The Jigsaw Jungle

by Kristin Levine

A mysterious treasure hunt helps to heal a broken family in critically acclaimed author Kristin Levine’s first contemporary tale—perfect for fans of Wendy Mass and Jennifer L. Holm
 
Claudia Dalton’s father has disappeared. What began as a late night at work has spiraled into a missing persons case—one that’s left twelve-year-old Claudia questioning everything she’s ever known about her father and their family.

But when she finally gets word from her dad, it turns out he isn’t missing at all. He’s just gone to “think things over” and visit an old friend, whatever that means. Feeling confused and helpless, Claudia starts to assemble a scrapbook, gathering emails, receipts, phone transcripts and more, all in a desperate attempt to figure out what’s happening with her dad. Claudia’s investigation deepens at her grandfather’s house, where she receives an envelope containing a puzzle piece and a cryptic message.

It’s this curious first clue that sets Claudia on an unexpected treasure hunt that she hopes will bring her dad home and heal whatever’s gone wrong with her family. Told through the pages of Claudia’s scrapbook, The Jigsaw Jungle is a moving story of a family lost and then found, with a dash of mystery and loads of heart, from award-winning author and middle-grade master Kristin Levine.

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, LGBT, Young Adult, Family, Childrens

400 pages, Paperback

First published June 19, 2018

Reviews

[Jaina Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review and many like it are available at Read Till Dawn .

I thought this was going to be one of those puzzle adventure books, like The Gollywhopper Games or Mr. Lemoncello's Library. I thought Claudia's father had left behind a whimsical puzzle for her to find him. I wasn't thrilled with the idea that he had completely abandoned his family just to go "think things over," but I thought the focus would be enough on the puzzles that I wouldn't have to think too hard about the iffyness of the premise.

Instead, the book is basically Claudia and her paternal grandfather's journey of discovery through old footage of her father's childhood, piecing together the reason that he felt he had to leave.

I won't talk about the details of that reason, because it's a huge spoiler for the book. And I won't discuss all the reasons I think her father's actions are despicable, because that would just be too negative (plus, as I said, a major spoiler). But I will say that I believe that once you have committed yourself to your family, you can't just walk away. I don't care what your reasons are, no amount of inner turmoil makes it morally okay for you to just disappear from your loving wife and daughter's life. Claudia and her mother literally called the police when he didn't come home, because they didn't know what had happened to him. He didn't leave a note or anything. And then he starts sending them these really cryptic clues, forcing Claudia to comb through these old home videos and go to museums he went to as a kid, stringing both his father and his daughter along day after day. I can't believe I even need to state the obvious, but this is not okay!

I also can't believe how well everyone treats him once they finally do find out the reason he's gone and hunt him down. In Claudia's shoes, I would be beyond shattered. And Claudia is upset, but not nearly as upset as I'm sure she would have been in real life.

And, look, I'm not going to talk about the spoilers, but I do want to warn potential readers (and especially parents) that there is some content in the book that a significant proportion of people do not feel is appropriate for a children's book. I honestly think it's very dishonest of the publisher not to have warned the reader/parents in some way that this material would be there. I won't go into it more here, but if parents want to know more specifics they can ask me in the comments.

Moving away from the negative, I will say that I really liked both of Claudia's friends. They felt very realistic and the parts of the story with them were definitely my favorite parts. And the actual format of the book is really cool: it's the actual records Claudia kept, so they're video transcripts and phone records and text messages, etc. interspersed with some short narration to tie everything together. It's really clever and well-done, and I would love to see more books done in creative ways like this.

But honestly, I'm just sad that The Jigsaw Jungle was so much more troubling than I thought it would be. I really was looking for just a simple puzzle adventure book when I requested it! As it is, though, I'm ready to set my copy down and move on.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well-written and fun to read. However, the overall premise annoyed me. I get that adults can make mistakes and need to process big life choices, however, to just leave your wife and daughter (Claudia) and then make your daughter go on a treasure hunt to figure out why you left is immature. I couldn't get past it, even if Claudia could. I would have given this 4 stars but i just couldn't. It reeked too much of running away from your problems. It seemed like the only way he would come back and face his family was if Claudia solved the clues, which I felt put undue pressure on her.

