Puffin Modern Classics: The Westing Game - A Classic Mystery Novel

Kindle Reader: My daughter had to read this book in middle school a few years ago. It sounded intriguing, so I added it to my TBR, where it sat for a couple years. Finally, I got around to reading. I enjoy the story very much, but it only gets four stars from me because I found the ending somewhat lacking. Don't get me wrong; everything is neatly tied up. But I would have preferred if the ending had been different.

United States on Nov 26, 2023

nickromahome: I bought the book hoping to read to my 8 year old daughter however I realised it is better for when she turns older maybe 10 or 12. I don't think it's suitable for young kids.
I enjoyed reading this mystery, I still have 20 pages to go however as per the title of this review it is an intriguing read, I can't put the book down. I'll definitely finish it tonight.
It is about random families and people living in an apartment block who become potential heir(s) to the fortune of a man living beside the apartment block. Working in pairs they must uncover who killed Mr Westing based on clues (words) provided to them.
It is fun trying to solve the mystery. I loved the different characters from a high judge, doctor, intern, cafe owner, wife, restaurant owner, dress maker, doorman, immigrant etc. I adored the very clever character of Turtle. There are many funny moments too as the characters display their thoughts and reasons for their behaviours.
A book is always better with illustrations (for me anyway), but it was ok without.

Australia on Nov 11, 2023

N L Coto: One of my students recommended I read this, and it did not disappoint. Very engaging!

United States on Sep 27, 2023

Cat Mama: I was reading Charlie Berens’ Midwest Survival Guide (also hysterical, definitely look this one up if you’re in need of a laugh!) and this book popped up. I was super curious and even though it’s supposedly written for fifth graders, I purchased it anyways. What a hysterical, clever, super-fun surprise this book has turned out to be - very enjoyable even for this adult!
Happy Reading & thanks for the reco, Charlie!

United States on Jul 31, 2023

Camlyn: I remember reading this in middle school and loving it. The second time was not different, I finished it in two days! Given it’s not that long, but I absolutely adore this book and the author’s other books (which I bought after rereading this one)

United States on Jul 06, 2023

Gabriel: The writing style of this book takes a while to get used to, but boy does it just get way better later on in the book. I just love the characters so much, especially Turtle, Chris, and Flora.
Honestly, I'd recommend this to someone who was looking for a character-focused plot, but the ending is just so satisfying, especially seeing it all come together.
The only thing I actually dislike about the book is the casual racism that is a part of some of the characters' personalities, but it's pretty tame considering this book was written in 1978.

Going to have to rate this 4(.5) stars just because of how spectacular this book is, in terms of characters, proper world-building and plot twists.

United Kingdom on Sep 05, 2022

#booklover: The Westing Game is a mysterious book written by Ellen raskin. I love her books, and this one is probably one of my favorite books of all time. The plot twists, the way the storyline has gaps which are gradually filled, make this book so intriguing! I love the writing style, and even though it is short, it is very fast paced and interesting. I absolutely loved it, and this definitely makes me want to read more of Ellen Raskin. Definitely one of my favorite mystery books.

Review by my daughter, Arohi Arora

India on Jul 30, 2022

Heather: I picked this book up to read with my son as a summer novel study project. I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries, so I had hoped to introduce my son to the genre with this book. We both enjoyed it a great deal.

Although written in the late 70s, it has withstood the test of time very, very well. The characters are vivid and full of personality, and Raskin does a very good job of helping the reader remember who is who. (Very helpful for younger readers who aren't used to mystery novels.)

I found the mystery itself pretty easy to solve, but my son had a little bit of a harder time. The main clue is something tied to pre-70s and 80s American culture, which is a bit of an obstacle for younger Canadian readers. But, as we talked the clues over and I showed him something (after it was revealed in the book), it all started to come together. This is still a very accessible book, even to today's middle grade readers.

Canada on Aug 24, 2020

MD: I could not stop reading this book! THE WESTING GAME by Ellen Raskin is a phenomenal mystery, and I’m actually in awe of how good it is. As I was reading it, I kept forgetting it’s a novel as it seemed more like a puzzle, and the writing style is just amazing.

It’s one of the children’s titles for my postgrad creative writing course, but it reminded me so much of Virginia Woolf’s style. I actually googled the book to see if it’s taught to children at schools (or just used for degree level courses) because of this almost stream-of-consciousness style and complexity, with so many beautiful nuanced layers. It’s recommended for ages 10 and upward, and I have since learnt it's taught widely in US schools, but as a UK reader, I hadn't heard of this book at all--and here it often seems only to be taught to adults as an example of how children’s stories should be as complex as adult stories, as obviously you shouldn’t “write down” to children. It will give great satisfaction to adult readers who may be reading it aloud to children, as they’ll understand the more complex themes in it that younger children may not. Though I think children 10 and older would...

United Kingdom on Aug 16, 2020

Sakuteiki: The Westing Game mystery is contained in format font placement scansion visual cues and only genuinely comprehensible in print  How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading  Mortimer Adler The Great Books  THE GREAT IDEAS PROGRAM: A General Introduction to the Great Books and to a Liberal Education [10 Volume set ].

Westing Game bridges the gap between infant picture books and word books for beginning readers before they tackle paragraph books transposed onto 5th grade and above developmental reading transitions. Instead of photos or illustrations, visual intricacy (and devious deceit) is hidden in bookbinding terms: font (bold vs plain), paragraph separators (dots white space) and very sneaky interruptions in the dialogue which provide visual clues on the page which can be only detected by being seen.

We read this book repeatedly as a Halloween tradition, and I find that appreciation for the ingenious allusions, clues and easily missed tantalizing information only increase on repeated reading during adulthood. Sydelle's painted crutches are intuitive clues from a very intelligent but lonely woman. The psychological portraits of the...

United States on Nov 09, 2017