Review by Booklist Review
Maren is dreading the prospect of spending her summer at a celebrated theater camp. It was her popular sister's domain, and Maren doesn't have the same flair for the dramatic or desire for a spotlight. Things don't look much better when she's paired with a chatty, film-obsessed bunkmate, Theo, who insists on documenting their every move. But when some cryptic clues involving Shakespeare's Twelfth Night combine with rumors of a hidden treasure, Maren finds herself pulled into a decades-old mystery along with some unlikely companions. The engrossing story tells two tales in tandem, splitting its time between the modern theater camp and the entertainment world of the 1940s and '50s. There is frank discussion of mental health, self-acceptance, and nonbinary and transgender experiences in historical and modern-day contexts, and while the antagonists can occasionally feel like caricatures, the rest of the cast feels more fully fleshed out. Film and theater lovers will particularly delight in frequent references and lore, but the sensational summer-camp mystery will easily appeal to all.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Beginning with a cast list and alternating between perspectives in the 1940s and 2015, Key's debut mingles a rich tradition of theater history and superstition with a Berkshires camp setting and a summer production of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." In 2015, rising seventh grader Maren Sands, her family's "smarty-pants," is experiencing quickly changing circumstances. With her musician father frequently on the road and her mother busy in Boston with her college-age sister Hadley, who is navigating depression, Maren is sent to Charlotte Goodman Theatre Camp--where Hadley once flourished, but where Maren feels out of place. It quickly becomes clear that the 60-year-old camp's future is uncertain, thanks to the arrival of determined developers, and Maren soon falls into a mystery surrounding a fire, a missing diamond ring, and the camp's late namesake, Charlotte "Charlie" Goodman. Alongside the puzzle, Maren navigates the murky waters of peer relationships, particularly with nonbinary bunkmate Theo Templeton, cued as Latinx, who lives life to the fullest. Deftly comparing past and present, the novel explores themes of gender identity and sexual orientation during Hollywood's "Lavender Scare" and today. Most protagonists read as white; back matter offers real-life facts behind the novel and discusses gender diversity. Ages 8--12. Agent: Heather Rizzo, Rizzo Literary. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4--8--It's June 2015 and 12-year-old Maren is not all that excited to be attending the Charlotte Goodman Theater Camp for the summer. However, Maren is soon drawn into a mystery involving a series of clues that may lead to the missing diamond ring of Charlotte "Charlie" Goodman, the famous director who was said to perish in a fire and for whom the camp is named. Maren soon befriends aspiring filmmaker Theo, and together they begin to unravel the mystery, hoping to find the ring to save the camp, which needs funding. The novel deftly tackles serious topics like depression, homophobia, and transphobia. It also is wonderfully inclusive, as Theo is nonbinary and Charlie is gender nonconforming. Key wisely uses Shakespeare's Twelfth Night as the backdrop for her narrative, serving as the camp's main theater production, the basis for the clues for the mystery, and as the lost film Charlie had been working on before her demise. The story includes flashbacks to Charlie in the 1940s and 1950s, interspersed between Maren's chapters, which are set in June 2015, only weeks before gay marriage was made legal. End notes feature facts on theater, film, and LGBTQIA+ history as well as information on ways readers can seek help if they are struggling with depression. VERDICT A engrossing mystery with a diverse cast of characters; an insightful exploration of the topics of gender, depression, and sexuality; and a satisfying and comprehensive conclusion. Highly recommended.--Laura J. Giunta
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Review by Horn Book Review
Theater camp is not how introverted twelve-year-old Maren Sands had planned to spend her summer. Nevertheless, she finds herself following in her sister Hadley's path at Camp Goodman. Maren generally avoids the stage, but she gains attention on the first day by finding the camp director's missing phone. This leads to her involvement in a mystery that dates back to the camp's 1960s founding. Maren follows clues, all connected to Twelfth Night, which seem to be leading her to a diamond ring allegedly hidden at the camp in its early days. Along the way, she processes feelings about Hadley's diagnosed depression and her parents' preoccupation with it. Interwoven are episodes from the life of Charlotte "Charlie" Goodman, sister of the camp's founder, who grew up in Hollywood and (supposedly) died while directing her first film. Key does a good job of bringing in such topics as the 1940s Hearings Against Accused Communists in Hollywood and related "Lavender Scare" without letting history overwhelm the storytelling (back matter provides more detail); and of allowing the book's themes of gender and sexuality to develop organically. (Having the closing day of camp coincide with the Supreme Court's decision legalizing same-sex marriage is a nice touch.) The book's primary villains, a classic mean girl and a menacing corporate executive, are more types than characters, but many others, particularly Maren; her nonbinary bunkmate, Theo; and her movement instructor, Eartha, are more satisfyingly developed. Sarah Rettger July/August 2022 p.125(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A mystery takes center stage at a drama camp. With her mother busy caring for her older sister, who is struggling with depression, rising seventh grader Maren Sands gets sent to the Charlotte Goodman Theatre Camp in the middle of the Berkshires. Being away from home for the summer could be a chance to start over fresh, but Maren, the quiet and thoughtful type, is determined to remain inconspicuous. Her plan gets derailed when she befriends Theo Templeton, her nonbinary bunkmate who seems to be camp prima donna Allegra Alvin's nemesis. The drama goes beyond the interpersonal when Maren and Theo find a secret note that sparks a search for a long-lost diamond ring. Turns out they aren't the only ones looking for it. But who else is after it? And why? Debut author Key constructs a well-paced treasure hunt, as much a mystery as a love letter to theater and its history. Spot-on references show an insider's knowledge of the art form and its idiosyncrasies. Alternate chapters dig into the history of the camp's namesake, Charlotte "Charlie" Goodman (who is inspired by a real figure). The overall structure creates a compelling dialogue between past (Hollywood's blacklist era) and present. The cast assumes a White default, though Theo is cued as Latinx; several minor characters bring some diversity in ethnicity and sexual orientation. A layered, unexpectedly poignant mystery with over-the-top characters. (map, cast list, author's note, resources, physician interview about gender diversity) (Mystery. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
