Fun quirky book that I think kids will enjoy. I loved the relationship between the 3 main characters and how they encourage and support each other throughout the story. I couldn't wait to find out what challenge was next as they went through the fun house.

This was such a fun story and such a fun step away from Lindsay's usual spooky middle grades.
It felt like a modern day Goonies retelling and I love The Goonies. Main character Sarah's family is in danger of losing their house after her dad is diagnosed with CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and cannot work. Sarah along with her friends Hannah and West LOVE escape rooms. When Hannah mentions the long running rumor that an abandoned funhouse built in the 1950's has a hidden treasure in it, the group decides to try to find it to save Sarah's house. It's the biggest and oldest "escape room" they have attempted. And not only that, it's got No Trespassing signs all over it. They will need to sneak in and find their way out without getting caught.
First of all, these 3 characters are so cute. They have such a bond and such a (non-romantic) love for each other. They all have things they are really good at, and things they are self-conscious about that they end up sharing with the others and overcoming.
The plot is obviously very fun. The house is just so imaginative. Every room is completely different and has so many twists and turns to figure out how to get out of them, I never saw anything coming. There was one line towards the beginning that (to me) made it obvious how it was going to end, but I think if I was the targeted middle grade audience, I probably would have missed it and been very surprised. The ending was really fun and had a cute little twist at the end.
I will definitely be recommending this one to any middle grade friends!

I absolutely loved 'The Mystery of Locked Rooms' by Lindsay Currie. Main character Sarah, and her friends West and Hannah, love the challenge of escape rooms. When Sarah's family is threatened with losing their home, the three band together to try to tackle the ultimate escape room - a whole 'fun' house created by triplets who promised a fortune if anyone could complete it. Breaking into the fun house in search of the fortune is one thing but the three must also get out of the house successfully. It will test their puzzle and reasoning capabilities as well as the bonds of their friendship. With lots of twist and turns, the book keeps readers on the edge of their seats as they try to figure out the puzzles along with Sarah, West, and Hannah. All three are likable characters with strengths and flaws that come out as they work together.

This would be a fun book to read with a class or a book club as the book inspires so many activities that could bring it to life. Hand this one to readers who love puzzles, escape rooms, and mysteries. They'll be asking for more!

Team Delta consists of best friends Sarah, West and Hannah and they have just beat the second hardest escape room in Escape City history. Their victory places them among the topmost elite teams that have ever completed this level. Together Team Delta feels invincible. That is until the team experiences a major setback when Sarah finds a foreclosure notice in her mailbox. Sarah's mom has been working two jobs, as her dad was recently diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and hasn't been able to work. Sarah's older brother Sean is supposed to head off to college soon, but her parents are worried about where the money is going to come from. Now with the foreclosure notice, they need to get some money fast, otherwise Sarah and her family might have to move in with her grandparents in Michigan, which would end up breaking up the team.

Then Hannah remembers a story about an old, abandoned funhouse from the 1950's. As the story goes, the funhouse was constructed by triplet brothers, Karl, Stefan and Hans Stein. The brothers were orphaned at the age of eight and ended up separated, only reuniting later as adults. They had always dreamed of building a funhouse together to share with the public. Unfortunately, they all died before the funhouse opened. According to the legend, hidden somewhere in the house there is thought to be the Triplet's Treasure, a reward for whoever can survive the house's secret passages and riddles. Many have tried, but none have been successful in making it past the mirror mazes and optical illusions. Since then, the funhouse's treasure has gone unclaimed. Hannah, Sarah and West believe that finding the treasure is the answer to all of their worries and so they make plans to enter the funhouse to solve its mysteries, as losing each other is too great of a risk.

Once inside the funhouse, Sarah, West and Hannah begin to feel some success but also make a couple of wrong guesses, for which they suffer a penalty and have to change their plans and redo a few steps. The trio also begins to worry that trying to solve the funhouse's mystery was a bad idea as they didn't tell anyone where they were going and now, they can't even get a phone signal to call for help if something goes wrong. But going back is also not an option so the team continues on. As the trio ventures further into the various rooms they face even more difficult tasks and begin to wonder if the triplets were really diabolical and whether they have what it takes to solve this puzzling house, as this place is unlike any escape room that they've ever attempted before.

