The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys
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Web ID: 20312136Exciting historical fiction in a fascinating setti
In the Summer of 1940, when Lizzie's mother disappears, she escapes the clutches of her grandmother and runs off to stay with her brother, Jakob. When he is not at his mailing address, she learns that Jakob has been secretly living at Bletchley Park amongst cryptologists and code breakers who are desperately trying to crack the Enigma machine code in an effort to defeat the Nazis. Jakob and Lizzie have always bickered, but when Jakob learns of their mother's disappearance, he allows Lizzie to stay with him. Lizzie begins trying crack her own code - that which leads to her mother's whereabouts. Most believe her mother to be dead since she was heading for Poland as an embassy worker shortly before the Nazis invaded. But Lizzie knows that her mother is alive and begins to find clues to support her theory. In alternating chapters, we follow Lizzie and Jakob as they each race to solve a puzzle of great importance in the hopes that they will find their mother and bring an end to the war. Along the way, they will have adventures with new friends, conversations with famous cryptologist, Alan Turing, and experiences with the Blitz bombings in London. Any book written by the crack duo of my favorite historical fiction author, Ruta Sepetys, and a fantastic nonfiction historian like Steve Sheinkin is sure to be a winner and The Bletchley Riddle did not disappoint. It has all of the action and suspense that you would expect from a WWII historical fiction novel for tweens and teens and a fair amount of humor as well. This book will be a great option for fans of Sepetys' and Sheinkin's other books, and will be easy to hand to fans of Alan Gratz or Jennifer Neilsen.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Adventurous
Since I have enjoyed other books by Ruta Sepetys and found her adult themes to be eye-opening but tragic, I was curious to see what she would come up with for the middle grade reader. This book does not disappoint! I was skeptical about meaningful historical fiction for this age group but the adventure is so engaging! I found myself getting involved in the action while learning a lot about the secret work done at Bletchley during WWII. The authors are able to teach this important part of WWII history while tapping into themes that middle grade readers love: fast action, sneakiness, cleverness (kids versus adults) and especially the breaking of secret codes. The characters were fun and interesting, especially Lizzie who is such an intelligent and strong female who adds some levity with her creative escapades during an otherwise serious and stressful time period. I also enjoyed the inclusion of real life characters who literally made history at Bletchley. What a great way to teach kids about a piece of WWII history! I recommend this book for both children and adults. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC - opinions are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Fun little historical novel
“First things first: A Riddle. ” Here are reasons to read the YA Mystery book: Siblings - Siblings Jakob and Lizzie love puzzles and riddles War - but in the middle of World War II Jakob has been tasked to codebreak for the government, while Lizzie runs away to join him Solve It - She has her own mystery to solve: her mother has been declared dead, but Lizzie is certain she can prove she is still alive This book definitely trends on the side of YA but it definitely kept my attention through a lot of it. Both mysteries kept the pace very quick, and it was also fun to see true historical figures in this book. If you have seen the movie, The Imitation Game, then you will be familiar with the setting of this book. Overall, I thought it was a really fun read and the way the authors explained the science behind codebreaking was also very clear and thoughtful.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Middle Grade Set in WWII UK
This is a middle grade/young YA historical mystery novel set during World War II at Bletchley Park, a secret British facility dedicated to decoding German communications. It was fascinating to learn about a real piece of history through a fictional lens. Although the main characters are entirely fictional, several real people appear in the book such as Alan Turing and Gordan Welchman. I liked that the story was told by both Jakob and Lizzie. Although they’re siblings, they are at a point in life where their five-year age gap is very evident. Jakob is a newly minted adult trusted with state secrets due to his math prowess. Lizzie is a young teen who barrels her through life with the help of her ingenuity, keen observation skills, and sheer determination. The historical note at the end was very interesting. I had heard of Bletchley Park and the Enigma machine before, but it was great to hear about the topic by someone who is passionate about it and has done extensive research. I think this would be a great book for middle grade or junior high readers who are just starting to learn about WWII or would like to know more about the British war effort. The subject matter is serious but engaging and both main characters are very relatable.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great Middle Grade HistFic
A middle grade novel about teenage siblings who work at Bletchley Park, a covert code breaking organization during WWII. Really enjoyed this historical fiction! I was surprised how seamlessly this book flowed considering it was co-authored. I'm a big fan of Sepetys's young adult novels and think that's where her true magic lies. However, this is perfect for younger readers who are interested in historic. Age appropriate. Clean content.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Enjoyable and believable
A very enjoyable and believable YA take on Bletchley. The authors clearly did their research and created a story that fits into the canon of Bletchley works. Jakob and Lizzie are strong characters, each with their own personalities and motivations, and I loved the way they slotted so easily into what we know of Bletchley. Great supporting characters and side plots, with an overarching sense of danger and why what they're doing matters.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Excellent Middle Grade
A wonderfully told story of a brother and sister left parentless during WW2. One is on the search for their mother who she refuses to believe is dead and the other a code breaker. The audiobook narrator is one of the best I have heard and really brings the characters to life. Lizzie is definitely my favorite and made me chuckle a few times. Highly recommend! Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read it in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Surpassed expectations
I thought it would be a fun middle grade read with a historical setting, but I was amazed how many facts the authors managed to cram in without making it noticeable. The characters were believable, and the additional family threat added some light tension. There was no sacrifice of plot for historical accuracy either, and I was glad to see the short summary at the end confirming the history. My only complaint is that the chapters switching between Lizzie and Jakob's viewpoints were so short that I was constantly having to adapt... but then, I'm not an 11yo either.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com