Puzzleheart

Fans of escape rooms and family stories will find much to love in this heartfelt tale.

Gr 4-7--Twelve-year-old Perigee has a plot to restore her dad's enthusiasm for life, which includes reuniting him with his mother after many years of estrangement. Her grandparents' mansion was meant to be an Escape Room-themed bed and breakfast, but it was never completed after her grandfather's fatal car accident. Perigee meets Lily Ishioka, the daughter of a volunteer mountain rescuer and survivalist. Lily's resilience and pragmatism are a good match for Perigee's optimism and sense of adventure. The girls become embroiled in puzzles tucked into the mansion designed by Perigee's late grandfather. Meanwhile, her dad sets about correcting the House's structural damage but is waylaid by arguments with his mother. In alternating chapters, Perigee and the House narrate. Things spiral out of control as the House revolts, determined not to reveal its secrets. Windows open and shut, hallways shift, and people are injured. The girls come dangerously close to being swallowed up by the House until Perigee unearths a clue that is pivotal to freeing her family from its clutches. Perigee's friendship with Lily will ring true to young readers, as will her desire to make her dad happy again. The complicated nature of families in comparison to the House is a captivating way to move this smooth-flowing mystery along. Hand to fans of Ellen Raskins's The Westing Game or Chris Grabenstein's Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. VERDICT A wily 12-year-old, painful family secrets, and an eerie possessed house--this twisty mystery is great for genre fans.--Julie Shatterly

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Intergenerational grief permeates this enigmatic mystery by Reese (Every Bird a Prince) which centers a family's attempt to repair fractured relationships. Following the death of their paternal grandfather, nonbinary 12-year-old Perigee Eklund hopes to fix the acrimonious relationship between their father and paternal grandmother by orchestrating a trip to visit her at the Eklunds' Puzzle House, built by their grandparents. Despite simmering tensions and a powerful snowstorm, the logic-minded tween thrills in exploring the house's myriad puzzles with fellow houseguest Lily Ishioka, an adventurous youth whose mother is working to rescue lost hikers. The house itself--which narrates in alternating chapters--is already reeling from the death of its cocreator, and becomes more desperate when Grandma Eklund announces the imminent sale of the property. After finding a forgotten riddle left by their grandfather, Perigee decides to delve deeper into the house's mysteries, solving puzzles and using clues to get at the meaning behind the riddle's cryptic message. Intrepid Perigee is a capable protagonist whose welcoming aura immediately endears them to the reader and Lily both. The anthropomorphic antics of the Puzzle House itself--Perigee often incurs the house's rage, which manifests as physically violent tantrums--add tension and humor to this emotionally cathartic and puzzle-laden story of trauma and healing. The Eklunds read as white. Ages 9-12. (May)

Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

A deliciously fun adventure full of dangerous magic, secrets, and puzzles. I loved every moment of it! —Stephanie Burgis, author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart and The Raven Heir

Clever, brave, and whimsically charming, this story fed my soul and opened my heart. —Deva Fagan, author of Nightingale

There is magic at work in Puzzleheart—not only in the mansion's constantly moving walls and twisty challenges, but also in the story's beautifully honest exploration of a family's hurt and healing. I loved following Perigee and Lily down every hidden passageway in this brave and clever book. —Caroline Carlson, author of the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series & The World's Greatest Detective

Filled with secret passages and labyrinths, dangerous traps, and ingenious codes galore, Jenn Reese's Puzzleheart is a joyful thrill ride that I wished would not end! At the center of Eklund's Puzzle House is a family of characters who are as endearing and complex as its countless puzzles and shifting hallways. Spend time with them and your own heart is sure to click open and chime with glee. —Dan Poblocki, #1 New York Times co-author of the Magic Misfits series & author of Tales to Keep You Up at Night

The story balances the fun and adventure of navigating the anthropomorphic house with the seriousness of navigating fractured family relationships. Perigee makes plenty of mistakes along the way but learns from them, and their personal growth makes finishing the book as rewarding as solving the trickiest puzzle . . . Fans of escape rooms and family stories will find much to love in this heartfelt tale. —Kirkus Reviews