Puzzleheart

(Hardback)

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Description

There will be no more puzzles in the Eklund Puzzle House. Twelve-year-old Perigee loves logic and science. But handling difficult emotions is harder, especially when it comes to their dad. So, they've come up with the Plan: a scheme that involves visiting the infamous Eklund Puzzle House their grandfather built and reuniting Perigee's unhappy father with his estranged mother. Perigee is looking forward to some much-needed fun and relief from their problems at home, but when Perigee and their father arrive, Grandma Eklund is cold and distant. Stranger yet, the house seems to have a mind of its own. Within its walls are shifting corridors, secret codes, and plenty of mysteries. And Grandma Eklund refuses to let Perigee solve any of them!

Reviews

"A deliciously fun adventure full of dangerous magic, secrets, and puzzles. I loved every moment of it!" --Stephanie Burgis, author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart and The Raven Heir

"Clever, brave, and whimsically charming, this story fed my soul and opened my heart." --Deva Fagan, author of Nightingale

"There is magic at work in Puzzleheart--not only in the mansion's constantly moving walls and twisty challenges, but also in the story's beautifully honest exploration of a family's hurt and healing. I loved following Perigee and Lily down every hidden passageway in this brave and clever book. " --Caroline Carlson, author of the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series & The World's Greatest Detective

"Filled with secret passages and labyrinths, dangerous traps, and ingenious codes galore, Jenn Reese's Puzzleheart is a joyful thrill ride that I wished would not end! At the center of Eklund's Puzzle House is a family of characters who are as endearing and complex as its countless puzzles and shifting hallways. Spend time with them and your own heart is sure to click open and chime with glee." --Dan Poblocki, #1 New York Times co-author of the Magic Misfits series & author of Tales to Keep You Up at Night

"Part puzzle mystery, part magical adventure, and part family story with a heart as big as a house, Puzzleheart is one of those pitch-perfect middle grade novels that's just the right fit for lots of different kinds of readers." --LitHub

"The story balances the fun and adventure of navigating the anthropomorphic house with the seriousness of navigating fractured family relationships. Perigee makes plenty of mistakes along the way but learns from them, and their personal growth makes finishing the book as rewarding as solving the trickiest puzzle . . . Fans of escape rooms and family stories will find much to love in this heartfelt tale." --Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Jenn Reese:

A Game of Fox & Squirrels

A 2021 Oregon Book Award Winner
An NPR Best Book of 2020
A 2021-22 Maine Student Book Award Finalist
Evanston Public Library Best of the Year Pick

"Beautifully written...Reese's pairing of a realistic depiction of lived trauma with its allegorical-fantasy reflection proves stunningly effective." -Kirkus, Starred Review

"A poignant fantastical allegory... that presents generational trauma and its echoes unflinchingly." -Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Reese spins a tale about child abuse that is touched with fantasy...a powerful tool for working through trauma." -Booklist

"An engaging blend of genres...dealing with realistic issues that will be a solid addition to elementary or middle school libraries." -School Library Journal

"It's satisfying to watch Sam move from obedience born of self-preservation to being able to defy Ashander in order to protect others...the sympathetic heroine makes this a likable read with broad appeal." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Once in an age, you read a book that is so true and so lovely that it's as if your own bruised and hopeful heart had come sailing into your hands in book form. A Game of Fox & Squirrels is that book for me. It is perfect. Sometimes magic happens: we needed this story in our world, and now it is here." --Anne Nesbet, author of The Cabinet of Earths and Daring Darleen

"Hauntingly beautiful, funny, dark and true, and so full of magic and heart. This story will stay with me forever." --Stephanie Burgis, author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart

"Jenn Reese is masterful in her delicate rendering of a vulnerable child navigating the boundaries of family loyalty. The story will quietly burrow its way into the hearts of the children who need it, inspiring bravery and truth. Unforgettable." --Tracy Holczer, author of Everything Else in the Universe

"An important, moving book about resilience in the face of abuse, and about emerging from a very dark place into hope." --Sarah Prineas, author of Dragonfell

"The way Jenn Reese illuminates a path to hope through dark times is what makes this book essential reading." --Greg van Eekhout, author of Voyage of the Dogs

"A Game of Fox & Squirrels overflows with courage, and it's willing to share." --William Alexander, National Book Award-winning author of Goblin Secrets

Every Bird a Prince

2023 Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction Nominee

"Reese's splendid story skillfully combines everyday experiences with a fantastical world, and though the talking birds and ferocious frostfangs are a surface-level treat, they're also thoughtful explorations of selfdoubt and asexuality. A powerful testament to self-knowledge and boldly living in your truth." --Booklist

"Using frostfangs as a metaphor for the debilitating effects of self-doubt, this contemporary fantasy realistically examines Eren's confusion, fear of alienation, and suffocation as she grapples with her true sexuality. Multidimensional supporting characters with their own identity issues and vulnerabilities add veracity and depth.." --Kirkus Reviews

"Reese gives equal weight to each storyline and captures how the urgency of self-identification and fear of your own truths can pervade every moment and feel just as catastrophic as the potential end of the world. It's a comfort that Eren and her pals save the day--perhaps even more so that they each find new truths in themselves and each other. " --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Meanwhile, a conversation with Alex's asexual, pan-romantic sister gives Eren the framework to consider her own sexuality. Eren's relatable effort to find her own path is sympathetically wrought, while the conflict between the birds and frostfangs provides an alternate lens for a protagonist working through layers of feelings." --Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

Jenn Reese (she/they) writes speculative fiction for readers of all ages. They are the author of the Above World trilogy, whose first installment was a finalist for the 2012 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy; the 2021 Oregon Book Award winner, A Game of Fox & Squirrels; and Every Bird a Prince. They live in Portland, Oregon, where they revel in the rain, play too many video games, and work as a freelance graphic designer. jennreese.com