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Puzzleheart
Get ready to solve the mystery at the heart of this middle grade adventure about family—and a house with a mind of its own.
Twelve-year-old Perigee has never met a problem they couldn’t solve. So when their Dad’s spirits need raising, Perigee formulates the perfect road trip to Dad’s childhood home to reunite him with his estranged mother. There's something in it for Perigee, too, as they will finally get to visit “Eklunds' Puzzle House,” the mysterious bed & breakfast their grandparents built but never opened. They arrive ahead of a massive storm and the House immediately puts Perigee’s logical, science-loving mind to the test. Corridors shift. Strange paintings lurk in the shadows. Encoded messages abound. Despite Perigee’s best efforts, neither the House nor Grandma will give up their secrets. And worse, prickly Grandma has outlawed games and riddles of any kind. Even the greatest of plans can crumble, and as new arguments fill the air, the House becomes truly dangerous. Deadly puzzles pop up at every turn, knives spin in the hallways, and staircases disappear. The answer lies at the heart of the House, but in order to find it, Perigee and their new friend Lily will need to solve a long-lost, decades-old riddle… if the House itself doesn’t stop them first.
Twelve-year-old Perigee has never met a problem they couldn’t solve. So when their Dad’s spirits need raising, Perigee formulates the perfect road trip to Dad’s childhood home to reunite him with his estranged mother. There's something in it for Perigee, too, as they will finally get to visit “Eklunds' Puzzle House,” the mysterious bed & breakfast their grandparents built but never opened. They arrive ahead of a massive storm and the House immediately puts Perigee’s logical, science-loving mind to the test. Corridors shift. Strange paintings lurk in the shadows. Encoded messages abound. Despite Perigee’s best efforts, neither the House nor Grandma will give up their secrets. And worse, prickly Grandma has outlawed games and riddles of any kind. Even the greatest of plans can crumble, and as new arguments fill the air, the House becomes truly dangerous. Deadly puzzles pop up at every turn, knives spin in the hallways, and staircases disappear. The answer lies at the heart of the House, but in order to find it, Perigee and their new friend Lily will need to solve a long-lost, decades-old riddle… if the House itself doesn’t stop them first.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2024
25 people are currently reading
810 people want to read
About the author
Jenn Reese
29 books257 followersJenn Reese (she/they) writes speculative fiction for readers of all ages. She is the author of Every Bird a Prince and A Game of Fox & Squirrels, an NPR Best Book of 2020, a finalist for the Andre Norton Award and the Mythopoeic Award, and winner of the Oregon Book Award. Her other publications include the Above World trilogy and numerous short stories and essays. Jenn lives in Portland, Oregon where she makes art, plays video games, and talks to the birds.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
May 14, 2024
Ohhh do I love this book! To start off, this is the blurb that I wrote for Puzzleheart:
"A deliciously fun adventure full of dangerous magic, secrets, and puzzles. I loved every moment of it!"
But to go into a bit more detail...
This is one of those really magical books that explores really deep emotional questions while sweeping the reader into the most wonderful - I keep coming back in my head to the word *delicious*, because that's just how this book feels to me! - and magical adventure. It's pure fun from beginning to end, and it's also sneakily powerful and moving.
Perigee, the nonbinary and AWESOME protagonist, has never been to the famous Eklund Puzzle House created by their grandparents, full of challenges, mysteries, and secrets. Perigee has never even met their grandmother. All they know is that things went wrong between Grandma and Dad long ago, back at that incredible house designed by a brilliant and eccentric architect...and now, Perigee is determined to bring Dad back there to get him FIXED, because Dad's depression is so off the scale, they can't handle it on their own anymore.
Unfortunately, Perigee's rosy-eyed plans for Dad and Grandma's reunion go off the rails almost immediately. Grandma is anything but sweet and warm. The House isn't just a building - it has a mind of its own and needs that have been ignored for far too long. And when a snowstorm traps them all within its walls, Perigee will have to somehow surmount every single puzzle, riddle, and increasingly dangerous - or even lethal - challenge that the House throws at them if they want any chance at keeping their family at all.
Those puzzles and challenges are brilliant and so much fun - and they're made even more fun by the quirky and fabulous illustrations (by the author, who's also an artist). Seriously, you're going to want to solve them all at Perigee's side - and the adventure is SO MUCH fun, I was racing through my read even as my heart also broke at times for earnest, determined Perigee, so young and so desperate to look after everyone else. They and the House both have a lot to learn - and I loved every moment of it.
I've been a huge fan of Jenn Reese's writing for years (we actually became friends decades ago when I reached out because I loved their short stories so much!), but this book might just be my very favorite story they've written so far. Highly, highly recommended! <3 <3
"A deliciously fun adventure full of dangerous magic, secrets, and puzzles. I loved every moment of it!"
But to go into a bit more detail...
This is one of those really magical books that explores really deep emotional questions while sweeping the reader into the most wonderful - I keep coming back in my head to the word *delicious*, because that's just how this book feels to me! - and magical adventure. It's pure fun from beginning to end, and it's also sneakily powerful and moving.
Perigee, the nonbinary and AWESOME protagonist, has never been to the famous Eklund Puzzle House created by their grandparents, full of challenges, mysteries, and secrets. Perigee has never even met their grandmother. All they know is that things went wrong between Grandma and Dad long ago, back at that incredible house designed by a brilliant and eccentric architect...and now, Perigee is determined to bring Dad back there to get him FIXED, because Dad's depression is so off the scale, they can't handle it on their own anymore.
Unfortunately, Perigee's rosy-eyed plans for Dad and Grandma's reunion go off the rails almost immediately. Grandma is anything but sweet and warm. The House isn't just a building - it has a mind of its own and needs that have been ignored for far too long. And when a snowstorm traps them all within its walls, Perigee will have to somehow surmount every single puzzle, riddle, and increasingly dangerous - or even lethal - challenge that the House throws at them if they want any chance at keeping their family at all.
Those puzzles and challenges are brilliant and so much fun - and they're made even more fun by the quirky and fabulous illustrations (by the author, who's also an artist). Seriously, you're going to want to solve them all at Perigee's side - and the adventure is SO MUCH fun, I was racing through my read even as my heart also broke at times for earnest, determined Perigee, so young and so desperate to look after everyone else. They and the House both have a lot to learn - and I loved every moment of it.
