MS. PENNYPICKLE'S PUZZLE QUEST

Two brothers set off down old Route 66 on a treasure hunt orchestrated by an eccentric puzzle maker.

The former closeness between 12-year-old Ben, who’s self-conscious about his weight, and his athletic 18-year-old brother, Ethan, may be long gone, but the prospect of a $1,000,000 reward offered by renowned puzzle queen Penelope Pennypickle is enough to get them heading off together in search of clues deposited at roadside attractions along the historic highway. Ms. Pennypacker’s dictum that “The family that puzzles together stays together” proves to be the main clue to what Grabenstein is up to. While joined by competing pairs in a series of elimination rounds, the siblings work to solve a series of riddles and challenges while stopping at sites from the Pops 66 Soda Ranch to Cadillac Ranch and Petrified Forest National Park—and, in the process, the bond between them regains its old strength. The puzzles offer readers something fun to engage with, and the local color, plus the author’s affirmation of the importance of family ties and the vigorous way he deals with the fat shaming that Ben receives, are worthy. But his bid to recapture some of the Mr. Lemoncello magic falls afoul of an overly contrived plot and minimally developed character interactions. Readers may also feel cheated by the resolution, which falls flat. Most characters present white.

Bland and disappointing.