[Laura Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to @PenguinKids for the free book. All opinions are my own.
~*~*~*~*~*
5/5 and ⭐️ALL THE STARS⭐️ for Jigsaw Jungle by @Kristin_Levine_author, which comes out June 19. Preorder your copy now!
~*~*~*~*~*
Claudia's father has disappeared without a trace. When clues start appearing in the form of puzzle pieces, Claudia assembles a scrapbook to document the treasure hunt she hopes will uncover her father. With the help of her grandfather and a new friend, Claudia must investigate her father's past, present and future to discover his secrets. Claudia thought she had a happy family, but now she's beginning to doubt everything he thought she knew.
~*~*~*~*~*
I'll admit it. I'm a BIG fan of all of Kristin Levine's books (especially Lions of Little Rock!) so I was pretty happy to pick up her newest book, which is NOT historical fiction. Nope! This book is a solid mystery comprised of phone, text and video transcripts, emails, postcards and other documents. You might think that's a stilted way to tell a story, but under Levine's masterful writing it flows beautifully. I couldn't put it down and I absolutely loved all the twists, especially the ultimate twist at the end.The mystery is cleverly created and very complex. I predict this will be a huge hit with students and the kind of book we gush about together in the library when they return their copy.
~*~*~*~*~*
This belongs in ALL elementary and middle school libraries. Put it on your pre-order list now and be sure to order more than one copy; it's going to fly off the shelves!
~*~*~*~*~*
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[Suzanne Dix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really unique story, told as if you were reading a scrapbook which includes letters, movie tickets and receipts from a stop at a cafe. Each page is either a transcript of a conversation, an email exchange or a journal entry. Based on this technique, the book is easy to fly through despite being 350 pages.

The novel is plagued by a horrible cover and a terrible title. This is such a great mystery but it will take a lot of my convincing to get my middle school readers to dive in.

While not as powerful as The Lions of Little Rock, this is definitely a great story about how difficult it is to question your sexuality as a teen. I love how the story helps build an open-mindedness in its reader.

Grades 6 and up.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 1 out of 5]

When Claudia's dad doesn't come home one night, Claudia is left trying to figure out the why and where. The story plays out through emails, text messages, and video/audio transcripts, which is a writing style I'm seeing more of these days. Claudia communicates with friends, her mom and her grandfather and uses those communications to tell the story.

The bizarre thing, and the reason I'm giving the book one star, is that her father sends her clues through jigsaw pieces, which she must put together in order to figure out what is going on with him. I find this to be totally unrealistic. No father would do this. This reminded me of a similar book by Kate Messner, The Exact Location of Home, which I did not like for the same reason. In this case, the reason her dad left is because he is gay. He sends his daughter on a scavenger hunt to find a time capsule he buried in his yard when he was a kid. In the capsule is an apology letter he wrote to a boy he compulsively kissed while at the movies. Any dad who would break this kind of news to his daughter in such a ridiculous way is weak. I'm tired of books with weak adults.

[Giselle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good, recommend to everyone

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredible structure and art design, awful premise/conclusion. I can't say enough good things about either the "binder of documents" style or the treasure-hunt aspect of putting the clues and puzzles together (Claudia and Papa are such a sweet team! Luis, eh. Go away ya dumb boy), but I also cannot stress enough what a cowardly bag of garbage this man is or how little forgiveness or understanding he deserves.

I will grudgingly admit that it's very well written and if you have a child in this situation (parent coming out as gay, leading to the breakup of a seemingly happy marriage), I think they'd find it comforting because it was designed to do just that, but if you don't have to subject yourself to it then I suggest you wait for copycat authors to reproduce this style with a better story.

Because seriously -- worst. Treasure. EVER.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

#TheJigsawJungle
I don't want to give away too much of the overall plot because it would take away from the mystery of what Claudia and the reader go through. The Jigsaw Jungle is a tender hearted story about family and the how we view our family through rose colored glasses. I loved this novel for middle grade readers because it gives them a glimpse about the trials of being a family and how we navigate those changes.