I've been a huge fan of Jenn Reese's writing for years (we actually became friends decades ago when I reached out because I loved their short stories so much!), but this book might just be my very favorite story they've written so far. Highly, highly recommended! <3 <3
July 5, 2024
an interesting, adventurous nice middle grade book.
January 14, 2024
I received a digital copy of this book for free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Perigee, a 12-year-old nonbinary child, has never met their grandmother. When they return with their father to his childhood home, they encounter much more than an estranged relative at The Puzzle House.
Forgive me a brief tangent, I promise it relates. When I was in middle school, I read The Outsiders and then was assigned to write a story about one of the characters. I wanted to write it from the perspective of a bar stool, witnessing a bar fight, but was told I wasn't allowed even though I still think it was a banger idea. Which is to say, when I found out there were chapters from the perspective of the house, I lost it a little bit.
The puzzle mystery is a staple of the middle grade genre, and I think this is a worth addition as a nice starter for those on the younger end of the middle grade scale. I didn't find the puzzles to be as challenge or intriguing as some, with more of a focus on mental health and family relationships.
Perigee, a 12-year-old nonbinary child, has never met their grandmother. When they return with their father to his childhood home, they encounter much more than an estranged relative at The Puzzle House.
Forgive me a brief tangent, I promise it relates. When I was in middle school, I read The Outsiders and then was assigned to write a story about one of the characters. I wanted to write it from the perspective of a bar stool, witnessing a bar fight, but was told I wasn't allowed even though I still think it was a banger idea. Which is to say, when I found out there were chapters from the perspective of the house, I lost it a little bit.
The puzzle mystery is a staple of the middle grade genre, and I think this is a worth addition as a nice starter for those on the younger end of the middle grade scale. I didn't find the puzzles to be as challenge or intriguing as some, with more of a focus on mental health and family relationships.
January 2, 2025
This was cute. It's about a kid who goes to visit their grandma and there's this like sentient puzzle house. There is a little bit of family drama there's some new friendships The queerness is very just undertones. And by that I mean that it's just there. It's not a big deal it's not a big plot point Perigee is just nonbinary and that's that. I kind of love that queer normative ness especially in middle grade books. I really think it sets a tone for how we should expect queer and trans identities to be universally respected.
March 21, 2025
A marvelous Puzzle House fights back against being shut down by the family that build it. The puzzles and traps and tricks, and wonderous rooms of marvels, make for great reading, brought to vivid life by great descriptive writing. But it's the emotional struggle of the book--to mend broken family ties, to see a path forward to a happier future, and in the case of the kid who's the main character, to accept that mending other people isn't a burden they should be tearing their own self apart in order to bear--that gives the book its powerful and moving heart.
So come for death puzzles (with bonus kittens), enjoy picking which of the marvelous bedrooms you like best, and stay for hearts healing. Also, if you are me, enjoy the metaphors wrapped into the Puzzle House itself (if I had to write an essay for class on this book, I'd write about this).
So come for death puzzles (with bonus kittens), enjoy picking which of the marvelous bedrooms you like best, and stay for hearts healing. Also, if you are me, enjoy the metaphors wrapped into the Puzzle House itself (if I had to write an essay for class on this book, I'd write about this).
August 29, 2024
Another middle grade puzzle mystery! This is becoming one of my favorite things to read, the mysteries are interesting and the puzzles are cool. Puzzleheart also had a nonbinary main character and dealt with anxiety and depression and I appreciated the way everything was portrayed and talked about.
Definitely a fun read!
Definitely a fun read!
April 1, 2025
This was a really fun middle grade novel featuring a nonbinary tween and their father who go to visit the house where the dad grew up only to get stuck trying to solve a series of puzzles that the magical, sentient house throws at them. Perfect for fans of escape rooms, this had great mental health rep (panic attacks, grief, loss, etc) and was good on audio too. Definitely a fun read by a new to me author!
November 2, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up. Would have been 5 stars if there had been more backstory and connection between reader and the characters.
March 12, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the advanced copy.
One of my most favorite books, and the one I loved most as a kid, is The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. It's a classic, and one I still reread yearly for the childish joy I get from it (and because I still find it inspires me to write my own stories). Jenn Reese's Puzzleheart filled me with the same sort of joy and wonder that I get from The Westing Game, but with a little paranormal twist.
The main character, Perigee, is a precocious non-binary kid overly concerned with taking care of their father following a family tragedy. They get the bright idea to try to rebuild the burnt bridges between their father and their grandmother - who experienced a mirrored tragedy themselves.
The plot device, the puzzle house, is really just there for Perigee and their new friend, Lily, to learn a couple moral lessons. I appreciate a kids' story that does this, as I know I learned a lot from all the books I read as a kid, and I want the books I buy my nieces and nephew to do the same thing. This story is about acceptance, understanding, proper parental/child relationships, problem-solving, and friendships. Perigee and Lily come to blows a couple times due to their differences in upbringing and personalities, which provides some of the lesson learning and character growth.
This is definitely for younger middle grade readers though, with Rees writing in a sort of Dora the Explorer way - it's very narrator driven in that way, but that sort of device lends to children's fiction because it feels like you're being told a bedtime story. The puzzles are cool but not very clever, and Rees could've done with a bit more explanation at each part so that kids following along could try to solve it on their own, rather than just being told everything.
While Rees doesn't quite live up to my expectations (The Westing Game sets a high standard), I think this is a solid effort and a book I'm thrilled to share with my niblings, and which I know for sure they'll love!
One of my most favorite books, and the one I loved most as a kid, is The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. It's a classic, and one I still reread yearly for the childish joy I get from it (and because I still find it inspires me to write my own stories). Jenn Reese's Puzzleheart filled me with the same sort of joy and wonder that I get from The Westing Game, but with a little paranormal twist.
The main character, Perigee, is a precocious non-binary kid overly concerned with taking care of their father following a family tragedy. They get the bright idea to try to rebuild the burnt bridges between their father and their grandmother - who experienced a mirrored tragedy themselves.
The plot device, the puzzle house, is really just there for Perigee and their new friend, Lily, to learn a couple moral lessons. I appreciate a kids' story that does this, as I know I learned a lot from all the books I read as a kid, and I want the books I buy my nieces and nephew to do the same thing. This story is about acceptance, understanding, proper parental/child relationships, problem-solving, and friendships. Perigee and Lily come to blows a couple times due to their differences in upbringing and personalities, which provides some of the lesson learning and character growth.
