A review by lyraswanson
If You Find This by Matthew Baker
2.0
Summary:
When Grandpa Rose suddenly returns from prison claiming he knows where the family heirlooms are hidden, Nicholas decides to help his grandfather in hopes of solving his family’s financial troubles. With help from fellow outcasts Jordan and Zeke, Nicholas follows the path he hopes will lead him to this treasure.
Review:
The beginning of this starts book stars with Nicholas telling the reader that he is writing an account of the events that have occurred, just in case something happens to him. From this, the reader is led to believe that a great adventure will occur. Unfortunately this does not happen, as very little action occurs in this book.
This story had a number of issues with plot and characterization. Baker had many good ideas, but they really did not work as a whole; instead they made the story seem scattered. He incorporated musical dynamics such as forte and piano, which was distracting and really served no purpose. Some of the transitions in this story were awkward. At one point Jordan’s grandfather starts telling a story about his childhood. Baker had Nicholas refer back to this story later in the book, but it does not fit with what is happening in the book at the time.
In this story, Nicholas’ brother dies as a baby, and the family decide to bury his body in the backyard beside a tree. Not only would this type of activity be illegal, it is not really appropriate for a children’s book. Later in the book, someone wants to buy Nicholas’ house and build a pool in the backyard. This brings up another issue of someone digging and finding baby bones.
It was really difficult to get a sense of the characters in this book. The author tells us information about each character, but we don’t really see firsthand their motivations and feeling. The only strong characters were the grandfathers. Baker was successful at conveying their fears and feelings, and it was easy to understand the decisions they made. Nicholas’ mother and father were almost nonexistent, however. Baker did not really develop these characters at all, and it was difficult to get a sense of their relationship with Nicholas.
Nicholas plays the part of the stereotypical nerd, such as: eating in the bathroom stall and meeting his bullies after school. His character was very surface level, not very relatable, and he did not really change in any way. Baker tried to build up his character, by adding numerous aspects to his personality, but this just made Nicholas seem even more unrealistic. The bully characters in this story were exaggerated, which was most likely purposeful. This was not conveyed very successfully, however.
The ending of this book was somewhat weak and everything seemed to fall into place a bit too neatly. Although this book was not successful, I will be interested to see what Baker publishes next, because I believe it will be more focused and polished. Those seeking a true action-packed adventure should read The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch.
When Grandpa Rose suddenly returns from prison claiming he knows where the family heirlooms are hidden, Nicholas decides to help his grandfather in hopes of solving his family’s financial troubles. With help from fellow outcasts Jordan and Zeke, Nicholas follows the path he hopes will lead him to this treasure.
Review:
The beginning of this starts book stars with Nicholas telling the reader that he is writing an account of the events that have occurred, just in case something happens to him. From this, the reader is led to believe that a great adventure will occur. Unfortunately this does not happen, as very little action occurs in this book.
This story had a number of issues with plot and characterization. Baker had many good ideas, but they really did not work as a whole; instead they made the story seem scattered. He incorporated musical dynamics such as forte and piano, which was distracting and really served no purpose. Some of the transitions in this story were awkward. At one point Jordan’s grandfather starts telling a story about his childhood. Baker had Nicholas refer back to this story later in the book, but it does not fit with what is happening in the book at the time.
In this story, Nicholas’ brother dies as a baby, and the family decide to bury his body in the backyard beside a tree. Not only would this type of activity be illegal, it is not really appropriate for a children’s book. Later in the book, someone wants to buy Nicholas’ house and build a pool in the backyard. This brings up another issue of someone digging and finding baby bones.
It was really difficult to get a sense of the characters in this book. The author tells us information about each character, but we don’t really see firsthand their motivations and feeling. The only strong characters were the grandfathers. Baker was successful at conveying their fears and feelings, and it was easy to understand the decisions they made. Nicholas’ mother and father were almost nonexistent, however. Baker did not really develop these characters at all, and it was difficult to get a sense of their relationship with Nicholas.
Nicholas plays the part of the stereotypical nerd, such as: eating in the bathroom stall and meeting his bullies after school. His character was very surface level, not very relatable, and he did not really change in any way. Baker tried to build up his character, by adding numerous aspects to his personality, but this just made Nicholas seem even more unrealistic. The bully characters in this story were exaggerated, which was most likely purposeful. This was not conveyed very successfully, however.
The ending of this book was somewhat weak and everything seemed to fall into place a bit too neatly. Although this book was not successful, I will be interested to see what Baker publishes next, because I believe it will be more focused and polished. Those seeking a true action-packed adventure should read The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch.