Ali Cross by James Patterson

MG Mystery/Thriller, 2019 by Jimmy Patterson Books, 320 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

I didn’t particularly like the Alex Cross chapters. Typically there aren’t many chapters from a parent perspective when you’re reading a middle grade novel. I’m not sure if this was an attempt to introduce something that’s often not done or if it was the author falling back on a character they know really well, but I’m not sure it worked for the intended audience.
Sometimes the attempt at sounding like a young boy was heavy handed. Sometimes the repetition of ideas was too (although this is common for middle grade books).

What I Did Like:

The overall vibe of the book is great. Really, it’s similar to something like Nancy Drew but reimagined. This young boy is going to launch an investigation into something in his neighborhood. Great concept, well executed.
The mystery is satisfying. There’s enough plausibility to make it believable and the way it’s solved is (mostly) realistic.
The use of technology is well done. It’s accurate to say a kid the age of this main character would be familiar with a lot of tech and that’s used well here. I liked seeing it in action.

Middle grade readers who like a little mystery and good characters.
Teachers of upper elementary, this would be a good one to have in your classroom!