The Name of This Book Is Secret
by Pseudonymous Bosch
In the tradition of Lemony Snicket and N. E. Bode, this is a book whose narrator
inserts himself as a character -- and what a character he is! He hopes you won't
read his story, but he can't help writing it anyway. He censors out the real names
and locations involved in his story, even going as far as replacing a whole chapter
with strings of Xes. He incorporates puzzles, codes, and vocab-building exercises
into his story. He tries to warn you (tongue in cheek) not to read on, and
continuously breaks the "fourth wall" to confide in you as you follow his
characters' adventures.
But the characters themselves, and their adventures, are more like those created by
Blue Balliett: two (or three) quirky kids who solve a mindblowing mystery together,
using non-traditional methods of detection.
Cass is a survival expert who is always prepared for any kind of disaster, often
predicting tragedies that never happen. This makes her a bit of a loner. But in
spite of her many fears, she is really brave. Brave enough to try to get to solve a
local magician's mysterious death all by herself.
She doesn't want Max-Ernest as her partner. Max-Ernest is also a bit of loner,
because he talks nonstop. Seriously! Even his parents think there's something wrong
with him. Nevertheless, they get pulled into the mystery together. And it's a good
thing for Cass, because Max-Ernest has a streak of common sense in him that she
lacks, and things quickly become too dangerous for one little girl to handle on her
own.
By "things" I mean a chest full of tiny bottles known as the Symphony of Smells; the
notebook of a circus-performing magician who could see music and hear smells; the
kidnapping of an elementary-school artistic genius who may or may not be a useless
prat; a woman whose voice makes your blood run cold; and a beauty spa where a
strange cult performs ancient evil rituals in order to stay forever young. At the
end of the book, it seems our young detectives are only starting a promising career
in thwarting bad guys and uncovering deep, dark secrets.
Are we any closer to guessing who Pseudonymous Bosch is? No. There is an uncomfirmed
rumor that he's really Edie Bilmann, but that name means nothing to me and it might
be a red herring. But here's a guarantee: if you enjoy a mystery that gives you the
creeps, the giggles, and ideas in equal amounts, you'll breeze right through this
book and come out hungry for the sequel, titled If You're Reading This, It's Too
Late.
Robbie Fischer
USA
Recommended Age: 10+
If you would like to contact Robbie, you may do so here.