Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

This was a very interesting set of stories that were created around the finding of a mummied body of a child in a peat bog.

This book was incredibly depressing. I think it's very interesting, the idea of writing historical fiction based on an archeological discovery such as a body found in a peat bog, but the stories themselves were far too depressing and graphic to enjoy. I don't think this is an appropriate book for children under the age of 13 but content warnings should still be monitored.

I'm a huge fan of Lois Lowry - as a reader and as an educator and this book was quite different that I was expecting. But that made it all the more compelling - just in a different way! As I read, I kept thinking of new ways that I could use it in a classroom - everything from primary school through high school.

The fact that it was inspired by an actual story is fantastic - we could certainly pair with a history class and a research project. The fact that there were dual narratives is an amazing example of multiple perspectives and point of view story telling.

I found the first half really interesting and loved the strong female character of Estrid - truly a girl ahead of her time! I knew nothing about the history in that time period so enjoyed learning while being entertained. All of the cultural information would be very intriguing for most of my students of all ages.

When the story changed to the second half, it was just as captivating. Especially since, again, this followed the actual story of the body found in the bog - at first believed to be female, and then, with more research, determined to be male.

Because of the gruesome details, the book is not for young children, but certainly upper elementary and above would find something enthralling. Another perk: the story will appeal to BOTH boys and girls - truly a rare find!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books/Clarion Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Lois Lowry never fails to entertain me!
I love that her books cover so many different topics and the writing is always spectacular!

This book was not as enjoyable to me as other Lois Lowry books. The Giver will always be one of my all time favorite children’s books so it had high expectations to live up to.

Lois Lowry brings an interesting book this time around in the realm of YA and an intriguing blend of dual narrative as well as non-fiction and fiction.
The two narratives are great storytelling by Lowry as usual and would make for great discussion both in storytelling and historicity for young adults.
Due to content, I would recommend this book for 14+ year olds - definitely not for 10+ as is suggested on Amazon. Even for your older teens, some of the concepts are best for discussion.

It is human nature to try and hunt down the origin stories of unknown people - dead or alive, and Lois Lowry has done her research on the youth found in 1952 in a German peat bog. The resulting book is delivered through a fact and fiction manner, in parts.

Her observations on the finding of the body, and relevant history contextual with the probable time of death, are woven into fictional accounts that "might have been". . .Estrild's version - a girl who is filled with feminist feistiness, and Varick's version - a fellow who would have welcomed a hedge school - he just wanted to learn, and accumulate knowledge. As these are fictions about the body in the bog, the author was tied to a bleak ending.

The book was an interesting read, one a fairly-advanced middle-schooler with a deep lean toward anthropological interests would enjoy.

A Sincere Thank You to Lois Lowry, HarperCollins Children's Books, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review. #TheWindebyPuzzle #NetGalley

Not exactly a novel, but definitely not nonfiction. This felt very much like a writing exercise. The text is as much Lowry reflecting on why she finds this story compelling as it is about the imagined history. It was interesting to learn about Lowry's process. I don't know how much it will speak to young readers but may inspire aspiring authors.

I can say with certainty that this book was very different from anything I've ever read. Lowry does a really fascinating job making historical people come alive. I have often wondered about what the lives were like of the people that we find in archeological digs. Lowry goes one step further and creates whole worlds and stories for them. I did really respect her attention to detail and the way she crafted these two stories. I was really taken by the first story, about Estrild. I would have really connected to her as a child. And I wanted to hug Varick. I really appreciated how complex she made both characters in the small amount of space she gave them. I also really enjoyed looking at the included photographs of the figure found in the bog.

I am only hesitant about this book 1. because the title feels like a misnomer, (I was hoping the book included an actual puzzle or something to solve, and not a philosophical kind of archeological puzzle) and 2. I'm not sure who I would recommend it to. I'm not sure younger school aged children would get it, but the older crowd might not appreciate the way it was written for that younger audience. There is a very special kind of kid that would deeply appreciate it, and I'm sure teachers could absolutely utilize it for the beautiful mix of fiction and non-fiction it provides.

I honestly have no idea how to approach rating this...so, as an adult, I found this fascinating albeit morbid. Lowry intersperses her own commentary on her historical research around the "Windeby Girl," a 2000-year-old body unearthed from a bog in Europe, with two historical fiction stories where she envisions what that child's life might have been like.

The book's marketed as middle grade/children's though, and I'm not sure most kids would enjoy the structure. Others might experience stress from how morbid and sad it all is. CW: lots of talk of death, some discussion of adultery, human sacrifice, etc.

All in all, it was kind of a weird experience, and one that I was not immediately glad I set out upon with my kids.

Thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books, Clarion Books, and netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

I am not the intended audience, so I'm allowing for some leeway. I requested this based only on the author name. I don't read very much J or YA any more, since I no longer collect in that area and my kid is, as a teen, less open to my suggestions but getting plenty to read from the library. (2022 stats: 85% Adult, 5% J, 10% YA. My only other J book so far in 2023 was a picture book I read for Collection Development purposes, to see if it was a candidate for the Local History collection. (It wasn't.)) Since I didn't read a description, I might not have managed my expectations well. But I imagine lots of younger readers might do the same, so who's to say?

This doesn't have the wide appeal that the author's older books do. While [book:Gathering Blue|12936] and [book:Number the Stars|47281] have a kind of "perfect" or ideal-target readership (based on reading skill and emotional age), they appeal to a broader range and are accessible to a pretty big swath across many grade levels. This book... doesn't do that.

