Review Detail

ESCAPE ROOM is a thrilling middle grade adventure. Ami loves puzzles and escape rooms, so when she gets to go to the new escape room experience, The Escape, she is thrilled. After she finds her way into the mysterious building, she meets her four teammates, all about her age (she's 12)- Ibrahim, Adjoa, Min, and Oscar. Once the game begins, it starts to seem more deadly and incredible than any of them could imagine. They will have to rely on their wits, puzzle-solving skills, and each other to be able to make it out.

What I loved: This is quite the thrilling story with a mysterious location and fantastic settings. This presents the idea of what if an escape room could be everything it imagines to be. The stakes are high and the puzzles are very cool. Readers will enjoy seeing how the kids navigate these unexpected challenges and work together, when they are basically strangers and all very different. What is forged are some new friendships and deeper bonds through the trials.

This book has some really fantastic twists along the way. Anytime you think you have things figured out, there's a new element to throw a wrench into those ideas. The biggest twist towards the end was quite shocking and unique with a bit of a sci-fi flair and a surprise about the characters and what The Escape really is. I don't want to spoil it, but it also addresses some of the questions that might be had around the premise and brings it all together nicely.

Due to the characters' ages, the complexity of the text, and the potentially scary elements, this will work best for older middle grade readers. We are definitely curious to see where this series will go next!

Final verdict: ESCAPE ROOM is a thrilling, twisty middle grade read, perfect for puzzle, mystery, and sci-fi lovers!