What We Saw is amazing. I'd expect nothing less from Mary Downing Hahn. My kids always love me reading these creepy stories to them!

A great middle grades book that is a fast pace thriller. Would be a great book for a reluctant reader as the characters are very relatable. Thanks to NetGalley for an ebook preview!

What a dark, gripping thriller. When best friends Abbi & Skylar witness a clandestine meeting between a mysterious woman & someone in a dark van, they're thrilled. Finally, a mystery to spice up the summer! Who could these people be? Why are they meeting? Are they spies? Criminals? The two girls are determined to find out. But then a local woman goes missing & is found dead in the woods. And Abbi & Skylar realize that their detective work could hold the keys to solving her murder. Suddenly, sleuthing isn't so fun anymore. As tensions rise & their friendship frays, the girls find themselves in increasing danger, & must choose between keeping a secret or exposing a life-altering truth. I’d say this is upper MG, & because of the subject matter, you may want to read it first before letting your kids read it up to you. It’s so dark, creepy, & straight up terrifying-mostly for me because things that happen in here actually happen every day. Real-life evil. I finished this in almost 1 sitting. It got to the point that I couldn’t have put it down no matter what. I HAD to keep reading & see what happened. A summer story of lost innocence for sure. Highly recommend.

Anything written by Mary Downing Hahn is high on my list of must reads. This one starts as a story about two friends who witness what they believe to be a scandalous tryst between and beloved teacher and a mysterious man that quickly escalates into a tragedy when the teacher is found dead. The young ladies must then decide how much to involve themselves, especially when coming up against various forms of adversity including school bullies and disbelieving adults and skeptical police officers, all of which rapidly spirals out of control. Over all another fun, tense read I would highly recommend.

Book Review of What We Saw by Mary Downing Hahn

Cover Story: Chilly Tree
The cover depicts the treehouse that Abbi and Skylar spied in over the summer, and the bikes they used to get there. The sun is setting, putting the tree in shadow and creating a creepy vibe.

The Deal:
Abbi and neighbor Skylar are best friends. During the summer between ages twelve and thirteen, the two girls ride their bikes to the outskirts of town and discover an abandoned treehouse. From their new vantage point, they can see a mysterious couple meet during the day. Abbi and Skylar conjecture about who they are: Spies? People carrying on an affair? When a local woman goes missing, the duo realize they are witnesses to what was possibly the woman’s last hours alive.

BFF Charm: Big Sister
Abbi is going through what all twelve-year-olds do: Having a crush on an older boy. Worrying about losing her best friend because they’re growing up at different rates. Feeling awkward around her strict mother, while not wanting to lose her mother’s love. What she doesn’t expect is to be a witness to a crime. Abbi could use a big sister to help her navigate this tricky time in her life, and I’d be happy to do it!

Swoonworthy Scale: 0
Abbi has a crush on Rob, Skylar’s older brother, but nothing comes of it. It’s an at-arms-length sort of crush that she barely is able to admit to herself, let alone do something about. (We’ve all been there, Abbi!)

Talky Talk: Hahntastic
I’m going to out myself as an old person, but I’ve been reading Mary Downing Hahn’s books since I was a kid myself. My favorites were Daphne’s Book and Stepping on the Cracks. Hahn has a certain way of writing that is relatable to kids while not dating herself as an older person. Her voice is just so good at capturing middle grade. She even throws in some vocabulary words to help heighten your education! Excellent.

Bonus Factor: Malls
Lest you think this entire book is a murder mystery/thriller, there are some lighthearted moments, too, that take place at the mall. The Gap is still cool, I guess, but the food court reigns supreme after all these years.

Relationship Status: Til the End
Book, you succeeded in chilling me just enough that I was glad that the bad guy was apprehended quickly. I know middle-grade readers will devour you.

My middle school students love Mary Downing Hahn, and What We Saw is their new favorite. Hahn gets kids reading that have never picked up books before!

Abbi and Skylar are bored, so they bike out of town and end up in a rundown neighborhood, on a dirt road, near woods, and a field. They find a n abandoned tree house which they adopt as their own. From this perch they observe a man and a woman who they decide are either spies or lovers. They also encounter classmates Jason and Carter who are the class bullies, but are now being coerced into sell drugs. There is a murder, and a red herring, but for me, it did not have the complete terror factor of Hahn's TOOK. Due to situations above the maturity of most 8-12 year olds, this is more appropriate for sixth grade and up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Clarion Books for the digital arc.

Not the usual type of book from this author. But it was a good book none-the-less. Every time I see her name on a book I always hope for a ghost or two. So this was mostly about two girls who try to solve a mystery ala Nancy Drew. Ok but not exciting.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story is a little different than anything else of Hahn's that I've read. It's a murder mystery and lacks the magic and supernaturalism of others. I really enjoyed the process of reading it. The story is well crafted and the mystery and murder are just disturbing enough for it's intended audience. I expect it will be a crowd pleaser to our middle grade readers.

This one aims for horror/thriller but doesn't really achieve the proper tone. There are no stakes for the characters, just curiosity that gets them into trouble. Even that is limited. The sense of danger is brief. The characters don't read true and the pacing feels off.

Friends Abbi and Skylar witness a clandestine meeting while out riding their bikes (far past where they are supposed to be.) The girls make up several stories for themselves about who they think the people might be --why they were meeting. Their fun game turns serious when they hear later that a woman has been murdered. Knowing they must have witnessed some of the woman's last moments, the girls are desperate to solve the mystery of who killed her.

