In When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead showed
she was a master at weaving together a tapestry
of mystery.
In her new book, Liar & Spy, she treats us
to more of the same, with a new cast of quirky,
memorable characters.
Middle schooler Georges has a new home: not
even in a new city, just in a new building.
But the transition is rougher than you might
think.
That’s because bubbling beneath the surface
of this small tragedy—his family is forced
to move after his father loses his job—are
several other tragedies.
There’s something going on with Georges’
former friends at school.
And all is not right with his parents, either.
Georges, however, has other mysteries on his
mind—especially a mystery brought to his
attention by his new neighbor, Safer.
The enigmatic Mr. X may be up to no good.
And Safer wants Georges’ help in sniffing
out the crime.
I didn’t like Liar & Spy as much as I liked
When You Reach Me—mainly because I had a
hard time buying into the ultra-quirkiness
of Safer’s family.
What I did like about this book, however,
was the characteristic sweetness of the relationships,
especially Georges’ relationship with his
dad.
I’ll leave you to unravel the mysteries
that Rebecca Stead has woven with such care.
You’ll find their solutions to be equal
parts surprising and certain—and completely
satisfying.