[Leonard Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. It's early September 2018, and SLJ's Heavy Medal discussion will start soon, and people are going to talk about Varian Johnson's The Parker Inheritance. It is my opinion that a book can't really be a Newbery contender if there is another really comparable book out there. (Because if there is, then almost by definition the book isn't "individually distinct.") So when someone starts stumping for The Parker Inheritance, I'm going to have to pull this one out as the comparable book. But actually there is no comparison. The Parker Inheritance was fine. This is better. (NB. I haven't read Kate Messner's Breakout yet, and am curious to see how that will compare to this.)

[Madison Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an amazing mystery, and kinda kept me on the edge of my seat. The book is set up in messages/emails/video messages/audio messages/etc. Unlike anything I've read before.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Claudia Dalton is good with jigsaw puzzles. She's been doing them with her dad since she was a kid. She understands the pleasure of clicking the pieces right into place, the way the tabs and the pockets fit together perfectly and the frustration of thinking you've found the perfect piece only to have it not fit. 

Now she's starting to worry that her family no longer fits together. Her father disappears, and Claudia and her mother are getting very anxious about him. They can't find him, and he's not answering his phone or his texts or emails. Claudia keeps trying to reach out to him, in case he can hear her, and she finally gets a response. He says he needs some time, that he needs to think some things over.

Claudia is hurt and confused, but the bigger problem is that her mother is about to leave for a week-long work conference in Geneva, Switzerland. She can't stay with her dad, who is still "away." She can't stay with her best friend Kate because Kate's mother is just days away from giving birth. And she doesn't want to go with her mom and be stuck in a hotel room all week. The only other choice is her grandfather, her dad's father. But ever since Claudia's grandmother had died a year before, he's seemed even less interested in spending time with her. But Claudia had no choice. She went to stay with her grandfather for a week. staying in her dad's old room, sleeping in his Peanuts sheets under his Star Wars posters. And she has a shelf full of his old jigsaw puzzles to keep her company. 

And then she hears from her father. He sends her a puzzle piece, and it's up to her to figure out which puzzle it goes to and then follow the bread crumbs that her father left her, so that she can find out why he left and try to put her family back together again. 

As she winds her way through puzzles and museums, getting closer to her grandfather and making friends with a kid from the neighborhood, an aspiring documentarian, Claudia learns how to think beyond the lines of the puzzle. The puzzles she solves and the connections she makes bring her to a place where she can understand that even though life's puzzles may not end up like the picture you want to see on the box, it can still make a for beautiful portrait. 

Kristin Levine's The Jigsaw Jungle is an engrossing tale of a treasure hunt where Claudia gets to find a true family at the end. The clever hints in her father's game, the places that Claudia and her grandfather get to go, the relationships that build throughout this story make for a fascinating read filled with charm and intelligence. Although there is sadness in Claudia's story, there is triumph too, and the journey is exactly the one that I would have wanted to go on as a twelve-year-old reader. In fact, even though I haven't seen middle school for decades, I still couldn't put this book down. It's phenomenal and a great read for puzzle solvers of all ages. 



Galleys for The Jigsaw Jungle were provided by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers through Edelweiss, with many thanks. 

[Raina Singh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear. I was about to give this 1 star, but I acknowledge that there's creativity in the books format, so I've bumped it up to 2.

I may have enjoyed this a bit more if I hadn't recently checked out Dear Sweet Pea, which also discusses the journey a family goes through when one of the parents comes out as gay.. I feel like the same scenario was handled with respect, with a deft hand at keeping the writing at middle school level.

In the case of The Jigsaw Jungle, I love the concept of an unravelling mystery being 'pieced' together (pun not intended initially but I like it) with clues sent out by the individual at the centre of said mystery. It just didn't sit right with me that the plot, a very important plot was shaped around this mystery. I feel like this was two books crammed into one, and for me, it didn't work. Like cramming an apple pie inside a burger and trying to eat both in the same mouthful - not for me. The unfortunate result is that the adult characters in the book come across , which I'm certain isn't the authors intention. I listened along thinking "oh come on JUST TELL YOUR CHILD, STOP THIS WILD GOOSE CHASE".

