Sammy Keyes and the Kiss Goodbye

Sammy Keyes #18

by Wendelin Van Draanen

You deserve to know what's happened to Sammy Keyes. . . .

Sammy doesn’t go looking for trouble, but she seems to find it everywhere. She’s forever sniffing out clues and chasing down bad guys—and driving her friends a little nuts. She’s gone up against thieves and counterfeiters and gangsters and blackmailers and murderers, and always stayed one step ahead.

Until now.

Last night, one of the bad guys caught up.

Last night, someone followed Sammy up the fire escape and pushed her from the third story.

Now she’s in the hospital, out cold. And her friends are left with the questions Sammy’s always been so good at answering: Why? How? But most of all . . . WHO?

In this stunning conclusion to the Sammy Keyes mystery series, Wendelin Van Draanen shows just how many people one nosy girl can touch and pays tribute to a life well sleuthed.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Contemporary, Childrens, Adventure

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Wendelin Van Draanen has written more than thirty novels for young readers and teens. She is the author of the 18-book Edgar-winning Sammy Keyes series, and wrote Flipped which was named a Top 100 Children’s Novel for the 21st Century by SLJ, and became a Warner Brothers feature film with Rob Reiner directing. Her novel The Running Dream was awarded ALA’s Schneider Family Award for its portrayal of the disability experience.

Van Draanen's latest book, Hope in the Mail, is part memoir, part writing guided, designed to encourage aspiring writers to pursue their dream.

Van Draanen is also the author of two short chapter-book series. The Gecko & Sticky books, are fun read-alouds, perfect for reluctant readers, and the Shredderman books—featuring a boy who deals with a bully—received the Christopher Award for “affirming the highest values of the human spirit” and became a Nickelodeon made-for-TV movie.

Van Draanen was a classroom teacher for fifteen years. She and her husband reside in California and have two sons.

Reviews

[Caradith Craven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wendelin Van Draanen packs a powerful punch with her final chapter in the Sammy Keyes series. Sammy may be lying in a coma in a Santa Martina hospital, but her indomitable spirit and omnipotent presence are stronger than ever. What better way to conclude the eighteen-book series than with the authentic, omniscient voice of the author as the narrator.

Van Draanen drives home a grand slammer with her signature writing style, intriguing characters, page-turning, interwoven plots, and humorous, razor-sharp dialogue. She answers many of the questions faithful readers have been asking throughout the series: Who’s the Nightie-Napper? Does Lana have real feelings for her daughter beneath her self-absorbed exterior? How important is Sammy’s newly-discovered dad in her life? What happened to the supporting characters in the series—both friends and foes? Who would really try to kill Sammy? How will Casey deal with Sammy's situation? Will true love prevail? What lengths will Officer Borsch and Sammy’s cohorts go to in solving this horrendous crime? What impact has this feisty, lovable sleuth had on an entire community, "not by trying, but by just standing up and being"?

Van Draanen does not disappoint her readers in bringing Sammy’s story to a final resolution. The final “Kiss Goodbye” pages are a multi-tissue experience. Lace up the high-tops,tighten the wheels on the skateboard, and take an emotional, unforgettable ride with Wendelin (and her alter-ego Sammy) guiding the way through the streets of Santa Martina. This middle-school librarian has certainly enjoyed sharing the Sammy Keyes reading experience with hundreds of students. Thanks, Wendelin Van Draanen, for giving your Sammiac readers eighteen books and fifteen years of pure reading bliss.

[Cassandra Hamm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a love letter to our beloved Sammy Keyes, showing the impact she had on her community and friends.

I wasn’t expecting this book to be the way it was—unlike all the others, which were told from Sammy’s perspective, Sammy was in the hospital in a coma and the author was narrating the story. At first, I was a little miffed because I wanted Sammy’s sass. She’s barely in the story. But it was all about her friends and the many people she’s helped over the course of the series and how they came together to figure out who dared hurt their beloved Sammy Keyes. And it resolved the unsolved mystery of the Nightie Napper!

I wish there’d been more Sammy in it. But overall, it was a good ending to a great series. I loved how it ended with a wave, just as it started with one seventeen books ago. Very full circle ending. And I’m glad Cricket came back—I was sad she was only a main part of two books!

My favorite junior detective for sure. :D well, right next to Sabrina and Daphne from the Sisters Grimm!

[E.F. Buckles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished it. The final Sammy Keyes book ever. I may or may not be okay, and may or may not be crying as I write this review. They're good tears, but still...

