By Piranha T.
Twelve-year-old Emily Crane is irritated to be moving yet again. Ever since she was born, the Cranes had been moved to a new state every year—attempting to fulfill their dream of living in all fifty. However, she is excited to learn that they are moving to San Francisco, California, the home of Garrison Griswold, creator of her all-time favorite game, Book Scavenger. Book Scavenger sends players all over the country to find hidden books using cyphers, codes, and other puzzles. A new puzzle is about to be released—unknown to everyone but Mr. Griswold. But on the way to announce the game, he is attacked in a train station, and the next hour brings him to a hospital.
Emily and all the other members of Book Scavenger are worried about the game’s future. But when Emily discovers a book--The Gold-Bug by Eager Allen Poe—in the train station in which Mr. Griswold was attacked, she realizes it is the beginning of his new game. Soon she and her new friend, James, are running all over San Francisco, solving clues, cracking codes, and slowly but surely coming closer to the prize. But even though they have the only copy of The Gold-Bug, someone else is trying to reach the final prize—racing against their unknown competitors, as well as the enigmas they are solving, Emily and James try to find the end of the puzzle before someone else finds it first…
I liked Book Scavenger because it was a fun mystery/adventure story set in a real life setting with realistic characters but a fun plotline. The game ‘Book Scavenger’ reminds me of a cross between letterboxing and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. There are a lot of fun puzzles and cyphers, but there is also an evil character to make it harder for Emily and James to reach their final goal. It also had a well-wrapped up ending. There is one sequel out, and there will likely—hopefully!—be several more. I would highly recommend Book Scavenger to readers 10 and up, because there are no scary scenes, but a lot of puzzles, adventures, and—most of all—fun!
Twelve-year-old Emily Crane is irritated to be moving yet again. Ever since she was born, the Cranes had been moved to a new state every year—attempting to fulfill their dream of living in all fifty. However, she is excited to learn that they are moving to San Francisco, California, the home of Garrison Griswold, creator of her all-time favorite game, Book Scavenger. Book Scavenger sends players all over the country to find hidden books using cyphers, codes, and other puzzles. A new puzzle is about to be released—unknown to everyone but Mr. Griswold. But on the way to announce the game, he is attacked in a train station, and the next hour brings him to a hospital.
Emily and all the other members of Book Scavenger are worried about the game’s future. But when Emily discovers a book--The Gold-Bug by Eager Allen Poe—in the train station in which Mr. Griswold was attacked, she realizes it is the beginning of his new game. Soon she and her new friend, James, are running all over San Francisco, solving clues, cracking codes, and slowly but surely coming closer to the prize. But even though they have the only copy of The Gold-Bug, someone else is trying to reach the final prize—racing against their unknown competitors, as well as the enigmas they are solving, Emily and James try to find the end of the puzzle before someone else finds it first…
I liked Book Scavenger because it was a fun mystery/adventure story set in a real life setting with realistic characters but a fun plotline. The game ‘Book Scavenger’ reminds me of a cross between letterboxing and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. There are a lot of fun puzzles and cyphers, but there is also an evil character to make it harder for Emily and James to reach their final goal. It also had a well-wrapped up ending. There is one sequel out, and there will likely—hopefully!—be several more. I would highly recommend Book Scavenger to readers 10 and up, because there are no scary scenes, but a lot of puzzles, adventures, and—most of all—fun!
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