{"id":33322,"date":"2017-09-29T23:10:38","date_gmt":"2017-09-30T03:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=33322"},"modified":"2017-09-29T23:10:39","modified_gmt":"2017-09-30T03:10:39","slug":"review-of-york-the-shadow-cipher-by-laura-ruby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=33322","title":{"rendered":"Review of York: The Shadow Cipher, by Laura Ruby"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>York, Book One<\/p>\n

The Shadow Cipher<\/em><\/p>\n

by Laura Ruby<\/p>\n

Walden Pond Press (HarperCollins), 2017. 476 pages.<\/p>\n

The Shadow Cipher<\/em> is set in modern-day New York \u2013 but in an alternate universe. This world has very different technology than our own, including genetically engineered pets and therapy animals. But the biggest differences came from innovations built into New York City by the brilliant Morningstarr twins in the 1800s. <\/p>\n

The Morningstarr twins also supposedly left a cipher in the city \u2013 that leads to a treasure. Tess and Theo Biedermann, who are named after the Morningstarrs, live in one of the original buildings constructed by the Morningstarrs.<\/p>\n

When an evil real estate developer \u2013 named Darnell Slant \u2013 buys their building and they have to get out in 30 days, Tess and Theo are horrified. At the same time, they come upon an original letter written by Tess Morningstarr. It seems to be a new clue \u2013 leading to a whole new chain of clues. Working with Jaime, another kid who\u2019s getting evicted from the building, the three of them plan to find the treasure to save the day.<\/p>\n

This book has a good puzzle story and adventure yarn. It\u2019s not like the reader can solve the clues themselves, but it\u2019s fun to read about the kids going from one clue to another.<\/p>\n

Now, could a cipher really stay intact for more than a hundred years? They try to get around this amazing coincidence by commenting on them and saying that it seems like the Cipher is solving them. That wasn\u2019t quite good enough for me \u2013 but I\u2019m a more-skeptical-than-average reader.<\/p>\n

There was one incident that pulled me out of the book. At one point, Tess was so upset from being evicted, she had trouble sleeping.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d tried her favorite guided meditation video for an hour. She\u2019d organized her underwear drawer by color. She\u2019d tried counting backward from one million. When the sun rose that morning, she was on number 937,582.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I\u2019m sorry \u2013 I don\u2019t buy it! 937,582 is more than 60,000 less than a million. If Tess were able to count one number per second (which would be incredibly fast for such big numbers), it would take her more than 16 hours to get to such a relatively low number!<\/p>\n

Now \u2013 I posted my complaint on Facebook in general terms. One of my friends speculated that Tess may be an android. And you know what? Even after finishing the book, that is a possible explanation. In fact, as the book goes on, Tess gets an uncomfortable feeling that many of the machines made by the Morningstarrs are alive! Perhaps Tess herself is a machine made by the Morningstarrs, and this is our first clue.<\/p>\n

All the same, I have my doubts. I think it was probably a mistake rather than a cleverly planted clue to Tess\u2019s real identity.<\/p>\n

But the book is fun. And full of surprises. The story doesn\u2019t finish, in fact the book ends on the threshold of further adventures. So this is part of a series you\u2019ll certainly want to read in order.<\/p>\n

The science in the book seems iffy to me \u2013 but any time machines seem to come alive, I\u2019ll have some trouble with it. Also the coincidences. In general, the book is more like fantasy. But I didn\u2019t mind it too much while I was reading it. You\u2019ve got an imaginative alternate world, an intriguing puzzle, and a fun story of three children on an adventure trying to solve the puzzle and save their home.<\/p>\n

lauraruby.com<\/a>
\nharpercollinschildrens.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Fiction\/york.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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