Ellen Raskin - The Westing Game: A Puzzle Mystery

Pros: Great characters, good theme

Cons: Plot was forced, a little too much stereotyping

Review: As a child, this book enthralled me. The characters were quirky. The puzzle was intriguing. The suspense was high enough to keep me turning the pages, but not so high that it gave me nightmares.

As an adult, I found it contrived, blatant,...

Pros: fun to read, puzzle is quite tricky

Cons: character stereotyping, plus there are just too darned many!

The Bottom Line: If you like a puzzle and you don't mind trying to keep track of numerous characters, this is fun light reading.

Review: Yet another month has passed and once again this Tuesday night it was book discussion night with my book club. Our October selection was The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, a young adult book and winner of the Newbery Medal in 1979.
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Pros: complicated mystery, eccentric characters

Cons: large, confusing cast of characters

The Bottom Line: Weird and wacky, it's an interesting, if far-fetched mystery with many memorable characters.

Review: In my quest to rediscover childhood favorites, I remembered Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game as being one of the quirky standouts. I was never very good at solving mysteries. Encyclopedia Brown beat me every time. Sherlock Holmes floored me...

Pros: Read this book to your kids, they'll love it...

Cons: but be careful that they don't turn into lawyers.

The Bottom Line: One of my favorite books when I was a kid.

Review: I have no idea how many books I read when I was a kid.

Hundreds certainly, maybe a thousand. I know I stretched the limits of the Grand Prairie Public Library's children's section; everything that was worth reading, anyway. I can't...

Pros: Good mystery

Cons: none

Review: Samuel Westing, an eccentric millionaire dies, and sixteen of his heirs are called together for the reading of the will. But instead of learning what each will inherit, they are instead given clues to a puzzle, paired off, and learn that the first...

Pros: Action; surprises; humor; SOME diversity in characters

Cons:

The term "Mongloid" is used.

The Bottom Line: A primo "for the first time around" read that is darn good the next time around; may inspire you to try to write your own mystery--Good Luck!

Review: I envy "Redlass" and all you others who read THE WESTING GAME as children, 'tweens, and young teens. I certainly don't envy you the way you feel "now," rereading it as adults and finding at least some of the magic gone. Is that one of the worst...

Pros: Well-developed characters, interesting plot, and a mystery that is tough to unravel

Cons: Can't think of any

Review: The Westing Game was undoubtedly my favorite book as a child. I can still remember the author's intricately planned course of action spreading out like a treasure map in my young mind the first time I opened the book. I'm not certain if it was my...

Pros: Fun, puzzle of a book that kids and adults will enjoy.

Cons: Some of the scenes are violent, but NOT AT ALL graphic.

Review: One of the joys of being a teacher is having the excuse to read children's books. The Westing Game was one of my favorite books when I was in middle school, but if it wasn't for my profession, I may never have remembered this wonderful book...

Pros: fun mystery book

Cons: none

Review: The Westing Game written by Ellen Raskin, I think is one of the best books of all time. A who-done-it, you-solve-it mystery. Barney Northrup, a apartment salesman sells the Sunset Towers apartments to various people, from a judge to a dressmaker. In...

Pros: Suspenseful, well written, engaging

Cons: Very addictive to read!

Review: When I am asked what my favorite movie(s) of all-time are, I naturally respond with The Star Wars Trilogy. When asked about my favorite book of all-time, I reply with The Westing Game.

The mere fact that I am writing an epinion on The...