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08/04/2004: "Chasing Vermeer"

author: Blue Balliett
audience: 5-7

Very enjoyable for the first 95% of the book -- especially when I was anticipating an exhillarating and enlightening ending... The many coincidences, the intriguing mystery, the intelligent, likable main characters (6th grade brainy kids!,) and the many weird references to art and life combined to create an attractive reading experience. I would probably have preferred a little more logical explanations and a subtler unveiling of the connections between each characters -- but, that is against what the author attempted to do: presenting a whole bunch of seemingly unrelated events and eventually "webbing" them together. I imagine readers who want another book that is "like The Westing Game" might find this one fitting the bill, almost. Of course, there is no powerfully emotional ending like one can find in the last scene of The Westing Game, and readers are left with quite a few unanswered mysteries (what's up with that painting Calder finds in the school's basement???)

I guess when eerie coincidences happen in real life, they spook you into thinking that something bigger than reasons and knowledge is out there, controlling our life courses, and yet when an author simply creates these coincidences, the power is much less. I definitely want to read LO! now! It is available online at: http://www.resologist.net/loei.htm.

The more I think about it, the more I feel let down by the not very luminous ending of the book... how disappointing that it's a crook's criminal scheme and this crook is so ill-defined in the tale. I want a criminal that carries much more weight throughout the story who can even be sympathized than a two-page summary offered here. So, I guess, instead of 4 pens, I really could only give it ... so disappointing...