Ali Standish

Ali Standish's The Sign of the Five is one of those excellent tween novels that can work equally well for adult readers. My experiences with Tween-lit have been rather hit or miss, but The Sign of the Five is definitely at the "hit" end of that spectrum. I've seen it recommended for ages 8 to 12, and I can imagine myself loving this title at that age—but I'm also enjoying now at age 63.

Part of what drew me to this title was the promise of another riff on the Holmes stories and novels. I show more love them and reread them regularly. I also appreciate writers who provide me with unexpected side doors into that realm. This novel is richly populated with both real-world and fictional characters. The central character here is Arthur Doyle (the Conan isn't used here), who attends Baskerville Hall, an unusual boarding school that prepares clever young people for lives in a variety of areas. The five of the novel's titles are Arthur; Jimmy, son of Holmes' nemesis James Moriarty; Irene, the daughter of a pair of opera singers/spies; Grover, a budding paranormal investigator; and Pocket, a young woman on her way to becoming a remarkable inventor. The teachers at Baskerville Hall include Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson—and others who are variations of characters in the original Holmes stories.

This is the second volume in the series, but the first I've read, so I had to keep an eye out for backstory. I'm glad to say that Standish provided an appropriate amount of that in non-awkward ways. (Entering a series anywhere other than volume one has its risks—of either lacking necessary information or of being subjected to the sort of mandatory asides too often used to fill in such gaps.) There's a lot at play here: echoes of Arthurian legends, strings of unsolved mysteries (poisonings, a suddenly timid pet wolf) that may or may not be connected, and all the wonderful kinds of science and logic one would expect at a school where Holmes teaches.

If you have or know youngsters in the 8 to 12 age range, this book would make a wonderful gift with its appeals to so many of the topics kids find fascinating. (Did I mention there's a baby pterosaur?) And if you're an adult who enjoys Holmes and realizes that good tween-lit can be every bit as engaging as adult-lit, you'll want to have a go at this title yourself.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own. show less

Ethan and Coralee are two characters I can’t stop thinking about. Their story is so sad and yet hopeful that I wanted them to make it beyond the hurts from their pasts. Ethan’s family has moved in with his grandfather in a small seaside town in Georgia so that Ethan can have a fresh start. Ethan is feeling guilty because of an accident that happened to his best friend. He meets outspoken fun Coralee at school and feels like this friendship is helping him, but Coralee has secrets and show more tells stories that people say aren’t true. I loved this story with its adventure, and struggles, big and small, that many kids have to deal with. Interwoven in this main story are side stories and characters that come alive too. I can recommend this to older kids and adults. show less

I enjoyed this book. I don't think the cover does it any favors, but this is a wonderful book for a debut novel. I liked the characters. I was catapulted through the book by the short chapters and the tension of not knowing. Quite the page turner while still looking in depth at friendship, secrets and feelings.

Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky. On the day of Emma's beloved Gram's funeral, she notices a white spot on her foot. Soon spots appear and grow on her face and extremities. Emma is diagnosed with vitiligo and shunned by classmates. Her best friend Fina stands by her but Emma feels adrift and alone without Gram. She escapes her pain through her favorite book and by writing a magical story in a hidden notebook. She soon discovers that someone else is writing and adding chapters to her story. I found show more the ending a tad overwrought as Emma finds self-acceptance. show less