THE LONDON EYE MYSTERY
by SIOBHAN DOWD
Reviewed by Mrs. D

STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

RECOMMENDED YEAR GROUP: a mature Y6 or KS3

INTERESTS: mystery story, London, autism

THEMES: family, unreliable narrator (ASD), teen dramas, crime solving

IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU’LL LOVE:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Holes by Louis Sachar

MY THOUGHTS:

I loved this book – couldn’t put it down and read it within 36 hours! It’s a real page turner with short, snappy chapters that often end with a cliff hanger.

It’s narrated by Ted, a 12/13 year old with high-functioning autism. He is obsessed with the weather, and spends lots of the book comparing the drama that occurs within his family to various weather systems, which makes for hilarious reading at points. Ted and his older sister, Kat, have to solve the mystery disappearance of their cousin Salim, who goes missing on the London Eye.

The story takes pleasing twists and unpredictable turns against a backdrop of London. The family dramas play out in their small sitting room, with Ted’s difficulties in understanding emotions a comedic foil to the real and often difficult adult themes and emotions.

I would hesitate to recommend this to an average Y6 child; the subtext is sometimes subtle and relies on understanding the differences between Ted’s viewpoint and reality. There is also a reference to adults kidnapping children for inappropriate reasons, which you may not be comfortable discussing or answering questions about. A brilliant book, but would need careful adult guidance, or an older reader.