Mary Downing Hahn is a staple in my library. Many of my students are in love with her writing. As an adult reader, I found this book quite predictable. I still enjoyed reading it, and will recommend it, but it felt as though it was lacking in some excitement.

Abbi and Skylar are best friends who do everything together, even things their mothers would not approve of, like sneaking over to one of their town’s most dangerous parts to their secret tree house hideout. It is there at the tree house where the girls witness shady things, including a woman walking away angrily from an SUV. When the girls’ art teacher turns out missing, the girls wonder if the lady they saw was Ms. Sullivan. The mystery continues to unfold as the girls piece clues together.

Mary Downing Hahn is the ultimate horror/suspense writer for middle grade novels. Anything new my MDH flies off the shelves in my library.

While MDH is known for her ghost stories, What We Saw is a murder-mystery. This is a gripping thriller that will leave the reader guessing and quickly turning pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge Hahn fan so was excited to read this book! I did like this book but wish the beginning started off a little more exciting. I had a hard time getting though the first third of the book because nothing very exciting was happening. After that, it was fantastic. Small towns aren't much fun but when a murder happens it turns everything upside down. This novel shows the difficulty of navigating middle school friendships, crushes, school and family. When this murder is thrown into light, and Skylar and Abbi realize they might have important information they are torn between what the right thing is to do.

Although I will probably purchase it for our library because I loved it for what it was, I do have a few complaints.

First of all, there is a teacher who the girls believe has crossed some boundaries that are inappropriate for instructors. It's not overly extreme or unlawful, but it ought to be more controversial than it is. In fact, his behavior is akin to that of Abbi and Skylar. Twelve year olds Skylar and Abbi.

As an adult who obviously knows better, this teacher. I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Apart than that, this was a good mystery.

I have been a fan of Mary Downing Hahn since I was a child and was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read and review her latest work What We Saw. I am most familiar with her ghost stories, so I was surprised to find this a true crime style mystery instead. However, I love that she went this route because it is the exact genre I am seeing highly requested among students this year!

When two best friends witness some suspicious activity in the woods, they are determined to figure out what their two unidentified subjects are up to. However their lighthearted detective work takes a turn for the worst when one subjects identity is revealed to be their beloved art teacher... found dead. From there things only get more stressful for the detective duo as they carefully uncover the killer...after a few false accusations of course.

The plot has a steady build up that is sure to keep kids wondering what will happen next. While many of Hahn's books are suitable for elementary school, I do feel this particular novel is best for junior high and up due to its mention of drugs, lingerie, etc. Of course to each their own though, this is just my opinion when it comes to having it in my K-6th library.

I just couldn't get into this one. I loved Mary Downing Hahn when I was younger; however, this one couldn't hold my interest.

What We Saw is a quick, intense middle grade mystery that I had a lot of fun with. It follows Abbi and Skylar, best friends who get more than they bargained for when they decide they want to be detectives. When they find a mysterious old tree house on the other side of town, they see two people sneakily meeting up. Shortly after, one of these people is found dead. Abbi is our protagonist, and she uses logic often, but Skylar is more reckless and gets them into trouble. I liked this dynamic, but it did make me dislike Skylar at points. Still, the mystery is set up well, and very creepy.

I liked this for what it was, and will probably get it for our library but I do have a few issues with it. First of all, there is a teacher that the girls suspect, and he crosses a few lines that teachers should not cross. Its nothing too intense, or illegal, but it should be more questioned than it is. In fact, his actions are compared to Abbi and Skylar as being similar. Abbi and Skylar are twelve. This teacher is an adult who clearly knows better. It just didn't sit right with me. I also found some of the references in this, like Nancy Drew and going to the mall to be slightly outdated. I'm not sure today's kids will really relate to it. Other than that, this was fun mystery.

Mary Downing Hahn is so good at what she does and this is no exception. Despite the lack of ghosts, this is just as creepy as her other work. I'm giving it a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Two 12 year old girls are looking for some adventure when they find a treehouse in the "bad" area of their town. They spy on a mysterious woman who comes every week to meet up with a man. When the woman gis then found dead a few days later in the woods, Abbi and Skylar are the last people to see her alive. When they discover her true identity, it creates discord in their friendship and leads to them having to make some hard decisions that could put them at risk.

Some of my concerns is that the material is dated. Some may be familiar with Nancy Drew if they watch CW but that is also geared toward older Teens. I also don't believe a kid would give up their phone without an argument, especially for all that time. So, while I liked this book bc I got the references I am not sure the readers it is intended for will get it. But I did like the way the author handled a lot of the deeper emotional themes in the book.

SUMMARY: Two girls spend their summer reading and looking for adventure. They stumble on an abandoned treehouse and spend their time reading their “Summer Reads” when they realize their secret spot is a location for a rendezvous location for a man and woman. What starts out as a fun “Nancy Drew” adventure, where they speculate the couple are Russian spies, turns into a much more sinister and sad tale— one that is more personal than they initially realize.

REVIEW: This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and though this was good, it isn’t as good as “Took”. This does not mean the book is poorly written, or doesn’t have a good storyline, but I enjoyed the spookiness of “Took” over the suspense of this book. For a middle grade reader, I think this book is adequately suspenseful, while lightly hitting on how the home-lives of children can be vastly different: divorce, single parenting, abuse, drugs, etc.

As a middle school teacher, I thought the story was interesting on how the story is wrapped around students, their “love” of their teachers, and the peer relationships/dynamics described in this book that are typical for this age group. If you’re a fan of this author, or would like to add a suspense/age appropriate crime fiction to a child’s library, this is worth considering

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

(Review shared to goodreads, Twitter, and will be on Instagram soon @slowerlowerliving)