A middle grade novel about three kids who decide to break into an old "fun house" and see if they can find the treasure that may allow the main character, Sarah, to have enough money to keep from moving away. It is promoted as a book for kids who love escape rooms and that is 90% of the plot. The children are sparsely drawn personalities, the athletic one, the smart one, and the main character. whose financial situation and father's chronic fatigue syndrome is the catalyst for them breaking into an abandoned house. For children who want to project themselves into the adventure this is makes it easy, but it is not a particularly character driven story.

The mystery itself is okay, as the kids progress from room to room with "find and use" items as well as strategy clues. Escape room afficianados have to suspend disbelief as a few of the rooms expect you to break or damage items, or traps that seem more "old guy Indiana Jones" than a fun house. The writing is brisk but doesn't have a lot of suspense for discovering mysteries along with the kids. Compared to the Lemoncello series or Mysterious Benedict Society, this book just tells you that West figured out the pattern for the box room rather than slowing down to explain it for kids interested in the process.

Overall, a book to give to kids who like suspense and already love escape rooms. Those who loved "Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena" would like this, but not necessarily mystery lovers.

As a copy edit note: they used the term Spiderman in the novel when it is Spider-Man. Hopefully it will be fixed later.

When I saw the front cover, I knew I was going to love this book and the content didn't let me down!
The author cleverly made you feel for the characters before they head off on this adventure and you feel yourself willing them through every puzzle!
This could easily be made into a film, the storytelling is so good!!

West, Hannah, and Sarah, referred to as "The Deltas" are a threesome intent on finding a treasure rumored to be hidden in an abandoned funhouse. Of course, the building is off-limits but that doesn't stop the trio from trying to solve the hardest puzzle of them all! Having honed their skills at numerous escape rooms, the friends join forces to do what no one has done before. Why risk life and limb? Because Sarah's family is in dire financial straits and friends do all they can to save the day!

As the friends move through the funhouse, each one has a chance to use skills they are good at and as they learn to appreciate the strengths of each other, they gain a perspective on how differences can be a good thing and weaknesses offer opportunities to show compassion and support. Putting aside the obvious trespassing the children did, the book was an imaginative story that will resonate with middle-grade readers. What child hasn't fantasized about finding a long-lost treasure?! Sprinkled within the pages are logic, problem-solving, and conflict resolution--skills every reader can always improve on! If you enjoy puzzles or mysteries, you'll want to check out The Mystery of Locked Rooms.

On the author's website, readers can take a quiz to see which Delta they are most like. I am hoping the author will write more mysteries of the "not spooky" type. The various challenges within the funhouse reminded me of the Mysterious Benedict Society so fans of that series should love this one. I would have loved to have seen a map of the funhouse layout (even better would be an interactive tour on the author's website with different challenges to try).

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of The Mystery of Locked Rooms from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

I enjoyed the premise of this book and the character development, however I felt like some of the detail in writing in order to describe the room got a little confusing. I could picture what the rooms looked like, but couldn't follow how they were all connected. From an escape room lover, this was a fun book though!

A tween learns that her family might lose their home and goes on a quest with her two best friends to help save it. Along the way, the kids will have to rely on one another and help each other face secrets and fears if they want to complete the quest and come home safely. Middle grade author Lindsay Currie returns with another excellent novel about friendship and facing important stakes in the sweet book The Mystery of Locked Rooms.

Seventh grader Sarah Greene has the best friends. West and Hannah love escape rooms as much as she does, and the three of them have made it their mission to crack every one in and around their hometown of Park Glen, Illinois. So far, they’ve done a pretty awesome job and have even come up with a name for their trio: the Deltas. When the Deltas work together, nothing is impossible.

That’s why Sarah goes straight to Hannah and West when she gets the awful news: her family is going to lose their home. Sarah’s dad has been sick with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for a few years and hasn’t been able to work much. Her mom has been doing everything she can to support the family, but apparently it hasn’t been enough. Now the Greenes might have to move to Michigan to be closer to family who can help out, and Sarah’s really scared.

West and Hannah offer to help. Sarah loves her friends for their “can-do” attitude, but what can any of them really do? They’re just kids. They’re not even through middle school yet.

