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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Called "The Da Vinci Code" for kids, it relies more on coincidence, but is also 50x the book "The Da Vinci Code" is.
First, "Chasing Vermeer" sets up a frame work for the coincidence to make sense. It's still a cop-out, but it has fun with both the mystery and the coincidence.
Second, it's just a really well-written story.
First, "Chasing Vermeer" sets up a frame work for the coincidence to make sense. It's still a cop-out, but it has fun with both the mystery and the coincidence.
Second, it's just a really well-written story.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
adventurous
mysterious
This was very much a younger middle grade novel. Tension is there but low stakes. I'll be handing it off to my 7 year old son and expect to have a great time discussing with him. There are hidden pictures and clues throughout the story and there is also a code that is scattered throughout the book that you can pause to break (I did) but is not required to break if you want to skip it.
This is a fun, easy read for people who like mystery books with history and art mixed in. I would definitely read this book again in a heartbeat!!!! Best book ever!!!!!!!!!!!!
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A decent mystery, but found the “who done it” at the end to be quite disappointing and rushed.
I think kids would enjoy the code deciphering and hidden images in the illustrations interesting, but overall it might have too many characters & complex “clues” for its intended audience to follow.
Interesting read for critical thinking/creative students who enjoy mysteries and art history.
I think kids would enjoy the code deciphering and hidden images in the illustrations interesting, but overall it might have too many characters & complex “clues” for its intended audience to follow.
Interesting read for critical thinking/creative students who enjoy mysteries and art history.
There's something incredibly cozy about a YA mystery with clever protagonists, which you get from Chasing Vermeer. It's especially great when it comes with great messages about things like art being for everyone (not just expert) and observing the world around you as opposed to just looking at it. Not to mention, Petra and Calder as characters of opposite sex content being friends and not being forced into some sort of dating relationship was also refreshing, too.
The mystery at the core of this story was engaging, and the way it ramps up with the thief becoming more and more antagonistic was really fun. But the solution to the mystery—and, more critically, the truly baffling and pseudo-magical ways Petran and Calder found clues and unraveled it—kept this away from being a true five-star read. It was still great fun, though.
The mystery at the core of this story was engaging, and the way it ramps up with the thief becoming more and more antagonistic was really fun. But the solution to the mystery—and, more critically, the truly baffling and pseudo-magical ways Petran and Calder found clues and unraveled it—kept this away from being a true five-star read. It was still great fun, though.
Would have been a more enjoyable read if read prior to the era of elections conspiracies and Q-Anon truthers. Idk how to feel about a book that tells kids that there is no such thing as a coincidence and everything that ever happens is interconnected.