As I stated in my update when I started reading this, I discovered the Sammy Keyes series as a kid in third or fourth grade, when I was only a little younger than Sammy herself. The first one I ever read was "Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen" and I (and my mom too, for that matter) fell in love and have followed the series ever since. This final book released in 2014 and though I knew about it I put off reading it for these 6 years because I just couldn't bear to admit the adventures were over. My mom too put off getting it for me because she didn't want to admit it either. But alas, the end had to come eventually, so we finally got it and both read it, and cried through it even as it made us smile and laugh as all 17 books before it did. So many plotlines resolved. So much growth. So many relationships healed. I'm not sure how the author could have possibly ended things better.

Sammy and I may be extremely different people, but she's still my fictional childhood friend. Even knowing that I can always go back and read the old books, it's hard for me, the reader, to say goodbye. To know there will never be a new adventure. I could tell it was hard for the author too as she, breaking form, wrote herself into one, final, touching scene in order to say farewell to this young woman who has lived in her head for years, and who I'm sure shaped her life as much as if not more than she shaped mine.

Sammy Keyes and her feisty spirit and love for mystery, adventure, and justice will forever be a part of me. I hope that if you love these things too (as well as a good laugh now and then) that you will give Sammy a chance to brighten your life as much as she has brightened mine. I certainly plan to share these books with my cousin's two young daughters as they each become old enough to join the adventure. :)

I'll love you forever, Sammy. <3

Content Advisory:

Violence:
As stated in the blurb, someone intentionally pushes Sammy off the 3rd story of a fire escape and she falls into bushes, hits her head, and ends up in a coma. One of her friends witnesses the incident, runs to help and tells authorities there was "so much blood" but this is the only description of the injury. In the hospital, Sammy's head is wrapped in gauze.

Trigger warning - Child abuse: Occasionally, throughout the series it has been hinted that one boy in Sammy's friend group may be getting abused by his father, but he always refused to admit it was happening. The truth finally comes out in this book when, after all the kids (and some teachers) in the local middle school ditch school to go see Sammy in the hospital, this boy's father tracks him down. The other teens witness the extreme anger in the father's face as he grabs the boy by the arm and drags him home, refusing to hear his explanation for why he wasn't in school. His friends, afraid for him, follow him to his apartment, and when they get there, they can hear his father yelling and swearing at him, saying such awful things (exactly what he says is not stated) that one of the girls begins to cry. Though not described at all, when they look in the window, they see that the boy's father is beating him. One girl takes video for evidence and then another pounds on the window and yells for the father to stop. (He does, but shuts the curtain.) They call the police and show them the video. The officer who responds has long suspected the abuse but had no evidence to take action. Now that he does, he checks on the boy (who had not been damaged enough to need medical attention) and speaks to the father about getting help with his anger so he will stop hurting his son (while implying that if further abuse occurs, the father will be facing legal action.) The man appears repentant and admits that his wife has been telling him the same thing, takes the card for counseling that the officer gives him, and allows his son to stay with a friend for the night.

Someone gets tackled to the pavement by several people.

Someone gets stuffed into a laundry dryer, but the scene is intended as comedic.

While no further violence occurs, there is a looming threat throughout the story that the person who tried to kill Sammy might try to come back and finish the job. Indeed, the individual (in disguise as hospital staff so the other characters don't know there's a threat) does try several times to make a move, intending to suffocate Sammy with her pillow, but is thwarted each time. Once chapter from the villain's perspective involves them thinking that they should have killed Sammy outright the first time by strangling or shooting her.

Language:
The term kick-a** is used twice by a teen.

A villain uses the words d**n and h*ll once each.

Romance/Sexual:

Sammy has a boyfriend, Casey, and their relationship has always been sweet and chaste. The other teens, in a moment of desperation, talk Casey into kissing Sammy to try to wake her from the coma, and he does. The only description is a statement that he did so "sweetly, tenderly, and yes, on the lips."

Upon learning that the gaggle of teens outside Sammy's hospital room has sent Casey in to attempt to wake "Sleeping Beauty" with a kiss, a nurse makes a comment along the lines of "Well, as long as he doesn't turn the motion sensor off and try to climb in the bed with her." She is referencing an earlier incident in which, in a tender and touching moment, Sammy's mother climbed into the hospital bed with her to hold her, but the teens don't know about that and the nurse's comment causes them, and the police officer nearby, to raise their eyebrows.

