THE MYSTERY OF LOCKED ROOMS, by Lindsay Currie, Sourcebooks Young Readers, April 2, 2024, Hard cover, $16.99 (ages 8-12)
Three friends team up to find a hidden treasure in an abandoned 1950s funhouse in The Mystery of Locked Rooms, by Lindsay Currie.
Twelve-year-old Sarah Greene wants nothing more from her seventh-grade year than to beat the hardest escape room left in her town with her best friends, West, and Hannah. But when a foreclosure notice shows up on Sarah’s front door, everything changes. Since her father became ill two years ago, things have been bad, but not lose your house bad…until now.
Sarah feels helpless until the day Hannah mentions a treasure rumored to be hidden in the walls of an abandoned funhouse. According to legend, Hans, Stefan, and Karl Stein were orphaned at eight years old and lived with different families until they were able to reunite as adults. Their dream was to build the most epic funhouse in existence. They wanted their experience to be more than mirror mazes and optical illusions, so they not only created elaborate riddles and secret passages, but they also claimed to have hidden a treasure inside the funhouse.
Once in, Sarah, West, and Hannah realize the house is unlike any escape room they’ve attempted. There are challenges, yes, but they feel personal. Like the triplets knew who would get in. It seems impossible, but so does everything about the house. As soon as they’re in she immediately worries that attempting the funhouse is a bad idea but Sarah has no choice but to continue, since her future is at stake. —Synopsis provided by Sourcebooks Young Readers
Author Lindsay Currie knows her audience. Her readers are thoughtful, clever and love a good adventure.
The Mystery of Locked Rooms offers all that and more.
At the center of the story are Sarah, Hannah and West whose friendship is the backbone of The Mystery of Locked Rooms. These friends depend upon and trust each other in a way that feels absolutely authentic. And even though the story is “about” Sarah, Hannah and West’s personalities are equally realized.
The trio are escape room experts, and the Stein funhouse puts all of their mental and physical skills to the test. Each friend’s specific talents come into play, and they must truly work together to find the treasure.
Currie’s writing is bright and inviting — reading The Mystery of Locked Rooms is almost like revisiting a long-lost friend. Her pacing is spot-on, creating tension balanced with moments of reflection or joy.
The Mystery of Locked Rooms is an engaging middle-grade adventure that should appeal to most kids.
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