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A review by story_singer_101
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
2.0
Rating 2.5 stars
In a lot of ways, Chasing Vermeer reminds me of Midnight at the Piazza by Tiffany Parks. (You can read my review of that book by clicking here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2435428891 ) A strange series of coincidences work together to help two kids solve a mystery that none of the adults are able to crack. The coincidences are just that, coincidences. The shape of a letter, the presence of a frog, and even the way certain sequences of words sound are all clues that work together to unlock the larger mystery. It's as if the universe itself wants the kids to solve the mystery, and, if the universe wants the kids to solve the mystery, that takes a lot of the suspense out of the plot. Throughout the story, I found myself scratching my head at some of the conclusions that the kids drew, wondering how in the world a frog napkin had anything to do with the location of the missing Vermeer painting. Eventually, I gave up wondering.
Somehow, even with the bizarre and random coincidences that formed the majority the plot, I found myself sucked into the first half of the story. The codes interspersed throughout the book were fun and engaging, and the characters were entertaining. Middle school and elementary-aged readers will likely eat up the story rather than getting frustrated and confused by the illogical coincidence-clues like I did.
In a lot of ways, Chasing Vermeer reminds me of Midnight at the Piazza by Tiffany Parks. (You can read my review of that book by clicking here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2435428891 ) A strange series of coincidences work together to help two kids solve a mystery that none of the adults are able to crack. The coincidences are just that, coincidences. The shape of a letter, the presence of a frog, and even the way certain sequences of words sound are all clues that work together to unlock the larger mystery. It's as if the universe itself wants the kids to solve the mystery, and, if the universe wants the kids to solve the mystery, that takes a lot of the suspense out of the plot. Throughout the story, I found myself scratching my head at some of the conclusions that the kids drew, wondering how in the world a frog napkin had anything to do with the location of the missing Vermeer painting. Eventually, I gave up wondering.
Somehow, even with the bizarre and random coincidences that formed the majority the plot, I found myself sucked into the first half of the story. The codes interspersed throughout the book were fun and engaging, and the characters were entertaining. Middle school and elementary-aged readers will likely eat up the story rather than getting frustrated and confused by the illogical coincidence-clues like I did.