This is definitely for younger middle grade readers though, with Rees writing in a sort of Dora the Explorer way - it's very narrator driven in that way, but that sort of device lends to children's fiction because it feels like you're being told a bedtime story. The puzzles are cool but not very clever, and Rees could've done with a bit more explanation at each part so that kids following along could try to solve it on their own, rather than just being told everything.
While Rees doesn't quite live up to my expectations (The Westing Game sets a high standard), I think this is a solid effort and a book I'm thrilled to share with my niblings, and which I know for sure they'll love!
May 15, 2024
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for letting me read an ARC of this book through NetGalley!
Puzzleheart
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ <:starhalf:992435547043799180>(4.5/5) or 8.71/10 overall
Characters - 9
I really enjoyed the interactions between characters in this book and how they all grew and changed as the story progressed. I thought it was especially cool to see the House's point of view at the end of each chapter as well.
Atmosphere - 8
The atmosphere of the snowed-in landscape while the House wasn't safe either was quite an interesting dichotomy that I enjoyed, since typically when you picture a snowy cabin you see the house as being warm and cozy. The little details of the animals carved into the banisters and such also gave the House an extra intricacy that helped to develop the sense that this house wasn't normal.
Writing - 9
The writing in this book really helped to set the scene and show character development well. The third-person point of view, while still following Perigee, helped to give more of a mysterious air to the book that I found enlightening.
Plot - 9
The plot of this book was vividly unique and utterly entertaining. The concept of a house full of puzzles that "went rogue" to protect itself was explored in an interesting way while still being mostly a character-driven story.
Intrigue - 9
I was intrigued the whole way through. Each part of the story captured my attention and drew me in. I also thought the additional pictures really added an extra touch to the book that helped to pull the elements together well.
Logic - 8
This book was quite logical and nothing stood out to me as incredibly confusing or illogical. As far as I can remember, every plotline reached a satifisying conclusion as well.
Enjoyment - 9
I really enjoyed this book. I liked that it had so many unique elements to draw on and I found the House pov an especially entertaining touch.
Puzzleheart
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ <:starhalf:992435547043799180>(4.5/5) or 8.71/10 overall
Characters - 9
I really enjoyed the interactions between characters in this book and how they all grew and changed as the story progressed. I thought it was especially cool to see the House's point of view at the end of each chapter as well.
Atmosphere - 8
The atmosphere of the snowed-in landscape while the House wasn't safe either was quite an interesting dichotomy that I enjoyed, since typically when you picture a snowy cabin you see the house as being warm and cozy. The little details of the animals carved into the banisters and such also gave the House an extra intricacy that helped to develop the sense that this house wasn't normal.
Writing - 9
The writing in this book really helped to set the scene and show character development well. The third-person point of view, while still following Perigee, helped to give more of a mysterious air to the book that I found enlightening.
Plot - 9
The plot of this book was vividly unique and utterly entertaining. The concept of a house full of puzzles that "went rogue" to protect itself was explored in an interesting way while still being mostly a character-driven story.
Intrigue - 9
I was intrigued the whole way through. Each part of the story captured my attention and drew me in. I also thought the additional pictures really added an extra touch to the book that helped to pull the elements together well.
Logic - 8
This book was quite logical and nothing stood out to me as incredibly confusing or illogical. As far as I can remember, every plotline reached a satifisying conclusion as well.
Enjoyment - 9
I really enjoyed this book. I liked that it had so many unique elements to draw on and I found the House pov an especially entertaining touch.
June 3, 2024
Perigree doesn't remember ever meeting their grandma, but that all changes when Peri makes The Plan: a way to fix Dad's depression by bringing him back to his childhood home and the escape rooms that Grandma and Grandpa built into their puzzle house. But Peri is dismayed to find that the house is in poor repair and Grandma hasn't smiled in years, refusing to do a single puzzle despite the way bad things keep happening when she refuses. Then Peri finds an unsolved riddle, which sends them on a quest along with co-guest Lily: a quest that ends up being much more important than either realized.
I'll start with the complaints because they're short. "The Plan" is mentioned a little too often. It isn't subtle and it gets redundant.
I loved everything else. The magical realism is stunning, and the descriptions made want to return to my dream of opening my own bed and breakfast some day. The puzzles are engaging but not too tricky for young readers. The characters are well-crafted with believable problems and relatable traits. The nonbinary/mental illness representation is obvious but not overbearing. This book 100% lives up to its cover (which, knowing Jenn Reese, I believed it would). It definitely belongs on any Pride reading lists, but it's a thrilling magical mystery for any time of the year. If you loved Greenglass House, I highly recommend this one to you also!
I'll start with the complaints because they're short. "The Plan" is mentioned a little too often. It isn't subtle and it gets redundant.
I loved everything else. The magical realism is stunning, and the descriptions made want to return to my dream of opening my own bed and breakfast some day. The puzzles are engaging but not too tricky for young readers. The characters are well-crafted with believable problems and relatable traits. The nonbinary/mental illness representation is obvious but not overbearing. This book 100% lives up to its cover (which, knowing Jenn Reese, I believed it would). It definitely belongs on any Pride reading lists, but it's a thrilling magical mystery for any time of the year. If you loved Greenglass House, I highly recommend this one to you also!
March 27, 2024
Give a Houses POV and I’m there!
A visit to Eklund’s Puzzle House… a mysterious bed and breakfast that never opened. Built by the main characters, Perigee’s grandparents… Perigree is excited to see the marvel of the house as well as their grandmother, though their father is more on the reluctant side. Arriving alongside a blizzard. Perigee and all inside find themselves involved in a curious game the house has started.
I enjoyed this story and think it’s a great addition to the puzzle/unique house sub genre I’m assuming younger middle grade readers will enjoy the adventure. I recently just read a very similar book that had me wishing that the puzzles/riddles in Puzzleheart leapt more off the page…for me I never felt pulled into them.
The cover is absolutely stunning and having the houses conscious as a POV was thrilling! This was my first book by Reese and I will definitely be on the look out for more!
Thank you Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. Henry Holt and Co (BYR)
Releases 5/14
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
A visit to Eklund’s Puzzle House… a mysterious bed and breakfast that never opened. Built by the main characters, Perigee’s grandparents… Perigree is excited to see the marvel of the house as well as their grandmother, though their father is more on the reluctant side. Arriving alongside a blizzard. Perigee and all inside find themselves involved in a curious game the house has started.