I still appreciate the concept, and I'm certain there'll be other books that may follow a similar format with a storyline that fits better.

[Jordan Henrichs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comparisons to The Parker Inheritance are very appropriate. I found The Jigsaw Jungle to be more engaging than that title because of the puzzle/mystery. This was easier to follow because the mystery was more straight forward. The cast of characters isn't quite as large and the reader doesn't really have anything to solve ahead of the main character Claudia. At least her revelations make sense in the context of the story unfolding though, an issue I had with The Parker Inheritance.

While this novel was really attempting to feel like a scrapbook, it felt more like a novel to me. The video transcripts feel a bit contrived because I can't imagine anyone sitting down and transcribing this many videos for a scrapbook. Wouldn't you just include the actual videos? The receipts and emails and text messages sometimes made for a gimmicky reading experience, but all of it did tell the story nicely.

Lastly, the plot of this felt extremely far-fetched to me but reading the backstory reveals that this story is heavily inspired by the author's own experiences. So... it may not be as far-fetched as I assumed. She would probably know better than me. Either way, I still had a hard time believing that a real human being would send their daughter on an elaborate wild goose chase like this. It's explained well enough in the end, and even acknowledged in the end, but something about it just didn't sit well with me.

[EFamilyE · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book. After reading the first 1/3, I was furious at the dad for literally disappearing without a trace and then sending his pre-pubescent daughter clues to find him. That's sick! She and her mother were absolutely devastated and sick with worry by his disappearance and he leaves them hanging for a week in total panic before starting to send the daughter these lame clues?! He is one of the most despicable book characters I've ever read.

The other issue I have with the book is the main theme after the "secret" is revealed. I think that parents should be given a heads up that this is what the book is about before their child reads the book. Many children are not mature enough to read about the intricacies of human sexuality explored in this book and there should be an indication of the topic in the book jacket.

[Amber Kuehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Penguin Kids for the free book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was fantastic! It definitely went where I didn’t think it would go and even though I saw the twist coming, I don’t think kids will. This will give kids 5th grade and up something really interesting to discuss. I would love to hear those discussions because I think they would be fascinating... don’t let this one pass you by. Out June 19th.

[JoEllen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to review this book without giving too much away. How about a page-turning mystery involving a young girl’s dad. They are a family of puzzles. Interesting hybrid text composed of clues she collects and compiles in her scrapbook. A tough topic book that will touch your heart and leave you thinking about Claudia and her family.



Mini spoiler alert: great for conversations around divorce, identity, acceptance and love.

[Myrtle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a really exciting book with tons of plot twists but I sure hate the dad. He totally used the mom just to prove something to himself and didn't even bother telling anybody he was gay. And then he just runs away and starts a fun little treasure hunt to tell them he is. That is not ok. I couldn't believe how easily everybody excepted everything and the ending was rushed. The dad just casually announced that they were getting divorced and the kid was like ok. I would be so ticked

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I started reading this book at about 10:30 pm thinking I’d read a little bit and then get sleepy. It’s now 1:00 am. I read it straight through to the end. I’d been avoiding this book, I think, knowing a little bit about it and thinking it might be too personal for me. Too close to home. Yes. It was beautiful. I knew how it would end when I read the first newspaper headlines. I loved the format—text messages, emails, video clip descriptions. (Not really a stretch to read in one sitting, even though it’s 357 pages.) And I especially loved the Author’s Note at the end. Her personal experience suffused the novel in all the most sensitive and significant ways. An important message about how much we’ve changed since the 1980s and how far we still have to go.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. The characters are flawed in nature. But that’s the point isn’t it. Families have problems and issues and aren’t always good at communicating and being with each other. The value this book has is immense though because someone will relate to the story of a parent coming out and how it can throw your whole world sideways. It’s a story of hope and acceptance and overall love. It’s a book that proudly shares that families can be defined in all sorts of ways and that that’s OKAY!

[_bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked the characters.
Loved representation.
Hated the cowardly ness of her father.

[Kristin Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a range of feelings for me with this book. I was intrigued by the format, troubled by the premise, angry that dad made his daughter do his dirty work, and saddened by the reality of it all.

