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A review by finesilkflower
Abby and the Mystery Baby by Ann M. Martin, Hodges Soileau
2.0
Abby's family finds a baby on their doorstep. Baby-on-the-doorstep is a natural mystery with clear stakes that lends itself well to baby-sitting, but it's also difficult to resolve satisfactorily, and I'm not sure this one sticks the landing. It's not fair to test a BSC mystery based on whether you, an adult, could guess the ending, but I would have liked more red herrings. The only reason the solution wasn't clear immediately is because the story 'kept' information from you in what felt like a contrived way. The story also ultimately raises more questions than it answers, as you can tell from my lengthy 'lingering questions' below.
This book touches on some interesting ideas, but overall feels like a missed opportunity. I liked the idea of the Miriam character, and it would have been neat to see this story have lasting consequences, such as Miriam and Daniel moving in with Abby's family. I guess at this point in the series, they don't want to introduce big changes like that, especially in the mystery series. But actually the things that happen in this book are (or should have been) emotionally weighty enough to be a main-series book, and I think it would have actually worked better NOT being forced into mystery format, but just being a story about Abby's family taking in an aunt who has had a new baby and can't care for it on her own due to money/health problems. It would have been interesting to explore the problems and questions that arise from that--about family, poverty, inequality, parenthood, generosity, forgiveness, etc.
Lingering Questions: So... why did Miriam leave the baby on the doorstep again? In the cold? For god knows how long? She couldn't have gotten in touch with either Rachel or their parents and simply asked them to take in the baby? Leaving the baby on the doorstep is a drastic leap of faith by someone who is sure their request to leave the baby will be denied, but banks on humans being unable to actually let an unknown child die right in front of them. However estranged she is, Miriam does actually have relatives who would have taken in the baby while she recovered from her illness.
Why did Abby's mom keep the baby's identity a secret from her daughters? Obviously they'd be driving themselves crazy with curiosity! And, no, "because otherwise, there'd be no mystery" is not a satisfying explanation.
Abby specifically looked for a note in the baby's carseat, so why didn't she find the one that was apparently there?
How did all that stuff fit in the carseat?
Why did Abby's mom let them rename the baby? Did she actually not know his name?
Was Abby's mom actually willing to take in the baby? She knew who the mom was pretty early on, it seems like, but she didn't know where to find her or what state she'd be in.
What did Miriam do, anyway?? Why is she so estranged from the family that her nieces barely remember she exists, her parents and sister don't know she has had a baby or that she is in the hospital, and she's afraid to even tell them or ask for help but prefers instead to dump the baby and run? Yet whatever it was can apparently now all be forgiven and swept under the rug? What HAPPENED?
How come Miriam still has her baby blanket and it's still in perfect condition and it's a boy blanket?
Spoiler
This book touches on some interesting ideas, but overall feels like a missed opportunity. I liked the idea of the Miriam character, and it would have been neat to see this story have lasting consequences, such as Miriam and Daniel moving in with Abby's family. I guess at this point in the series, they don't want to introduce big changes like that, especially in the mystery series. But actually the things that happen in this book are (or should have been) emotionally weighty enough to be a main-series book, and I think it would have actually worked better NOT being forced into mystery format, but just being a story about Abby's family taking in an aunt who has had a new baby and can't care for it on her own due to money/health problems. It would have been interesting to explore the problems and questions that arise from that--about family, poverty, inequality, parenthood, generosity, forgiveness, etc.
Lingering Questions: So... why did Miriam leave the baby on the doorstep again? In the cold? For god knows how long? She couldn't have gotten in touch with either Rachel or their parents and simply asked them to take in the baby? Leaving the baby on the doorstep is a drastic leap of faith by someone who is sure their request to leave the baby will be denied, but banks on humans being unable to actually let an unknown child die right in front of them. However estranged she is, Miriam does actually have relatives who would have taken in the baby while she recovered from her illness.
Why did Abby's mom keep the baby's identity a secret from her daughters? Obviously they'd be driving themselves crazy with curiosity! And, no, "because otherwise, there'd be no mystery" is not a satisfying explanation.
Abby specifically looked for a note in the baby's carseat, so why didn't she find the one that was apparently there?
How did all that stuff fit in the carseat?
Why did Abby's mom let them rename the baby? Did she actually not know his name?
Was Abby's mom actually willing to take in the baby? She knew who the mom was pretty early on, it seems like, but she didn't know where to find her or what state she'd be in.
What did Miriam do, anyway?? Why is she so estranged from the family that her nieces barely remember she exists, her parents and sister don't know she has had a baby or that she is in the hospital, and she's afraid to even tell them or ask for help but prefers instead to dump the baby and run? Yet whatever it was can apparently now all be forgiven and swept under the rug? What HAPPENED?
How come Miriam still has her baby blanket and it's still in perfect condition and it's a boy blanket?