I enjoyed this story and think it’s a great addition to the puzzle/unique house sub genre I’m assuming younger middle grade readers will enjoy the adventure. I recently just read a very similar book that had me wishing that the puzzles/riddles in Puzzleheart leapt more off the page…for me I never felt pulled into them.
The cover is absolutely stunning and having the houses conscious as a POV was thrilling! This was my first book by Reese and I will definitely be on the look out for more!
Thank you Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. Henry Holt and Co (BYR)
Releases 5/14
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
January 4, 2025
There is a lot to like in this book! The puzzle house was my favorite character, and the friendship between the two oddball kids a strong through line. The puzzles were fun and clever. The beginning and middle were strong, but the ending fell apart a bit. The quick resolution of the emotional bit was unconvincing, and the “murder is bad but you were upset” house resolution was unsatisfying.
And a nagging thing, I kept tripping up on when “they” referred to Perigee and when it referred to both kids. It felt like the author never tried to keep the distinction clear. Maybe my distinguishing muscles aren’t as strong in this case.
And a nagging thing, I kept tripping up on when “they” referred to Perigee and when it referred to both kids. It felt like the author never tried to keep the distinction clear. Maybe my distinguishing muscles aren’t as strong in this case.
April 15, 2025
You can take the he/him out of a male protagonist, but you can’t take the male out of the they/them. The puzzle house itself was intriguing, promising and occasionally moderately terrifying. Everything else was drivel coupled with sentimental slop, ultimately coming down to “you’ll never have a happy ending unless you’re focused primarily on finding your OWN happiness”. Could be a good case study for how generational failures have led to the modern real-life sexual identity/mental health crisis—Perigree (who named itself, and is a liar through and through) was raised by a well-intentioned but fearful clinically depressed dad, who was himself abandoned by his mother after the unexpected death of his father, and instead was raised by his gay aunts—one of whom is latina.
May 28, 2024
Jenn Reese continues an amazing run of middle grade books that manage to confront family dysfunction and still be great fun, with physical perils that mirror the turmoil of their young protagonists. PUZZLEHEART presents as a tale of escape-room hijinks, but as the stakes creak higher, the claustrophobia of the setting begins to put stress on the already fractious relationships between cheerful, determined, over-functioning Perigee, their father and estranged grandmother, and their new friend Lily. The House itself is a character as well, and has its own emotional arc that echoes Perigee's.
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February 6, 2024This was cute! A fast lower MG read with a nice amount of puzzle solving tricky enough to keep me guessing. I also appreciated the nonbinary rep and the way this book touches on mental health topics including panic attacks and depression.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.
June 16, 2024
Sentient house! Puzzles! Nonbinary MC! Sweet friendship in the main duo, and a bunch of cute kittens! A raging snow storm outside, and a bunch of deeply sad humans trying their best to carry on. What more can a reader ask for? This was a delightfully intense and deeply heartfelt and I highly recommend it. (Especially if you like puzzles!)
November 13, 2025
A Maine Student Book Award Nominee for 25|26.
Perigee has a plan, and it involves reuniting their dad, who has been really sad lately with their estranged grandmother-in their family’s sentient puzzle house. But the puzzle house has different ideas and goals, and it seems as though Perigee and their friend Lily must solve a decades old riddle to save themselves, their family and the house.
This was fun and quick.
Perigee has a plan, and it involves reuniting their dad, who has been really sad lately with their estranged grandmother-in their family’s sentient puzzle house. But the puzzle house has different ideas and goals, and it seems as though Perigee and their friend Lily must solve a decades old riddle to save themselves, their family and the house.
This was fun and quick.
May 26, 2024
An imaginative story that touches on real issues. This would be a great book for parents and kids to read and discuss together.
September 25, 2024
Absolutely entertaining and perfect young adult book! Wonderful
October 18, 2024
Started out ok--I wasn't that interested in the puzzles. But the character development really got me.
June 29, 2025
4.5 Stars
August 18, 2025
Loved the plucky main character/dad relationship and the sentient house was a neat variable.
June 3, 2025
**Synopsis:** Perigee and their father are headed to their grandmother’s home in a snowstorm. Grayson, Perigee’s dad, and his mother don’t really get along and their grandmother only met them once as a baby. Grayson’s father died in a car accident shortly before the Bed & Breakfast home that he and Savannah (his mother) were building was ready to open. Savannah couldn’t cope and became very cold and sent Grayson to live with his aunts. They have remained distant and Grayson even changed his last name to Clark. But Peri, unbeknownst to their father, wrote their grandmother asking her to reach out and invite them. She did and now they are about to see Eklunds’ Puzzle House for the first time.
They arrive in the snow and Savannah comes off brusque from the get-go. She does give Peri a coat their grandfather had owned as it is so cold and they aren’t properly dressed. The coat has a riddle in the pocket. This awakens The House, who becomes a second narrator. The House is hopeful this puzzle will bring the Savannah they knew back.
Peri also meets Lily, Savannah’s next door neighbor who is staying with her, along with an army of kittens. Lily’s mother does search and rescue and is working due to the storm. She is in charge of her own cat and the cat’s kittens. They have dinner (which is mostly carrots, as Grandma ignored that her son and grandchild are vegetarian) and things are tense. The house keeps acting up so they go to the library, which is supposed to be the one room that is NOT subject to puzzles. However The House is now sentient and has rearranged its own nails and plumbing to make that not the case.
During a fight with Grayson, Savannah announces she is selling the home. The House does NOT react well and basically tries to freeze them out. Peri negotiates with The House and convinces it not to freeze them and to let them sleep first so they can properly solve the puzzle the next day. They sleep in a room with an underwater creature theme. They keep the coat as The House seems to want them to.
Lily and Peri set out to solve the puzzles the next day. They are successful with the first set, though it’s close. They discover Savannah’s old office in the process. Peri realizes Grandma’s knitting has Morse code in it, indicating she subconsciously still likes puzzles. There is another argument and Savannah says she’ll knock the house down. It is not happy and in its tantrum, Savannah takes a knock to the head. This gives her a concussion and also makes her a bit out of it, which helps when they ask a few questions later.
Grayson realizes The House needs reset, which is available in his father’s office. The clue in the coat will lead there are Savannah and her husband used to make it a game to leave riddles to find one another. The House does not WANT to be reset, so it keeps throwing very difficult and scary puzzles in Peri and Lily’s path. Lily’s survivalist training comes in handy. She also convinces Peri that they need to tell Grayson about their panic attacks and how they are feeling.