I just adore Lindsay Currie's books and The Mystery of Locked Rooms was a fantastic read, part suspense, filled with puzzles, riddles and precarious hidden passages that pose potential dangers around every corner. Highly recommend it for fans of Goonies, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and even Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. And oh, my what a task this trio faced navigating through these sixteen rooms with only a hope that there was going to be a treasure waiting at the end. I quite enjoyed Sarah, Hannah and West, and the friendship that they share. The way that they start confiding some of the secrets that they've been hiding. How Hannah feels like she's failed as a dancer, and how West feels burdened by his exceptional memory. I really liked how Currie highlights each character's worries, and skills while giving them an opportunity to show their strengths, be it Hannah's agility and balance, to West's ability to solve riddles and his memory skills, to Sarah's decision-making skills, ability to keep track of the time and determine the probabilities of risks. There was such a nice balance in seeing each of them have a moment of success. I also really enjoyed learning about the history of the Stein triplets. It added a layer of mystery to the story which was fun. It was also exciting to see what strategy the trio used to solve each riddle and how important attention to detail played in some of the clues and how at other times they had to just make a choice, come what may. Taking a leap of faith. Overall, this was creative, exciting with just the right length and perfect pacing to entertain a sleuth who enjoys escape rooms, riddles and solving puzzles. **A huge thank you to Sourcebooks for the E-ARC via NetGalley**

I love the escape room idea! The entire house escape room was really fun. I loved the characters and thought they were well-developed. While I would love a series with these characters, I thought the book wrapped up well and seemed like a standalone (and that's okay, too!). I will look for others by this author!

A fun, escape room mystery. Very plot-based with lots of cute problem solving. There's also a good, overarching message about friendship and perseverance—trying your best, no matter the situation.

While I really liked the premise, I thought the character development was a bit thin. The MC just wasn't very interesting. And the conclusion of the book leaned toward lackluster and uninspired—too fairy-tale perfect to maintain any semblance of believability.

Still, for those interested in escape rooms, there is some good material in this book. And the writing, itself, is solid.

Mystery of Locked Rooms is a fun, riddle filled mystery centered around three friends and an abandoned house full of puzzles and secrets that may or may not end with a treasure. I enjoyed every page and loved each of the Delta’s! Each character stood apart and had their own motivations and growth throughout the book. I can’t wait to put this book in student’s hands and I know they are going to devour it as quickly as I did!

I received this book through NetGalley. Escape rooms have always intrigued me, even though I do horribly in them. So I was intrigued as to how it would be to go through one in a book. Currie did not disappoint. Three best friends are trying to stay together. Everything hangs on them solving a series of locked rooms built in a house in the 50’s. This was a fun and fast moving adventure sure to delight those who enjoy solving escape rooms.

The action and mystery will keep the reader turning pages until the very end of this middle grade book perfect for fans of Escape from Lemoncello's library. Sarah and her two best friends love escape rooms and puzzles. When Sarah's family house is going to be repossessed, they set out to complete the ultimate escape room: an abandoned fun house with treasure as the prize for whoever completes it. Sarah's father suffers from chronic fatigue and is unable to work. Sarah think the treasure will solve all of her families problems. The stakes are introduced very quickly, and for most of the book feel unattached to the action. The majority of the novel takes place inside the fun house as the three friends work through the clues. Sarah's emotional journey ultimately feels incomplete, but the mystery will be enough to keep kids reading.

The Mystery of Locked Rooms is sure to "lock" in students and readers alike. It has adventure, mystery, and excitement from start to finish! The characters are relatable enough for readers to get sucked into this amazingly adventurous book!

The Mystery of Locked Rooms is the perfect book for these times. Escape rooms are so enormously popular that an adventurous novel of this kind is a fabulous choice for many ages. I found it hugely entertaining, and I am sixty-six! Lest that deter you from purchasing it for younger (much younger!) people, I have grandchildren who can't wait for this book to be published. The story centers on three close friends, two girls and a boy, who love escape rooms and are extraordinarily good at them. One girl's family falls on difficult times, and the three decide to find out if the legend of a local abandoned funhouse is true. The attraction was never opened but is rumored to have a treasure for anyone who makes their way to the end. This escape house is the grandest and most rigorous of the genre, and the trio have monumental escapades within its walls. Lindsay Currie has outdone herself with this spectacular novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Young Readers. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, Sourcebooks Young Readers, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a cute fun middle grade mystery. I loved the flow of the story and the writing. It was fun to see how the characters worked together to solve the puzzles and make it through the escape like rooms. The growth of the characters through the book and how they faced their fears was really well done.

