If You Find This ~ BRC
Here we are again! For this month’s Book Review Club, I have another middle grade novel to recommend, which is kind of weird. I hardly read any middle grade or YA, but lately that’s all I’ve been reviewing. What can I say? I’ve discovered some good stuff!
May I present (um, review)… If You Find This by Matthew Baker!
If you, like me, are a fan of the 80’s classic The Goonies, then that just adds another layer of awesome to this book, because it is seriously The Goonies of this middle grade generation. I would LOVE to see this book get made into a movie. So. Much. Goodness.
You know I like to start with the covers, and this one has a lot going on. I deliberately attached a HUGE image so you could get the full effect. I love all the details: the house on the hill, the three boys, the background sketching (done by the author), the beam of the flashlight, the silhouettes of houses, and the man standing at the bottom…It all factors into the story!!
Okay, moving on. From Amazon:
Mixing mystery and adventure in the tradition of Louis Sachar, Avi, and E.L. Konigsburg, If You Find This is the story of unlikely friendships, unexpected bravery and eleven-year-old Nicholas Funes’s quest to prove his grandfather’s treasure is real.
Sounds pretty awesome, doesn’t it? Well, that doesn’t even do it justice. Here’s a sample page that gives you an idea of how the author has incorporated Nicolas’s musical and mathematical mind.
Happy to the power of jamboree!! Best. Kiss. Ever!
Like The Goonies, this story is about a family poised to lose their house and a treasure hunt that will hopefully help them keep it. But Nicolas has a bigger reason to want to keep his house than the kids in the movie. When his baby brother died, they planted a tree in the backyard in remembrance, and that tree has become his brother in his mind. He “talks” to his brother with his violin, and his brother talks back with the breeze. If he leaves this house, he’s leaving his brother behind.
There’s kidnapping, secret caves, a decades-old shady past, and plenty of mystery and adventure, but there are also bigger themes: old age and death, bullying, loneliness, acceptance. This book has a TON going on, but really and truly, it’s about loyalty, friendship, and the courage to do the right thing. I loved it and cannot recommend it highly enough. I can’t wait for more books by Matthew Baker.
book review blogs
@Barrie Summy
05/06/2015 at 3:41 pm
I always enjoy your reviews because the books you select seem so far removed from what I would expect you to be reading and reviewing. I don’t know why though.
I’ve never seen The Goonies but you did pique my interest with this review. Thanks for another good review.
05/06/2015 at 7:55 pm
Well, I’m glad I’m keeping things interesting for you, Lucy. 😉
If you like 80’s kids’ movies, definitely give The Goonies a shot! It’s lots of fun!
05/06/2015 at 5:22 pm
Sounds like a fun book for kids! I love the cover and am impressed that the author is a talented illustrator too.
05/06/2015 at 7:56 pm
It’s very fun, Sarah! And while I don’t think the author did the entire cover illustration, I agree, he’s talented.
Thanks for reading!
05/06/2015 at 10:21 pm
Oh, that sounds like such a fun book!
05/06/2015 at 11:17 pm
I knew you’d see the appeal, Stacy! 😉
05/08/2015 at 8:48 pm
You’re right, Alyssa! This is a book for me! Thanks for reviewing!
05/29/2015 at 12:14 am
Okay, I admit it: the GOONIES reference totally sold me on this book, even before I read your actual review! And the photo from the pages of the book looks so cool, as does the cover. Thanks for sharing!