It is revealed during all this that Grayson has been struggling with depression and was unable to get out of bed at times. There were issues with work and they are in danger of losing their home. Peri has stopped doing most after school activities to help take care of their dad. (It is unclear if Peri has a mom or if she has died.). Peri is at one point endangered by some major spikes and Grayson saves them, but is badly injured in the process. Grayson tells Peri they shouldn’t have hid their feelings and that he should have done better because HE’S the parent.
Peri and Lily figure out the clues thanks to Savannah supplying a quote they were missing. They reach the reset but at the last minute, Peri speaks to The House and convinces it to behave as they are family and decides not to reset it. Peri and Grayson decide to come back in the summer and they’ll decide from there if they are going to stay. Savannah decides to travel for a bit and get some distance as she never really grieved and found closure, but tells Peri they can write.
**Thoughts:** This is a fun middle grade book with lots of puzzles. I do think it may be better to physically read, as some of the puzzles are very difficult to follow with only audio. I saw a few pages of physical copy and there are some neat things done to demonstrate bits of the story.
I loved Lily and her morbid fascinations as coping mechanisms for worrying about her mom who does rescues. Savannah is a difficult but believable character and the book did not excuse anything she did. The House was a very interesting character in its own right as it felt like it was fighting both to get Savannah back and to survive in some ways.
Having a nonbinary protagonist was nice and it’s always enjoyable to read books where LGBT+ people are just the norm. For all of Savannah’s other drama, she never misgenders or misrepresents Peri. The only reference to such prejudice is that Peri’s dad will become a proper Papa Bear when someone doesn’t use the correct pronouns. I enjoy a good puzzle story, so this fit right in and it was a nice touch that it was set in winter.
That all said, it IS a middle grade book, so the writing felt repetitive and simplistic at times. I felt the book drug a bit in the middle but it mostly kept a decent pace. I would have liked a little insight into what brought on Grayson’s depression as there didn’t seem to be much of a trigger. Overall though, this is an enjoyable tale in the spirit of ones like *The Westing Game*.
They arrive in the snow and Savannah comes off brusque from the get-go. She does give Peri a coat their grandfather had owned as it is so cold and they aren’t properly dressed. The coat has a riddle in the pocket. This awakens The House, who becomes a second narrator. The House is hopeful this puzzle will bring the Savannah they knew back.
Peri also meets Lily, Savannah’s next door neighbor who is staying with her, along with an army of kittens. Lily’s mother does search and rescue and is working due to the storm. She is in charge of her own cat and the cat’s kittens. They have dinner (which is mostly carrots, as Grandma ignored that her son and grandchild are vegetarian) and things are tense. The house keeps acting up so they go to the library, which is supposed to be the one room that is NOT subject to puzzles. However The House is now sentient and has rearranged its own nails and plumbing to make that not the case.
During a fight with Grayson, Savannah announces she is selling the home. The House does NOT react well and basically tries to freeze them out. Peri negotiates with The House and convinces it not to freeze them and to let them sleep first so they can properly solve the puzzle the next day. They sleep in a room with an underwater creature theme. They keep the coat as The House seems to want them to.
Lily and Peri set out to solve the puzzles the next day. They are successful with the first set, though it’s close. They discover Savannah’s old office in the process. Peri realizes Grandma’s knitting has Morse code in it, indicating she subconsciously still likes puzzles. There is another argument and Savannah says she’ll knock the house down. It is not happy and in its tantrum, Savannah takes a knock to the head. This gives her a concussion and also makes her a bit out of it, which helps when they ask a few questions later.
Grayson realizes The House needs reset, which is available in his father’s office. The clue in the coat will lead there are Savannah and her husband used to make it a game to leave riddles to find one another. The House does not WANT to be reset, so it keeps throwing very difficult and scary puzzles in Peri and Lily’s path. Lily’s survivalist training comes in handy. She also convinces Peri that they need to tell Grayson about their panic attacks and how they are feeling.
It is revealed during all this that Grayson has been struggling with depression and was unable to get out of bed at times. There were issues with work and they are in danger of losing their home. Peri has stopped doing most after school activities to help take care of their dad. (It is unclear if Peri has a mom or if she has died.). Peri is at one point endangered by some major spikes and Grayson saves them, but is badly injured in the process. Grayson tells Peri they shouldn’t have hid their feelings and that he should have done better because HE’S the parent.
Peri and Lily figure out the clues thanks to Savannah supplying a quote they were missing. They reach the reset but at the last minute, Peri speaks to The House and convinces it to behave as they are family and decides not to reset it. Peri and Grayson decide to come back in the summer and they’ll decide from there if they are going to stay. Savannah decides to travel for a bit and get some distance as she never really grieved and found closure, but tells Peri they can write.
**Thoughts:** This is a fun middle grade book with lots of puzzles. I do think it may be better to physically read, as some of the puzzles are very difficult to follow with only audio. I saw a few pages of physical copy and there are some neat things done to demonstrate bits of the story.
I loved Lily and her morbid fascinations as coping mechanisms for worrying about her mom who does rescues. Savannah is a difficult but believable character and the book did not excuse anything she did. The House was a very interesting character in its own right as it felt like it was fighting both to get Savannah back and to survive in some ways.
Having a nonbinary protagonist was nice and it’s always enjoyable to read books where LGBT+ people are just the norm. For all of Savannah’s other drama, she never misgenders or misrepresents Peri. The only reference to such prejudice is that Peri’s dad will become a proper Papa Bear when someone doesn’t use the correct pronouns. I enjoy a good puzzle story, so this fit right in and it was a nice touch that it was set in winter.
That all said, it IS a middle grade book, so the writing felt repetitive and simplistic at times. I felt the book drug a bit in the middle but it mostly kept a decent pace. I would have liked a little insight into what brought on Grayson’s depression as there didn’t seem to be much of a trigger. Overall though, this is an enjoyable tale in the spirit of ones like *The Westing Game*.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2024
“Fixing was for houses. Solving was for puzzles. Maybe neither of those words applied to people.”
Twelve-year-old Perigee has been hearing stories about their dad’s childhood in the Eklund Puzzle House since they were old enough to understand. Perigee’s grandparents built and designed the house to be an escape room-themed bed and breakfast with unique challenges for patrons to solve during their stay. In a last-ditch effort to “solve” their dad, who seems unhappy, Perigee orchestrates a trip to the Puzzle House, which involves meeting their estranged grandmother for the first time. However, everything is different than Perigee planned when they arrive—from a cold and distant grandma to a house that is literally tearing itself apart. With the help of Lily, the daughter of their grandma’s friend, Perigee must solve the house’s remaining puzzles despite their grandma’s protests. With their work already cut out for them, can Perigee figure out how to cure their dad—and possibly even themself—along the way?
