I was interested in this book because of the puzzle solving aspect of the mystery and this ended up being a much different book than what I was expecting. Arizona is a neurodivergent teen whose father has just died in a motorcycle accident. She, her mother, and her dog best friend Mojo travel to a ghost town in Nevada to spread his ashes when Arizona’s mom disappears. Following her disappearance and unhelpful encounters with park rangers, Arizona begins receiving correspondence from the kidnappers asking her to solve puzzles in order for her mother to be released.

What was most interesting about this book and what made it not what I was expecting, was how matter of fact Arizona approaches these strange puzzles and ciphers considering the context. However this isn’t a bad thing and it became clear that a major focus of the plot is Arizona being neurodivergent and having difficulties relating to people and expressing herself although of cours she cares about them and is upset about the situation surrounding her mother’s kidnapping.

While Arizona is working to solve this mystery she slowly opens up to another young woman with a dog, Lily, who is camping near Arizona, and an older grandfather figure Marty who Arizona meets while solving one of the puzzles. While Arizona is working on this mystery she is also learning about herself and figuring out how to trust and open up to others.

The scale of what she has to do in order to solve these puzzles got a little outlandish and outside the realm of suspension of disbelief. While the book was filled with action and definitely not boring, it started to get a little absurd both in terms of what she was doing and her plot armor to accomplish what she did without getting caught.

Certain chapters contained the perspective of the kidnappers who also seemed a little over the top and silly, however that was likely intentional considering how the book concluded. The ending was very interesting and was not at all what I was anticipating.

This is a very curious book with interesting ideas and an entertaining plot for those who enjoy unconventional mysteries.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing- Ballantine/ Ballantine Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.

This engaging mystery thriller takes you on a Da Vinci Code solving chase focused on the secret to long life sought after for centuries by the Alchemists.

Arizona, a brilliant, neurodivergent seventeen-year-old who prefers solitude and hanging with her dog Mojo, finds herself unexpectedly plunged into a relentless puzzle-solving chase. Arizona has to continually solve difficult ciphers and clues – all of which appear on the pages of the book- which may be tied to her Dad who recently died in a motorcycle accident and her kidnapped Mom. Arizona had been being home-schooled by them, as she struggles with interpersonal peer dynamics, any loud noises, trusting others, filtering what she says, and reading other’s emotions.

Arizona hurtles on her motorcycle with Mojo in a sidecar through America’s west in the Sierra Nevada chasing clues across desert canyons, ghost towns, abandoned coal mines, and the Hoover Dam. Not only does she prove a genius at problem-solving, but also an intrepid foe to innumerable foes with guns shooting at her. She even manages to make her first true friendship along the way. Best of all, she has to turn to innumerable works of classic literature, poems and ancient texts to crack the codes. Arizona’s bravery and resilience have you wildly cheering her on.

Of particular fascination is the blending in of the history of the study of alchemy and real-life historical conspiracy theories about the Alchemists actually finding the elusive elixir for long life, but ultimately deciding to hide it as they deemed humankind not yet worthy of such a powerful gift.

An intricately plotted puzzle box of a novel!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

I really enjoyed following Arizona as she solved puzzles to try to find out what happened to her mom. It had just the right amount of thriller plus character development. Overall, a super interesting and fun read.

Arizona, her mother, and her dog Mojo are on a journey to scatter her father’s ashes in some of his favorite places. When her mother ends up missing and it’s determined that she’s been kidnapped, Arizona is extremely intelligent and, to get her mother back, must solve a series of ciphers, puzzles, codes and riddles for the kidnapper. Arizona is a loner and has a hard time being around other people, but she goes well outside her comfort zone, encounters danger with Mojo, and even makes a couple of friends along the way.

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

This was kind of a disappointment. The teenagers involved in this group are not pleasant people. They have all had horrific childhoods and that has taken quite a toll. The whole book is a compendium of tales about violence within families and towards children. It is not a fun read.

This was a really interesting read. The Language of the Birds has a ton of heart and a lot of things I enjoyed, especially the main character. She’s clearly neurodivergent (she reads as autistic, though the word is never used) and seeing the story through her lens made the whole experience feel fresh. It reminded me a little of The Da Vinci Code crossed with National Treasure, if Nicolas Cage were an autistic college student who might be a lesbian.

That said, this is one of those books where you have to really love cryptography, puzzles, and deep historical detail to fully appreciate it. The level of technical explanation is intense. I found myself skimming a lot of the code-breaking parts because I just wanted to get back to the characters and the story. It’s not that the puzzles weren’t well done. They were. It was just more mental heavy lifting than I personally enjoy when I’m reading for fun.

Fans of detailed puzzle thrillers are going to love this. If you’re someone who enjoys sinking into the mechanics of codes and historical mysteries, it’s probably a five-star read. For me, it was a little too much at times, but the strong character work and the overall story arc kept me engaged.

