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Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery (Book 1)
by Peter Abrahams

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82860.Down_the_Rabbit_Hole_An_Echo_Falls_Mystery?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery (Book 1)" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1171030399m/82860.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82860.Down_the_Rabbit_Hole_An_Echo_Falls_Mystery?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/607.Peter_Abrahams">Peter Abrahams</a><br/><br/>
  <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14409272?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
  rating: 4 of 5 stars<br/>Stephen King was right--I couldn't put this book down! Next to Harry Potter, this is probably the best "young adult" lit I've read. I say that in quotes because, like Harry Potter, this book is so much more than a young adult novel. It's like a good film that works on multiple levels by not being condescending to the kid audience, but with enough hidden references for the adult one (and not obnoxiously done like in the latter Shrek movies; no, the references here are to icons like Ingrid Bergman, Gaslight, Babara Stanwyck, etc.). The plot of the book believably follows intrepid heroine Ingrid, an 8th grade student and star soccer player, who inadvertently gets involved in a murder after leaving the orthodontist's office on her own in order to get to soccer practice on time. She is helped getting to the field by an old woman (I so-wished her name was 'Cracked-Out' instead of Cracked-Up Katie, but a small quibble) who is killed right after helping Ingrid into a cab to get to practice. The book takes a turn toward Gaslight as the criminal becomes obvious (another small quibble). But the story becomes more about Ingrid's life and attempt to outwit the guilty party--a la the aforementioned Gaslight, or Rebecca or Shadow of a Doubt. This works because the characterization is fantastic: Grampy (Ingrid's grandfather who defiantly stands up to his own family and land developers and teaches Ingrid to drive and shoot), Ty (Ingrid's older brother, an up-and-coming star football player), Ingrid's workaholic mom, Ingrid's dad (caught between a rock and a hard place when his boss wants to develop his father-in-law's land), Joey (son of the police chief and principal love interest), and Nigel the dog (who Ingrid finds in the forest and then proceeds to follow her everywhere--I so wish my dogs would do that). All the characters are involving, no one a throwaway. It doesn't hurt either that they're in a crackerjack plot involving an evil math teacher, a play production of Alice in Wonderland, first love, a daring escape involving a waterfall, and a sheriff who is only half a step behind Ingrid. I can't recommend this book highly enough for people looking for realistic escapism.
  <br/><br/><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/252020?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Terry's review
rating:
bookshelves: cdcs-young-adult

Stephen King was right--I couldn't put this book down! Next to Harry Potter, this is probably the best "young adult" lit I've read. I say that in quotes because, like Harry Potter, this book is so much more than a young adult novel. It's like a good film that works on multiple levels by not being condescending to the kid audience, but with enough hidden references for the adult one (and not obnoxiously done like in the latter Shrek movies; no, the references here are to icons like Ingrid Bergman, Gaslight, Babara Stanwyck, etc.). The plot of the book believably follows intrepid heroine Ingrid, an 8th grade student and star soccer player, who inadvertently gets involved in a murder after leaving the orthodontist's office on her own in order to get to soccer practice on time. She is helped getting to the field by an old woman (I so-wished her name was 'Cracked-Out' instead of Cracked-Up Katie, but a small quibble) who is killed right after helping Ingrid into a cab to get to pr...more Stephen King was right--I couldn't put this book down! Next to Harry Potter, this is probably the best "young adult" lit I've read. I say that in quotes because, like Harry Potter, this book is so much more than a young adult novel. It's like a good film that works on multiple levels by not being condescending to the kid audience, but with enough hidden references for the adult one (and not obnoxiously done like in the latter Shrek movies; no, the references here are to icons like Ingrid Bergman, Gaslight, Babara Stanwyck, etc.). The plot of the book believably follows intrepid heroine Ingrid, an 8th grade student and star soccer player, who inadvertently gets involved in a murder after leaving the orthodontist's office on her own in order to get to soccer practice on time. She is helped getting to the field by an old woman (I so-wished her name was 'Cracked-Out' instead of Cracked-Up Katie, but a small quibble) who is killed right after helping Ingrid into a cab to get to practice. The book takes a turn toward Gaslight as the criminal becomes obvious (another small quibble). But the story becomes more about Ingrid's life and attempt to outwit the guilty party--a la the aforementioned Gaslight, or Rebecca or Shadow of a Doubt. This works because the characterization is fantastic: Grampy (Ingrid's grandfather who defiantly stands up to his own family and land developers and teaches Ingrid to drive and shoot), Ty (Ingrid's older brother, an up-and-coming star football player), Ingrid's workaholic mom, Ingrid's dad (caught between a rock and a hard place when his boss wants to develop his father-in-law's land), Joey (son of the police chief and principal love interest), and Nigel the dog (who Ingrid finds in the forest and then proceeds to follow her everywhere--I so wish my dogs would do that). All the characters are involving, no one a throwaway. It doesn't hurt either that they're in a crackerjack plot involving an evil math teacher, a play production of Alice in Wonderland, first love, a daring escape involving a waterfall, and a sheriff who is only half a step behind Ingrid. I can't recommend this book highly enough for people looking for realistic escapism....less

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