 pages before someone "suddenly" puts 2 and 2 together and aha! duh. luckily, that's not all there is to the mystery, which keeps giving until the very end.

awesome. ( )

A seemingly random group of 16 people are gathered for the reading of the will of Sam Westing. Instead, they are all given a challenge to find Westing's murderer. They are grouped into teams of two, and each team is given an envelope full of clues.

A cute book, lots of twists and turns (too many maybe). I like the premise, but I'm really not the target audience for this book - really a children's book. ( )

This was just as silly and just as enjoyable as I remembered.
I was not QUITE as bothered as I was when I was 14 by the unrealistic suggestion that a high school track athlete would skip school the day before a big meet to sprint around town, rather than rest his legs. ( )