At a later point, Casey kisses Sammy's hand and forehead.

There are brief references to other teen couples, current crushes, and past breakups.

One teen observes that her nine-year-old brother appears to be smitten with a little girl he just met and the teen and her friends twitter about how the children might grow up, fall in real love, and get married.

Those who have read the whole series already know about the relationship between Sammy's parents, but for those who are reading this because they're investigating the series for themselves or someone else, Sammy's parents weren't married when her mother became pregnant with Sammy. No inappropriate detail is ever given about it, but the reader is aware that they had a fling and then Sammy's father went on his way, not even know he had a daughter until Sammy tracked him down herself as a teenager. This knowledge is relevant for this content portion of my review simply because, as Sammy's mother Lana is talking to Sammy while Sammy is still in the coma, she does mention how it was scary for her to be so young (I believe she was in her very late teens or early twenties when she became pregnant) and then suddenly a single mom. In the current day, though, Lana and Sammy's dad have reunited, realized they really do love each other, and they are planning to get married and finally make their family whole.

[Theo kids · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sammy has to be my favorite teenage sleuth. She is fearless, humble, and never turns down a chance to help someone. And she manages to be hilarious, relate-able and ultra cool while she does it! So it was with eager anticipation that I awaited this last book in the series. And perhaps it was that nail biting anticipation that set me up for disappointment, because I was VERY disappointed.

The main problem is - Sammy is missing from this book almost altogether. Yes, her ragtag gang of friends all make an appearance, and all are likable and endearing in their own way - but SAMMY IS WHAT MAKES THE STORY COME ALIVE. And without her - it was just average. Maybe even below average. A torturous re-run of Sammy's previous adventures, without Sammy. That's like apple pie without apples. Bleh.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

No series in the history of the world has as good an ending. This is scientific fact.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember how when you were a kid and you were reading a book that you just couldn't put down, so you'd be reading it in class and during dinner and right before bed, which is when you would swear to your parents that you were just going to read "one more chapter" (and then they'd come back an hour later and force you to put the book away)? And then you'd get out the trusty flashlight and finish reading under the blankets?

Well, that's how it's been with me and Sammy, from HOTEL THIEF to KISS GOODBYE. Unfortunately, I am now working (well, that's fortunate for my book-buying ability, but unfortunate for my book-reading time), and reading a book when you should be taking care of kids is not really appreciated at my work. So I had to sneak in reading time before work, during my lunch hour, and after work.

SAMMY KEYES AND THE KISS GOODBYE is very much like the finale of a play, where everyone you care about comes back on stage to take a bow. For those who don't know, KISS GOODBYE begins when Sammy is pushed out of a third-floor window at the Senior Highrise and lands in some bushes (and in a coma). Her family and friends rally to try to figure out the identity of the perpetrator, and throughout the book, you get mini-flashbacks to Sammy's previous escapades, as well as reminders of the amazing people she's met and befriended during the series.

For a less talented author, handling such a large cast and so many flashbacks would signal automatic chaos. But of course, Wendelin Van Draanen pulls it off well, with the minor characters getting cameos of the right length and with the flashbacks being more like "oh, I remember that!" than "ugh, we already know this." Although I miss Sammy's first-person narration (which is one of the major highlights of the series), Van Draanen's voice has enough snark and humor to make up for it.

One interesting thing I noticed is that if there were any other fictional character who had so many people indebted to or in love with her, she would probably be accused of being a Mary Sue. Sammy has the love of almost the whole town of Santa Martina, and yet she is still very much the Sammy we know and love. There is nothing Mary Sue-ish about her. She earned the love of her many, many friends, and sure, she may have made many, many mistakes along the way, but things still worked out.

It was strange to read a SAMMY KEYES book without, you know, Sammy Keyes, but for fans of the series, this is worth 5 stars for sure. The entire book was just a great testament to what an amazing character Van Draanen came up with. It's always difficult to end such a beloved and long-running series (eighteen books, people!), but Van Draanen did it somehow, with just the right amount of drama, cheesiness, and magic.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sammy Keyes series is one of my all time favorites. I don't think I could adequately express how much I love Sammy. She's smart and funny and inquisitive, and the most loyal friend you could ever hope to have. She's the one you would want as your wingman, or in this case wingwoman. Winggirl? Whatever. You'd want her in your corner and on your team. She's the kid I would have wanted as my best friend at 13, the kid I wish I had been at 13, and the daughter I always wanted but never had. In other words, about as close as you could get to being the perfect kid.

