The Westing Game

by Ellen Raskin

published

June 1984 (first published 1978) by Avon Books (P)

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binding

Paperback, 185 pages

literary awards

Newbery Medal

isbn

0380679914 (isbn13: 9780380679911)

description

For over twenty-five years, Ellen Raskin's Newbery Medal-winning The Westing Game has been an enduring favorite. It has sold over one and a hal...more

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Vanessa rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

09/10/08

Read in September, 2008

recommended to Vanessa by: my teacher
recommends it for: Anyone

September 10, 2008

The Mysterious Will

Have you ever thought about a billionaires will? Would he/she ever give their fortune? Will the Sunset Towers neighbors ever find out who killed the famous, rich billionaire or will they let the murderer go, and they will never find out who killed him? In the story The Westing Game you will read about 16 heirs trying to win over the fortune of Mr.Westing. Will they ever f...more September 10, 2008

The Mysterious Will

Have you ever thought about a billionaires will? Would he/she ever give their fortune? Will the Sunset Towers neighbors ever find out who killed the famous, rich billionaire or will they let the murderer go, and they will never find out who killed him? In the story The Westing Game you will read about 16 heirs trying to win over the fortune of Mr.Westing. Will they ever find out who killed him or will the murderer banish forever? Read on, and you will be part of this amazing mystery. Can you figure out who is the murderer?
Mysteriously the set of my book is the Sunset Towers. This place is mysterious because instead of facing the sun it faces the East. This building is really elegant. But in front of it there is the Westing House. This house belongs to this billionaire called Mr.Westing. Nobody knows about the Westimg House. All the neighbors of the Sunset Towers are curios about the Westing House. Suddenly and suspiciously smoke comes out of the Westing House, this is really weird to happen. Would this house have a mystery? Or is it a worst thing?
The characters of my book are The 16 heirs. Their names are Angela, Turtle, Mr.Hoo, Theo, Chris, Mrs.Wexler, Mr.Wexler, Dr.Deere, Madame Sun Lin Hoo, Flora Baumbach, Alexander McSouthers, J.J.Ford, Otis Amber, Crow, Doug Hoo, and Sydelle Pulaski. All the characters are really good for their parts.
This book starts at the Sunset Towers. All the apartments are taken by the heirs. All the neighbors are curios about the Westing House. Suddenly Turtle a girl that is always a rude, and stubborn girl goes in the Westing house for just a bet. Every minute she is in the house she gets two dollars. But after 11 minutes she screams and shouts, “ Aah!!! I saw a dead body!” Soon all the people know the true story of Mr.Westing. Soon judge ford calls
all the heirs of Mr.Westing’s will. Soon they find out that there is a murderer in the Sunset Towers. Days pass and all the heirs try to figure out the crime but none of them find out who is the true murderer. But Turtle starts figuring out the crime and she says that Mr.Westing is actually not dead. He was Sandy the doorman of the Sunset Towers. As years pass Theo marries Turtle the great lawyer. Angela marries Dr.Deere and has a daughter called Alice and that daughter just looks like her aunt, Turtle. Soon it was July fourth and everyone ended having a great 4th of July.
All the heirs have a great time figuring out the mystery. This author developed a great interesting mystery that has tongue twisters. I enjoyed reading this book because I really felt being in this great mystery and I felt that I figured out the mystery with all the heirs. The character Turtle and Angela reminds me of me. They both are really good girls that trough out this book they learn new lessons and everyday things. This mystery was a great book to read! It just made me not let the book out of my sight!
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Leah rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

07/02/08

A children's mystery classic, Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game is a remarkable whodunit, with a likable cast of characters and a complicated and enjoyable storyline.

Sixteen heirs are brought together by the will of an odd and quirky millionaire by the name of Samuel Westing. What these characters have in common, and why they were chosen is the ultimate mystery of the book, but wrapped up in this is the fortune itself, which can be won only by deciphering the one-word clues each set of heirs ...more A children's mystery classic, Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game is a remarkable whodunit, with a likable cast of characters and a complicated and enjoyable storyline.

