Katie Henry is one of my favorite YA authors for how she writes about complex spiritual and philosophical topics in an accessible way.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Gideon Green loves noir films and hard-boiled detective films from the 1940's. He tried starting a detective agency when he was younger but it went horribly wrong. He since retired. Now at 17 he stays in his room and watches movies when he isn't at school. Then his ex-best friend says she needs his help to solve another case. Gideon decides to join the school newspaper to help and uses his observational skills for both the newspaper and the crime. At times funny and heartfelt, this is a solid read.

It's a plot we don't often see: the once loved child detective finds the world has moved on and his interests in solving mysteries now make him an outcast. And much like in the lesser known movie "Mystery Team" we have a young detective used to finding missing toys and observing strange goings on at a neighbor's house suddenly confronted with the realities of real, dangerous crime. While the book has it's amusing moments it leans more into the noir feel. It shoots for grit, often falling a bit short, leaving the reader in a bit of a no-man's land of tone. Gideon's development as a character, having to confront his own short comings and learn to rely on and trust other people, give the book some depth and heart, making it worth a read.

Perhaps I'm biased as I love a good crime mystery, but this was so fun! Katie Henry always delivers on humor and this book struck a perfect balance of laughs with serious sleuthing and heart. The relationship between Gideon and Lily rings authentic and will resonate with teen readers everywhere.

I enjoyed this one but not as much as Henry’s other books. I had a hard time connecting to the main character and the supporting characters weren’t as great as characters that Henry has come up with before in her other books. I still recommend this for fans of her work but this one just didn’t work for me

I’ve read all of this author’s books and they manage to be so different but equally compelling. Gideon’s methods of dealing with people can be frustrating but I also find them relatable.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved Gideon as a character, and I love the weaving of the mystery with the coming-of-age elements. It was engaging and endearing and definitely a worthwhile read.

A thank you to Katherine Tegen Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Katie Henry has become a really solid go-to author for me, so I was super excited to see that she had a new book coming out! Gideon Green was wonderfully unique, and I found Gideon himself to be a truly one-of-a-kind character whose story I found myself really enjoying.

Gideon is.... he's not your typical teenage boy. He's high key obsessed with old noir movies from the '30s and '40s, he wears a trench coat, and he's pretty cool with being alone pretty much always. In an interesting turn of events, his former best friend Lily asks him for help, which he finds himself agreeing to. In doing so, he has to join the school paper. This not only appeases Lily, but Gideon's dad who has insisted he find something to do other than sitting in his room watching century old movies.

Gideon fancies himself a bit of a detective, like those he spends his time watching. He even had solved a case as a kid. Thing is, Gideon is really smart, and a great detective... but he isn't so great at knowing when to shut up or slow down. So, as you can imagine, things won't exactly go smoothly in this case, either. The case, for me personally, took a backstage to Gideon's personal story. I loved Gideon getting out and rekindling friendships and making new ones, seeing him giving the school paper his all. I also loved Gideon's relationship with his father, and how both men were trying so hard to navigate their bond. It was clear that they loved each other deeply, they just didn't know how to do it for a while. The development of that relationship was kind of perfect.

I also loved Gideon finally figuring out more about himself. He wallowed, for a really long time, about some embarrassing situations years ago. Instead of facing them, he retreated into himself, and I think Lily bringing him into the school paper was the best thing that ever happened to him. Sure, he made some mistakes. Okay fine, he made loads of mistakes. But as the story went along, Gideon's motivations became more altruistic, and he really learned and grew as a person, gaining a much better understanding of who he is and how he treats the people around him.

And while the book tackled some more serious issues (and some crime), it was so very funny and clever, that I really enjoyed reading the story, even if I wasn't quite as invested on the outcome of the investigation. I was wholly invested in Gideon.

Bottom Line: Gideon Green definitely delivered with the author's usual blend of unique subject matter combined with really heartfelt characters and a ton of humor.

Before the lockdown for Covid-19 hit a couple of years ago, I went to the library and checked out a bunch of books that I thought might be interesting. Included in that pile was Katie Henry's Heretics Anonymous. I was completely hooked on the story and quickly reserved her next novel, only to be equally enthralled by it.

