I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Drew Leclair Gets a Clue by Katryn Bury Published by HarperCollins on March 1, 2022
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Family / General, Juvenile Fiction / LGBTQ, Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories, Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Adolescence & Coming of Age, Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Bullying
Pages: 288
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Netgalley
In this modern take on Harriet the Spy, twelve-year-old Drew uses her true crime expertise to catch the cyberbully in her school—only to discover that family, friendship, and identity are the hardest mysteries to solve.
Drew Leclair knows what it takes to be a great detective. She’s pored over the cases solved by her hero, criminal profiler Lita Miyamoto. She tracked down the graffiti artist at school, and even solved the mystery of her neighbor’s missing rabbit. But when her mother runs off to Hawaii with the school guidance counselor, Drew is shocked. How did she miss all of the clues?
Drew is determined to keep her family life a secret, even from her best friend. But when a cyberbully starts posting embarrassing rumors about other students at school, it’s only a matter of time before Drew’s secret is out.
Armed with her notebooks full of observations about her classmates, Drew knows what she has to do: profile all of the bullies in her grade to find the culprit. But being a detective is more complicated when the suspects can be your friends. Will Drew crack the case if it means losing the people she cares about most?
Drew is such a fantastic main character, and she’s what really sells this book. There have been a lot of parallels drawn to Harriet the Spy, and they’re definitely warranted – this book kind of updates that story and takes a new twist on it. Fantastic middle grade mystery novel for kids who are so inclined to mysteries. Five stars.
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