The Turnaround

Mason Falls Mysteries

by R.T. Martin

Justin has always been a big fan of Mason Falls High School's baseball team, the Lions—even though they are the worst in their division. But this season, the Lions are playing surprisingly well under the new coach. Almost too well to believe. Justin wonders if the new coach has simply whipped the players into shape, or if something else is responsible for the team's drastic turnaround.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Audiobook, Childrens

108 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Claude's Bookzone · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Well that was a short and very simple mystery novella. This will be great for teens at the beginning of their reading journey.

[emelie!! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average middle grade short story.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly I would consider this a more middle grade read.

I listened on audio book and it took me less than an hour while I was getting ready to listen to, so it’s definitely a quick read if you’re just looking for something to fill time.

In terms of plot it was pretty straightforward mystery there wasn’t a huge twist, they were able to detect a problem, figure out what was going on and have the big reveal in a short amount of time and I didn’t expect him to do anything bigger than that.

In terms of characters I know absolutely nothing about any of them there’s three main characters and then a couple side characters. I don’t know anything about their families their home life’s their personalities were kind of meh. But for only being as short as it was there isn’t a lot of room for character growth. I think Derek is my favourite because he had no idea what was going on at any point in time ever.

A cute short read with a good overall message that would probably be good in an elementary or seventh grade classroom.

[mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was surprisingly super enjoyable! nothing to write home about, but it was still a solid short mystery! the characters, while they seemed a tad bit flat, still kept the story engaging and interesting! plus its short audiobook was great, the only problem was finding time for it!

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick fast paced book. Helped me get out of a reading slump so very much grateful for this book.

[Allie Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This reading experience was more like 2 stars, but I think maybe I was expecting the wrong thing. I didn’t realize this was intended for young adults when I started it, and then it’s honestly mis-genred even as that. This is basically a “The Bailey School Kids” level mystery in both plot and writing. I’d even be wary to say “middle grade” and think “elementary” is realistically the right fit. I didn’t know that when I started, so that’s on me! It was *very* simple and… detached. I felt no attachment to any character or what was happening. But after finishing (in like ten minutes haha) I also learned this is part of a series so maybe there is some more character development and setting built up throughout. Very short, very simple, and very not what I expected. My third grader may be into it though; we’ll see!

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was... not what I was expecting. Even if I'm not sure what I was expecting.
It's not bad, necesarily. It held my attention and kept me interested well enough.
But I also had most of the reveal figured out by the halfway point, so it lost some shock factor.
I found I just wanted more from the story overall, though I'm not entirely sure I'd say its lacking.
Apparently my thoughts on this one are complicated

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good mystery centered around high school baseball. I recommend this book and this series for a middle grade audience even though it is labeled as YA. It is definitely suitable for both age groups.

[Erin Kelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I know that I picked this book up for something to play in the background while I was doing outside stuff because I can't read then but it was just so incredibly boring 🙃 Like, it wasn't offensive or anything I just didn't care.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a perfectly fine short read about the mystery of why a baseball team suddenly became good. Or too good?! Children's or young teen book. Some baseball terms are used but it's not super important to understand them fully to understand this book.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was okay—not super mysterious but interesting enough for my 8yo who loves baseball—but the audiobook performance was rather lacking. There weren’t clear voices for the characters, it was a bit too fast, and the tone was rather repetitive.

[Hafey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book on libby to fill the time while walking the dog and I really liked it. It is increadibly simple and short but I liked that about it.

So yeh I recomend this if your just looking for something quick with wery little plot.

[Lesli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this book with my 4th grader while driving to the hospital and back. He enjoyed it. A good read for mid to late elementary schoolers, pretty simple but not bad. It kept our attention.
No bad words or romance.

[Saskia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good shorter story. Sport sport sport. Sport.

[Brenda Anshanslin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok for what it was. All I can say is, thank goodness baseball is back!

[Vani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

[Bette Ball · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very simple, short but interesting.

[Mr. Graham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not good. I think someone who has seen a baseball game should have taken a look at this book before they published it.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick little mystery. It’s likely to appeal to middle readers who like sports. The material is mature enough for older readers, but it’s more of a short story than a full, in depth novel.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick audiobook

[Elizabeth McKay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This basically was just a filler to get my reading numbers up

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid middle-grade reader mystery.

[Jack Maxwell]

Discovery book

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, easy mystery geared towards middle/high school readers, centered around a high school baseball team.

[Devin Kos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was unfamiliar with baseball before listening to it as an audiobook, and after listening to it I'd still say I'm unfamiliar with the sport, but I know more about it now!
It's a good sport-focused mystery involving teens, and I think the book fits best with an audience of about 13-16 years of age. Not that anyone older won't enjoy it, but considering the high school setting, simplistic plot, and how quickly you can get through this book (about an hour), it's a good read for a kid during recess and lunch. It has a satisfying end and while it's a simple mystery it has enough curves to make it enjoyable.

[Lex · Rating 3 out of 5]

kinda boring other than that it was good

[Nathan VanHandel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5