The Friendship Riddle

by Megan Frazer Blakemore

Acclaimed author Megan Frazer Blakemore’s charming new mystery is perfect for fans of Chasing Vermeer.
Ruth Mudd-O’Flaherty has been a lone wolf at Frontenac Consolidated Middle School ever since her best friend, Charlotte, ditched her for “cooler” friends. Who needs friends when you have fantasy novels? Roaming the stacks of her town’s library is enough for Ruth. Until she finds a note in an old book . . . and in that note is a riddle, one that Ruth can’t solve alone. With an epic quest before her, Ruth admits she needs help, the kind that usually comes from friends. Lena and Coco, two kids in her class could be an option, but allowing them in will require courage. Ruth must decide: Is solving this riddle worth opening herself up again?

In this surprising and emotionally satisfying journey through the ups and downs of middle school, Ruth finds that even the bravest heroes need true friends by their side.

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Fiction, Childrens, Books About Books

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Megan Frazer Blakemore is an author for children and young adults. She lives with her husband and children in Maine. She has worked in both school and public libraries, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in library science at Simmons SLIS.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

First impression: OK, I only just started this, but I already have to say: oh, wow, what an immersive, wonderful voice the heroine has - and oh, how fun it is to read about an MG heroine who's a fantasy fan! I've seen a lot of books where the *boys* are fantasy fans, but this is the first one I can remember in a long while with a girl fantasy-reader.

Anyway! Back to reading now. But I was too excited not to share that much already. :)

***
Later: And now that I've finished reading, here is my real review:

Ohhhh did I love this book! And ohhh did I relate to the heroine, Ruth, who is a smart, geeky, fantasy-fan eleven-year-old who has a hard time fitting in at school, who's oblivious to fashion and social rules, and who is deeply, painfully lonely after being abandoned by her lifelong best friend, who's moved into the popular crowd and left Ruth behind as an embarrassment. Ruth's built a hard, sarcastic and protective shell to cope with that loneliness...but that shell (along with the books that she escapes into but also hides inside) is going to put off any new friends unless they're stubborn and persistent enough to force their way through it.

Luckily, they are! And her new friends are all AWESOME. I loved, loved, loved the characters in this book - even including her former best friend, Charlotte, who is a really well-drawn, complex character who isn't evil at all, just insecure and struggling to find her own place and identity. I love all the moments where we see her continued love for Ruth shining through, and Ruth can't help still caring about Charlotte, too. But then the scenes between them...oh. They're painful in just exactly the right, most emotionally truthful way.

But Ruth's NEW friends - ! Oh, they are fabulous. I loved watching her "motley crew" assemble around her - lots of other fantastic, smart, quirky kids, all geeky in their own different ways, debating the laws of time travel and magic as they band together to follow a quest of riddle-hunting all across town. Ruth starts out this book deeply lonely but ends up surrounded by her tribe, and I LOVE stories of people finding their tribes. This one was just perfect.

In fact, my only quibble about this whole book is the packaging for it. I think the title feels a little bit bland, giving no clue of all the quirky, wonderful, rich and unusual stuff inside the book, and the cover - while cute - makes it look like a love story between Ruth and a boy. There is, in fact, a (wonderful) boy, Coco, who becomes her friend in this book and who is interested in being more than her friend, but he's no more important a character in the story than her new best friend Lena, who is flamboyant, outspoken, feminist, and fabulous and is the one who really drags Ruth (kicking and screaming) out of her shell. And of course both Lena and Coco are just part of the big crew of friends who've banded together by the end through their shared quest, which is part of the whole theme of the book - it's definitely not just a boy-girl book (and Ruth is annoyed by people trying to get her involved in thinking of the world in a boy-girl way, which makes the cover feel more ironic to me). Also, the cover image of two white kids doesn't give any clues to all the different kinds of diversity in this book. (Not only is there ethnic diversity among the main characters, which I wouldn't have guessed from that cover image, but also Ruth lives with her mom and her mum, and she's not the only one in town with two parents of the same gender. It's really not the monolithic setting that you'd guess from the cover.)

But! Obviously the cover is the choice of the publisher, not the author, and there honestly isn't a single thing I'd change about this story and these characters. I just loved it from beginning to end, sank right into it, and came out certain that (a) this is one of my favorite books of 2015; and (b) I have to read Megan Frazer Blakemore's other books straightaway!

There were so many great lines in this book, but I didn't stop reading to make notes of them, so I'll just include the line right at the bottom of the first page that sold me on this book immediately:

"These are the kinds of thoughts that make my teachers write comments on my report cards like 'Mind tends to wander,' 'A bit in her own world,' and 'Reality does little to faze Ruth.'"

