The Best Mistake Mystery
By: Sylvia McNicoll

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Plot:
This is a really fun mystery! The narrator (Stephen) counts his mistakes each day. The format of the book is enumerating each mistake per day (Day One, Mistake One). The clever part is that this mystery is solved because of his mistakes. Each little detail becomes clear as the mystery resolves itself. A schoolmate's brother (Renee - friend; Atilla - friend's brother) has been accused of a crime. Someone has crashed a car into the school causing damage and mayhem. Stephen and Renee set out to solve the mystery in order to clear Atilla's name.

Characters:
Stephen and Renee are both middle schoolers and are both outsiders. They have quirks that mean they don't fit into the norm. They are prime targets for middle school torture. At the beginning of the book the two don't even like each other much. They grate on each other and against the rest of the school population. What I loved so much about this book though was how the author turned what most people saw as a flaw (Stephen reading too much into situations) into a positive (using those analysis and observation skills to solve a mystery). That's a great lesson for kids to hear. Renee (the super smart kid at school) seems to be the only one who recognizes his skills and appreciates them. She helps Stephen develop. By the end they are true best friends - really a lovely transformation.

Conclusion:
If you like a mystery where all the confusing bits and pieces throughout the story resolve into a satisfying conclusion then this book is for you! ( )