Puzzleheart offers readers a little bit of everything: mystery, family drama, adventure, and magic. I really like how immersive the puzzles Perigee and Lily solve throughout the book are. The included drawings and detailed narration allow readers to actively participate and be a part of the action. Similarly, author Jenn Reese doesn’t shy away from the more intense aspects of dangerous situations, including panic and injury. Some of the safety protocols and the emphasis on staying calm and vigilant during stressful situations could be useful to readers. I appreciated the perseverance displayed throughout, as well as seeing a parent empower their child to succeed. However, the true star of the show was Perigee’s grandmother, Savannah Ekland. Since the death of her beloved husband, the Puzzle House has been in disarray, and Savannah lost who she was and won’t let herself enjoy the things she used to. Her journey is captivating, and I think we can all take something away from the sentiment that when someone we love dies, it doesn’t mean everything we love is lost with them. The exploration of whether it is the parent or the child (or both) who care for one another’s mental well-being was also touching. Meanwhile, personifying the Puzzle House by including chapters written from its perspective successfully added a touch of magic to keep the narrative lighthearted. Puzzleheart is the perfect read for those who love solving puzzles and watching the pieces click together to mend damaged souls.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Check out our interview of the author, Jenn Reese, here: https://www.pinereadsreview.com/blog/...
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @pinereadsreview, and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
Twelve-year-old Perigee has been hearing stories about their dad’s childhood in the Eklund Puzzle House since they were old enough to understand. Perigee’s grandparents built and designed the house to be an escape room-themed bed and breakfast with unique challenges for patrons to solve during their stay. In a last-ditch effort to “solve” their dad, who seems unhappy, Perigee orchestrates a trip to the Puzzle House, which involves meeting their estranged grandmother for the first time. However, everything is different than Perigee planned when they arrive—from a cold and distant grandma to a house that is literally tearing itself apart. With the help of Lily, the daughter of their grandma’s friend, Perigee must solve the house’s remaining puzzles despite their grandma’s protests. With their work already cut out for them, can Perigee figure out how to cure their dad—and possibly even themself—along the way?
Puzzleheart offers readers a little bit of everything: mystery, family drama, adventure, and magic. I really like how immersive the puzzles Perigee and Lily solve throughout the book are. The included drawings and detailed narration allow readers to actively participate and be a part of the action. Similarly, author Jenn Reese doesn’t shy away from the more intense aspects of dangerous situations, including panic and injury. Some of the safety protocols and the emphasis on staying calm and vigilant during stressful situations could be useful to readers. I appreciated the perseverance displayed throughout, as well as seeing a parent empower their child to succeed. However, the true star of the show was Perigee’s grandmother, Savannah Ekland. Since the death of her beloved husband, the Puzzle House has been in disarray, and Savannah lost who she was and won’t let herself enjoy the things she used to. Her journey is captivating, and I think we can all take something away from the sentiment that when someone we love dies, it doesn’t mean everything we love is lost with them. The exploration of whether it is the parent or the child (or both) who care for one another’s mental well-being was also touching. Meanwhile, personifying the Puzzle House by including chapters written from its perspective successfully added a touch of magic to keep the narrative lighthearted. Puzzleheart is the perfect read for those who love solving puzzles and watching the pieces click together to mend damaged souls.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Check out our interview of the author, Jenn Reese, here: https://www.pinereadsreview.com/blog/...
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @pinereadsreview, and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
January 26, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Perigee and her father are traveling to visit her estranged grandmother, Savannah Ecklund, who lives in the puzzle house that she built with her husband, Herbert. After he died suddenly when Perigee's father was young, Savannah sent her son to live with relatives because she was so consumed with grief. Perigee hopes that by bringing their father to visit, it will help him with his depression after losing his job and reconnect him with his mother. The house on Enigma Lane was supposed to be open to the public, and never was, so the puzzles Savannah and Herbert had planned never got to be operated. Savannah is in the house with Lily, whom she is watching while Lily's mother is doing search and rescue training, and the two have to sleep in the library because the rest of the house is so dangerous. Lily and Perigee are determined to solve the puzzle and make the house safe, but the House is not happy, and we hear from it in alternating chapters. The two children are able to find some coins that operate some of the puzzles, like a waterfall behind glass, but get lost in some of the secret passages, which is dangerous. They make some good progress, but Savannah is not happy at all, and threatens to raze the house because she wants to be left alone. This hurts the House's feelings, which makes things more dangerous. Will Perigee and Lily be able to solve the puzzle and reconcile Perigee's father and grandmother?
Strengths: Perigee's desire to help their father and reunite their family is admirable, and the idea of a puzzle house is enthralling. The details of the house are endlessly fascinating, and I sort of want a wooden puzzle version of the house to make, complete with tiny squirrel statues! Lily is a good foil for Perigee, and willing to go along with all of the plans while having ideas of her own. This has a happy ending, which is not always the case when a sentient House is angry with you.
Weaknesses: I always have a hard time believing that parents are so affected by grief that they abandon living children who need them, but I suppose it does happen. The father's depression is hinted at, but since it affects Perigee so much, more details about how the two deal with this might have been instructional for younger readers.
What I really think: This is very similar to Currie's The Mystery of the Locked Rooms (4/2/24), which had a puzzle house that had long been abandoned until children break in and solve the puzzles. This will be a big hit with fans of this author's Every Bird a Prince and A Game of Fox & Squirrels or books with sentient houses like Funaro's Watch Hollow or Josephson's Ravenfall.
Perigee and her father are traveling to visit her estranged grandmother, Savannah Ecklund, who lives in the puzzle house that she built with her husband, Herbert. After he died suddenly when Perigee's father was young, Savannah sent her son to live with relatives because she was so consumed with grief. Perigee hopes that by bringing their father to visit, it will help him with his depression after losing his job and reconnect him with his mother. The house on Enigma Lane was supposed to be open to the public, and never was, so the puzzles Savannah and Herbert had planned never got to be operated. Savannah is in the house with Lily, whom she is watching while Lily's mother is doing search and rescue training, and the two have to sleep in the library because the rest of the house is so dangerous. Lily and Perigee are determined to solve the puzzle and make the house safe, but the House is not happy, and we hear from it in alternating chapters. The two children are able to find some coins that operate some of the puzzles, like a waterfall behind glass, but get lost in some of the secret passages, which is dangerous. They make some good progress, but Savannah is not happy at all, and threatens to raze the house because she wants to be left alone. This hurts the House's feelings, which makes things more dangerous. Will Perigee and Lily be able to solve the puzzle and reconcile Perigee's father and grandmother?
