A review by paperprivateer
Puzzleheart by Jenn Reese

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.0

Perigee’s dad hasn’t been himself for a while, so Perigee arranges for them to visit their dad’s childhood home and reunite with his estranged mother. The Eklunds Puzzle House sounds like a magical, mysterious place full of adventure and thrill, but the bed and breakfast had never opened. But after Pedigree’s grandpa disappeared, the house isn’t the fun and wonderful solutions to the family’s problems that Perigree had originally thought. 
 
I admit that when I saw that the house was a POV character, my brain immediately went, “No. Absolutely not.” But I kept reading and… liked it. It occasionally gave me Disney Channel “Smart House” vibes, but having the house as a character worked to increase the tension and mystery. The house’s perspective also helped keep the plot on track when otherwise the narrative might have been bogged down or distracted with puzzle solving. 
 
Puzzleheart doesn’t shy away from difficult emotions. Perigee’s dad is depressed, their grandmother is grieving and Perigree has a panic attack at one point. His friend Lily deals with fear of her mom not coming home from helping in emergencies. Perigee is trying to keep their dad from falling apart, Lily is wanting to make friends but doesn’t trust people after being mistreated, and the house feels both abandoned and willing to be aggressive to get what it wants. 
 
The book has clear lessons, but they didn’t come across as preachy. Perigree, in trying to solve their dad’s depression, needs to learn that they can’t be responsible for someone else’s happiness. Puzzleheart does a good job showing how that is too much pressure for a child and how much of a weight it can be while acknowledging the adult in the situation didn’t realize it was happening. 
 
Overall, this was a fun puzzle adventure with complicated but sweet relationship dynamics.