The Language of the Birds has a clever plot and a likable, unique protagonist. Unfortunately, lackluster execution doesn’t deliver on the promise of the novel.

The novel has the makings of a very good story. An inventive mystery is bolstered by impressively researched historical detail. The clues, a series of ciphers and poems, are complicated and yet easy to follow thanks to clear explanations and illustrations (and I say this as someone not especially good with these types of puzzles). I think the final twist will be divisive, but it is undeniably clever. Arizona, with her fierce will and intelligence, is an easy-to-root-for protagonist. Her neurodivergence makes her see the world in a different way and it is often a delight to experience it alongside her.

The prose exemplifies where the novel falters. Every scene has almost the exact same pacing and tone. It barely lingers or amps up the drama in pivotal scenes — a chase sequence feels like it’s simply connecting plot points. And this feeling, that elements only exist to further the plot, is common. Arizona has a good character-arc, but, too often, the points along it are stated rather than worked for. Side characters, with Arizona’s friend Lily, the exception, are often developed just enough for the role they need to fill; the main villain, for example, has little characterization beyond being evil.

Many readers will likely find a lot to like in the puzzles and Arizona. However, if you don’t have an interest in ciphers or riddles, I would be hesitant to recommend The Language of the Birds.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

The premise of this was intriguing! Mysterious with puzzles and clues, family drama, a road trip of sorts? Count me in. Unfortunately, I was left very disappointed. Lots of what seemed like pointless details (example: specific descriptions on how Arizona is resting her fingers on her forehead) that lead to a conclusion that was unsatisfying. None of the characters had much depth to them and because of it, the relationships didn't seem authentic to me.

Arizona's mother has been kidnapped, and in the ransom note she receives, she will need to figure out puzzles and unravel codes, and she takes on the challenge. She is off on an adventure that will captivate you, keeps you reading, and be amazed at how good she is at it. But is she good enough?
I received an ARC from Ballantine Books through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed The Language of the Birds (publication day May 13, 2025) by K.A. Merson, which is a young adult thriller/ mystery that features a neurodivergent, 17-year old main character named Arizona and her dog Mojo. As I read it, I was somewhat reminded of the middle-grade mysteries Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, and The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin because of the centrality of decoding the riddles, but, the stakes here are much, much higher.

Arizona's father has recently passed away in a motorcycle accident, and Arizona and her mother are road-tripping with their Airstream through ghost towns in southern California in his memory. Because Arizona needs some alone time, her mother goes to tour an old mill at a state park while Arizona spends time reading and hiking with Mojo. But when her mother doesn't show up at the designated time, Arizona is thrown for a loop. Turns out she's kidnapped, and the kidnappers contact Arizona to solve a cipher.

Does this have something to do with her father's "accident"? The Airstream has been ransacked, and so is their house, when Arizona goes back home to regroup. How will she be able to find what the kidnappers want her to, especially when it's off the Channel Islands? And how do they know where she is?

Luckily, at one of her campsites, she meets Lily, another young adult camping in her van with her own dog, and she seems to be someone Arizona can trust. And meanwhile, her mother is not just sitting back waiting for the kidnappers to do something worse; she attempts to escape as well.

With themes of alchemy and ancient symbolism like National Treasure, and literature from Lewis Carroll, Edgar Allen Poe, and Robert Louis Stevenson, and national parks and monuments such as Death Valley National Park and the Hoover Dam, Arizona is pushed to her limits to solve the puzzles and save her mom.

I loved the characters and the puzzles, and Arizona's development, realizing that she can tolerate some people. I highly recommend it! And it was completely weight-neutral.

I really enjoyed The Language of the Birds. Hats off to Mr. Merson. I can’t imagine how he constructed this story with the brilliant codes and ciphers. Amazing. Arizona, like the state, is a 17 year old whose father has just died and, while on a road trip with her mother, finds herself alone with the burden of solving clues in order to be reunited with her mother. “…visual thinking wasn’t all that Arizona shared with Einstein. Pinned to the coat of the marionette was her membership pin from Mensa”. Along with her dog, Mojo, Arizona sets out to solve the problem in order to restore her family. This presents challenges for her. “..I found other gears I could mesh with. things I could do alone or with Mojo—reading, writing, math, puzzles, exploring. So I built a machine, a frame of reference, that didn’t require other people. Or so I thought”.

She is thrown into a dangerous world and is forced to rise to the challenge not knowing who she can trust. This was a fun read in which I found myself trying hard to solve the puzzles along with Arizona. Best left to her! Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read.