The writing felt very narrow. Older or more advanced readers will feel out of place-- this is clearly a "kids' book." The language is a bit over-the-top, which will be great for younger readers, but will feel obvious to older kids. The narration in the nonfiction(/memoir?) portions was monotonous, with very simple sentences. These writing issues, combined with the illustrations, book size, and text size... I think a young teen (or middle teen! or older teen!) would feel self-conscious carrying this around, in a way they wouldn't with [book:The Giver|3636].

The book also feels... thin. Like, not every story has to have a moral, but every story does have to have a reason, a reason for being, a reason the author wrote it. And the reason for this book seems to be: the author needed a hobby during the 2020 lockdown. There's enough research incorporated in the nonfiction sections that a small group of readers will fall in love-- the kind of kids who get hardcore in Egyptian mummies from ages 8-10.

I was approved for the eARC from NetGalley but couldn't download it before it archived, so I read the print copy courtesy of my local public library.

Lois Lowry was a staple for me as a child and reading her as an adult feels incredibly nostalgic. She is such a great writer and I loved this book. I can't wait to read it with my child one day.

I thought this book was well written, and unique the split between history and story made this one stand out. I was never really able to get drawn into this story. Lois Lowry is a great writer so I won't rank it lower than 3 stars but it was a bit meh for me.

I struggled with this one. I mean, it is a Lowry book on a really interesting historical period/mystery. I remember hearing Lowry talk about her inspiration for this book before it was released and I was really excited for it. It sounded like it could be a really engaging story about a very little known period of time (and a very little covered period of time in kid lit).

But, the structure just didn't work for me. At first I thought maybe this was a good choice that gave some uniqueness to the story, but as it went on, it fell apart. Lowry breaks the fourth wall in between sections and speaks directly to the reader about her thoughts and the information she was using to write the book. All very interesting, but it probably could have just been put at the end of the book as an author's note.

Also, I thought the two sections for Estrild and Varick would continue the same story but instead we got two separate short stories about these young people in this village. All well and good, but doesn't quite work. It almost felt like Lowry's first draft of the story with notes to her editor in between to show what she's planning/thinking.

Lowry is an excellent writer and she does historical fiction very well. So this was a bit of a let down. The bones are there for a great story, they just didn't come together.

With her known imagination, Lowry takes her readers on a journey of the Iron age. An uncovering of bodies known as bog bodies that were buried in a peat bog. These bodies were preserved. Lowry having seen these pictures, she thought about their stories. A people that have long been forgotten that no known written record of their existence is curious to say the least. Lowry has written two stories of the same body that was recovered. What looked like to be a young girl with blond hair, half of it shaved off with a surreal pose. What happened to her? Why was she sent to the bog? All these questions consumed Lowry and so she gave her the name Estrild. She also developed a story surrounding her community and family. A best friend named Varick. She also gave her voice. However, in writing this, Lowry received more information and the Estrild was not a girl but a boy so the second story developed with Varick.

It is a great reminder how stories from long ago affect us today and our stories will affect future generations. Such great story telling and I too relished what may have happened.

A special thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest rev

Interesting and thought provoking account of a historical mystery. Not the usual Lois Lowry novel, but could be useful in a social studies unit with educational context. The back and forth format (between fact & fiction) was a little hard to follow, but interesting novel all the same.

Lou’s Lowry has always been willing to grapple with the big topics. She often invites controversy with her willingness to tackle the tough subjects. In The Windeby Puzzle she digs deep into history to solve a 2000 year old question — what is the story behind the discovery of a skeleton found in a German peat bog? She begins with the facts as she knew them — a girl about 13 years old is found with her hair half-shorn and a blindfold over her eyes. With those stark facts she creates the story of a young girl in a society ruled by the Druids fighting against the expectations of society and paying the price.
But the story does not end there. Further advances in DNA research leads to new conclusions in the analysis of the ancient skeleton — now deemed to be a 16 year old boy with a twisted spine. Lowry pivots and makes the secondary character of the original story into the focus of an alternative version, using these new scientific conclusions. Now the character is a sickly boy, a loner with a deep curiosity for the natural world. His story intersects with the rebellious girl of story version one but the author is able to use the new information to turn the direction of the tale.
In both versions society is bleak, impoverished and lacking in culture beyond the customs of the Druid religion and the enhanced status of the warrior class.. and yet Lowry has created two memorable characters each with powerful interior strength.
As I ponder the two vignettes, it is a testimony to the artistry of Lois Lowry that I continue to care for these two young people long after their whole society has disappeared. I also can’t stop contrasting the harshness of their lives with modern society’s comforts. A complaint of a delay in restaurant service or missing out on the latest fad seems petty indeed compared to the life or death struggles of so long ago. Lowry tackles this universal topic of death and presents it to a young audience for their consideration. It is not comfortable or easy, but it is a subject for adventurous readers to start thinking about.

I've been fascinated by bog bodies since hearing about them on an episode of My Favorite Murder a while ago, and I was lucky enough to visit the National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology in Dublin while I was reading this book (!!!) and was able to see several bog bodies in person. It was weird and upsetting and incredible, and I fully understand Lowry's obsession with trying to imagine how the Windeby body ended up in the bog.

The structure of the book was different -- there's a long-ish introduction and several narrative interludes adding historical context and explaining Lowry's writing process. I personally loved this - it was fun to read about what inspired her and to learn more about the history. The two stories she tells about Estrild and Varick are short and do end kind of abruptly, but what is more abrupt than the early death of a young person?

I overall really enjoyed reading this book and am so happy Lowry used her brilliant imagination to come up with some what ifs for the Windeby body.

Always a fan of Lois Lowry! I appreciated the blending of fact and fiction about a topic I had no previous knowledge. I liked the stories of Estrild and Varick, but the format and delivery was confusing.