Tally & Squill: In a Sticky Situation, Abie Longstaff
Series: The Trapdoor Mysteries #1
Genre: Middle grade, Fantasy
Published: July 28, 2016
Source: Public Library Copy
When Tally was two years old, her mother had mysteriously vanished. She was found by the grumpy housekeeper of an old manor and Tally has worked there as a maid ever since.
When burglars begin targeting the manor, Tally is determined to catch them. While she is trying to create a trap, Tally discovers a secret, magic underground library. The library holds the key to catching the burglars and Tally realises it may also hold the answers to her mother’s mysterious disappearance.
Strengths
The story is interesting and readers can definitely root for Tally. The mystery of her mother’s disappearance is well presented and would encourage readers to read the rest of the series to uncover what happened. The secret passageways in the manor and the magical library are intriguing—I just wish that they had been a greater focus of the story.
Weaknesses
The first couple of chapters feel a little disjointed and dump a lot of information on the reader.
It is difficult to understand who this book is aimed at. At first, I thought it was aimed at younger middle grade readers, since the story clearly sets up good and bad characters, Tally has an animal best friend and the chapters are short. However, the language used is fairly complex and the story explains concepts that are much more complicated than the average younger middle grade reader would understand, such as permutations and the taxonomy and anatomy of spiders.
Summary
The mystery and magical elements of the story will engage readers, but since I am not sure what age this book is intended for, I will not be purchasing a copy for my library.
Paper Worlds 