A review by labraden
The Van Gogh Deception by Deron R. Hicks

3.0

A young boy who has forgotten his name and everything else about himself is found sitting on a bench in the National Gallery in Washington DC. Doctors at the hospital pronounce him healthy except for his amnesia. When the police can't find anything about him, an article asking for the help of the public is placed in the newspaper, and the boy is assigned to foster care with Mary Sullivan and her daughter, Camille. Mary and Camille start calling the boy Art because the name inside his jacket says, "Arthur." Mary decides to try and jog Art's memory by taking him back to the National Gallery where he was found, but as Art starts to regain his memory, he finds that he and Camille are in danger and they must use all of their resources to save their lives.

The Van Gogh Deception is filled with QR codes allowing the reader to access pictures of the paintings mentioned in the book, not only making the story more enjoyable, but also educational. The story is clearly well researched, including all kinds of information about art forgery and art history. The plot is fast-paced, especially once Art begins to remember who he is and why he was at the museum. Overall this is a good middle grade story with a wealth of facts and details.