Secrets of the Snakestone
by Piu DasGupta 

3 out of 5 stars

Zelie’s father has gone missing, along with the mysterious Snakestone that can grant healing and long life to the wearer. Zelie meets Jules, who was working down in the sewers below Paris and found the locket that once held the Snakestone. The locket is empty, and Zelie and Jules go on an adventure to find the Snakestone and Zelie’s missing father, but a dangerous secret society is also hunting for the Snakestone.

Thankfully, there are no actual snakes in this book. For which, I was grateful. The adventure is really fun, and they are sneaking around Paris and following clues and getting into trouble with the secret society and barely escaping with their lives. I liked that the mystery takes us into the secrets of Zelie’s family past, her mother’s death years before, and her father’s disappearance.

The writing is really good, and it puts you right into the middle of the action! The setting in Paris is really interesting, and we get a very rich historic atmosphere with some places and people that are inspired from real history.

I liked that Zelie’s character is well-rounded and she is always boosting up her courage by reminding herself that she is capable and smart. Her friendship with Jules is really meaningful as well, and I liked their dynamic. She meets some circus folk who help her out in her adventures, since they are friends of her father’s. They are all very memorable side characters with their own weird quirks and funny dialogue.

However, I didn’t like that there is some mild foul language in the book. Very out of place in a middle grade book. And there are a few places where the author is trying to be woke or feminist, but didn’t quite succeed in making their point, whether from lack of historical research or just whining about nothing, I don’t know. It could have been a four-star book if the author wasn’t always trying to preach about some ideology or other.

This book has been screened on the Screen It First website for some mild language, violence, and dark magic. https://screenitfirst.com/book/secrets-of-the-snakestone-2594129

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review.