If you were a kid in the late 80's you might remember Chronicles of Prydain author Lloyd Alexander had a series of paperback chapter books about a character named Vesper Holly, who was a seventeen-year-old treasure seeker and adventurer in the vein of Indiana Jones, but in the 19th Century. Cincinatti Lee, Curse Breaker takes that concept and modernizes it, but with a bit more direct references to the famed film series and a contemporary setting.

12-year-old Cincinnati (Natalie) Lee takes her first name from the city where her Pops, her great great (great) grandpa lives in a nursing facility. "Pops" just happens to be a 135 year old famous archeologist (allegedly still alive from drinking from the fountain of youth) who hunted for treasure to preserve it in museums instead of letting it fall into the hands of scavengers and antiquities dealers. The problem is, now he's been cursed by the very possibly-magical items he stole from their places of origin. So Cincinnati takes it upon herself to get them back and break the curse by returning the artifacts to their places and people.

Well, at least at first. Things take a turn after a botched attempt at retrieving the first item from an antiquities auction when she discovers another hunt, this time for the Spear of Destiny, and things take off from there with an increase in danger, intrigue, and international adventure. Heilig's reverse treasure hunter makes for a good time, with fun characters who are well drawn and emotional conflicts that feel relatable. There are fun references to world art, literature, and history throughout, which may help spark curiosity in young readers to explore these topics on their own. It's all very Indiana Jones, right down to the fedora, but with a bit more fast-talking sneaky kid adventure to it.

I love adventure stories for children, and I really love anything set in a museum. This book didn't disappoint! The voice is punchy and Cincinnati Lee is a character I think fiery middle graders will be able to relate to. I found myself wishing the specifics of the titular curse were explained in more detail, and the ending felt a bit rushed, but it was a really fun read overall. It gets extra points for all the references to classic works of art, literature, and music.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC!

This reminded me a lot of what I enjoyed about the genre when I was younger. The characters had that feel that worked well overall and enjoyed how they were used in this universe. Heidi Heilig does a great job in keeping the reader engaged and how everything worked overall.