MG Book Review: Finally, Something Mysterious by Doug Cornett

A light and charming mystery in the Carl Hiaasen/Kate DiCamillo style.

Thanks to KidLitExchange and Random House Kids for the advance reading copy. This book will be published April 14, 2020.
A trio of smalltown middle school detectives takes on a local mystery and through tenacity and imagination (spoiler alert), solves the mystery! Like a more wholesome and much less dark "Stranger Things," "Finally, Something Mysterious" is a fun read populated by kooky and eccentric characters in a quirky but lovable small town. The writing is fresh and effervescent, with original turns of phrase that I loved, such as something gross being evaluated "on a scale of one to barf," and a fish's size being described as "bigger than a goldfish, but not big enough to take your picture with." The book lightly touches on heavy subjects (wildfires, premature birth, broken hearts), but does not get bogged down. Grown-ups are kind and supportive, rather than sinister. A stress-free mystery if ever there was one.
"Finally, Something Mysterious" is a fun, wholesome and imaginative mystery for younger middle graders. I recommend it.

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