...And yes, I admit, I did personally get reports much like this at that age, too! So when I read that line in the opening, I knew this book was For Me. But whether or not you relate to that line, you should really, really try this book for the wonderful voice and the immersive storytelling and the fabulous characters. I loved it!

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually have a lot of good luck reading children books. They are fun, exciting reads and the characters are good. However this book barely kept me wide-eyed and awake. This made me sad. I like book themed stories. So I was looking forward to reading this book and finding out all about the riddle in the book. Yet the children in this story did not connect with me and there was just a lot of talking. It seemed to take long periods of time before any mention was put on the riddle. By this time I was so over this book that I put it down and picked up a different one to read.

[Tammy]

This is a book I'd recommend parents reading first. Ruth has a mom and a mum(homosexual marriage). Her friend Charlotte has two daddies. I'm sure this will be thrilling to many, since there aren't many books that create this form of diversity. Ruth does mention her "sperm donor dad", though, and the fact that he "put down opera as an interest". (page 37-ARC) Depending on the age/maturity of your child, you might want to be prepared for questions if your child reads this book.

*I was provided an ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Akshaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is a really nice story :)

[Melissapalmer404 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #36 Read in 2015
The Friendship Riddle by Megan Frazer Blakemore

This was a good young adult mystery, perfect for upper elementary and middle school readers. Ruth finds clues/notes in old library books at her neighborhood library which seem to lead to more clues. Since Ruth loves reading about people going on quests, she decides this will be her quest. She ends up getting some help from newfound friends of hers and the group try to find the spots where the clues will lead them to. I enjoyed that the young characters were smart and readers. I have read several of this author's books and she keeps that theme throughout them all. I received a copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for a honest review.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF'd because the main character was insufferable. I used to LOVE this book as a kid but it's just not good. Sad, really.

[Celeste_pewter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of books with mystery-solving/riddle elements - think The Westing Game - so The Friendship Riddle made it onto my list, as soon as I knew that the title was coming out.

Author Megan Fraser Blakemore introduces us to Ruth Mudd-Flaherty, a young girl who hasn't quite figured out her place at her middle school, especially now that she's grown apart from her former best friend. While Ruth focuses on winning the spelling bee to try and change how people see her, a chance encounter with a mysterious riddle hidden in a library book quickly sends her on an adventure...

There are so many things to love about The Friendship Riddle, beginning with Blakemore's recognition that the struggle to fit in at school can begin at any age. While Ruth keeps optimistic and occupied with her classes, Blakemore does a fine job of showing her internal debate as she tries to understand just why she is no longer close with former best friend Charlotte.

However, as Ruth begins delving into both the spelling bee and starts figuring out the riddles, Blakemore also begins to show how having the willingness to take on new events can bring new friends into one's life, including people that a person might have assumed that they didn't have much in common with. Ruth develops friendships with likable secondary characters, who both bolster her, and help her grow in confidence.

Outside of Ruth's main character arc, Blakemore does a great job of incorporating diverse elements into the novel, while also emphasizing the important of individuality. Ruth's mom and mum and Charlotte's dads are much-welcomed additions to the book, especially as Blakemore simply doesn't make a big deal about either relationship. Similarly, Charlotte is adopted and of Chinese heritage, but it's more of an interesting facet of her background, rather than a defining characteristic.

As for individuality, Blakemore reiterates time and again, that even if you think that you're the only one who thinks a certain way, odds are, you aren't alone. Without giving spoilers away, Ruth's quest - especially the endgame - is a wonderful reminder of both the merits of beating to your own drum, and just how high and far that drum may eventually take you.

The one area where readers may find issue with the book, is with Blakemore's fairly descriptive scenes involving bras, breasts and other puberty-related concerns. While I personally thought that the book did a nice job of touching on many of the bodily concerns of a young girl, another reviewer pointed out concerns that those issues might limit the overall audience of the book.

Ultimately, I think that it's up to the age and maturity of the reader, to determine how a potential reader might choose handle those aspects of the story.

Bottom line: As someone who was wowed by The Westing Game when she first read it, it was a delight to find an equally immersive and diverse novel in The Friendship Riddle. Not only are the riddles that Ruth and her newfoudn friends team up to solve are entertaining and

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far so good. I wasn't sure of the book when we first started, the voice isn't keyed into the same pitch as most younger readers that I've been reading at bedtime. But that was where it got me. While our protagonist is trying to solve the clues of this mysterious puzzle a stranger has set up, she's also trying to solve other really difficult puzzles like how do you act when your very best friend since birth stops wanting to be your friend so she can hang out with the school cool girls? And what do you do when other people weirdly want to be your friend for no good reason you can figure out? And why is the nicest boy in your grade helping you study for the spelling bee instead of his best friend, and did he tank his own chances to participate on purpose? And why are other tween girls so eager to start wearing uncomfortable bras?