Then Hannah mentions a funhouse that sounds like the ultimate escape room. About a billion years ago—okay, maybe it wasn’t that long—a set of triplets named Hans, Stefan, and Karl Stein made a funhouse that they planned to open to the public. Apparently the triplets lost their parents when they were little kids and were separated for a long time. When they were finally able to bring their family back together again, they promised two things: never to let anything come between them again and to build the coolest, most challenging funhouse anyone had ever seen.

The place sounds cool, but what really gets Sarah’s attention is that the Stein triplets supposedly hid a treasure in the funhouse. Whoever solves it gets the treasure, and Sarah knows right away she has to win. So what if they place is abandoned and probably has creepy-crawlies everywhere? That’s all the more reason to believe the treasure is still there. It’s practically just waiting for Sarah and the Deltas to claim it.

The friends are determined to help Sarah stay in Park Glen and save her family’s home, so they tell their parents they’re headed to the coolest escape room of all. It’s technically not a lie, even if the “escape room” is in a different town and presents the three friends with the hardest challenges they’ve ever run across. Soon enough, they’re not just worried about solving the funhouse’s secret; they’re also wondering if they’re going to get out at all.

Author Lindsay Currie hits all the right notes in this story about friendship and loyalty. Sarah, West, and Hannah balance each other out in their temperaments as well as their strengths and weaknesses. As the three work their way through the Stein funhouse, Currie presents challenges just difficult enough to keep readers engaged without ever threatening the friends with worrisome danger.

In the last third of the book, the pacing starts to lag as some of the funhouse challenges feel a little repetitive in their nature and purpose. The sweet personalities and friendships of the children at the center of the book will keep target audience members involved, however. Even if not all kids are interested in escape rooms, most readers will know what it’s like to watch a friend go through a major challenge and want to help them with it. Currie gives her Sarah’s two best friends the satisfaction of doing just that.

Those looking for a middle grade read that’s full of kindness and gentle reminders about honesty and believing in one’s self will want to pick this one up.

Fun, fun, fun. In the 1950s, a set of triplets built a funhouse with a rumored treasure awaiting the first person to make it through. In the present day, three best friends are determined to reach the end. There are puzzles, riddles, and escape rooms -- while also not shying away from heavier topics (a parent's medical diagnosis leads to losing their job which leads to a potential foreclosure).

Love live the Deltas!

Lindsay Currie is easily my favorite middle grade author and I love her typical ghost stories, so I was very curious when I saw she was going a different direction for this book. The Mystery of Locked Rooms did not disappoint!

The Goonies is one of my favorite movies of all time, so I loved all of the similarities.

This book kept me guessing the whole time! I kept catching myself trying to solve all of the riddles and puzzles along with Sarah, West, and Hannah.

Per usual, Lindsay‘s themes of friendship were very strong throughout this book and I loved seeing the Deltas work together

Sarah, Hannah, and West are best friends. Nicknamed The Deltas, the friends challenge themselves and their abilities in escape rooms, so when the ultimate escape room temps them in the form of an abandoned fun house, they bite. Lying to their parents, traveling by train, and entering an abandoned building, the friends work their way through "The Triplets" funhouse using their brains, some brawn, and a lot of trust, in themselves and one another. The goal: finish the funhouse to win the treasure at the end and save Sarah's house from foreclosure (and her from moving to Michigan). But, a fifty year old abandoned funhouse is very different from a current escape room. Will The Deltas have enough ability to survive and find the treasure, or is it all for naught?

The Mystery of Locked Rooms is not as amazing as its cover art (which is why I read the novel). I received an eGalley through NetGalley and was very excited to read this novel. I loved the cover and the description of the book; that's where my love ends. I found most of the novel to be forced (especially the dialogue). It lacked exposition to connect the reader to the characters and truly develop the story. It felt like The Deltas were in an escape room, heard about a funhouse, Sarah's dad is sick, now we're at the funhouse and solving it. Oh, and Hannah got kicked out of dance, and West doesn't like how he has a photographic memory (or so it seems). I've worked with middle school students for sixteen years, and these middle-schoolers are not relatable or realistic. I truly thought I was in for an amazing novel, but I was greatly disappointed.

Let me just start by saying while this book may be considered middle grade, I’d easily recommend The Mystery of Locked Rooms to readers of all ages. I love how Lindsay Currie’s books (at least the ones I’ve read so far) don’t shy away from serious issues and how she doesn’t talk down to her younger readers.