[Sallyavena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting a book similar to Mr Lemoncello's. Library or Book Scavenger but instead got this 'story' told in 'scrapbook' form (think transcripts of texts and home movies, receipts, copies of emails, google map directions and other random things). The puzzle comes in the form of clues sent or set up by 12 year old Claudia's dad who has gone AWOL, without a word, all to lead up to letting her know that he is coming out as gay. The format of the book was especially frustrating and the fact that the dad just leaves instead of facing them just rubs me the wrong way and then in then end while it's not tied together with a pretty bow it does seem to be neatly wrapped up instead of dealing with the anger that Claudia and her mom initially felt.
The reason it got 2 stars instead of 1 is because I actually did like the development of Claudia's relationship with her grandfather, best friend and new friend. But really overall it was a frustrating read.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely loved "Lions of Little Rock." I plan to use it as a teaching tool next year. Knowing Levine's narrative skill, I raised my expectations for this book.
The books did not even come close to meeting those expectations.
Even before any of the "mystery" started falling into place, the format threw me off. It made it difficult to engage in the narrative from the first page.
Then as the narrative unfolded I felt like sighing with every reveal. Levine tried too hard with this narrative. It felt like she forced different puzzle pieces into play to use an illustration relevant to the book. Then when I read the note and saw Levine's personal connection to the story, the effort seemed even more glaringly "extra." I wish I could recommend this book. It's just not good writing.

[Heidi · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I admire the author for writing a story based on what she experienced, I agree with several of the reviewers who wrote what a terrible way for the father to come out to his family. Disappearing and then leaving puzzle pieces that he clearly had organized several months if not years before? The length of time it took to work through the puzzles was agonizing and then when she finally pieced it together, Claudia had to ambush her father fearing he might never show up. I did enjoy the friendships of Luis and Claudia's best friend, but these relationships were the only bright moments in this far too long book. I expected better from the author of The Lions of Little Rock.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the format of this book- text messages, phone conversations, video transcripts, and some anecdotal remarks to fill out the story. When Claudia's dad disappears she wonders if it is because she didn't go with him to his dad's to watch old movies of the family. But then her dad starts to send her clues. As she pieces together the puzzle, she friends a visiting boy next door, Luis. Through their emerging friendship and her dad's clues, they discover why her dad left. The author's note, if readers read it first (as I often do) will clue them into the reason dad left.

[Ellie Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the "scrapbook approach to this book, so that you had to use the clues as well, making it stand out from other books I've read. To be clear, this a 4 1/2 star book. The only reason it's not 5 is because I personally don't like LGBTQ books. I read the authors note, and I'm so sorry that it happened to her, and I know it's a real thing, but I just don't like to have to experience more of it then I have to in my own life. It's a really good book, and I suggest it for anybody comfortable with that.

[Ellen Zarate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Instead of coming out to his family, a dad "disappears," letting his family think him dead for a week before having his daughter work through clues that let her figure out what's going on and let her mom (who goes, appropriately, from fear to fury) know, too. The mystery itself is a cool concept and well written, but that behavior? Seriously. It stings more when you read that this story is somewhat autobiographical. I think it might have made a better memoir than mystery.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would not recommend reading this book aloud like I did, unless you want to hold back an ugly cry for the last 50 pages or so. (It also isn't the best read-aloud format, but whatever, we both still loved it). The puzzle aspect of the book was extra fun for us because we just visited Washington DC a couple of months ago. However, this book goes far beyond the puzzles and gave some great lessons and discussion topics.

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is perhaps my favorite book I have read this year. Claudia cannot believe her beloved father abandoned her family out of the blue. Her mother is about to jet off to a conference and Claudia is sent to her paternal grandfather's house until her mom returns. There she will find that her dad had left a series of clues that she hopes will explain his disappearing act.

[Ofelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first reading this book I thought It was going to actually be a puzzle or some sort of choose your path kind of book. But it’s not like that, even so I really enjoyed the plot and theme although I do think it’s unnecessary to leave you’re daughter just because your afraid of coming out. Other than that I highly recommend this book!