Strengths: Perigee's desire to help their father and reunite their family is admirable, and the idea of a puzzle house is enthralling. The details of the house are endlessly fascinating, and I sort of want a wooden puzzle version of the house to make, complete with tiny squirrel statues! Lily is a good foil for Perigee, and willing to go along with all of the plans while having ideas of her own. This has a happy ending, which is not always the case when a sentient House is angry with you.
Weaknesses: I always have a hard time believing that parents are so affected by grief that they abandon living children who need them, but I suppose it does happen. The father's depression is hinted at, but since it affects Perigee so much, more details about how the two deal with this might have been instructional for younger readers.
What I really think: This is very similar to Currie's The Mystery of the Locked Rooms (4/2/24), which had a puzzle house that had long been abandoned until children break in and solve the puzzles. This will be a big hit with fans of this author's Every Bird a Prince and A Game of Fox & Squirrels or books with sentient houses like Funaro's Watch Hollow or Josephson's Ravenfall.
July 24, 2024
Puzzleheart" by Reese is a delightful dive into the world of Eklund Puzzle House, blending whimsical adventure with heartfelt themes of family, self-discovery, and acceptance. At its core, the story revolves around Perigee, a compassionate non-binary protagonist grappling with familial tensions and personal responsibilities.
The narrative unfolds as Perigee embarks on a mission to reunite their father and estranged grandmother at the enigmatic Eklund Puzzle House, a place filled with mysteries, traps, and challenges that come alive through Reese's vivid descriptions and quirky illustrations. As a reader, you'll find yourself engrossed in solving puzzles alongside Perigee, navigating each twist and turn of the house's sentient nature.
Reese skillfully balances the whimsy of the Puzzle House's magical elements with the emotional depth of Perigee's journey. The house itself becomes a character, challenging its inhabitants and revealing its own secrets in a way that parallels the characters' inner struggles and growth. The author's narrative style, akin to a storyteller weaving a bedtime tale, lends a cozy familiarity to the storytelling, making it accessible and engaging for younger middle-grade readers.
Throughout the adventure, themes of family reconciliation, friendship, and personal growth resonate strongly. Perigee's determination to mend broken bonds while grappling with their own identity and responsibilities is portrayed with sensitivity and authenticity. The evolving dynamics between Perigee and their new friend Lily add layers of complexity and provide opportunities for both conflict and resolution, enriching the story's emotional texture.
While the puzzles and challenges within the Puzzle House could have been more intricately detailed to encourage reader engagement, Reese succeeds in crafting a narrative that balances adventure with introspection. The book's overarching message about acceptance and understanding is subtly woven into the fabric of the story, making it not only a fun read but also a meaningful exploration of life's complexities.
In conclusion, "Puzzleheart" is a charming addition to the puzzle-house subgenre, offering young readers an enchanting journey filled with mystery, magic, and heartfelt lessons. Reese's storytelling prowess and imaginative world-building ensure that this book will captivate and inspire its audience, leaving a lasting impression of wonder and warmth.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
The narrative unfolds as Perigee embarks on a mission to reunite their father and estranged grandmother at the enigmatic Eklund Puzzle House, a place filled with mysteries, traps, and challenges that come alive through Reese's vivid descriptions and quirky illustrations. As a reader, you'll find yourself engrossed in solving puzzles alongside Perigee, navigating each twist and turn of the house's sentient nature.
Reese skillfully balances the whimsy of the Puzzle House's magical elements with the emotional depth of Perigee's journey. The house itself becomes a character, challenging its inhabitants and revealing its own secrets in a way that parallels the characters' inner struggles and growth. The author's narrative style, akin to a storyteller weaving a bedtime tale, lends a cozy familiarity to the storytelling, making it accessible and engaging for younger middle-grade readers.
Throughout the adventure, themes of family reconciliation, friendship, and personal growth resonate strongly. Perigee's determination to mend broken bonds while grappling with their own identity and responsibilities is portrayed with sensitivity and authenticity. The evolving dynamics between Perigee and their new friend Lily add layers of complexity and provide opportunities for both conflict and resolution, enriching the story's emotional texture.
While the puzzles and challenges within the Puzzle House could have been more intricately detailed to encourage reader engagement, Reese succeeds in crafting a narrative that balances adventure with introspection. The book's overarching message about acceptance and understanding is subtly woven into the fabric of the story, making it not only a fun read but also a meaningful exploration of life's complexities.
In conclusion, "Puzzleheart" is a charming addition to the puzzle-house subgenre, offering young readers an enchanting journey filled with mystery, magic, and heartfelt lessons. Reese's storytelling prowess and imaginative world-building ensure that this book will captivate and inspire its audience, leaving a lasting impression of wonder and warmth.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
June 12, 2024
I really, really love this book! It has so many of my favorite things wrapped up in a single package: lovely writing that made me stop every page or so to savor Reese’s ability to put a bit of spin on a phrase, characters doing the best they can under really tough circumstances, puzzles, a sentient house…. (To be honest, I didn’t know that sentient houses were on my list of favorite things until I read this book, but now they most certainly are.) I love the way these characters care so deeply about things, worry too much, and dig in to face danger when it simply must be faced. Perigee is desperately worried about their dad, who seems to have been depressed for quite a while; Perigree’s grandmother is trapped in her extended mourning for the past. And Eklunds’ Puzzle House reflects and magnifies the worries, hurts, and hopes of all of its human beings. Oh, it wants to be needed; it wants to be loved! But over its long years of neglect, these feelings have festered, and when feelings fester in a sentient house, things can get very dangerous fast.
Perigee and Lily (the practical-minded, resourceful, cautious girl who becomes Perigee’s partner in house exploration and puzzle solving) face some really wonderful, scary, architectural challenges as they make their way through this brilliant, tricky, changing house. The puzzles are intriguing—I wanted to be right there with them, solving them on the run—and sometimes QUITE frightening. (That shark room: yikes!) But of course the deeper challenges are the puzzles inside these characters. The House feels abandoned and defensive. Lily has been treated very badly at school; she wants to make friends, but is understandably wary. Perigee has been desperately trying to hold the world together for their dad—way too much of a burden for one kid to bear. By the end of the story, nothing is tied up neatly with a bow, but everyone is beginning to heal, or at least on their way to beginning to heal. Even the House!
