Genre: Realistic Fiction/Mystery
Sierra’s sister was murdered in the finale of season four of The Escape Game and although everyone suspects her, she was never charged and maintains her innocence. In fact, she is so determined to find the real killer that she joins season five in order to solve the case. Sierra’s team is made up of Carter (math whiz), Beck (who can taste words), and Aditya (who can make word connections quickly). They seem like the team to beat, but they struggle in early rounds to work together as a team. They all have their own reasons for wanting to be on the show, but once everyone knows about Sierra’s quest they all vow to work together to see if they can figure it out. Meanwhile, there are a lot of supporting characters that get in the way including the lovable game show host, the prickly producer, and the downright angry social media person. As they work harder on the game, it becomes clear that someone is trying to sabotage the game and the clues seem to be directed at their team specifically. Will anyone believe them? Can they truly find out what happened to Sierra’s sister? Will they trust the wrong person?
This mystery book has a fun setup with the escape game rounds and the characters are all created so well that readers can truly identify their needs and desires. It’s no surprise that there are a lot of twists and turns in this story as they try to not only solve a murder, but also get to the bottom of who is messing with the escape game rooms now, and hopefully win the game show. Sierra and the others must learn how to trust each other because no one knows if there is anyone else they can truly trust. Fans of escape rooms will enjoy this colorful mystery story. Recommended for those looking for a fast paced, energetic mystery.
Young Adult Book Reviews 