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sareasley's review against another edition
4.0
This was really good! A lot of fun with a really sweet central friendship. A very easy sell to kids, too.
rubies_02's review against another edition
4.0
I have a feeling that the author has a way of making nerdy kids feel good, cause this is something i definitely should've heard when i was a kid. It's a good paced read and pretty much gives me something to dive straight to the second book.
Oh yeah I think Margaret isnt given enough credit for tlher contributions.
Oh yeah I think Margaret isnt given enough credit for tlher contributions.
niya_saliha's review against another edition
4.0
James Ponti's characters have the kind of life I wish I had in middle school. Rather as roundabout way of saying I wish I had something cool like zombies and FBI to buffer the weird and bookish. Anyway, this too has good premise and good twists.
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
I'm not sure what wasn't doing it for me in this book. It almost felt like Florian was mansplaining TOAST to Margaret, which I realize is a silly thing to say because they are both in like, middle school. And maybe this would have worked way better for me if I was younger and Noticing Things was brand-new information. Or if I wasn't hypervigilant. 🤷
wesleymartin's review
5.0
A very engaging, comical story. Definitely do recommend, and I will be continuing this series. I might've found a new favorite author ...
imstephtacular's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.5
This was an absolute blast! Fun, fast-paced, a solid, clever mystery, a boy-girl friendship, and full of smart kids, which I love reading about
12 year old Florian is super observant (think the tv show Psych) and is enlisted by the FBI to be a consultant when an art heist occurs in Washington DC. Along with his bestie Margaret, Florian is trained and kept on standby as a young super agent.
While this was published in 2016, I had some issues with some of the language and the way topics were handled
- lots of good guy v. Bad guy talk without nuance
- stereotypes about other cultures which veered xenophobic in my opinion
Overall though I had a great time reading this!
Similar titles: Greetings From Witness Protection by Jake Burt, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia and Kidnapping
Minor: Racism, Violence, Stalking, and Abandonment
lainey34's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
rachelle_reads's review against another edition
My kids and I were listening to this on a road trip. They lost interest, and I didn’t want to finish it on my own, in the hopes that we’ll finish it together on our next long trip!
divine529's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I had so much fun with this book!
This follows our main protagonist Florian Bates, a young boy who is just like Sherlock Holmes, as he moves to D.C. with his parents, and gets swept up in helping to solve an art heist.
I always tend to love books like this, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed this one. I loved Florian's character a lot and adored Margaret as well (really I loved the entire cast of characters, let's be honest). There were dual mysteries Florian was trying to solve - the art heist and finding Margaret's birth parents and the way those both unfolded was very interesting and overall well-done. I had a few minor quibbles with some things, but not enough to truly detract from my enjoyment.
All in all, a fantastic book and I'm definitely looking forward to picking up the next one!
This follows our main protagonist Florian Bates, a young boy who is just like Sherlock Holmes, as he moves to D.C. with his parents, and gets swept up in helping to solve an art heist.
I always tend to love books like this, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed this one. I loved Florian's character a lot and adored Margaret as well (really I loved the entire cast of characters, let's be honest). There were dual mysteries Florian was trying to solve - the art heist and finding Margaret's birth parents and the way those both unfolded was very interesting and overall well-done. I had a few minor quibbles with some things, but not enough to truly detract from my enjoyment.
All in all, a fantastic book and I'm definitely looking forward to picking up the next one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, and Abandonment
afrofroggygirl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5