Things are rough for Sarah Greene. In the years since her father fell ill her mother has done everything she can to keep up with the bills, but it hasn’t been enough and now their home is about to get foreclosed on. Luckily her friends, West and Hannah, may have a solution. According to local legend there’s a secret treasure hidden in an abandoned funhouse. Well it’s a good thing the three of them are so good at escape rooms because in this treasure hunt they’re going to have to work together and use all their skills. I loved this cast of characters and the story is wonderfully clever. As I said at the start of my review this is a book for all ages, and definitely one I’ll be picking up for my nieces. I’d like to thank SOURCEBOOKS Kids, Sourcebooks Young Readers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Mystery of Locked Rooms.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3LN4ME2AX5A62/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Lindsay Currie does it again. After reading What Lives in the Woods by the author, I knew I'd love all her books. The Mystery of Locked Rooms is my new favorite middle-grade read. I can't recommend this story enough to readers.

The book has so many incredible moments, full of suspense, mystery, and friendship. We immediately meet our fantastic protagonists Sarah, West, and Hannah. They like to call themselves The Deltas, and they are the best at escape rooms. Early in the book, we find out that Sarah's father is very ill, and they may be forced to foreclose their home and move away. Until Hannah mentions the existence of a legendary fun house abandoned in the 1950s, filled with treasure. So the Deltas set out to the adventure of a lifetime to try and save their friendship. I absolutely loved this story, filled with adventure, nostalgia, and so many twists and turns.

For readers who love puzzles and riddles and mazes and math problems, The Mystery of Locked Rooms is a thrilling adventure. They’ll enjoy following the kids on their important quest—and joining in each challenge.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

“The probability of three math nerds who all love escape rooms finding each other and being best friends probably wasn’t good either. But we did”.
I really loved this book. It is written so well and the descriptions of the rooms is spot on. What I also took from this is something we need more of in this world, bonds that are hard to break and teens who have nothing but encouragement and mutual respect for one another.
Sarah and her friends, West and Hannah, are 7th graders who share the love of escape rooms. They find the hardest rooms and try and beat them. However, their close bond may end due to Sarah’s house going into foreclosure and the threat of moving far away to Michigan. Sarah’s family has had a very hard year. Her mom is working two jobs due to her father being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, leaving him virtually bed ridden. Upon doing some research the friends, known as the Delta Crew, find out about a 70 year old funhouse that has a potential treasure at the end. Lying to their parents, they take a train to another city to try and beat this funhouse created by triplet brothers. The funhouse, like no other escape room they have ever experienced, proves to be frustrating and rewarding. Each kid finds out about themselves and most of all they realize they have trust in one another.
I will definitely be reading this to my teen students and would recommend it for parents and educators.
Thank you #netgalley #sourcebooks for allowing me to read #themysteryoflockedrooms

Thank you to Source Books and #NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital ARC of The Mystery of the Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie. This middle grade novel will be published April 1, 2024. All opinions are my own.

Sarah, Hannah, and West are the best of friends and they refer to themselves as the Deltas. They love to do escape rooms and each bring something different to the game. When Sarah finds out that their house is going to be foreclosed on and she and her family will have to move to Michigan to live with her grandparents, the Deltas come up with a plan: find the treasure rumored to be hidden in an abandoned funhouse.

This was a super fun, middle grade mystery. Escape rooms are very popular right now and this book did a great job of incorporating them. I loved the uniqueness and creativity of the various rooms they faced. I also loved that each room and task taught the characters a lesson. The book focuses on themes related to friendship, growing up, and learning that there are things that are outside of your realm of control, but that ultimately you are resilient and you can survive. The characters were fun and though the idea was a little out there, it’s still realistic and believable. Overall, it was a fun read and kind of perfect for spring break.

If you have kids who like to read, this book would be a great option for them, especially if you're looking for an easy plot to follow. I love the moral of the story, and I appreciate how the characters worked together.

The Mystery of Locked Rooms is a fabulous middle grade novel for those students or readers who love to solve puzzles and challenging limits. When Sarah Greene's family is at risk for losing their house to foreclosure and moving far away to live with her grandparents, Sarah knows she needs to do something to help out her parents. Together with her two best friends they are ready to find a mysterious treasure thought to be at the end of a complex fun house just outside of town. Can the three pre-teens who have mastered numerous escape rooms take on this fun house in a hopes of finding the treasure and saving Sarah's house from financial ruin.