And so it was that Katie Henry went onto the list of authors who I will read anything they publish.

With her fourth novel, Gideon Green in Black and White, Henry has hit a new high. Sixteen-year-old Gideon Green is a retired private detective, content to stay in his room watching noir films on his TV and occasionally coming out to go to school and interact with his dad. When his old friend, Lily, shows up at this door asking him to come out of retirement, Gideon is reluctantly pulled into an investigation that is bigger than either he or Lily imagined and that just might be a pivotal point for him.

As with her previous protagonists, Henry invests Gideon with deep-seated humanity that makes him instantly and completely identifiable. As Gideon grows over the course of the novel -- joining the school paper, falling in like with the editor, arguing with his dead, realizing the investigation could land him and Lily in hot water but refusing to back down -- there are moments of utter delight and utter headbreak. Gideon is both relatable and frustrating at the same time -- in other words, pretty much like most of us were as teenagers. The biggest compliment I can pay this novel is that while the central mystery is resolved by the final page and I was completely satisfied to have gone on this journey with Gideon, I couldn't help but want to spend a bit more time with Gideon. Like life, the novel doesn't have all the answers in the final pages nor is everything wrapped up with a neat bow at the end.

The supporting cast is also a delight -- from Lily who was once Gideon's best friend but fell off when Gideon seemed stuck in a rut to Tess, the newspaper editor who steals Gideon's heart. However, it's the strained relationship between Gideon and his father where the true center of this novel lies. Henry gets us to invest in both Gideon and his father, two very different people who might not be as different as they think they are. There were multiple points in conversations between Gideon and his dad that I had a lump in my throat as Henry nails the complex relationship between these two.

This is a stand-alone novel, but I wouldn't mind if Henry decided to bring us back to Gideon's world again in the future.

Easily one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year and an early finalist for my top ten books of 2022. Highly recommended.

I received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

I love Katie Henry's sense of humor, and I was curious to see how this one would be since the cover (yes, I'm that kind of reader) didn't match the theme of previous novels. We're introduced to Gideon, who is most definitely neurodivergent in some way -- even if it's not explicitly stated -- who is a "boy detective" albeit retired...for like the first 10% of the book. He notices patterns, details, all the things that makes him weird and socially awkward along with his passion for film noir. And Lily, who is his ex best-friend but needs his detective skills even though they haven't talked in years. And the magical newspaper family. And Tess' the girl of Gideon's dreams.

Oh, and a murder. And a giant crime spree. Oh, and a mystery. Oh, and Gideon and Lily just keep finding themselves deeper and deeper in this massive conspiracy...as high schoolers.

This book was hilarious, but it also had BEAUTIFUL parts and quotes about living life and being who you are. I really appreciated Gideon's development, along with his relationship with his dad and them learning to understand each other. I also, while I appreciated Tess and Gideon's romance, REALLY appreciated the friendship between Lily and Gideon.

I only deducted a star just because some of the felony offenses (which were rightfully pointed out as FELONY OFFENSES) were a bit much...like, what high schoolers are REALLY going to do ALL of that for a school newspaper?

I also think this could be adapted for a TV show and be SO good.

I'm always down for a Katie Henry book and I was frickin stocked for this one. She always comes up with the most inventive concepts and this one was no different. Gideon as our main character was so interesting and I loved following him. He's not exactly the most likeable protagonist and he definitely has his flaws but I think that's what makes him such a dynamic main character. The side characters were also great and helped to build up the story. The focus on friendship and Gideon's relationship with Lily was one of my absolute favorite aspects of the novel As for the mystery aspect, it wasn't exactly my favorite. I felt like it was quite predictable at times and I generally don't care about any sort of involvement of organized crime (without giving spoilers). However, I did find the mystery fun to read and was excited to find out more about it.

4.5 stars. Wow!! I loved this book so much!! The mystery was extremely intriguing and just when you thought you knew what was going on, it really turns out you didn’t! I am excited for others to experience this comedic, romantic, emotional, mystery novel when it releases.