This book definitely gave me The Da Vince Code vibes, but for teenagers. I also saw a lot of similarities with National Treasure. It was a good book, but I really don't like third person present tense narration. I also am not really the target age demographic, though I think I would have enjoyed this book more as a teenager! I liked the ciphers and codes, though I think there was a little too much on the nose description of all the meanings. I don't know a better way to explain it all, but something about how it was handled just didn't work as well for me.

REALLY wanted to like this but I did have a hard time with getting grounded in the story. The characters were interesting but there were some really slow parts that I just could not connect with.

A teenager, brilliant in her own way, must complete puzzles and ciphers and mysteries left by her deceased father. Arizona is on a mission to save her kidnapped mother .

Intriguing premise but all the codes and ciphers that we work along with Arizona were way too much for me!

If you love these type books filled with puzzles to solve, then this is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This was a well-written story with lots of interesting puzzles to decipher. The puzzles definitely keep you turning the pages, as will the twisty-turny plot twists. The friendships in the story were well-developed and moving.

Seventeen-year-old Arizona and her mother are making a pilgrimage to a ghost town to scatter some of her father's ashes. He died just seventeen days before this story started in an accident while riding his motorcycle. She and her mother are both grieving as they travel.

But when Arizona's mother disappears as they went their separate ways at the ghost town, Arizona is left not knowing what to do. She's neurodivergent and talking to other people is hard for her. Asking the park rangers for help is hard and useless.

When Arizona gets a phone call telling her that "they" have her mother and that she needs to solve some puzzles for them if they are to release her mother, Arizona finds herself solving a variety of difficult puzzles and gradually uncovering clues to what might be a conspiracy that has hidden since the days of the alchemists.

I enjoyed the puzzles and the many references to actual people, notably Herbert Hoover, and actual government documents. I liked the way Arizona and her trusty boxer Mojo traveled together to solve the puzzles and rescue her mother.

This story was a journey ranging from the desert Southwest to a Pacific Island used as a US Navy missile testing ground. It was also a journey for Arizona from a lonely, isolated young woman to a more out-going young woman who proves herself and gathers some friends along the way.

I thought it was an excellent story.

The Language of the Birds by K.A. Merson is a highly recommended mystery featuring an intelligent neurodivergent teen who excels at solving codes and ciphers.

After her father's death, seventeen-year-old Arizona, her mother, and her dog Mojo are traveling in their Airstream trailer to scatter his ashes in some of his favorite places. In California’s Bodie State Historic Park she and her mother go their separate ways and agree to meet at 4:00. When her mother doesn't show up, after giving her more time, she talks to Stephen Gordon, a park ranger, to report her mother is missing.

Later, back at the Airstream she finds it has been searched and a note “Your father should have provided us with the information that we seek. His death could have been avoided. Now we have your mother.” Included is a lengthy list of random letters that she is told to decode. She discovers Stephen Gordon is not a park ranger. He has kidnapped her mom and now he wants her to search for the clues to uncover a secret her dad, a cartographer for the U.S. Geological Survey, was guarding.

Arizona is not your average teenager. She loves cryptography, solving puzzles and cracking codes. Once the task placed before her is solved, the kidnappers give her more codes to solve and clues to find. With Mojo at her side, Arizona tackles each mystery and task placed before her. She also makes a friend, Lily, which is a huge accomplishment.

It reads like a YA novel, but adult readers can also appreciate the clues Arizona must solve while trying to save her mom. Adult readers will have to set disbelief aside several times as the plot develops, but it is entertaining and well-written. Along with solving the codes, the plot involves literature, alchemy, history, and geography.

It surprised me how much I enjoyed many aspects of this novel, especially the history and literature incorporated into the plot. The solution to solving the codes is explained in the book (Those who aren't interested can skim.) There are illustrations included in the story to assist readers in following the mystery and the solution/answer Arizona finds along the way. The ending was great. I could see this becoming a series with Arizona breaking codes and solving mysteries.

The Language of the Birds will be best appreciated by those who love solving codes and ciphers as part of a greater mystery. Thanks to Random House/Ballantine for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

If you like puzzles and deciphering encryptions this is definitely the book for you! Well written, with great characters, this book got me hooked right away and kept me intrigued throughout. Admittedly, I'm kind of a nerd who likes puzzles, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Think :The Da Vinci Code" meets "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and you'd be in the ball park. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced reader copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. So this is definitely a young adult book which is not my normal cup of tea. However the book was well written...sort of like a Nancy Drew meets Robert Langdon. The main character was well done, and the story resolved fairly decently. A person will enjoy this book if they like puzzle mysteries. 3.5 stars.

My thanks to Net Galley and Random House Ballantine for this arc. Unfortunately I gave up at 85% read. I don't think this book is for my age demographic target audience. The premise was good with a young girls mother disappearing and the kidnappers make her solve a series of puzzles. It was way to complicated with the explanation of the puzzles and way over my head.