yapha's review
3.0
Maggie's friend Sonya's mother just opened a fabulous old-fashioned soda shop called Sonya's Sweets, but when Maggie and her friends show up for the grand opening, everything is going wrong. Someone switched the salt and the sugar in the pie, the big stain glass window is broken, and an ominous note is found among the shards of glass. When orders go missing and the power goes out, it appears that someone is sabotaging the business. Can Maggie figure out what is going on before it is too late?
This is the third book in the Maggie Brooklyn series. I have not read the first two, but it looks like a fun mystery series. recommended for grades 4-7.
This is the third book in the Maggie Brooklyn series. I have not read the first two, but it looks like a fun mystery series. recommended for grades 4-7.
bella_cavicchi's review
3.0
{originally posted on my blog: Ciao Bella}
Leslie Margolis’ novels have lately been a mixed bag for me. One Tough Chick was most definitely a miss, but the first few books in the Maggie Brooklyn series left me quite impressed! And so, I was willing to give her most recent novel, and the third Maggie Brooklyn mystery, a try. Going in with lower expectations, I’m enjoyed Secrets at the Chocolate Mansion, but that’s not to say it was perfect. With a few problems that were hard to overlook, this novel was a solid read, although I was really hoping for another outstanding middle grade mystery.
Maggie has developed a reputation for not only her dog-walking skills, but also her knack for solving mysteries. When her good friend Sonya’s bakery runs into a multitude of problems, Maggie is put on the case. While the mysteries in this series are predictable, I love the variety of situations Maggie finds herself in. My baking loving self makes it hard to turn down a book with a sweet shop involved. The author clearly excels in developing a middle school environment – due to everything from Maggie’s home life to her interactions with friends, I was completely immersed in the story. However, I have to question how everything works out in the end. I don’t want to give anything away, but there are just too many coincidences for me to believe the solution to the mystery.
Maggie is a strong protagonist, one who is both true to life and memorable. Just as Margolis’ story is well-crafted, I found Maggie’s personality to be realistically developed as well. Her dialogue and actions only strengthen that idea; there’s no doubt in my mind that the author knows her audience. I can’t say the same for all of the secondary characters. While I love Maggie’s twin brother, Finn {who I personally think deserved more time in the book!}, other characters seem to have been last-minute additions to the story, and not in a good way. Many, unfortunately, appear to be weirdly out-of-place!
On a more personal note, one of the supporting characters, a friend of Maggie, shares that she has diabetes about halfway through the book. As a Type One Diabetic, I was surprised and happy to see that, as it is a disease not commonly included in MG and YA books, but further reading led me to disappointment. If you are going to include such a life-changing condition, I would hope that it wouldn’t be mentioned with a very minimal explanation and a confusing one at that. This, along with typos that could easily confuse a reader {I sure was!}, caused my enjoyment of the story to diminish.
Overall, Secrets at the Chocolate Mansion wasn’t necessarily BAD, but I wouldn’t go so far to call it a favorite. I struggled to believe the ending, and some of the characters needed more development. On the positive side, Maggie was a wonderful main character, and I can’t see why the intended audience wouldn’t fall in love with her :) Here’s hoping that the next book in the series is an improvement!
Leslie Margolis’ novels have lately been a mixed bag for me. One Tough Chick was most definitely a miss, but the first few books in the Maggie Brooklyn series left me quite impressed! And so, I was willing to give her most recent novel, and the third Maggie Brooklyn mystery, a try. Going in with lower expectations, I’m enjoyed Secrets at the Chocolate Mansion, but that’s not to say it was perfect. With a few problems that were hard to overlook, this novel was a solid read, although I was really hoping for another outstanding middle grade mystery.
Maggie has developed a reputation for not only her dog-walking skills, but also her knack for solving mysteries. When her good friend Sonya’s bakery runs into a multitude of problems, Maggie is put on the case. While the mysteries in this series are predictable, I love the variety of situations Maggie finds herself in. My baking loving self makes it hard to turn down a book with a sweet shop involved. The author clearly excels in developing a middle school environment – due to everything from Maggie’s home life to her interactions with friends, I was completely immersed in the story. However, I have to question how everything works out in the end. I don’t want to give anything away, but there are just too many coincidences for me to believe the solution to the mystery.
Maggie is a strong protagonist, one who is both true to life and memorable. Just as Margolis’ story is well-crafted, I found Maggie’s personality to be realistically developed as well. Her dialogue and actions only strengthen that idea; there’s no doubt in my mind that the author knows her audience. I can’t say the same for all of the secondary characters. While I love Maggie’s twin brother, Finn {who I personally think deserved more time in the book!}, other characters seem to have been last-minute additions to the story, and not in a good way. Many, unfortunately, appear to be weirdly out-of-place!
On a more personal note, one of the supporting characters, a friend of Maggie, shares that she has diabetes about halfway through the book. As a Type One Diabetic, I was surprised and happy to see that, as it is a disease not commonly included in MG and YA books, but further reading led me to disappointment. If you are going to include such a life-changing condition, I would hope that it wouldn’t be mentioned with a very minimal explanation and a confusing one at that. This, along with typos that could easily confuse a reader {I sure was!}, caused my enjoyment of the story to diminish.
Overall, Secrets at the Chocolate Mansion wasn’t necessarily BAD, but I wouldn’t go so far to call it a favorite. I struggled to believe the ending, and some of the characters needed more development. On the positive side, Maggie was a wonderful main character, and I can’t see why the intended audience wouldn’t fall in love with her :) Here’s hoping that the next book in the series is an improvement!
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