The London Eye Mystery
by Siobhan Dowd
by Siobhan Dowd
THE LONDON EYE MYSTERY by Siobhan Dowd
Category: Mystery/Thriller
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 2/12/08
Publisher: David Fickling
Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
Rating: 5 Stars
Good young adult and middle grade mysteries are sometimes hard to come by. THE LONDON EYE MYSTERY by
Siobhan Dowd is one you won’t want to miss.
It all starts when Ted's cousin, Salim, comes to visit. Salim and his mother are about to move to New York City and
have planned a family visit in London before their departure. Of course, what is a visit to London without a ride on the
London Eye? That's when the trouble begins.
Ted and his older sister, Kat, haven't seen much of their cousin in the past. The visit starts out on a wrong note because
of the unusual sleeping arrangements required by their tiny house. Kat is unhappy about bunking on the couch, and Ted is
unhappy with the disruption of his whole routine. As Ted explains, he suffers from a "syndrome," which he defines by
stating that his brain runs on "a different operating system" than everyone else. His judgment of other people's emotional
responses is a bit off, and his views of the world around him tend to be quite literal. (I'm guessing that he suffers from
some form of autism.)
Salim turns out to be quite a pleasant visitor. His only request is to take a ride on the London Eye, a massive ferris wheel
attraction in the center of London. When the cousins and their mothers arrive at the Eye, they find the ticket line and
actual ride line disappointingly long. Relief comes when a stranger offers one ticket, free of charge, to Salim. Ted and
Kat eagerly accept the ticket and pocket the original ticket money from their mother as they rush Salim to the waiting ride.
The mystery begins when Salim doesn't disembark from the London Eye at the conclusion of his ride. Ted and Kat have
as many as nine different theories. Was he kidnapped? Did he actually go on the ride at all? How could he have vanished
so completely?
Quirky characters, London scenery, and a who-dun-it style combine to make this a sure hit. The late Siobhan Dowd,
author of A SWIFT PURE CRY, outdid herself once again.
Category: Mystery/Thriller
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 2/12/08
Publisher: David Fickling
Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
Rating: 5 Stars
Good young adult and middle grade mysteries are sometimes hard to come by. THE LONDON EYE MYSTERY by
Siobhan Dowd is one you won’t want to miss.
It all starts when Ted's cousin, Salim, comes to visit. Salim and his mother are about to move to New York City and
have planned a family visit in London before their departure. Of course, what is a visit to London without a ride on the
London Eye? That's when the trouble begins.
Ted and his older sister, Kat, haven't seen much of their cousin in the past. The visit starts out on a wrong note because
of the unusual sleeping arrangements required by their tiny house. Kat is unhappy about bunking on the couch, and Ted is
unhappy with the disruption of his whole routine. As Ted explains, he suffers from a "syndrome," which he defines by
stating that his brain runs on "a different operating system" than everyone else. His judgment of other people's emotional
responses is a bit off, and his views of the world around him tend to be quite literal. (I'm guessing that he suffers from
some form of autism.)
Salim turns out to be quite a pleasant visitor. His only request is to take a ride on the London Eye, a massive ferris wheel
attraction in the center of London. When the cousins and their mothers arrive at the Eye, they find the ticket line and
actual ride line disappointingly long. Relief comes when a stranger offers one ticket, free of charge, to Salim. Ted and
Kat eagerly accept the ticket and pocket the original ticket money from their mother as they rush Salim to the waiting ride.
The mystery begins when Salim doesn't disembark from the London Eye at the conclusion of his ride. Ted and Kat have
as many as nine different theories. Was he kidnapped? Did he actually go on the ride at all? How could he have vanished
so completely?
Quirky characters, London scenery, and a who-dun-it style combine to make this a sure hit. The late Siobhan Dowd,
author of A SWIFT PURE CRY, outdid herself once again.