I’ve been wanting to read this since it first appeared on the shelves of our school library. Although I never quite seemed to have the time, I handed it to countless students, urging them to read it, if not because they wanted to, because I wanted to. It was not a hard sell. I mean who wouldn’t be drawn in by that title and that cover? The opening of the book is just as engaging as you hope with the narrator directly addressing the audience and letting them know just how secret this book will be and how little he can actually reveal! It’s a cool choice and it continues throughout the book, with the narrator urging the reader to take breaks when things get stressful and footnoting his writing frequently.
Cass and Max-Ernest (not their actual names of course) are outsiders who end up collaborating to seek answers stemming from the appearance of a mysterious box at Cass’s grandfather’s antique store. The box, which once belonged to a (probably dead) magician, is hotly sought by some very shady characters. Longing to know the mystery of the box and why it holds so much interest for people, Cass and Max-Ernest begin investigating. Their path leads them towards friendship, a secret cult, Egyptology and synesthesia. I can’t possibly tell you more. It’s secret.
While I can’t say I loved it for myself the way I have loved some other middle grades books, I definitely enjoyed it and think it would be a hit (as it really seems to be) with middle grades students. I’ve seen it often in the hands of third and fourth graders, but depending on reading level, I think it could be of interest for students up to sixth or seventh grade since the main characters aren’t babyish. The use of a male-female team as the main characters helps assure that this will interest both girls and boys. With an incredibly clean vocabulary (worst word = darn), no drugs/alcohol/smoking and certainly no hanky-panky or innuendo between our girl/boy team it’s really kid-friendly. There is some violence and general scariness, but it is a mystery after all!
Non-Traditional Families – Max-Ernest’s parents have an usual divorce. Cassandra is being raised by a single mother (we do receive some information on her father’s whereabouts throughout the book). Cassandra’s grandfathers are two men who live together and own an antique shop, I think it’s pretty clear that they are gay, but there’s nothing sexual mentioned in regards to their arrangement, so it’s not blatant.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – In explaining the name Cassandra, the author mentions the prophet Cassandra who was loved by Apollo but rejected him. At one point a woman kisses Max-Ernest, but he says she’s not his girlfriend or anything, she’s just kissy. Cassandra is told that no one would marry someone with ears like hers.
Profanity – “darn,”
Death, Violence and Gore – The author promises the book won’t blow up in your face, bite your head off or tear you limb from limb. A woman specializes in selling houses after people have died. A man is presumed dead after a gardner smells something (presumed to be decomposing flesh). There was a fire and nothing was found but teeth. There are various threats throughout, most commonly, the threat that one person will kill another. Cass worries someone has been killed and that the body might rot without anyone knowing. She also worries that people might be in a pool of blood breathing their last breaths. Mussolini stabbed someone. A monk cut off his own eyelids. They are worried someone will be burned in an inferno. There’s a worry that someone will be boiled alive or killed. Lobotomies are mentioned. Someone drinks the blood of newborn monkeys. People (not characters we know and care about, ones that are probably evil) burn to death. Vampires are mentioned, but also the fact that they are not real. Ritual sacrifice is mentioned. Someone’s brain is going to be sucked out. A court physician is executed. Tomb robbers died violent deaths and incited a war. A mouse has died, probably from eating rat poison. Cass says her father was electrocuted and died.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Cassandra thinks a woman might be drinking wine, but it turns out it’s probably really monkey blood. Whether that’s better or worse is really your business.
Frightening or Intense Things – Unless having a bear in for latkes is scary, there is nothing to frighten little ones.
