Raising Arcadia

Raising Arcadia #1

by Simon Chesterman

Arcadia Greentree knows she isn’t exactly normal. But then she discovers she isn’t Arcadia Greentree either.

Arcadia sees the world like no one else. Exceptionally observant, the sixteen-year-old is aware of her surroundings in a way that sometimes gets her into trouble — and out of it again. But when she seeks to unravel a mystery at school, a tragedy at home forces her to use her skills to catch a killer.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2016

About the author

Simon Chesterman is David Marshall Professor and Vice Provost (Educational Innovation) at the National University of Singapore, where he is also the founding Dean of NUS College. Educated in Melbourne, Beijing, and Oxford, he has lived and worked in Singapore since 2006. Simon is the author or editor of more than twenty books, including the young adult Raising Arcadia trilogy and the standalone I, Huckleberry. The novel Artifice is his first work of general fiction.

Reviews

[Hila · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intricately thought-out book with clever plot twists and unusual character relationships. It was perfectly strange. One thing I would say would be that it was slightly far-fetched, realistic fiction that wasn't very realistic.

[Ghostly Writer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually quite enjoyed this! Mystery-type novels aren't really my forte, but this has captured my attention. I look forward to reading the next one in the series!

Actual rating: 3.5 stars.

[Alyssa Woo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raising Arcadia reminds me greatly of reading the Sherlock Holmes series, especially the younger Sherlock Holmes published after the death of Arthur Conan Doyle.
I would actually disagree that she's 'Harry Potter without a wand; Katniss Everdeen without a quiver'. I would say that Arcadia is more than that. Arcadia is a remarkably observant child and she's very intelligent. However, unlike most current female protagonists in Young Adult literature, she's not violent. She will fight to defend herself, but her only act of violence is limited to punching the nose of the bully. Instead, she relies on her remarkable intellect to solve crimes when they, quite literally, come knocking at her door. But she's far from perfect, and her flaws make her better. She's a loner and described as antisocial, but she does have her somewhat friend, Henry. And she does grow as the book progresses and she does trust adults.
I think that Mr. Chesterman has done a spectacular job at crafting a compelling narrative. He succeeds in balancing the fine line between using common tropes successfully and being cliché. I particularly commend his development of Arcadia and her world in Priory School!

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read. Fast paced and unique. First book in a trilogy. Looking forward to the remaining two books. Arcadia Greentree is the next big thing in sleuthing. Mystery fans will love this book and the clues/puzzles are fresh and intelligent.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever, fun, quick-witted and lively. I grew very attached to Arcadia and her peculiarities. Surprising twists and sudden sober turns make this an unusual young adult read.

[Louie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Raising Arcadia is such a strong and powerful mystery that has you intrigued from the very first page. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[Amanda Belle-Nojonen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Arcadia is my kind of character.

[Altynay Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that leaves you with more questions than answers. I picked up this book thinking it was a murder mystery, only to figure out that the murder took place within the last twenty pages, and is solved almost immediately. Arcadia is “not like other girls,” going to a predominantly male school, and having an interest in codes, tabaco, and death. Arcadia also appears to be savant coded, from the puzzle piece book cover design, to her intense fixation on tabaco, odd social skills, and her prowess to solve puzzles, however it is never outright stated she has savant syndrome. This book is written very analytically, and airs on the side of telling rather than showing. This makes a bit of sense, considering the author also writes political non fiction. The book is only a little over 200 pages, so it is incredibly fast paced, and yet feels very slow. We never get to become attached to her friend Henry, or her parents, which I feel is a bit of a detriment. There is also mild talk of Nazis and eugenics, which never is tied back into the plot, it just… exists.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a good book, really makes you think

[Rennai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost 4 stars from me. Arcadia is a "different" 16 year old, that is apparent right from the start. She attends an exclusive boarding school in England and has very strong ideas about what she should spend her time on and what is a complete waste of time for her (that includes several subjects and sections of the curriculum), much to the frustration of some of her teachers. She has a superior mind and notices the finest of details and can therefore make brilliant deductions (Sherlock Holmes-like). She is also something of a social misfit. Unfortunately for Arcadia, all that she thought she knew has to be questioned and her life takes a dramatic turn. Arcadia's misfortune is the reader's boon as that is where the mystery, and indeed at times suspense, come in. I really enjoyed Arcadia's "quirkiness" and the element of mystery that was well crafted by the author. I must say that some of the puzzles left me cold. This puzzle solving will appeal greatly to some readers but may bore and frustrate others. The puzzles along with the formal and often sophisticated language means that this book will not be right for many of our secondary school students. One must pick the mark when recommending this book. I'm sure there will be students who absolutely love it and the mystery that is set up will ensure they will want to read the series.

[Hwee Goh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arcadia Greentree is an intelligent, sharply-observant teenager, who unusually — seems to be constantly tested with codes and puzzles at home and at school. Chesterman says he wrote this as a tribute to Sherlock Holmes. And I think teens will enjoy catching the clues and unraveling this mystery, down to the dancing men cipher.

Reading Chesterman is a bit of a geek fest, where he refers variously to Kant, asks social-moral-ethical questions as much as he touches on biology, anthropology and physics.

Bookish tweens and teens will enjoy this mystery or if you’re like me, working through Chesterman’s fiction titles : you’ll enjoy the good old storytelling 📚📚 Best #singlit discovery this year!

📚: @marshallcavendish

[Sadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this in exchange for a review.

I really enjoyed this! This is the story of a teen girl, possibly with Aspberger's or something similar, who finds herself in trouble, and must use her extreme intellect to find her way out. She is so likable, and I found that I really cared about her. It was a quick read, and easy enough for teens, but not too easy for adults.

I am looking forward to completing the series.

[Roger Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I narrated the audiobook for Storytel and I loved doing it, although representing some of the visual puzzles was a challenge. It's an an excellent piece of young adult fiction that will also appeal to adults. It's well written with a challenging vocabulary,. The heroine is a teenager with Sherlockian powers of deduction and social interaction issues from being so perceptive and honest. The trilogy is well paced and I didn't see the end coming.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an intriguing little book! It reminded me of Sherlock, only the main character is a teenage girl and the setting is a boarding school. Unfortunately, my library doesn’t own the rest of the trilogy, so I am off to scour the internet for some used copies.

[Lolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting enough, slightly affected but acceptable.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was fun to attempt to solve the clues alongside Arcadia, though I rarely could. I’m looking forward to reading the next books in the series.

[Jean Strude · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was amazing, at first I was like oh yes this is good and then (SPOILER) that plot twist-- holy I nearly fainted! Thank you dear author for a good read, I am going to hunt down the rest hopefully and maybe read more of your masterpieces!

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeps you on the edge of your seat as you try to solve the mystery with Arcadia. Some events were expected, but other than that, great book! Nonetheless, I'm unsure if I liked the story enough to continue on with this series.

[Lou Rocama · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first of these is pretty good. The second's okay. The third one gets weird.