The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Mystery. 192 Pages. 5 Stars
Synopsis:
A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing’s will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger—and a possible murderer—to inherit his vast fortune, one thing’s for sure: Sam Westing may be dead … but that won’t stop him from playing one last game!
My Review:
I’ve a tendency to love Newbery Award winning (and often nominated) books, and this one is no exception. The last time I read this, I was in 5th grade and in a school book club. I remember being intrigued and surprised by the book. I remembered the basic premise of the story: old rich guy dies and entreats his heirs to a game to find his murderer. But there were so many bits and pieces I didn’t remember, so I wanted to go back and read it again and see why I’d enjoyed it so much. (Also, I’m a total sucker for a good chess game!)
This time, I listened to the audio book, and I must say, the narrator did a fantastic job. I loved hearing the many different voices (it’s a large cast and a lot to keep up with). The transitions via audio could be a little jarring since we switch perspectives so often in the narrative, but the guy did a good job giving us just enough pause to realize what was happening and the distinguishing voices were really helpful, as well as fun.
I’ve loved mysteries since I was a little girl, and this one is quite a clever little puzzle. It’s an intriguing story that drew me in (again) and had me trying to sort out the pieces. Some little things I remembered as the book went on, but for the large part, I’d forgotten much of the plot. It starts with a very odd assortment of people, each with very distinct voices and personalities. A lot of characters can sometimes be a little hard to keep up with, especially at the beginning. But the more the story goes on, the easier it became for me.
Honestly, my thoughts through the first third of this book were: what on earth is happening? Why did I like this before? This is so odd! Because it is a very quirky story, that’s for sure! But it has a certain charm to it, and it’s well worth it if you stick it out, I think. Learning more about each of the characters, revealing who they are, and gaining a deeper understanding of them is all the fun of the story. That and puzzling those darn pieces together. But it culminates in a very satisfying reveal in the climax. And, surprisingly, the ending moved me. I didn’t remember that, but I got a little emotional in the last chapters.
If you like fun word play, clever strategy games, and lots of layered twists and turns, you’ll enjoy this guessing game of who’s who and what’s what. This little gem is a classic for a reason.