Samantha Sutton and the Labyrinth of Lies

So, another Goodreads review since I haven't been blogging at all recently.  Much apologies to Mary Michelle and whoever else is out there.  I liked this one, but as a librarian type I wasn't sure of the intended audience.  The protagonist was younger than most people who might have developed an intense archaeology interest, and the writing style was also geared towards the earlier middle grades.

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Samantha Sutton and the Labyrinth of Lies
by Jordan Jacobs

I really wanted to love this, because it combines so many things I adore--mystery, children's lit, archaeology, and adventure. However, I have been waffling between 3 and 4 stars because though I enjoyed the book, I feel like its audience is limited. I suppose this is a good thing, it means I am thinking like a librarian. Samantha is a character I can relate to, but I sort of felt there was some spark of personality missing from her, or that I didn't quite connect with her. And while the descriptive archaeology terms were great, I felt like it might detract some younger readers from the story. So while it is a story that I would love to love, I can't quite get there. The mystery is well formed, however, and though I had my suspicions I didn't quite get the answer before the reveal. I love the pieces of Samantha's notebook between chapters. So after looking over what I have written, a 3 star review seems to correspond. Maybe the next book in the series will have more characterization. I will probably stick with it to see what happens, but it won't be at the top of my TBR list.

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So, I suppose it is 6 out of 10 sonic screwdrivers.