Lindsay Currie does a wonderful job of keeping the book's pace fast and action packed, while throwing in some social/emotional challenges for each of the three main characters to conquer on their own. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebook Young Readers for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

4.5 stars

Ooh, I really liked this one! Anyone who is a fan of mysteries, riddles, or escape rooms would love this. Sarah, West, and Hannah have been best friends ever since she moved into the neighborhood and discovered West and Hannah trying to rescue an unwilling cat from a tree. They are the three sides of a triangle, and they call themselves The Deltas. Their love of puzzles, riddles, and escape rooms is what ties them together, but their friendship is about to be tested when they discover that Sarah might have to move away because their house is being foreclosed on, due to her dad's Chronic Fatigue diagnosis.

They tell her about a local legend known as the Triplet Treasure that is supposed to be in a run-down abandoned escape house that the Triplets built long ago, but never opened after one of them died. This is when the Deltas decide they will work together to solve the house and possibly find the treasure to save Sarah's house.

I loved all three of the main characters, and I loved that even after being such good friends, they were each able to learn something new about the others that deepened their friendship along the way. I loved the puzzles and how each of them had strengths that the others did not and that together, they formed a strong triangle. Yes, this was a puzzle story, but it was also about the kids themselves. I absolutely loved the ending and while this is a standalone story, I would love to read more books with these characters. I think this is a book that readers of Lemoncello's Library would enjoy. While geared to middle school kids, I really enjoyed it as well and will be recommending this to my own students.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a fun middle grade read The Mystery of Locked Rooms was! Full of fun twists and adventure, the story follows best friends Sarah, West and Hannah, escape room enthusiasts, as they try to escape the ultimate challenge.

Sarah's story is the forefront of this adventure. Her father has a chronic illness that is preventing from working and living life, leaving her mom shouldering all the weight. When the family faces foreclosure in their home, Sarah enlists her best friends, West and Hannah, to help her conquer the ultimate escape room that is rumored to have a treasure - treasure that could solve all their problems! As the story evolves, we learn more about West and Hannah and the tight friendship the three have

The characters are relatable and the adventures the trio has in the amazing fun house as they venture forth to find the purported treasure will hook readers in. Is the adventure fantastical? Absolutely! That's what makes it so fun! The author's creativity shines through and the story moves quickly, keeping the reader engaged.

This is a fast and fun read that will appeal to many middle grade readers. I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

A fun middle grade novel that features three friends who work together to solve an escape-room like funhouse challenge from the 1950s. I didn't find this book amazing. I wanted more options for me, the reader, to be able to solve the challenges. I did, however, love the relationship between the three kids. While there does end up being an actual treasure and a happily ever after sort of ending, the kids themselves realize the special bond they have, standing with each other no matter what struggles they are facing. I may not rave about this book but I would definitely recommend it if anyone asked my opinion.

Lindsay is at it again with another book you “don’t want to put down”, but this time with a mystery/game theme of a novel! Readers will love playing along as the characters explore the funhouse and solve riddles. Will Sarah and her friends win the ultimate prize? Readers will need to pick up this amazing book to find out!

This is quite simply the best middle grade book I've read in a long time! I absolutely loved everything about it!

This gem of a book includes finding clues, cracking codes, and escaping locked rooms in an abandoned funhouse and it is right up my alley!

But the story isn't only a locked room adventure! The kids' backstories create depth, weaving empathy into the narrative as well as providing an appreciation of why solving the funhouse challenge is so important to them. Plus, the friendship between the three main characters is honest, realistic, and quite sweet. I loved Sarah, West, and Hannah in equal measure, and I was invested in their success. The character arcs for all three kids were exceptional and highlighted their growth and vulnerabilities.

The pace of the book was super fast and I raced through it because I felt the same urgency the characters did! I was completely immersed in the adventure!

This book is full of challenges, family problems, fear, growth, danger, and loads of fun. A perfect combination for an outstanding middle grade story. I honestly believe every middle grade reader would absolutely love this book!

Thank you @netgalley and @SourceBooksKids for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed