Jada Sly, Artist & Spy

A beginner thriller with some real gems in it. 

Gr 3-5--Jada Sly: she's smart, she's fun, she has a fierce new hairdo, and she's about to begin a brand new life with her father in New York City. Her mother, with whom she has been living in Paris, recently perished in a plane crash, or so she's been told. The story unfolds as Jada's making friends at her new school and gathering clues about her mother's death. She deals with her grief and makes observations about the world around her by drawing in her journal. She sees herself as an amateur spy and doesn't believe that her mother is actually dead. She thinks that she keeps seeing both her mother and the same strange men following her throughout the city. In an attempt to discover the truth about her mother, Jada and her friends begin a chase for clues. The reader is unsure throughout most of the story whether Jada is simply a girl grieving her mother's passing, or if her mother is really alive. At times the story is dark and sad, especially when it's implied that Jada may be seeing visions because of grief. An unresolved ending involving a spy ring sets up the title as a series opener. At times, the story is engaging, and Jada and her friends are likeable and authentic. Leaving the truth about her mother unresolved for so much of the story is confusing and sends the plot into the realm of drama rather than mystery/adventure. VERDICT A secondary purchase for collections where middle grade mysteries are in demand.--Pilar Okeson, Severn School, Arnold, MD