It's been 4 years since I read this final book, but it's taken me this long to finally write something about it. Why? Probably because I couldn't, or didn't, want to accept that this was the final book and there would be no more. I'm sad, but there's still those 18 books that cover all of Sammy's 7th and 8th grade years. All the mysteries, the friendships, the stuff she has to deal with at school, her relationship, or lack of with her mother, living illegally with her grandmother and sneaking in and out of the senior highrise every day, and tons more. So, whenever I'm a bit bummed that there's no more new books I'm going to pick up book 1 and start all over again. Looking forward to it!

[Jasmine Hariri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sammy Keyes and the Kiss Goodbye by Wendelin Van Draanen...I am speechless. I recommend this book to people who love mystery and you should probably read some other books in this series too! This book was one of the most confusing in the WHOLE SERIES! Sammy isn't even narrating it, but instead, the author, Draanen. I was shocked throughout the week every day I came back to read it because you never know if she's breathing or not, if she's dead or not. Everybody is worried about Sammy who may or may not have been killed by a murderer called the Nightie Napper. I definitely would want to see the rest of this series, but sadly, I FINISHED and I want to read even more of Draanen's books!

[Salmah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not saying it was terrible because it WAS nice to meet up with all the old favs (except Brandon!) and to see how everyone else handles things (as this book is not from Sammy's POV). However, it felt like a vague dismissive Goodbye. Not a conclusion as I'd hoped.

See, for long time fans of SK -like myself- this book was to hold the answers to questions like: Where is Sammy living now? How will the relationship with her mother progress? Especially if she's to live with her permanently. What is REALLY Heather's agenda? Will Melissa's family find themselves again? How is Casey's dad taking the break up? etc etc

Yes, these questions were answered in part. Just not definitively. We didn't see Sammy's reaction to much AT ALL in this book.

So, the book WAS a fun romp down memory lane, despite the confusing time laps and running about. Yet THAT BLOODY ENDING. I just don't FEEL it!!!

Like it became the authors personal diary entry or something. PUT THAT IN THE DAMN AUTHORS NOTE OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WHATEVER JUST NOT IN THE CANON WORLD.

I'm going to miss Sammy, Borch and the crew and be eternally sad that Brandon didn't make an appearance.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series and I love Sammy Keyes. Very sorry to see the end to the series. I didn't particularly care for how Van Draanen decided to end the series. I didn't like the change in POV and the reflection rather than plot. Younger readers may appreciate the closure? but I would have rather the final book follow a similar structure to the rest of the series.

In The Kiss Goodbye Sammy is in a coma after getting pushed off the fire escape. All of her friends and people she has helped over the series come to the hospital to reflect on their relation with her. It showed the impact Sammy had on the community and how much they care about her, but it wasn't very interesting. It did bring everything to an ending.

If I could have written the story I would have had Sammy and her friends solve a mystery that brought the community to Sammy's aid, brought closure to her relationship with her mom, and ended this chapter of Sammy's life (as she heads off to High School). I would have included more action and more of Sammy in the story. I didn't think every character in the previous books had to show up.

I still love the series and Sammy.

[Catie]

I recently found a later Sammy Keyes book in a neighborhood Little Free Library, which inspired me to read a handful of the ones that hadn't been published when I was a kid (I'm pretty sure I even read the original SKs when I was a little too old for them, but we all know I can't resist a spunky teen detective in high tops). Anyway, they're all fun and zippy and deal--in a very middle grade way--with some Real Issues (will never forget the one about the meth lab), narrated with Sammy's characteristic exuberant snark. This, the final book, is a gimmicky sendoff -- Sammy is in a coma, so The Author steps from behind the curtain to tell the story about how all of the friends Sammy's made along the way and all the goofy characters she's encountered show up to support her and solve the crime. It's a Very Special Episode, it's so schmaltzy, it's wrap-up-every-dangling-thread-happily, it's bring-every-guest-star back in a truly unbelievable way, and somehow it just WORKS. If you're going to have a sentimental sendoff to a beloved series, LEAN IN and do it right! And this does. Sammy, cheers, good luck with high school!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the final book of the Sammy Keyes series, Sammy has been bested by one of the bad guys! As the book begins, Sammy is injured, unconscious and in the hospital. Now it’s up to her friends to solve this case.

A marvelous curtain call of the characters from the other books. There's a re-cap of all the cases as the suspect list is compiled, and old friends (and enemies) visit Sammy at the hospital. Don’t start with this one, although many of the other books can be read out of order, save #18 Sammy Keyes and the Kiss Goodbye for last. Goodbye Sammy!

Cross-posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com

[Anna Juline · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? I don't even have the words to describe how much I love Sammy and Casey, and all of the other wonderful characters. I'm sad that it's the end of the series, but what a perfect way to end it! I know that Sammy is still out there in Santa Martina, and that her adventures are never over...

"So I blew her a kiss, and that's when she did something that caught me by surprise, although it probably shouldn't have. Something that made me know that she will always be the feisty, fearless, and funny girl I love. She waved."*

See? Perfect.






*For people who haven't read the books, the action of Sammy waving is a reference to the first criminal she ever caught.

[~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

literally the perfect ending to the series

I love the genuine exploration of character arcs of all the characters surrounding sammy that we’ve grown to love! Rereading this book again with fully developed cognitive function and realizing the depth of each character is SO LOVELY


i bawled my eyes out bro 😭 (in a good way)

[Lourdes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second time around and there are still so many feels! I wish there was more Casey but overall a great book. You can really tell that Wendelin Van Draanen was just as emotional over saying goodbye to Sammy as the readers.

[n]

i read my first sammy keyes when i was ten years old, and i am now twenty-four. i delayed reading this for years because i was just not ready to say goodbye. this was a fantastic send-off and i will miss her very very much.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am sad to see her go but what a good way to send Sammy off.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My children and I read this entire series. It's brilliant. We felt Sammy was a part of our lives.
A modern mystery series for young teens that gives you a true reality of what life is like for some kids. A bit unrealistic at times, and the author most certainly enjoyed starting a sentence with the word "Anyway'. (At least fifty times a book.) Those two annoying traits aside, we truly enjoy every moment.
The final book comes from the authors point if view rather than Sammy's, and any 13 year old will be looking up words in virtually every paragraph.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a bittersweet read for me. I picked up the Sammy Keyes series (with the help of my Mom) when I was 11 or 12. Sammy has been a wonderful friend and inspiration for me. I love this series and highly recommend. Thank you WVD!! ✨💗

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series was wonderful. I highly recommend it to young teens. It deals with a variety of social issues while being humorous but informative. It is interesting to see the transformations and growth in the characters personalities . Almost makes you want to buy a pair of high tops.

[Susanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes I finished this book in one day (joys of travelling). But this was a great finale to the series. Bringing all the characters together in a way to summarise the whole series, was a great idea.

Definitely recommend the series ❤️

[ﾟ⁠❍⁠｡⁠⁠Lily｡❍⁠ﾟ⁠ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last book of the series! The ending was sad and happy at the same time🥲 I wish there was more
books 😭 time to find another great series to read😔 (if even possible) Will reread sometime in the future!

[Micah Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great wrap up to the series.

[Kamaria Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if your loved one said goodbye to you? The genre of this book is mystery. I felt heart broken when the author had to tell the story, since Sammy was in a coma. This made me anxious to read the rest of the book to see who done this to Sammy.

The setting in this book is in the hospital for 22 hours. Seven of Sammy friends like Billy,Casey,Dot,Heather,Holly and Cricket wanted to figure out who put Sammy in the coma, but they didn't know where to start in the case, so they thought of enemies of Sammy's that might wanted revenge. The conflict in this book is person vs. person because Sammy's friends has to stop the criminal before it's to late. A theme in the story is faith because Sammy's friends encourages her with positive thoughts and memories for Sammy to try to want to wake up, also because they have faith themselves and hope that she is going to survive her coma.

The third person point of view affects the story because the author tells the story and I think it takes away important details from the story, like Sammy's inner thoughts. The setting adds to the conflict because Sammy's coma is a mystery.

I was surprised when Sergeant Borsch noticed that the criminal was someone that Sammy knew from her past. I was struck by this passage "This wasn't Snow White or Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty or ....or whatever!" It shows that Sammy's friends are trying really hard to wake up. I thought the author did a good job on explaining Sammy's friends' feelings.


In conclusion I rate this book 5 stars because I really like how Wendelin Van Draanen wrapped up the series by re-telling all of Sammy's adventures in the book.I would recommend this book to people who love mystery. I think book is the perfect way to end the Sammy Keyes series!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was soooo close to being a 5 star book. I had very minor quibbles with the very end, but man was this a great story overall.

