Review by maggiechap -- Serendipity Mystery by R.F. Kristi

[maggiechap]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Serendipity Mystery" by R.F. Kristi.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Curiosity killed the cat isn’t just a pun in this middle-grade fiction (don’t worry, no kitties were harmed in the making of this book). A extremely curious Siberian kitty named Inca used her keen detective skills to investigate crime across London in The Serendipity Mystery by R.F. Kristi.

There was so much that I loved about this super-short read. Not only is there a broad range of diverse animal-characters from Inca the kitty, to Terrance the dog, the Rani, the sea turtle and Meena the Elephant. There’s even a scene with a python and a leopard. Not only does it have a broad variety of critters and humans, but the locations traverse across Europe as well. Inca is a French kitty that lives in London with her mom, but during this book, they are on vacation on a tiny island called Sri Lanka, south of India. They travel through various locations throughout the series.

The authors' imagination is incredible as the story is pieced together in a tale that even had me, a grown adult, bobbing along with it. There was no grammar mistakes and no confusion in the plot at all. Simply put, the story is flawless. Unlike many kids books, the story is split up by time. It actually works extremely well for the story and doesn’t distract. Alternatively, it works to keep the plot straight and helps the narrative flow with a little old school, noir flair.

The illustrations are pure perfection for the story. Images were laid out graciously and in story format and met the plot very well. I don’t read or review much middle-grade fiction, but I thought this was done better than most adult novels. Even in a book for kids, it’s incredibly well done and I would like to see some adult versions of Inca, to be honest! It’s easy to see the heart and soul Kristi puts into these characters and how much she loves Inca.

I would definitely recommend this for parents as bedtime stories to kids first grade and up. Advanced kids might be able to read on their own. It would be a great teaching tool for students. Children who have a sensitive imagination might be scared of a scene with a python and a leopard, but otherwise, there isn’t much to fear nor too much violence. It’s a great way to teach kids about animals. Because of that, I’d have to rate it a 4 out of 4 stars.

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Serendipity Mystery
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Like maggiechap's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Sarah G]

I absolutely love it when you can find a kids book that packs a punch with the story. Great review. Will be adding that to the Christmas list for the family

[HollandBlue]

I agree with your review completely, especially about the adorable illustrations and the variety of characters.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

Wow! I’ve rarely seen a book receive so many praises!
I admit I love cats and I find the idea of the cat detective both adorable and entertaining. Besides, it’s great that the book helps kids become familiar with different places in the world and different cultures. This could open many discussions with parents or caregivers and the desire to learn more about these places.
I really like that your review covers all aspects of the book and it’s compelling without giving away too much.
Thanks!

[LV2R]

I enjoyed this children's story of Inca the detective cat too. The author used several animals and humans to work together to find the missing art pieces. It is easy to follow the order of things happening as Inca writes in her diary with dates. I liked that they were in Sri Lanka for vacation and solved a crime.

[Connie Otwani]

Your review is concise and well written. I love the author's approach of teaching children to value animals, by having animals solve crimes. Great review!

[melissy370]

I loved this book as well. It would be interesting if there was an adult version. Thanks for your review.

[trajoe1206]

Thanks for the great review. This is a great book for children. Not only do they learn about different animals, they also get to learn some geography.

[Espie]

Thank you for your insightful review. You've made the book seem to be an interesting, lesson-filled, and flawless read fit for carers and their young ones.

[stacie k]

I can imagine how a scene with a python and a leopard might be scary, so thanks for the warning! I have known children to be extremely sensitive to such things both on the screen and in books. Overall, though, this book seems to be fun and entertaining for the middle school readers. Thanks for the informative review!

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

Nice review! I have also read and reviewed this book and could not agree with you more that this is a perfect book for children. The adventures of Inca and her group were very enjoyable, at the same time children can learn from them as well!

[Sahani Nimandra]

Oh yes, Inca, our No.1 Celebrity Snoopy Cat in the world, Bravo Inca! I really like Inca and her adventures. The author does a great job in providing a good visualization to the kids. She introduces different cultures, specially focused on my country, as well as the illustrations are colorful. Thank you for you review!

P.s. My country is not that tiny!

[fernsmom]

Great review!
How original that "Inca used her keen detective skills to investigate crime" (with Inca being a cat that is).
Sounds like a good book. Too bad my daughter is past that age now as she's a freshman in college. Otherwise, I would read it to her.