A review by booksrockcal
The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys

adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Oh my goodness I thoroughly enjoyed this middle grade novel about teenaged sleuths and code breakers at Bletchley Park in England during World War II. Nineteen-year-old Jakob is a math genius recruited to work on breaking codes in 1940 England at Bletchley Park, where Alan Turing and a team of math and science genius are working to break the German code with the Enigma machine. His sister Lizzie is supposed to be back in the US with her very proper American grandmother as their mother had apparently died in Warsaw while evacuating the American embassy.  Jakob and Lizzie use their love of riddles and puzzles to figure out what really happened to their mother while they live and work among Britain’s geniuses identified to crack the German codes as the Battle of Britain begins and Hitler appears to be planning to invade Britain. This is historical fiction and mystery combined- both at their very best and inside a middle grade novel. I learned a lot and want to learn more about Bletchley Park, Alan Turing, and the Enigma machine. This novel is propulsive readable. I truly enjoyed it.