Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Twelve-year-old Emily is an enthusiastic participant in Book Scavenger, an online game in which people hide books and leave clues for them to be found by others. And when her family relocates to San Francisco as part of their eccentric quest to spend time living in all 50 US sates, she's excited to participate in a local book-scavenging contest to be held by the site's creator... until an attack by would-be book thieves prevents him from announcing the contest. But Emily's found the book show more that was to be the key to the game, and is determined to follow the clues where they lead.

This is a decent kid's book, although it's one of those that I think I would have enjoyed a lot more if I'd read it at the appropriate target age. (Well, no, OK, if I'd read it when I was at the appropriate target age, I'd have just been confused, because I'd have no idea what this strange "internet" thing might be. But you know what I mean.) I especially would have enjoyed it because I went through a phase where I was fascinated by puzzles and ciphers, and there's certainly a lot of that in here. Adult me, however, mainly just appreciated the literary references.

Rating: 3.5/5, but I recommend it a bit more highly than that for puzzle- and book-loving kids. show less

With mystery, family, friendships, and secrets, SISTERHOOD OF SLEUTHS has something for everyone.

Sisterhood of Sleuths is an entertaining middle-grade novel featuring both a mystery and the effects of growing up on friendships. It feels like the main character, Maizy, is faced with change from all sides: at school with her best friend, Izzy, at home with her older brother leaving for his first year at college, and even in her relationship with her beloved Jacuzzi who is definitely keeping show more secrets.

The author subtly portrays how individuals mature at different rates, with their interests evolving along the way. She shows how friendships also change over time. For some, the changes are gradual and gentle but leave others, sometimes, sorrowful and bereft. I loved how that theme was developed to include the three generations of women in Maizy’s family, how those relationships were damaged, and how they are eventually resolved.

I felt the Nancy Drew plotline was brilliant: how it connected the generations and the actual history of the series, its beginnings, the revisions of the 50s, and Mildred Wirt Benson’s entire story. I particularly liked the parallels Maizy could draw between herself and Benson’s experiences.

With its emphasis on friendships, especially at the middle-school age range, the mystery of Jacuzzi’s old photo, Cam’s rejection of stereotypically feminine dress and assignments, and the sprinkling of that unique style of middle-school boy humor from Link and Ben in the school project, the story has a little something for everyone. I recommend SISTERHOOD OF SLEUTHS to middle-grade fiction readers, especially those who enjoy the Nancy Drew series and those experiencing changes in their childhood friendships.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author or publisher through NetGalley and TBR and Beyond Book Tours. show less

Had I read this book when I was 9-12 I think I would have given it 5 stars. The children’s mysteries available to me then were nowhere near as good, and none that I can remember took place in San Francisco.

This story is great for both boys and girls, and will likely also be appealing to many reluctant readers. Even though this is a children’s book I think many older people (13 and all the way up) can also enjoy it. I particularly loved the San Francisco setting and that this is a book show more about books. I thoroughly enjoyed the real San Francisco portions. The fictional San Francisco parts felt a bit jarring to me (though likely not true for readers who didn’t/don’t live in the city) but they were still gratifying and a hoot.

This was a fun, light, enjoyable book. At times I found it scary, with a tad more feeling of menace that I prefer, but given that this book is for middle grade children I knew it wouldn’t get too dark, and it didn’t. There were a couple times I had to suspend disbelief, but not so much that it took me out of the story. Some smartly done red herrings too!

Interestingly, the instructions that start the story, although short, were a bit of a drudge for me (I have a story about the exercise my wonderful fifth grade teacher gave us about the importance of carefully reading instructions and they reminded me of that.) But they made the book’s story feel all that more authentic, and I think many readers will enjoy them.

I was left feeling love for the main characters and happiness for them. I felt invested in their lives: the three kids, the parents and some of the other adults, and properly scornful of the villains.

This is a lovely friendship story and a great romp. Lots of fun, with heart. Perfect for children who are fans of mysteries, puzzles, codes, and definitely children who’ve lived in or visited San Francisco or who have some interest in the city.

The author’s notes at the end are wonderful, and I learned a lot about Poe and some other subjects related to this story. show less

A grand adventure for bookworms and puzzle-lovers alike. I'm not the type of reader to stop and try to figure out all of the cyphers and codes myself, but you could if you wanted to. The premise is great, the plot is well-paced and with enough danger to be exciting, but the characters' emotional arcs are strong, too; particularly Emily and Matthew. James is a bit flat, and Steve is just stupid. I think this will be a bit hit with all the nerdy reader kids.