If I had to pick, I'd say the author writes more in the style of Judy Bloom, talking about real things real girls talk about and experience instead of the current trend toward the supernatural and the dystopian. That's what makes this so refreshing. Ruth is a real girl and not some tormented action hero or savior of her people. She's a normal middle school girl who likes fantasy novels and is going through a really confusing age.

[M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but I think it's aimed at an older audience than suggested, perhaps a relatively easy reading book for a middle schooler. Ruth, our protagonist, is struggling with the end of a close friendship with Charlotte and she has to decide whether she wants to be a lone wolf or part of a different group of friends. Ruth finds parallels in her favorite author's writing and the book includes a lot of introspection, more appropriate to middle schoolers than to middle elementary. At the same time, Ruth finds clues to a puzzle while helping out at the local library. She and her new friends have to figure out the clues and solve the puzzle. A third plot involves the local spelling bee--Ruth wants to compete but so does her ex-best friend.

The kicker for many parents will be Ruth's 2 moms and sperm donor dad and Charlotte's 2 dads. There are a lot of children out there who will relate very well to a situation they recognize and may be part of, but there are other children who will have questions for parents that the parents may not be ready to answer.

Middle school, girls more than boys but there are interesting boy characters as well that many boys will enjoy.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ruth Mudd-O'Flaherty is feeling alone. Her best friend Charlotte has abandoned her during the first year of middle school, leaving her with only the books of Harriet Wexler as company. One day, she finds a mysterious note in a library book while doing some shelf-reading for the librarian. When she discovers Charlotte has found a similar one (but won't work with her on solving the riddle), she sets about putting together a new group of friends to help her.

Good grief, did this book ever drag. I thought that once Ruth found the first riddle it would set the plot moving, but instead it went off onto boring tangents about spelling bees and a cute boy who was into Ruth and Ruth's mothers' relationship and training bra shopping. There was way too much irrelevant dialogue between random characters and not enough forward momentum on the plot for me to keep caring. I flipped ahead enough to get the gist of the riddle plot's resolution and then threw in the towel. If it couldn't keep me interested, I doubt it can keep children interested.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just my jam. Snowpocalypse + shifting middle school friendships + quests around a small town + interest in fantasy without being fantasy + awkward heroine who likes nerdy things + realistic library portrayal (shelf lists! Dewey!) + a spelling bee (even though I'm not a great speller, this part seemed well done)

Bra shopping and the very beginning of boy girl feelings makes this a good choice for 5th grade and up, I'd give this one to someone who likes fantasy but has to read a realistic fiction book or someone who just really loves the library and is kind of maybe having some awkward times. Hopefully these kids find me in the library so I can pass this book along to them.

[Lesley Burnap · Rating 4 out of 5]

A kid who doesn't want to grow up too fast, on the outs with her best friend due to middle school growing pains and saddled with a quest that she cannot solve alone...Ruth manages to move through tween-life while being true to herself. Fans of The Penderwicks (Birdsall) and Ana Wright (Keating's My Life in a Zoo series) will enjoy following Ruth Mudd-O'Flaherty on a fantastic journey fully grounded in the contemporary world.

[A · Rating 1 out of 5]

A fun premise, but it didn't deliver.

I know there are kids in this situation, but it is not normal for a child two have two parents of the same gender and I never want to teach that it is. That seems to be the underlying message in this book. Also, there were several other things that my little sister said came up that she felt were inappropriate, and she's 12! This is not something I would recommend for children

[Brandy Painter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would have LOVED this book if it had focused more on the friendship and the riddles. However, there were parts that took up a lot of pages that had nothing to do with either and most of those parts were unnecessary to the development. And in some of them I felt like I was being lectured at.

[Akilah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounding up

This cover is cute but is really misleading in a way that I don't think Ruth would be happy about.

I liked this well enough. My daughter went through a similar situation with her best friend in sixth grade, so I couldn't help but think of the two of them and how they drifted apart much like Ruth and Charlotte.

[Heather Gunnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Staff Pick

This book is full of friendship, fantasy, and puzzles. This is a great story about growing up and dealing with change - change at school, with friends, and in life. Read along with Ruth and her rag-tag team of friends as they solve the puzzle.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an adult, there was a certain point where I got tired of reading it. The pace was unnecessarily inconsistent. Much of the story could be cut as it didn't drive the story forward or do anything for character development. There's no reason for this book to be 300+ pages. I did love the idea of the story, though. I enjoyed the riddles, mentions of books I've read and loved, and the Magic the Gathering and DnD references. Unfortunately, based on the number of heavy sighs I gave while reading this with my 12 year old, I give it a 2 star rating.

However, this book wasn't written for me. It's target audience is middle school aged girls who enjoy fantasy books and can embrace a nerdier culture. Even so, and despite the talk of bras and other girl things, my 12 year old Boy really enjoyed the story. It kept his attention throughout. He got excited every time he recognized a book, could solve a riddle, learned a new random fact, and could nerd out over Magic the Gathering and DnD. His rating of the book is more relevant than my own, and he gives it a 3.75 and would recommend it to his reading friends.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Megan Blakemore's ability to summon the voices of sixth graders is uncanny, but no less brilliant than her seemingly endless capacity to remind me of my own twelve year old self. The suspension, then, of my adult being was one of the delights of reading this mystery. I recognize the lone girl, betrayed by her former best friend ( thanks to the writer for NOT placing a tidy bow upon a renewal of loving bonds!), and ill at ease around bright male peers. Having two moms in an imperfect marriage rings true, as does hunting for treasure using clues left by a mysterious mysterious person(s). That the reward is the quest and friendships built is a perfect ending to a tale about delightfully imperfect children. This book is a joy for a now-retired educator! A must read book for parents and their bright and imaginative girls.

[Kevin Mcdonough · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to like this book, with it's very matter-of-fact presentation of same-gender parents (two sets!) and puzzle oriented story (hidden in books!)

But, about a third of the way in, one of the clues is inserted in a book called
Sex. (Madonna's book from the 90s?) And then the author says Sex three or four more times in a page. Why?

Hey, totally not a prude, and discussions of sexuality are fine with me (in YA), but this? Not plot related, not vital or important, it's just an somewhat objectionable word repeated 4 times for no good reason, and never alluded to again.

The awkward mentions of bras and puberty were okay, but this was just dumb. The book went from being a solid middle grade book to .... what? Can't put this in my school library.

[Aniya Langjahr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and reading/listening to it with my 2 daughters was very rewarding. Call it cheesy, but it was a great segway into conversations that are relevant and needed with my kids.

I read a review that said it was slow moving and I completely disagree. This offered great exposure for my kids into different kinds of families and different types of kids that deviate from classic hero types. I loved the positive rolemodels that the characters, specifically Ruth were. This book glorified intelligence, hard work, and communication. What a concept!

Thank you Megan Frazer Blakemore! WE LOVED IT!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Middle school years! Arrggh. Ruth who describes herself as a lone wolf has lost her best friend since childhood; her Mum spends more time on the road than in their family home; no group seems to have a place for her; her strengths - spelling, math - are overshadowed by Lucas, the other student who fits in less than Ruth.

Her escape into books with a strong female character is interrupted by a quest and studying for the spelling bee. Both of these activities open the door to friendships that take disparate personalities and create a stronger whole.

If only disappointments of that age could have such delightful twists and adventure to soften the hard times of relationship-testing.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first real review so don't judge.

In the beginning of the book, I thought it was going to be like a cute book. In the middle of the book, I almost stopped reading it because I got mad at the main character because she was being an idiot. She didn't see the simplest things and was super paranoid about nothing. The end though is what sealed the deal-⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. It wrapped everything up and the main character learned some value lessons.

All in all, The Friendship Riddle is a great book and I would recommend it. My only advice is to stick with it through the idiotic parts.

[Bailey Adamczyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book. I liked how the book had riddles and we had to kind of figure them out to understand the book. I also liked how Ruth and Charlotte were friends and then they weren't that was cool to. Melinda never was nice and she probably never will be. I liked how there was a spelling bee and the author made you feel like you were in the spelling bee yourself. I liked the whole book cant wait to read another book from that author or the series.

[EJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was lovely. I really enjoy how centric friendship is to Blakemore's books, and I loved that we got an outsider's POV for how Ruth actually came off as opposed to how she thought she was presenting herself. Also, let's be honest - I'm always going to be a sucker for 'band of misfits finds a home in each other'.

[Cheyenne Mayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I had first started reading the book I was a bit skeptical as usual since I happen to be very picky about which books come to mind when I read, however, I have no regrets reading this one. Everything about it was perfect; there was something about how it all binded together in a wonderful tale about how friendship conquers all.

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing story with a lovely meaning. Ruth has had a friend named Charlotte, but now she only hangs out with Melinda the popular girl that,that leave Ruth alone. But one day Ruth finds a letter in a old book it seams to be a riddle. What could it lead to? Join Ruth on a friendship riddle to find whatever could be waiting for them?

[Laila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because my daughter was reading it for summer reading for school and we decided to make it our book club book (for just the two of us). Obviously it is a kid’s book, but I still really enjoyed it. So much so that I am considering reading some of the other books by this author!

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book captured, so beautifully and accurately, the awkwardness of not being ready to trust and build a group of friends. It brought me rushing back to my middle school years when I often found it easier to keep my nose in a book than to trust others.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent on audio. Loved watching Ruth grow as a person and the quest unfold. Realistic in the way that childhood friendships sometimes end, families aren't perfect, and we don't always win.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars