The Westing Game - BOOKRAY!

by Ellen Raskin | Children's Books |
ISBN: 0140386645 Global Overview for this book
Registered by grover3d on 11/10/2003
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
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13 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by grover3d on Monday, November 10, 2003
This is a bookray book to replace the one, um, liberated? by skeeviegirl????

It has a new BCID just in case the other copy ever shows up again.

This is one of my all-time favorite books, a wonderful puzzle-mystery suitable for nearly all ages. Hope you enjoy it!

Journal Entry 2 by TexasWren from Hillsboro, Texas USA on Saturday, December 6, 2003
The book arrived today. I will read it quickly so that we can get back on track. Thanks for sharing it.

Journal Entry 3 by TexasWren from Hillsboro, Texas USA on Monday, January 5, 2004
What a fun book. My granddaughter read this for some sort of school project last year, so I've been really curious. It is pretty complex for such a simple book. I kept wanting to write down the clues and work out the puzzle.

I am sending it on the Suzen. Enjoy!

Journal Entry 4 by suzen from Montreuil, Ile-de-France France on Sunday, January 18, 2004
I didn't get around to making a journal entry when I got this, but I just finished reading it. I thought it was really cute. Like TexasWren, I kept thinking I should write down all the clues, but never did. Anyway, it was a fun story and light reading.
I'll send this to kbgoffe once I get her address.

Journal Entry 5 by kbgoffe from Beaverton, Oregon USA on Monday, March 22, 2004
I must first apologize for not getting this wonderful book registered right away. A combination of a sinus infection and a bad flare of my fibro kept me away from my mail. Thankfully I am feeling better and am thrilled to be opening up my packages that arrived in the last week. Thanks!

I can't wait to get started on this one. My youngest niece just read it and told me I had to read it too. Looking forward to this book. Thanks!

If you are looking for the list of who is participating in the bookray please refer to this page

Journal Entry 6 by kbgoffe from Beaverton, Oregon USA on Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Sorry about being so late in making my journal entry. This was such a fun book to read. I kept trying to see if I could figure it out early but no luck. Very clever. I will have to have my nieces read this book. Thanks!

Journal Entry 7 by ecoboy from Prince George, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, June 23, 2004
The book arrived! I have about ten pages left in my current book, and then I'll read THE WESTING GAME. Comments to follow...

Journal Entry 8 by ecoboy from Prince George, British Columbia Canada on Monday, June 28, 2004
A cleverly constructed puzzle, but overall, the book didn't quite work for me.

I found myself having to work very hard to suspend disbelief (the fifteen foot snowfall, for example) in a number of places. Not surprisingly, given the complexity of the puzzle and the length (short) of the book, the characters were very sketchily drawn and it was hard to develop any bond with them; which was okay until the end of the book when we are invited to look at them in a more human light.

A neat idea, a good puzzle, but not all that satisfying in the end.

Going in the mail this afternoon.

Journal Entry 9 by AngelKitty from Denver, Colorado USA on Wednesday, August 25, 2004
One fateful day, sixteen people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. To their suprise, the will turns out to be a contest, challenging the heirs to find out who among them is Westing's murderer. Forging ahead, through blizzards, burglaries, and bombings, the game is on. Only two people hold all the clues. One of them is a Westing heir. The other is you!

I enjoyed this book. I felt silly reading, as I felt I should be writing clues down as I read, but then feeling that it would be more than a little pathetic if I had to take notes during a children's mystery. Eventually I just read it through.

So, it turns out that my husband has already read this, so we're skipping him. He seemed a little annoyed when only a chapter in I told him that I couldn't help thinking that the whole thing was a setup and that Westing was right there watching. While I, too, felt the epilogue was a little flat, I couldn't help but think that the solution in general was pretty darned clever for a children's book.

Quite frankly I was a little suprised at some parts of the book. For example, Grace Worthing-Wexler's blatant racism. She just made my skin crawl!

Off to MaryZee in MD!

Journal Entry 10 by wingmaryzeewing from Taneytown, Maryland USA on Sunday, August 29, 2004
Arrived safely in the mail today, along with one other bookring (both small, fortunately). I'll start on this one as soon as I finish my current read.

9/5/04 - Starting on this today.

Journal Entry 11 by wingmaryzeewing from Taneytown, Maryland USA on Tuesday, September 7, 2004
I really enjoyed this quick read. I got bits of it as I was reading the story, but couldn't quite put it all together. Somehow I think I may have read this a long time ago, but didn't remember the ultimate solution though. Very well-written too.

No response from Tootshelling. Am sending this off to WyldAnthem this afternoon (9/10).

Journal Entry 12 by wyldanthem from Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA on Thursday, September 16, 2004
This arrived safely in my mailbox yesterday. I'll get started right away and will journal again once I've finished.

