Everyone likes a good mystery, and I am no exception. Who doesn't like a good suspense story that centers around a secret death and a mysterious stranger. With my bloodhound like senses I was wanting to get down to the bottom of this puzzling novel.The story starts with a 12 year boy, Gabe Culligan, starting his 6th grade year at the middle school where he doesn't know half of the students. He has for years been pushed through the foster care system after the unfortunate death of his mother. It wasn't until he was 10 years old, that a long lost uncle (a Vietnam vet) was found and Gabe was adopted by his only living family member. Although, a bit gruff at times, Gabe has nothing but love and respect for his uncle. Upon returning home from school one day, Gabe finds his uncle dead on the floor of the kitchen. Being terrified of being put back into the foster care system, Gabe is mum about his uncle's passing and leaves him where he lies, thinking that he is just sleeping. It's not until the next day when Gabe gets home after school, that he notices that his uncle's body has been removed from the home and in the mailbox was a note written to him that said, "I have a secret. Do not be afraid." A correspondence then continues as the past of two characters (Gabe and stranger) begin to emerge and the importance of Uncle Vernon becomes evident in both of their lives. The mysterious stranger leaves notes and gifts for Gabe in the form of a dog named Guppy. Gabe goes through school and life acting as if everything is normal, living on his own. Besides Guppy, Gabe's friend Webber, and Webber's mother, provide Gabe with shelter, food, security, and some companionship he desperately needs. Eventually, his uncle's death is discovered and Gabe is apprehended by authorities and questioned about his death. More and more clues begin to take shape as we learn more of the mysterious note writer. Mr. Boehm, Gabe's English teacher, takes Gabe under his wing to help piece together the clues behind the mysterious stranger, known only as Smitty.
This is the debut novel of Audrey Shafer and at first, I wondered what a new author had to offer to the youth literature genre. The characters and the story are complex and have their own way of contributing and are very empathetic of Gabe's plight. With all that being said, the clues come together to make for a very intriguing story. When you think you have somewhat begun to piece together an idea, the author throws in another small wrinkle that makes you wonder even more. This is a very thrilling page turner and was really hard to put the book away. In fact, my owner read it to me in only one day. I really wanted to find out what would happen to Gabe and most importantly to that lovely pooch, Guppy. The author uses flashbacks to bring us closer to Uncle Vernon and uses his war trauma as the basis of the story and help unravel some secrets. The novel's adults are genuine and have nothing but Gabe's purest interests at heart.
Intermediate readers in search of a good mystery will definitely want to check this book out. A fairly quick and addicting read. I could probably ramble on about this novel all day long, so I'll get to the good stuff. I'm giving this book:
So, if you couldn't tell, I am very high on this book. A cheerful ending, leaves readers with a sense of appreciation for Gabe's perseverance, and a uplifting feeling of hope. A story that proves that our love for others has a resounding impact on their lives. It is a novel that adult readers will enjoy as much as the younger readers for which it is targeted. Now, I feel the need to go solve a mystery of my own and go look for that bone I buried in the backyard last week that has seemed to disappear on me. I blame the Dalmatian next door, but that remains to be seen. Read on!-The Sleuthing Dachshund
Publisher: Delacorte Press
ISBN: 9780385733441
Price: $15.95
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