Puzzled (Nichols)
(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)
This was a freebie in a Book Bub mailing list that I read with an eye on if it might interest my nephew. I think not, but he was his own tastes.
It's a middle-grade book, filled with puzzles and Nichols will at times stop and ask the reader if they've worked out the solution before he reveals it.
The conceit of the book is that Peter has a talent for solving puzzles. He's approached by an older man (I read this two months ago, I don't remember the particulars, which kind of defeats the purpose of this blog) who has him solve a few riddles. The man has an ulterior motive.
It turns out that there's an alien living among us and that alien can control the weather and create tornados that wreak distruction. But the alien would rather solve puzzles. And the older fellow has been creating puzzles for the alien for many years now. He wants Peter to take over. But first he must pass a challenge and he'll need a team to help him because some challenges will be brainy but others will require brawn.
Peter gets the girls he's interested in, and another frend. He also wants his older brother, but he lies to him about the competition because he figures that his brother would never believe him about a tornado-creating alien who likes puzzles. The older brother discovers the lie and quits the team right before the day of the challenge. Oh noes!
The other three go through the puzzles, figuring them all out, only to have a squeaker of a finish where the older brother runs in to save the day (someone managing to avoid all the other puzzles and make it to the finish line).
It was an okay book. I wasn't it's target audience. Your mileage may vary.
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