Journal Entry 13 by wyldanthem from Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA on Saturday, September 25, 2004
Have you ever reread a cherished story from your childhood and been disappointed? The Westing Game was one of my favorites, and I was worried that, like many books I've re-read since my youth, it would reveal the horrible literary tastes of a younger me. That said, I'm glad this one wasn't a dud!

Ellen Raskin is no Agatha Christie, but she does a fine job of putting together a puzzle that can stump grown ups (or twenty-somethings who think they're grown ups) just as easily as it can 'tweens. I've always appreciated a good mystery, and if nothing else, The Westing Game is definitely that.

The POV issues didn't bother me much, nor did the few over-the-top events that take place, because I kept in mind the audience for which this book was intended. It might not make the top five books I'd like to share with my kids, but it would probably make the top 10.

Journal Entry 14 by wyldanthem from Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA on Friday, October 8, 2004
On its way to the U.K. to the next 'ray participant -- enjoy! :o)

Journal Entry 15 by Mytilus from Plymouth, Devon United Kingdom on Thursday, February 17, 2005
Now here's a wierd thing.

I was browsing in a charity shop yesterday when I saw this book. It caught my eye because I've been waiting for the postal system to spit it out for quite a few months now. So I picked it up, debating whether to buy it, because I was worried this ray was dead, and thought I could use this copy to replace it. However, when I looked inside there was a BCID label! So I've just plugged it in, and lo and behold, it's the book I've been waiting for!

I presume that it's been liberated from the postal service and eventually been discarded to the charity shop. But what a bizarre coincidence!

Anyway, Groover3D, you will be delighted to hear that this book's turned up. I started it last night, and hope to finished in the next couple of days.

Yay for serendipity!

Journal Entry 16 by Mytilus from Plymouth, Devon United Kingdom on Saturday, February 26, 2005
I thought this was a cleverly constructed mystery and puzzle. Unfortunately I couldn't engage with any of the characters. This meant that I only finished the book because I wanted to know the solution, rather than being interested in, and caring about, any of the characters. I felt that the book was written solely for the (highly ingenious) puzzle, rather than as an exploration of people faced with a highly unusual and challenging situation.

I’ve popped the book in the post this morning, so it’s now heading back towards the U.S.A. and spaceystacey.

Thank you Grover3D for including me on this ray!

Journal Entry 17 by spaceystacey from Bridgeton, New Jersey USA on Saturday, October 22, 2005
received in the post. Read today as it was the only book that I had with me on my errands. Will be sending on shortly.

Read and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you so very much for sending this one out as a bookray.


11/2/05 Will be mailing out to carolmomof3, hopefully today.

Journal Entry 18 by carolmomof3 on Sunday, November 13, 2005
Received a couple of days ago from spaceystacy. Sorry for not journalling the same day (I got excited about starting to read it, and forgot). Half the fun of joining bookrings is getting books you've forgotten you signed up for! It looks very interesting. I'll try to finish it quickly.

Journal Entry 19 by carolmomof3 on Saturday, November 26, 2005
An intriquing start, and a satisfying ending...it was the middle I wasn't as crazy about. The ending would have had more punch if the characters had been more fleshed out all along. Still, it was fun to try to puzzle out the clues (like AngelKitty, I was tempted to take notes). Not on my top 10 list though. Will be sending it along to the next person on the list shortly.
As soon as I remember how to find the list (this is only my second bookring). If it's you, please PM me!

Journal Entry 20 by raralovestoread from Ponchatoula, Louisiana USA on Friday, December 16, 2005
This book arrived in the mail today. I probably won't get a chance to start it until after the holidays. I am looking forward to reading it.

This book won the Newbery Medal in 1979.

Journal Entry 21 by raralovestoread from Ponchatoula, Louisiana USA on Tuesday, January 3, 2006
I thought this book was OK. It was somewhat entertaining, but it wasn't as intriguing as I had anticipated. I did love the character of Turtle. Thanks, grover3d, for sharing this book with us!

Journal Entry 22 by raralovestoread from Ponchatoula, Louisiana USA on Wednesday, January 4, 2006
Today I am mailing this book to tuff517 in Texas. Hope you enjoy it!

Journal Entry 23 by tuff517 from Elk Grove Village, Illinois USA on Sunday, January 8, 2006
Received this yesterday, will start ASAP.

Journal Entry 24 by tuff517 from Elk Grove Village, Illinois USA on Saturday, January 21, 2006
What a great book, I can't believe I never read this when I was younger. This is indeed a story for all ages, and had me puzzled right to the end. The characters were a good mixture of absurd and realistic, as was their everyday life. The story kept me interested without giving away too much of the solution; in fact, I was on one trail which turned out being the wrong one! The writing was very clever, the dialogue funny, and overall this was a delight to read. Thanks much for sharing!

Journal Entry 25 by tuff517 from Elk Grove Village, Illinois USA on Sunday, April 8, 2007
Sending to a BookMooch member.

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