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booktravler101's review
5.0
I first read this book as a child and the story stuck with me such that I found myself looking for it as an adult. I enjoyed as much now as I did then.
Following the new tenants of the newly built Sunset Towers as they figure out who murdered the elusive Sam Westing, who mansion can be seen from the apartment building. They find out that they are the heirs to his estate and one killed him, but who?
Following the new tenants of the newly built Sunset Towers as they figure out who murdered the elusive Sam Westing, who mansion can be seen from the apartment building. They find out that they are the heirs to his estate and one killed him, but who?
k_shimer's review
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
One of my favorite books of all time. It’s the book that truly sparked my love of reading (as a child). Ellen Raskin truly wrote the perfect book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Suicide
Minor: Medical content, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Dementia, Alcoholism, Blood, and Death of parent
magical_mads's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
dembury's review against another edition
5.0
"The Westing Game" is like a 1970s middle-grade novel version of "Knives Out" with a splash of "Mr. Limoncello's Library" - and is so charmingly clever! There is so much that builds a great atmosphere here: the sprawling cast of quirky characters; the Halloween-into-winter setting; the word puzzles and clues that (while tricky) are still solvable by the reader; good old fashioned red herrings; and just this great vein of whimsy that runs through the story. It's goofy at times, but never panders to the audience. It's piled with characters, clues, and facts, but never unnecessarily cluttered. Every word counts and feels important here. If I had read this as a kid my Agatha Christie-loving self would have made it a personality trait.
I think really the only weakness is simply the books datedness, specifically in terms of how Raskin writes about disability. One character has a physical disability that is discussed in fairly ableist terms. Another character works to "cure" the disabled character, and a line near the end mentions future family members hesitating to have their own kids in case the disability is passed on.
Despite that, I think the book has a lot to enjoy, especially if you're someone who likes puzzle-y books with plenty of layers and characters. This is the perfect time of year to read "The Westing Game" and try and solve the mystery!
I think really the only weakness is simply the books datedness, specifically in terms of how Raskin writes about disability. One character has a physical disability that is discussed in fairly ableist terms. Another character works to "cure" the disabled character, and a line near the end mentions future family members hesitating to have their own kids in case the disability is passed on.
Despite that, I think the book has a lot to enjoy, especially if you're someone who likes puzzle-y books with plenty of layers and characters. This is the perfect time of year to read "The Westing Game" and try and solve the mystery!
morgob's review
5.0
I loved this book. If I'd read it back in elementary school, I would have been obsessed. This book was kind of like a mixture of Clue and Murder on the Orient Express. It's a good, solid mystery book. This is one of those books that is good no matter what age you are, as it is advertised as a children's book. It had my attention on every page and kept me wanting more information to solve the mystery. To top it all off, it had a heartfelt ending that made me really happy. Funnily enough, I started out disliking most of the characters, but by the end I liked almost all of them. Oh my gosh, the ending!!! Oh, it was sad but happy. This book was recommended to me four years ago by one of my dearest friends, who said I would really enjoy it. He was right. And it has been so long since I was able to finish a book in a day. It felt so nice!
ae_oneal's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
protoman21's review
5.0
The best mystery I've ever read. I revisited this book that I read and loved from my childhood hoping that it could measure up to my memories and it delivered. The mystery is so complex and engaging, the characters are vivid and varied. The plot is beautifully twisted. People of all ages should check this out, especially anyone who loves a good mystery.
turnerp's review
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Very entertaining read, if a bit dated given when it was written. Enjoyed Turtle's character the most, felt the others weren't focused on enough to form much of an opinion of them.
As previous reviews have noted the writing is confusing at times as the perspectives change a lot, even mid paragraph. For me this meant I had to re-read certain sections to check who was having a particular thought or opinion.
As previous reviews have noted the writing is confusing at times as the perspectives change a lot, even mid paragraph. For me this meant I had to re-read certain sections to check who was having a particular thought or opinion.
Content Warnings