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miles's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A delightful first installment in a mystery series for children aged 7+. Fayson is a wonderful protagonist: a bookworm with a strong moral compass and a strong sense of justice whose dream it is to become a detective like her favourite book characters. She gets to experience and solve her first mystery while spending the holidays with her slightly estranged cousins in their island vacation home. The book also touches upon important topics such as classism and wealth, as Fayson comes from a poorer background and feels out of place on the island with her rich cousins and their even richer friends. Fayson's aunt and uncle also disapprove of her Patwah (Jamaican Creole language) and want to teach her 'proper' English and the reader gets an insight into how hurtful their comments are to Fayson, who simply wants to be herself and who likes the way that she is. I definitely think that through Fayson the book can teach young readers that it is important to stand up for yourself and for others and to stand up for what you think is right, to be kind to yourself and others, that wealth doesn't equal happiness, and that classism doesn't benefit anyone and that people should rather accept and respect each other the way that they are. I look forward to future installments in the series and how the characters will develop (I think there is a strong case for a Tia redemption arc, for example).
Lastly, Fayson reads as autistic to me and while that is not a topic explicitly explored in the book, I think that young neurodivergent readers may see themselves represented in Fayson and therefore find it even more important that Fayson stays true to herself and to her values and is 'triumphant' at the end.
(Fayson struggles with making friends and prefers imaginary book characters as companions and while she at first is the odd one out in the group, she ends up as an important part of said group.)
Lastly, Fayson reads as autistic to me and while that is not a topic explicitly explored in the book, I think that young neurodivergent readers may see themselves represented in Fayson and therefore find it even more important that Fayson stays true to herself and to her values and is 'triumphant' at the end.
(Fayson struggles with making friends and prefers imaginary book characters as companions and while she at first is the odd one out in the group, she ends up as an important part of said group.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Classism
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