I recommend this story to anyone who likes puzzles, loves mysterious houses with tons of secret passages up their sleeves, and/or enjoys a good friendship-in-adversity adventure. This book has smarts and heart, both—a delight!
Perigee and Lily (the practical-minded, resourceful, cautious girl who becomes Perigee’s partner in house exploration and puzzle solving) face some really wonderful, scary, architectural challenges as they make their way through this brilliant, tricky, changing house. The puzzles are intriguing—I wanted to be right there with them, solving them on the run—and sometimes QUITE frightening. (That shark room: yikes!) But of course the deeper challenges are the puzzles inside these characters. The House feels abandoned and defensive. Lily has been treated very badly at school; she wants to make friends, but is understandably wary. Perigee has been desperately trying to hold the world together for their dad—way too much of a burden for one kid to bear. By the end of the story, nothing is tied up neatly with a bow, but everyone is beginning to heal, or at least on their way to beginning to heal. Even the House!
I recommend this story to anyone who likes puzzles, loves mysterious houses with tons of secret passages up their sleeves, and/or enjoys a good friendship-in-adversity adventure. This book has smarts and heart, both—a delight!
November 28, 2023
Lovers of puzzles, talking houses and tender, family-friendly middle grade reads— this is a book for you. In a race against the clock, 12-year old, big-hearted Perigee must solve the puzzles hidden within their grandmothers home if they want to keep the house—and their family—in one piece. As the walls begin to close in, Perigee realizes the connection between the House (with a capital H) and their family. Bolstered by the help of a true-friend, quick thinking and a lot of love, Perigee faces the challenges head on.
In this captivating (middle grade but totally appropriate novel for young and older) novel, author Jenn Reese beautifully creates a joyful, quirky protagonist to face off with family secrets and save what’s left of the relationships. Juxtaposing, Perigee’s coming of age and person story, we hear and see (sometimes literally) the story from the perspective of the House, which Reese creatively writes as its own, complicated character. Reese also does a beautiful job of weaving funny moments alongside edge-of-your seat moments combined with a little family conflict, making this book just the *right* amount of drama-slash-puzzle fun.
I also very much appreciated the authors deliberate care and attention to the character development of Perigee as a confident non-binary character and Lily as a quirky but self-assured character, making both of them a gentle but beautiful mix of brave and confident but still-learning.
Overall, a great read for middle grades, or a fun family read, that will definitely leave you wishing your House was a bit more (but not too) adventurous.
Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Company and NetGalley for the free advance copy of Puzzleheart. The opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.
In this captivating (middle grade but totally appropriate novel for young and older) novel, author Jenn Reese beautifully creates a joyful, quirky protagonist to face off with family secrets and save what’s left of the relationships. Juxtaposing, Perigee’s coming of age and person story, we hear and see (sometimes literally) the story from the perspective of the House, which Reese creatively writes as its own, complicated character. Reese also does a beautiful job of weaving funny moments alongside edge-of-your seat moments combined with a little family conflict, making this book just the *right* amount of drama-slash-puzzle fun.
I also very much appreciated the authors deliberate care and attention to the character development of Perigee as a confident non-binary character and Lily as a quirky but self-assured character, making both of them a gentle but beautiful mix of brave and confident but still-learning.
Overall, a great read for middle grades, or a fun family read, that will definitely leave you wishing your House was a bit more (but not too) adventurous.
Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Company and NetGalley for the free advance copy of Puzzleheart. The opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.
September 4, 2024
Perigee’s dad hasn’t been himself for a while, so Perigee arranges for them to visit their dad’s childhood home and reunite with his estranged mother. The Eklunds Puzzle House sounds like a magical, mysterious place full of adventure and thrill, but the bed and breakfast had never opened. But after Pedigree’s grandpa disappeared, the house isn’t the fun and wonderful solutions to the family’s problems that Perigree had originally thought.
I admit that when I saw that the house was a POV character, my brain immediately went, “No. Absolutely not.” But I kept reading and… liked it. It occasionally gave me Disney Channel “Smart House” vibes, but having the house as a character worked to increase the tension and mystery. The house’s perspective also helped keep the plot on track when otherwise the narrative might have been bogged down or distracted with puzzle solving.
Puzzleheart doesn’t shy away from difficult emotions. Perigee’s dad is depressed, their grandmother is grieving and Perigree has a panic attack at one point. His friend Lily deals with fear of her mom not coming home from helping in emergencies. Perigee is trying to keep their dad from falling apart, Lily is wanting to make friends but doesn’t trust people after being mistreated, and the house feels both abandoned and willing to be aggressive to get what it wants.
The book has clear lessons, but they didn’t come across as preachy. Perigree, in trying to solve their dad’s depression, needs to learn that they can’t be responsible for someone else’s happiness. Puzzleheart does a good job showing how that is too much pressure for a child and how much of a weight it can be while acknowledging the adult in the situation didn’t realize it was happening.
Overall, this was a fun puzzle adventure with complicated but sweet relationship dynamics.
I admit that when I saw that the house was a POV character, my brain immediately went, “No. Absolutely not.” But I kept reading and… liked it. It occasionally gave me Disney Channel “Smart House” vibes, but having the house as a character worked to increase the tension and mystery. The house’s perspective also helped keep the plot on track when otherwise the narrative might have been bogged down or distracted with puzzle solving.
Puzzleheart doesn’t shy away from difficult emotions. Perigee’s dad is depressed, their grandmother is grieving and Perigree has a panic attack at one point. His friend Lily deals with fear of her mom not coming home from helping in emergencies. Perigee is trying to keep their dad from falling apart, Lily is wanting to make friends but doesn’t trust people after being mistreated, and the house feels both abandoned and willing to be aggressive to get what it wants.
The book has clear lessons, but they didn’t come across as preachy. Perigree, in trying to solve their dad’s depression, needs to learn that they can’t be responsible for someone else’s happiness. Puzzleheart does a good job showing how that is too much pressure for a child and how much of a weight it can be while acknowledging the adult in the situation didn’t realize it was happening.
Overall, this was a fun puzzle adventure with complicated but sweet relationship dynamics.
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