Sixteen heirs are brought together by the will of an odd and quirky millionaire by the name of Samuel Westing. What these characters have in common, and why they were chosen is the ultimate mystery of the book, but wrapped up in this is the fortune itself, which can be won only by deciphering the one-word clues each set of heirs is given at the will's reading.

From this comes an adventure that was as enjoyable to me at age 6 as it is now. The book, with funny, appealing(albeit mildly stereotyped and somewhat cartoonish) characters, is an enthralling mystery and a quick and enjoyable read.

Children, I imagine, will relate as I did to Turtle Wexler, the youngest (and possibly the smartest) potential heir, either with her smarts or her annoying traits is up to the reader. However there are also other characters to enjoy, and the situations they often find themselves in lead to interesting and often laugh-out-loud interactions.

As it was first copyrighted in 1978, this book is only beginning now to slightly show its age a little in the storyline, but not so much that it should be alien to new young readers of the tale. (Anyone who can should get their hands on the book on CD with the reading done by Jeff Woodman - it's a lot of fun to listen to).

Touted as a puzzle mystery, the main 'selling point', if you will, of the novel is that it allows the reader insight into all of the clues, something that is not an initial privilege of any of the characters. This allows readers to be empowered to solve the mystery themselves, an interesting plot element that has caused, according to one reviewer on here, this novel to be featured as part of their math class, and a definitely alluring approach for junior sleuths out there.

Raskin is adept at presenting an ensemble cast that rivals the best Robert Altman film in its twists and turns, comedic elements, quirky character intricacies, and a deviously clever conclusion. At a mere 196 pages, this is well worth a read.
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JaCkIe rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

09/22/08

Why is everybody getting wierd letters from a guy they don't know? Frightening streets and mysterious looking houses filled the book The Westing Game. Truthfully Turtle is always looking at wierd things going on since the new buildings called the Sunset Towers were build and nobody ever believes him. Since Turtle, Mr.Hoo, Dr.Wexler, Theodorakis, Sydelle Pulaski, Flora Baumbach and a lot more people moved to the Sunset Towers a lot of strange things have started to happen.
Well first o...more Why is everybody getting wierd letters from a guy they don't know? Frightening streets and mysterious looking houses filled the book The Westing Game. Truthfully Turtle is always looking at wierd things going on since the new buildings called the Sunset Towers were build and nobody ever believes him. Since Turtle, Mr.Hoo, Dr.Wexler, Theodorakis, Sydelle Pulaski, Flora Baumbach and a lot more people moved to the Sunset Towers a lot of strange things have started to happen.
Well first of all,all sixteen kids that live in the Sunset Towers with their parents found out that they are Samuel M. Westing's nieces and nephews which is a man who is dead, but way before that Turtle saw smoke coming out of the Westing home were Samuel used to live.He didn't only see it once but he saw it like 3-5 times and all the times that he saw it coming out of the chimney none of his friends believed him but once.
Another thing that has happened to them is that they all are getting letters from Samuel Westing and he's dead so they all start wondering how is it that they are getting leters from a dead man.How wierd is that?Not only that but in one of the letters it says that those 16 kids are not only his nieces and nephews but that they are his heirs and that one of those sixteen kids killed him.
When they go through all of that they think that they are done with getting letters but they aren't.Once again they get a letter from him saying that he is going to find out who killed him but in order to do that they all need to play his game,The Westing Game.Whoever wins the game will get 1,000 dollars but from who?They don't need to play it in any house but in his house The Westing House.
When they all read the letter the all agree to what it says and all went together to the Westing House.When they got to the house they saw a lot of wierd thing so they think of what kind of man was he.They saw hunting rifles, ping-pong paddles, bows, arrows,darts,dead bats and racquets.At the end all of their problems get resolved and if you want to find out who really killed Samuel M. Westing keep reading the book to find out.