The Mystery of Locked Rooms is a fun mystery adventure. Sarah, Hannah and West are best friends and each play a part to their amazing escape room group, the Deltas. Unfortunately life for Sarah takes a turn for the worse when her house is foreclosed on and she may have to move away to another state. The trio comes up with a plan that involves a mysterious funhouse that may hold the treasure Sarah needs in order to help save her family home and prevent her from moving away from her best friends. The adventure is on as these friends prepare for the most epic escape room adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this ARC of The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie in exchange for an honest review.

The Mystery of Locked Rooms is a story about three 7th graders; Sarah, Hannah, and West. They are all going through struggles in their home lives, and only are freed from them by solving escape rooms as a group. When Sarah finds an unexpected foreclosure notice on her front door, this group of escape artists find themselves an old abandoned funhouse, looking for a treasure hidden within to save Sarahs's house and keep her from moving away. The funhouse house throws many personal challenges in their path, bringing them much closer together. From the start these characters stole my heart. West always had a witty response to every comment, Hannah was fearless and never gave up, and Sarah was a born leader and had such a kind heart. Overall it was a really sweet story about how everyone has some sort of struggle in their life, so you are not alone. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie was a fun and humorous book that reminded me of the Chris Grabenstein book series Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Three friends, Sarah, West, and Hannah are experts at escaping escape rooms. When Sarah's house gets foreclosed on, the three friends learn about an abandoned fun house from the 1950's that supposedly has a treasure at the end for any who successfully get through the fun house. Each room has a different theme and a different puzzle to solve. See if you can solve the puzzles before the kids do!

Lindsay Currie is one of my FAAAAAAVORITE MG authors, and The Mystery of Locked Rooms helped propel her there!

This “escape house” novel, full of action and brain teasers that the reader totally feels a part of, shows what happens when friendship is strong and friends join together to in hopes of solving an insurmountable problem through shared interests.

I loved every page of this book and have started brainstorming in case Currie needs ideas for a sequel. Lol! Pick a copy of The Mystery of Locked Rooms for your upper elementary or middle school reader—and go ahead and get one for yourself!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Young Readers for the e-ARC!

What would you do if you were about to lose your house? How about if that meant you had to move away from your friends? Or if your dad was so poorly he couldn't get out of bed? Well that's reality for Sarah. Her and her 2 friends (The Deltas) decide to try and find some treasure in an abandoned fun house. Think escape room x1million! They work hard as a team and discover things about themselves and each other that bring them closer together. An absolutely brilliant story that will make you puzzle along with the children.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebook Kids for the advance copy.

I have been a fan of Lindsay Currie for quite some time. Not only does she write spooky books that my middle grade readers love, but she is able to seamlessly blend across genres, giving readers a delightful fright, as well as adding historical details (often about her beloved Chicago) which gives the reader an unknown, well-researched history lesson.

When I found out she was publishing a middle grade mystery a la Lemoncello’s library I could not wait to read it! Let me tell you, this book did not disappoint. It has everything you could possibly want in a middle grade read. Puzzles rivaling those of the Hawthorne Brothers. Characters that seemed so real I wanted to jump into the funhouse with them. Real problems that they were facing and trying to find out-of-the-box solutions to. A friendship so strong where they support and encourage each other while also accepting they the others are not perfect. Adventure and suspense abound in this terrific tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks for an advanced review copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

This was a fun puzzle of a book to read and experience. It is very fast-paced and like the vibes of a “bottle episode” in TV shows, where the majority of the plot happens in a single setting. The characters, three best friends, were very sweet and likable—I wish that the main character, Sarah, could have been fleshed out a bit more, but I am also an adult reader, so I’m not sure the target audience would notice this.

My other piece of feedback involves the tidy-bow aspect of the ending. Without spoilers, there was one major subplot that seemed to resolve extremely quickly, enough that it almost brought me out of the story.

As the reader, I was able to click along with the characters and feel like I am solving the puzzles and riddles alongside them. Overall, I think kids between the ages of ten and twelve will really love this story, especially kids who love escape rooms and puzzle-based storylines.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for giving me the chance to read this book. It was a book that many middle grade students will love, especially those who love mysteries. There were lots of twists and turns and fun challenges and riddle the main characters had to solve. What a fun read! I’ll definitely be adding this to our classroom library.