Secrets of the Broken House Review for Christian Parents

Name: Secrets of the Broken House
Author: Taryn Souders

Concern LevelMedium

Concerning & Potentially Concerning Content

The biggest concern we worried about when we first saw this book and its plot wasn’t there, but at the end of the day, this is still about solving a murder. The author is about as cautious with that as she could be, but we wanted to make sure Christian parents understood that when considering this title for their young readers. Related to this, the very end when the bad guy is revealed is a bit more intense than the whole rest of the book. Overall the book content is relatively clean. The most concerning aspects of the book come early on when we read a few “lighter feeling” lines that still reference a bit of a darker subject matter. While these lines are more of an exception to the rest of the book, it is still unfortunate they are there. “No, it’s still not haunted. Not yet at least.” “All that place needs now is a restless soul wandering around moaning… I still think it would be kind of cool if it was haunted” “I bet it looks something like a horror movie” “Maybe there’s even a body hidden in the walls” “That’s some seriously bad mojo… if her house wasn’t haunted before, it is now” Here are the other items we found to share: While not glorifying it, the book does have a bit of a lighthearted view on gossip. A solon is said to “specialize in gossip, nails and hair”. A woman is said to be “in a serious relationship with gossip for 45 years”. This is a good reminder to talk to our children about the importance of avoiding this (it isn’t a small thing to God). The kids eavesdrop quite a bit while investigating, sometimes going to elaborate extents to do it. When caught discussing a potential suspect, one character lies and another commends her for it (“That was fast thinking. Good job”). Similarly a character says, “I hated lying, but it was for a good cause”. A good character is said to have a “devious grin” A friend thinks his shirt is “lucky” A bad guy is said to curse Champagne is mentioned (reference to breaking a bottle on a boat hull) A pastor is said to utter “something that didn’t sound like it was from the Bible” The following are used flippantly: “speak of the devil”, “thank God”, “good Lord”, “Lord, save us”, “like a nun on a tightrope”. The following terms are used: jerk, santa clause.

VerdictRecommended

Our Thoughts

One of the first things you will see in this book (at least in our copy) is a long list of praise for the book. One consistent message across that praise is that this murder mystery is “for kids”. While this of course won’t be for every young reader, we will say that by and large the author actually pulled this off. Most of what would cause us to advise caution on books like “The Westing Game” for less mature readers either wasn’t present here or was at least very toned down. It really felt lighter throughout without losing the draw of a good mystery. Oh, and it is pretty funny as well. Young readers and treated to a fun brand of humor. Here we will share a few lines so you have a glimpse at this: “People who knew her liked her about as much as a dead skunk on a windy day” “It hadn’t rained in Emerson since Noah’s flood” “I’ve lived next door to Geraldine Guss since Moses was born” “Sadie told me her mom inhaled oxygen and exhaled drama” “Spreading gossip and calling it fact was like serving cube steak and calling it Filet Minot”. What else did we like? There are references to church and Sunday School as a totally normal, expected part of life. There are occasional lines that also tip the cap to our faith (“The last time I checked, the Good Lord is the only one who can claim any part of the creation as His”). The main character Tucker has extreme observation skills, which is really neat for kid readers. There are excellent characters. An entire town keeps the story interesting and dynamic. This author has a gift for weaving in interesting people. Now you still want to carefully take your reader into account when deciding on this one, taking all of the potentially concerning content section above into account, but overall this is one we Recommend.

Plot SummaryNote: This information is typically from the publisher.Use with caution

From the author of Coop Knows the Scoop and The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle comes a quirky whodunnit that explores friendship, small town secrets, and a twisty mystery that will keep readers guessing. In the small, southern town of Everson, goats can run for mayor, the mail is always late, and nothing all that bad ever happens. That is, until thirteen-year-old Tucker finds Miss Geraldine dead at the bottom of her stairs. At first glance, it looks like an accident. But Tucker has always had a knack for noticing details that others overlook, and the details surrounding Miss Geraldine's death just aren't adding up. Miss Geraldine was miserable and mean. Miss Geraldine was murdered. The whole town seems to have reason to want her dead, which makes Tucker's search for the truth nearly impossible. The more he investigates for clues, the more danger he finds himself in, and the more he realizes that maybe Everson was never as safe as he once thought it was. Anyone could be the killer, and in a small town that loves to gossip, if Tucker isn't careful, he could be the next one to have an "accident".

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Quick Answer: Recommended

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