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emily_mh's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The key thing this book had going for it was the treasure hunt plot. It was wonderfully executed with a gripping pace. The clues were elaborate and clever, and the search involved meeting some great characters and revealing some cool history about the town. Because the book was very plot-focussed, and thus focussed on this element, I enjoyed my a lot of my reading experience.
Unfortunately, I didn’t really like the friendship between the four “geeks”, which was also at the heart of the book. I was unconvinced that the four of them actually liked each other because they fought constantly and found each other’s interests annoying. Their interactions were stressful!
I also wanted something more unique from the story, like leaning into the toy-making thing more (we never hear about the other toys that were made, and the geeks never even solve a Bamboozler!), or exploring a theme as a part of the story.
I am currently reading the second book in the series, so we will see how that goes!
Rep: Black SC, Latina SC
Content Warnings
Moderate: Stalking and Kidnapping
Minor: Grief, Drug use, Vomit, Death, Xenophobia, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, War, Violence, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
Minor: gambling
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