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Karina rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

09/10/08

recommends it for: People who like to read Mysterious books

Why is call The Westing Game you might wounder? Will then read the book. Turtle is a honest man who really want to win a mansion that many family wants. Lucky for him he enter on a game v.s other families to win the rich mansion. They say on a mysterious hotel will they are playing. read and find out about The Westing Game, who will win the mansion.
Honestly turtle is a man eventually want to win the game. Turtle is a regular man that is a truthful guy to other people. He is also a kind m...more

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Book Review Team rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

02/04/08

bookshelves: mystery

The Westing Game is about 16 heirs competeing for Sam's Westing's inheritance. This book is a clever mystery full of excitement, danger. and suspicion. There are 8 teams, each team has a set of clues and together they must understand them. Together you must find out who Mrs. Westing is and who killed Sam Westing. You too may strike it rich, who dares to play...The Westing Game. We really loved this book it keeps you on your toes and every little thing matters. If you like a suspenseful, excitin...more

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Tung rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

05/05/08

Read in May, 2008

Yes, this is a children’s book – a Newbery Medal winner from 1978. This was also my absolute favorite book from when I read it as a third grader until I was in middle school and discovered fantasy fiction. I saw it in a used bookstore and decided to press my luck and re-read it, hoping it wouldn’t disappoint me as other childhood favorites had done upon a re-reading (I’m looking at you, Hitchhiker’s Guide…). It didn’t. The Westing Game begins with sixteen seemingly random individ...more

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Isaac rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

03/20/08

bookshelves: ya-literature

Read in February, 2008

recommends it for: children, children at heart, puzzle fans

I read this little book for the first time not as a child - but as an adult. I was looking for a book to kick off our Junior High book club and picked up the Westing Game to see if it might be a good place to begin.
I wish that I had found this book earlier in my life. What kid wouldn't be captivated by wonderful characters thrown together to play a game hosted by a dead millionaire? Don't get me wrong...Mr. Westing isn't a vampire or a zombie - he's just decided that his heirs need to ...more

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Beth rated it:

(review of isbn 0140386645)

03/01/08

Read in March, 2008

The writing is straightforward, but the plot is anything but simplistic. An eclectic group of persons gather for the reading of a will. Sam Westing, multi-millionaire, has a mystery for them to solve — the winner receives the entire inheritance. But what, exactly, are they supposed to discover? And, though it’s only a game (the Westing game!), is one — or more — of the heirs in real danger?

The author herself describes this as a “puzzle-mystery” in the dedication — and it truly ...more

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Alicia Marie rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

04/11/08

(extra credit) The Westing game is a book about a group of people trying to figure out who kill Sam Westing. Sam Westing is a million air, and the people are fighting to win the money that he left in his will. Turtle who is the main character of this book is a 10 year old girl the moved to the towers when his family started losing money. She is a very noisy girl that wants to find out who killed him. Its one big game that everyone in the Westing towers has to play. Turtle is the one who fou...more

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Michael rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

08/12/08

bookshelves: childrens-lit, classics, read-more-than-once

Read in August, 2008

So four stars, though part of me still wants to award this three. The fourth star is for the amazingly deft writing. Raskin switches perspective so often in the text that it's dizzying, and yet we always know whose voice/head we're listening to without the use of clunky "thought so-and-so" ascriptions. And the final pages are quite moving.

The characters here save for two are thin, two-dimensional things, mostly around just so for comedy's sake. Which, I'd say, counts for a lot. The...more

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Rhiannon rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

09/10/07

bookshelves: ya

Read in September, 2007

Summary: Seemingly unrelated families and individuals receive invitations to rent in a new apartment complex. Two months later, a millionaire is found dead in a nearby house, and most of the building's residents are invited (through the dead man's will) to solve his murder for the opportunity to win his inheritance.

