Finding the vein : a mystery

This young adult mystery delivers an engaging and fast-moving story set at a camp for international adoptees, where questions of identity, belonging, family, and loss are woven into an intriguing investigation. The mystery is well-paced, with clues revealed at a steady rhythm that keeps the reader invested, while the camp setting adds atmosphere and a strong sense of community. Isaac and Mikie make appealing central characters, and the story gives meaningful attention to the emotional experiences of adoptees, birth families, and adoptive families without reducing anyone to simple categories of right or wrong. Although the large cast can occasionally be difficult to keep straight, the plot remains compelling, the themes are thoughtfully show more handled, and the ending offers enough surprise and resolution to make the book a satisfying and memorable read. show less

This is a murder mystery in which the solution is arrived at through the efforts of both the police and a couple of teenagers at a camp where the murder occurred.

I found it a pleasant read - with a reasonably constructed plot and denouement, even though the final collaboration between the police and the teenagers does not seem probable. The characters were fairly well rounded and interesting, although, for me, further exploration of the characters would have been welcomed.

The book has a focus on issues facing asian children adopted by American families, which I found interesting, and, there is a pleasing diversity and inclusivity with regards to sexuality and gender.

I would class the book as young adult with some elements of coming of show more age - a pleasant summer holiday read. show less

Finding the Vein was a wonderful mystery that felt easy but captivating to read. The variety of characters included (LGBTQ+, adoptees, Asians, differently abled, immigrants, neuroatypical) are well balanced, and written about with clear understanding of a truly diverse community. Jennifer Hanlon Wilde creates naturally complex characters in a people-first manner - their differences are not what drive their character development, but are facts that enhance the depths of their back stories in who they are as people. As a camp person who lives in OR, I was particularly drawn to the setting, which I think is well portrayed, and lends itself to a creative backdrop for some of the twists that occur.
All in all I greatly enjoyed this book, and show more would be eager to read more from this author. show less

This one ticks all the boxes: murder mystery, diverse characters, quirky best friend (seriously, Hal is my new fave), and a fun twist.

I love the representation (adoptees, Asians, LGBTQ+, differently abled) and the setting (I'm a sucker for summer camp stories). The author has done a great job of capturing the spirit of the PNW as well as creating round, interesting characters. The hints and clues are plunked in just the right places to keep you reading and guessing until the end.

Many thanks to the publisher and LibraryThing for the ARC.

As an Oregonian (and indeed, someone who lives in one of the small towns mentioned in the book!), I think was primed to enjoy this book just for the setting and the (mostly accurate) local references. It was a really fun backdrop for the story and all the better for me because I could vividly imagine it since it's just out my front door. The mystery totally kept me guessing and turning pages - I devoured this book in just a couple of quick sittings because it was so enjoyable. I really fell in love with all of the characters and like that although the book was focusing on a diverse cast of characters, it didn't make a meal out of their so-called differences. Instead, it just matter-of-factly presented the characters for who they were. show more Although I found the ending to be enjoyable for it's twists and turns, it was wrapped up a bit too neatly and with some things that required a bit of suspension of disbelief (sending a kid in with a wire to talk to a potential murderer??). That said, I don't think that's much different than a lot of mystery/thriller novels with similarly tidy endings and the payoff for unraveling the mysteries was totally worth it. I would love to see these characters again in future novels! show less

Finding the Vein is a young adult murder mystery set at a picturesque Oregon summer camp for international adoptees. The story starts with a fatal allergy attack, and everyone at the camp quickly becomes a suspect. The action is limited to the typical investigative thriller. There are no explosions or car chases, and justice is delivered murky and a bit lukewarm. However, the pacing is fast, and the characterization of the campers is dynamic and diverse. Ooligan Press, the publishing imprint, was created to highlight the natural and cultural diversity of the Pacific Northwest, and Finding the Vein is an excellent addition to its catalog.

A YA mystery set in Heritage Camp, a summer camp for children who have been adopted from over seas. Set to release on April 20th, 2021
Things I liked: Topics on adoption, suicide, relationships, self identity, and more come up throughout the book. Characters are easy to like and working through discovering themselves. This is a creative setting for a book, I could see kids reading this while at camp and really feeling like they are experiencing what these characters are, sans the murder mystery of course. What mainly kept this book from being 5 stars for me was that the prose flowed oddly. There were moments while reading that I stumbled and wasn't sure who said what, and what the scene was that the author was trying to paint.