A Study in Secrets

Starred review from December 2, 2024
Ever since her mother’s death, Japanese American seventh grader Megumi Mizuno has felt like school is a waste of time. Following her latest expulsion, Meg is enrolled at strict, exclusive Leland Chase Academy, also known as Last Chance Academy among its small student body of misfits and troublemakers. Meg quickly befriends her white-cued roommate Tana and vows to keep a low profile until she can go home again—easier said than done in a place where “secrets are key” and the staff is ever watching. When students receive mysterious letters inviting them to participate in an illicit treasure hunt, Meg, who associates treasure hunts with memories of her mom, is wary but interested, especially as the reward is an all-expenses-paid winter break vacation. Despite being unable to fully trust anyone, Meg is forced to work with her classmates. And as the hunt progresses and competitors are eliminated, new friends in pursuit of their own goals are liable to become sworn enemies. In this twisty tale of secrets and riddles, Florence (Jasmine Toguchi, Great Gardener) explores issues of grief, guilt, friendship, and betrayal. Memorably rendered characters and an appropriately mysterious setting boasting hidden passages and lost history make for a brisk, clever series opener. Ages 8–12. Agent: Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary.

January 1, 2025
A grieving girl reluctantly embraces new challenges. Meg isn't happy to enter a tiny boarding school as a new seventh-year student. People jokingly refer to Leland Chase Academy, several hours from her Connecticut home in upstate New York, as "Last Chance Academy," a place for kids with complicated pasts. Ever since her mother's sudden death when she was in fifth grade, Japanese American Meg Mizuno has struggled in school. Her father travels frequently for work, so he gives Meg an ultimatum: Succeed at Leland Chase or she'll be home-schooled by an aunt she can't stand. Meg and her roommate, Tana Rabin, who's Jewish, each receive a mysterious invitation to participate in a secretive treasure hunt; the winner will get to go with a chaperone of their choice on a fancy vacation to Newport Beach, California. Meg sees this prize as a chance to bond with her dad and convince him to bring her back home, a motivation that draws her into the treasure hunt. The puzzle-filled plot never drags, and the ending will surprise readers, although it lacks a satisfying wrap-up--this series opener is clearly setting up for the sequel. Meg struggles with trusting friends and being honest with her dad, two realistic and relatable themes for middle schoolers that Florence weaves believably into the story. Interesting characters explore a compelling mystery.(Mystery. 9-12)

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February 1, 2025
Grades 4-7 Grief-ridden Meg's new life at Leland Chase Academy (aka "Last Chance Academy") hits an unexpected mole hill when a silver envelope slipped under her door leads her and her fellow seventh-year students on a treasure hunt that promises adventure and a nice prize. Following the death of her mother, Meg has collapsed in on herself while her father has become obsessed with work, so a new boarding school seems like the obvious place for her to go. There, Meg's love for treasure hunts is reignited through puzzles, ciphers, lockpicking, and secret rooms that show her that she does have room in her heart for friendship. While the stakes get drastically lower and lower as the story progresses, the setting and characters drive this place-based mystery that ends on a cliff-hanger for book two. For readers who aren't quite ready for stressful, life-on-the-line mysteries, this quieter puzzlebased story will offer the right mix of school story and coming-of-age. Recommend to fans of Ciera Burch and Chris Grabenstein.

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