Hakim shifted, trying to shield her eyes from what was in the distance. It took her brain a moment to process what it was; and then she realized it was a police car.
The Puzzle At The Prep School
Esther pulled back.
“Where have you been, cousin?” She bored into his eyes, demanding an answer.
He pushed past her into the apartment without answering, shutting the door behind him. She followed him to the table, still staring expectantly.
“I cannot tell you.”
Here eyes darted around the room.
Could not tell her or would not tell her?
The Puzzle At The Prep School by Laurel Dalzell is the third member of The Chosen Generation series, retelling the Biblical account of Esther in a modern setting. I found it enjoyable even though I’m far from the target audience.
Table of Contents
Plot
Esther Mikhail has barely made it into the elite Harvard-Eastlake Preparatory School for Girls. She has to keep her grades and performance perfect if she wants to stay there.
But before long Esther notices some dubious happenings. In the words of the blurb, “Things are disappearing, students are disappearing, and the only person she can trust seems to be right in the middle of it.”
She has to counter bullies, keep her academics high, and all the while unravel the puzzle lurking in the prep school.
The book of Esther is one of my favorites from the Bible, so my expectations were set high for this. And just like the other books of the series, this plot is an excellent translation of Biblical events into a contemporary story.
The story stands on its own, and would make sense if the reader didn’t know the inspiration. But the informed reader will recognize the subtly included major events.
Characters
In such a short book (I would guess only 15K words), the characters are bound to be two-dimensional. But Dalzell gives them each memorable quirks to keep them straight in the reader’s mind.
Esther comes across as prim and proper. She wants to stand up for the right, but she’s afraid. Many can relate to this fear, not just kids.
Frannie, one of Esther’s new friends at the school, is probably my favorite character. Her tomboyish personality immediately stands out and makes her memorable.
Some other side characters are involved, but none are developed much. Again, not to knock the author—this length allows for little.
Theme & Content Warnings
A central theme of The Puzzle At The Prep School, and all The Chosen Generation books, is sticking up for right. In the end, Esther puts her own reputation and future at risk to stop the corruption dominating the school.
Another prominent theme is natural to the story but also relevant to our world today—treating all people the same, regardless of ethnicity. Esther is Lebanese, living in America where Middle Easterners have a negative connotation. She must keep her true origin silent, just like the Biblical Esther, to be thought of well.
This book is well suited for family read-alouds, with its discussion questions at the end of each chapter. I cover this more in the review of The Teen Tyrant Takedown. The story will not only entertain readers but also provoke them to thought.
Overall
The Puzzle At The Prep School is a great read for young teenagers. This one specifically aims for female readers, but it wasn’t really “girly” at all.
(Also, a completely random and irrelevant note: neither of the characters on the cover are the main character. I just thought that was odd.)
The only place to purchase the book is at the author’s website below. Currently the listing says it’s open for preorders, but the preorder phase should be over at this point.
And as always, thanks for reading, and I’ll write you in the next one!
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