I was really impressed with this book - it has a large cast of characters that I found enchanting, and I felt like Raskin did an excellent job of giving all of them face time, s...more

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Carrie rated it:

(review of isbn 014034991X)

08/10/08

Read in July, 2008

a mystery, a 'whodunit'. the synopsis on the back of the book ends with the statement "only two people hold all the clues. one of them is a westing heir. the other on is you".

so, i began reading the book, trying to pay close attention to all the clues. there must be a reason all the people live where they do, and on the floor of the building they do, there must be a reason for the pairs put together for the game... i realized at book club the other night that i missed a couple obvi...more

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The other John rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

09/24/08

bookshelves: amusing, mystery, schoolbook

Read in October, 2006

This one's a cute little mystery, played out amongst an odd collection of characters. A self made millionaire, Samuel W. Westing has died, and instead of a traditional will, he has left a mystery. A game, actually. Sixteen people are potential heirs, all they have to do to get the fortune is solve the mystery of who killed Westing. By the bizarre terms of the will, each heir is partnered with another, none of whom are related to the others. So you get husband competing against wife, children aga...more

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Rachel rated it:

(review of isbn 0140386645)

06/15/07

Read in March, 2007

recommends it for: people who enjoy mysteries... people who enjoy good books.

This book is amazing as well. I love how every time I read it, I'm surprised by the ending. Sam Westing is amazing. He really is. And he isn't even real.
I suppose the reason why it is so good is, as mysteries do, it doesn't explain the events or occurrences at the time. You have to ponder it, think about what each person meant when they said specific things, and then check if you were correct at the end.
It's so satisfying to read because it isn't that difficult, but at the same...more

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Dianna rated it:

(review of isbn 0439412811)

05/26/08

bookshelves: re-read

Read in May, 2008

This is one of my three favorite children's books - and one which I never had a copy of my own. Maybe it's a slight reflection of the grass is greener on the other side - this, along with A Wrinkle in Time were Sister's. And yet, I'd venture that these two were two of the most important books I read in elementary school. The Westing Game still holds up well after these many years - it's a short read, yes, but a good one. I think ...more

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Michael rated it:

(review of isbn 0140386645)

08/20/08

bookshelves: recentlyread

Read in August, 2008

I enjoyed this book a great deal. It's a very quick read, and one of the better YA novels I have read in the past few years - which I am delving into as I hope to complete my own YA novel.

I saw through several red herrings in this novel, but I must admit, Raskin did fool me a few times.

My one complaint is that it seemed in a few places like the writing (or editing) was rushed, as a result, there were some confusing segues and scene transitions. But you could probably count those on one...more

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Joy rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

01/06/08

bookshelves: mysteries, newbery-medal

recommends it for: older children and adults

The Westing Game is one of my all-time-favorite mysteries. Mr. Westing is found dead in his mansion, and in order to win his fortune, sixteen would-be heirs must compete to win the Westing Game. Full of complexity and suspense, the plot lays all the clues before the reader but still manages to keep the solution secret until the very end. Funny and scathing in its portrayal of its characters, this is no warm and fuzzy fairy tale. In this cast of antiheroes, everyone is suspect and no one is t...more

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Tamara rated it:

(review of isbn 0525423206)

02/24/08

Read in February, 2008

Alright, I finally read it. The copy I read has a copyright date of 1978. So it was kind of interesting to read a book that was born the same year I was!

Amazingly, the fact that it was such an old copy was slightly distracting. The changes in stylistic trends is quite amazing. I didn't realize how much of the way I read is based on how things are organized and addressed in type and breaks and alignment.

I'm not used to reading mysteries, so for me this was a little hard to follow (quite ...more

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Natalie rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

07/04/08

Read in May, 2004

recommends it for: Anyone who can stomach complex changes.

I'm not saying it made any sense, but this HAS to be possibly my favorite books ever. Insane plot twists, quirky characters, and the perfect setting for a complicated mystery about what the h*ll is going on.

Generally, I dislike mysteries. But what I especially love about this one is how the reader may think they've figured it out, but the chances that they're right are slim to none. Throughout the book, which was probably about 150 pages, I came up with ten different answers to...more

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Cynthia rated it:

(review of isbn 014240120X)

02/10/08

The Westing Game

By Cynthia Saravia

The Westing Game is a Thiller book. It is about the death of Mr.Westing. He has 16 people to

take his money. They are paired into groups and the group who figues out the puzzle wins

the money and his land. But what they don't know is that mr. Westing isn't actully died and

the body that Turtle saw wasn't his, it was fake, Mr.Westing is playing the part of ... and he is

in the race to what they don't know is that he is making the will...more