I can't believe my time with Sammy Keyes has finally come to an end. She's made me laugh, she's made me tear up, she's made me unbelievably frustrated. But she always, always keeps me engaged with whatever mess she's gotten herself into. So what was my experience going to be with a book where she's no longer the narrator, and not even conscious?

Thankfully, the series has been full of vivid, engaging characters from day one, who provide plenty of entertainment and emotion without Sammy around. All the good people are here, including Marissa and Casey (and yes! Dot still exists!), and the more dubious ones, like Heather and Officer Borsch. There's not much of a mystery, although it's always dangling right there, just begging to be solved, but I thought the individual journey each person went on was much more interesting anyway. Maybe things were solved a tad too easily and worked out a bit too perfectly like the issue of Billy and his father's abuse? Really? That should have ended with Mr. Pratt going to jail but this is a series aimed well below my age range, and it's earned a big bow on top of a happy ending.

I found the closing paragraphs to be a little bizarre, but I'm willing to let that go too. Of course I'd love to see Van Draanen revisit this series in a couple of years, but if this is how it'll end for good? It's been one wild ride, Sammy. Thanks for all the fun.

Last line (of the whole series!):

She waved.

[Lourdes · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far one of the best and most heartbreaking ending to a series I've ever read! I've been with Sammy for over ten years and I've spent the last year knowing that I only had one more book with her. Wendelin Van Draanen crafted a spectacular ending to the eighteen book series. I knew it was going to be hard to say goodbye to Sammy as a reader but it must have been even harder as a writer. I don't think anyone will be disappointed with how she wrapped up such a fantastic series. Needless to say I am drowning in the feels, just having finished the book five minutes ago. It's sad to be saying goodbye to one of my favorite characters but Kiss Goodbye was the perfect way to do it. Even though Sammy wasn't the narratinng point of view (and until the very end we didn't even get her point of view, it was fantastic to see how all the other characters have been affected because of her. I think almost every major character made an appearance in this book, right down to Penny the Pig! It made it even more touching to read this final book from everyone else's point of view because in a way it was like we were one of those characters living next to Sammy the whole time. Thank you Wendelin for writing such an amazing series!

[Diana Gagliardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

if it were a tv show it would be one of those late 80s eps where everyone says "remember when..." and they show clips from previous seasons.

As a book, I was happy to recognize so many friends.

Sammy needs to be seen, particular by those who have their own beat. But just as important, we need someone to write the stories of these spunky kids as grownups; what does a person like Sammy do in the world? How do you take a person like that and turn it to job or career? We encourage the off-kilter in our kids and show them the difference that they can make...but how does that progress? How do you grow up a Sammy?

[Ryla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it.

[Sylvie Gold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this series so much and had very mixed feelings about coming to the last book in the series. I listened to it as a digital audiobook and was unprepared when I began it for how different it would be from the other books in the series and rather shocked at the circumstances presented at the beginning of the book. Having now finished it, I think Wendelin Van Draanen made a wonderful choice by presenting this last book in the series in such a different way. Having her tell the story as an omniscient narrator, rather than from Sammy's point of view, gave us a chance to get inside the heads of all the characters for the first time, thereby giving us a better understanding of all of them, what makes them tick, and the way they all feel about Sammy. I love the way she tied up all the loose ends and brought in so many of the major characters from the previous 17 Sammy Keyes books.

I have listened to the entire series in audiobook format, as narrated by Tara Sands, and it was a treat to hear the author and Tara Sands narrate this one together -- with Wendelin Van Draanen reading all the narrator parts and Tara Sands doing all the characters' voices.

[Tamila]

Ten months ago I wanted to revisit a childhood favorite (Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief) and then I decided to read the entire series, since I had only read a couple of the books in middle school. It's been fun to follow along as Sammy grows and figures out the truth about who she is and where she's going. Smart, open-minded, courageous, and unapologetic, Sammy makes getting into trouble seem essential to living and growing up. This last book is a summary of events and a systematic farewell to all the characters we've met over the course of the previous 17 books, and a tribute to the girl who made it all happen. It's a bit overly sweet but I don't blame the author for wanting to give her heroine a celebratory sendoff with all the pomp and circumstance you could possibly fit into a hospital waiting room. Overall I enjoyed the series, particularly the earlier books, and I hope that there are still kids today who love Sammy Keyes.