Review By: Anonymous from Chittenango Middle School
Title: The Westing Game
Author: Ellen Raskin
Published: 1978, Penguin Young Readers Group
Genre: Mystery; Suspense; Fiction
Audience: 4, 5, 6
Triggers: Murder, Death, Disabilities, Smoking
Goodreads Review:
A highly inventive mystery begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of the very strange will of the very rich Samuel W. Westing. They could become millionaires, depending on how they play a game. All they have to do is find the answer—but the answer to what? The Westing game is tricky and dangerous, but the heirs play on—through blizzards, burglaries, and bombings. Sam Westing may be dead … but that won’t stop him from playing one last game! Ellen Raskin has created a remarkable cast of characters in a puzzle-knotted, word-twisting plot filled with humor, intrigue, and suspense.
Review: I remember loving The Westing Game when I was a student. I was excited to read it again knowing it is on the BOTB list for this year, many teachers still use it in their classrooms, and it is so mysterious. The characters of the book are all gathered to listen to the reading of Sam Westing’s will. Their task is to figure out who murdered him. They would all inherit money as long as they continued to play his last and final game – figuring out who killed him. The sixteen characters in the story were paired off, and the drama began. While I love the concept of a murder mystery, I found it quite challenging to keep the characters straight. It could have been because I chose to use the Sora audio version of the story. My goal was to think like a 5th grader while reading this book, and so many of my students use audio books. I know the numerous characters and story lines would be challenging for them. While listening to other audio books, hanging on every word, but I caught myself drifting off and bored with The Westing Game, and I was really disappointed. I wanted to love it like I did as a kid.
