The Westing Game (Puffin Modern Classics)

published	April 12th 2004 by Puffin
first published	1978
binding	Paperback
isbn	014240120X (isbn13: 9780142401200)
ebook
pages	192
literary awards	Newbery Medal
description	When an eccentric millionaire dies mysteriously, sixteen very unlikely people are gathered together for the reading of the will . . . and what a wil...more [close] When an eccentric millionaire dies mysteriously, sixteen very unlikely people are gathered together for the reading of the will . . . and what a will it is! [close]
date added	09-08-06 edit book

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Kiara Garcia book review	2	19	08/02/2008 10:21AM
aneisis's book review 603	1	9	06/10/2008 06:14AM
Good Book	4	19	02/08/2008 12:27PM

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Leah rated it:

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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Book Review Team rated it:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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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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 th...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:

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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3 comments

Natalie rated it:

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:

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

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Lisa rated it:

01/05/08

bookshelves: childrensbooksforadults

Read in January, 2008

recommends it for: readers who appreciate a good kids' book

It's hard to pick out a number of stars to give a book like this. It's a slightly dated book from the late 1970s, aimed at middle-readers (not quite young adult, but well beyond picture books), and therefore a bit more simplistic than some of the best kids' lit out there. It's not a flaw, though, just a choice of audience. It's written for a younger audience than some of the truly great stuff out there. But it's a pretty fascinating mystery, and I have to admit, I only figured it out complet...more

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Ashley rated it:

06/11/08

recommends it for: those who like a fun mystery

The Westing Game was a fun read. It wasn't deep, and you really didn't need to think too hard. It was somewhat of a mystery, and like all mysteries, the answer is reavealed to the reader by the end. It's not a long read, I read it on an hour and a half flight, but it is a fun way to spend a couple of hours.

When Sam Westing dies, 16 apparent strangers are brought together to hear the old man's will. Of course, the 16 strangers to get the iheritance right away. Instead the are split into ...more

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Elizabeth rated it:

07/12/07

recommends it for: everyone

I just re-read this book for the millionth time (I usually read it every summer because I like the autumn imagery in it when I am suffering from Texas' oppressive summer heat). I absolutely never get sick of reading this book. The prose is so simplistic, and I think this is what makes it so well-written. It is completely unpretentious. And, though I first read it about 15 years ago when I was a kid, I still think the plot is so creative and perfect. I even cry at the end every time, because I al...more

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Martha rated it:

08/22/07

bookshelves: middle-grade, newbery, park-slope-bookclub, re-read

Read in August, 2007

I read this as a kid, but the only thing I remembered about it is that I wasn't wowed. I think this is because, as an avid Nancy Drew reader, I was frustrated when I couldn't figure out the mystery's solution.

Re-reading it as an adult, I'm still not in love with this book, but I am pretty wowed by the complexity, the rounded characters, the sly set-up and the sly wit, and the way she easily jumps the readers from character to character without it being confusing. It's interesting to me tha...more

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