
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin is a mystery novel where sixteen heirs are brought together to solve the murder mystery of Samuel W. Westing. The will of Samuel W. Westing turns out to be a game, with the heirs trying to uncover the murderer among themselves to inherit his fortune. The book is filled with suspense, intriguing characters, and clever clues that keep the readers engaged in solving the puzzle until the very end.
The Westing Game is a complex and suspenseful novel that revolves around a clever mystery involving colorful characters and a unique plot. Set in Westingtown, Wisconsin, the story unfolds as the heirs work together to decipher the clues left behind by Samuel W. Westing. The book is like a puzzle, with twists and turns that keep the readers guessing and engaged throughout the story, making it a delightful and entertaining read for both younger and older audiences.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
From The Publisher:
BE CLASSIC with The Westing Game, introduced by New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett.
A highly inventive mystery begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of the very stranger will of the very read Samuel W. Westing. They could become millionaires, depending on how they play a game. All they have to do is find the answer - but the answer to what? The Westing game is tricky and dangerous, but the heirs play on - through blizzards, burglaries, and bombings, Sam Westing may be dead … but that won't stop him from playing one last game!
Winner of the Newbery Medal
Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
An ALA Notable Book
A School Library Journal One Hundred Books That Shaped the Century
Ratings (84)
Incredible (19) | |
Loved It (29) | |
Liked It (15) | |
It Was OK (12) | |
Did Not Like (6) | |
Hated It (3) |
Reader Stats (172):
Read It (85) | |
Currently Reading (2) | |
Want To Read (63) | |
Did Not Finish (2) | |
Not Interested (20) |
7 comment(s)
This was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. I have very strong memories of reading and re-reading it, even if the details of the book slipped my memory after more than two decades. The only thing that stuck with me was the reveal at the end of the book, so re-reading it this time was like uncovering buried memories. The audiobook version also gave it a new dimension that I never experienced as a kid. One thing that surprised me about this book is that the adult characters get as much stage time as the teenage girl who would be the more traditional YA heroine these days. This book doesn’t talk down to kids, if only because there’s so much going on thematically that the story works on multiple levels. It’s also held up very well despite being published in 1978.
One of my favorite books, challenging puzzle, approachable humorous style, I often recommend it to people who are looking for a bloodless mystery with a satisfying ending.
Sam W. Westing has just died, but before his death, he set up a elaborate game in which the inhabitants of neighboring apartment building, Sunset Towers, will have to compete for Westing's $200 million inheritance and control of his company. However, the game and the players are not all what they seem to be.
The Westing Game has some of the most chaotic prose styles I've ever encountered, with the POV shifting sometimes from sentence to sentence, so that it's difficult to tell at times which character is doing what.
The buildup of the actual mystery is quite interesting—I enjoyed seeing how each person approached solving the clues—but the ending was beyond disappointing. Ultimately, I have the same quarrel with
The Westing Game that I do with
Knives Out:
The old, white, and wealthy man is the one who solves everyone's problems. *shaking my head while rolling my eyes*
I also don't like how
every characters' problems are neatly tied up with a bow by the end of the book. I like complex, more realistic endings better :/
.
Besides the disappointing plot, the book is full of problematic elements, including racism and ableism.
I mean, what the f*ck's up with portraying Madame Hoo/Sunny as if not knowing English means she's an idiot? At one point, she describes Doug's track event as if she's never encountered the idea of competitive sports before. For god's sake, she's Chinese immigrant, not a extraterrestrial. Literally wtf.
The Westing Game isn't a book I would just hand to a child without providing adequate context before reading.
I remember reading this for school (as a kid) and not particularly liking it, which was somewhat unusual as I was an avid reader who liked pretty much everything.
I think I didn't really realize until the end that it was intended to be a mystery/thriller—up until then, my experiences with children's mysteries had been along the lines of Nancy Drew (the Bobbsey Twins, the Boxcar Children, etc.), so it just didn't connect—and so completely missed the point of the book.
Mr. Lemoncello's Library meets One of Us is Next in this imaginative mystery. I very much enjoyed the style of writing in this one but found the ending quite unsatisfactory.
Writing style. Mystery
This book is awesome! I read it in the 7th grade and it still is one of my favorite books to this day. It’s a clean book, so children could read it, but it’s interesting for adults too! I have a younger brother, and I am soon to make him read this book! It was a fast read, and I believe that almost anyone can connect with at least one character. Please read this book!
About the Author:
Ellen Raskin was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up during the Great Depression. She was the author of several novels, including the Newbery Medal-winning The Westing Game, the Newbery Honor-winning Figgs & Phantoms, The Tattooed Potato and other clues,…
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.