The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

How I Came Across It... *I was sent an ARC of the novel from Viking/Penguin Random House Publishers long before the book was released. For some reason it never made it to the stop of my TBR pile. While attending #NCTE24 in Boston, I kept hearing about the story and how engaging and engrossing the plot was. When I got home, I decided to move the novel to the top of my pile. What It's About - Five Things You Need to Know... *The story takes the reader back to the year 1940 in Europe.

*Jakob is the older brother to Lizzie and their mother has gone missing. They are not sure if she is dead or alive.

*Lizzie is supposed to make her way to America for safety, but she has other plans.

*Just as the ship bound for America is ready to depart, Lizzie departs the ship and makes her way to find her brother.

*Together, they join forces to find out what happened to their mother, where she is, and if she is alive or dead. An epic adventure ensues.

What I Thought of It - Five Observations/Reflections... *I enjoyed the story.

*As I was reading, I kept wondering who the audience for the novel was.

*To me, it reads "higher" than middle grade. I would say it is almost young adult.

*The novel was long at 385 pages with some really engaging sections and some parts that moved a bit too slow for my taste.

*The time period was interesting and an interesting aspect of the war.

Who Should Read It... *This is hard for me to answer. It is "billed" as middle-grade, but I'm not sure it would capture a reader in elementary school. In my opinion, I would say readers in middle-school and/or high school would the be the best audience for the story. Happy Reading!

Rating...

3 out of 5 stars