Curiousity can kill...

However the threat of danger just because of your knowledge of something only succeeds to make you more curious. This is the very danger which is promised in the title of If You’re Reading This, It’s too Late . Scheduled to arrive in book stores this October, it a fun new mystery novel for young adults. The sequel to The Name of This Book is Secret by Psuedonymous Bosch, If You're Reading This, It's Too Late is a wonderfully intriguing novel with a sense of humor. The book begins with a contract of secrecy for the reader to sign. From the very first pages the author captivates the reader with a perfectly balanced mix of humor, wit, and danger.

When I first picked up this book I was curious, would this be another Series of Unfortunate Events ? As I read through the first chapter I was lightly interested, but slightly apprehensive that because I had not read the first book in the series I would not get the full benefit of the story. However as the author pulled me in further and further, re-introducing his characters for those who had never met them and leaving little asterisked comments on references from the previous book I found no problem picking up on earlier events. The story was well written, weaving high level vocabulary in with suspense and curiosity. The overwhelming effect of the work is a feeling of curiosity. The more you read, the more you need to learn about the characters, the strange secret societies and artifacts. At times the reader will find themselves so swept away by the book they will nearly be able to hear the whispering of the Sound Prism. However interspersed within the book are comedic pauses by the author. Comments upon characters appearances from the narrator's point of view, claims of lost pages, and even a written argument with the reader that will make you roll out of your seat laughing.

This would be a wonderful book to introduce students to mystery fiction, as well as science fiction. With a slight ring of the Sherlock Holmes novels of old, If You're Reading This, It's Too Late is a fun and light-hearted book for middle-school students, and will bring out the child in any adult. The author obviously had great fun when writing this work, which shows in the story. It is a creative breath of fresh air which will catch students with the laid-back writing style, and challenge them subtly with the complex plot and higher vocabulary. A very good suggestion for any school library.