The Callender Papers (1983)

did this win an edgar? i don't think this is a sensible story. doesn't jean wonder why a grown man is so interested in her? doesn't she wonder why she is doing such a stupid job for the summer? why does her employer let her visit the calendars, knowing what he knows? why would her guardian let her go?
the writing is good but the story is ridiculous from beginning to end.
after writing this i'm going to lower my stars. ( )

Young adult book that I never read as a young adult. As always, Voigt impresses with her intelligent writing and strong young characters. The solution to the mystery here is perhaps a bit predictable, but the deft characterization of the narrator makes up for it. ( )

Set in the late 19th century, 13 year old Jean uncovers a mystery. The plot is solid, although fairly straightforward -- there aren't any big twists here. This story is very Gothic, featuring orphans, desolate houses, brooding people, missing wills, and domestic servants with unsavory pasts (okay, just one of those, but still). While the mystery works just fine, overall this book leaves me a little cold. The characters and their situations are interesting enough, but there isn't anything that makes the reader care too deeply about them, and nothing in the book is particularly surprising. ( )