Arizona's mother has been kidnapped, and in the ransom note she receives, she will need to figure out puzzles and unravel codes, and she takes on the challenge. She is off on an adventure that will captivate you, keeps you reading, and be amazed at how good she is at it. But is she good enough?
I received an ARC from Ballantine Books through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed The Language of the Birds (publication day May 13, 2025) by K.A. Merson, which is a young adult thriller/ mystery that features a neurodivergent, 17-year old main character named Arizona and her dog Mojo. As I read it, I was somewhat reminded of the middle-grade mysteries Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, and The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin because of the centrality of decoding the riddles, but, the stakes here are much, much higher.

Arizona's father has recently passed away in a motorcycle accident, and Arizona and her mother are road-tripping with their Airstream through ghost towns in southern California in his memory. Because Arizona needs some alone time, her mother goes to tour an old mill at a state park while Arizona spends time reading and hiking with Mojo. But when her mother doesn't show up at the designated time, Arizona is thrown for a loop. Turns out she's kidnapped, and the kidnappers contact Arizona to solve a cipher.

Does this have something to do with her father's "accident"? The Airstream has been ransacked, and so is their house, when Arizona goes back home to regroup. How will she be able to find what the kidnappers want her to, especially when it's off the Channel Islands? And how do they know where she is?

Luckily, at one of her campsites, she meets Lily, another young adult camping in her van with her own dog, and she seems to be someone Arizona can trust. And meanwhile, her mother is not just sitting back waiting for the kidnappers to do something worse; she attempts to escape as well.

With themes of alchemy and ancient symbolism like National Treasure, and literature from Lewis Carroll, Edgar Allen Poe, and Robert Louis Stevenson, and national parks and monuments such as Death Valley National Park and the Hoover Dam, Arizona is pushed to her limits to solve the puzzles and save her mom.

I loved the characters and the puzzles, and Arizona's development, realizing that she can tolerate some people. I highly recommend it! And it was completely weight-neutral.

I really enjoyed The Language of the Birds. Hats off to Mr. Merson. I can’t imagine how he constructed this story with the brilliant codes and ciphers. Amazing. Arizona, like the state, is a 17 year old whose father has just died and, while on a road trip with her mother, finds herself alone with the burden of solving clues in order to be reunited with her mother. “…visual thinking wasn’t all that Arizona shared with Einstein. Pinned to the coat of the marionette was her membership pin from Mensa”. Along with her dog, Mojo, Arizona sets out to solve the problem in order to restore her family. This presents challenges for her. “..I found other gears I could mesh with. things I could do alone or with Mojo—reading, writing, math, puzzles, exploring. So I built a machine, a frame of reference, that didn’t require other people. Or so I thought”.

She is thrown into a dangerous world and is forced to rise to the challenge not knowing who she can trust. This was a fun read in which I found myself trying hard to solve the puzzles along with Arizona. Best left to her! Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read.

This book definitely gave me The Da Vince Code vibes, but for teenagers. I also saw a lot of similarities with National Treasure. It was a good book, but I really don't like third person present tense narration. I also am not really the target age demographic, though I think I would have enjoyed this book more as a teenager! I liked the ciphers and codes, though I think there was a little too much on the nose description of all the meanings. I don't know a better way to explain it all, but something about how it was handled just didn't work as well for me.

REALLY wanted to like this but I did have a hard time with getting grounded in the story. The characters were interesting but there were some really slow parts that I just could not connect with.

A teenager, brilliant in her own way, must complete puzzles and ciphers and mysteries left by her deceased father. Arizona is on a mission to save her kidnapped mother .

Intriguing premise but all the codes and ciphers that we work along with Arizona were way too much for me!

If you love these type books filled with puzzles to solve, then this is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This was a well-written story with lots of interesting puzzles to decipher. The puzzles definitely keep you turning the pages, as will the twisty-turny plot twists. The friendships in the story were well-developed and moving.

Seventeen-year-old Arizona and her mother are making a pilgrimage to a ghost town to scatter some of her father's ashes. He died just seventeen days before this story started in an accident while riding his motorcycle. She and her mother are both grieving as they travel.

But when Arizona's mother disappears as they went their separate ways at the ghost town, Arizona is left not knowing what to do. She's neurodivergent and talking to other people is hard for her. Asking the park rangers for help is hard and useless.

When Arizona gets a phone call telling her that "they" have her mother and that she needs to solve some puzzles for them if they are to release her mother, Arizona finds herself solving a variety of difficult puzzles and gradually uncovering clues to what might be a conspiracy that has hidden since the days of the alchemists.

I enjoyed the puzzles and the many references to actual people, notably Herbert Hoover, and actual government documents. I liked the way Arizona and her trusty boxer Mojo traveled together to solve the puzzles and rescue her mother.

This story was a journey ranging from the desert Southwest to a Pacific Island used as a US Navy missile testing ground. It was also a journey for Arizona from a lonely, isolated young woman to a more out-going young woman who proves herself and gathers some friends along the way.

I thought it was an excellent story.

The Language of the Birds by K.A. Merson is a highly recommended mystery featuring an intelligent neurodivergent teen who excels at solving codes and ciphers.

After her father's death, seventeen-year-old Arizona, her mother, and her dog Mojo are traveling in their Airstream trailer to scatter his ashes in some of his favorite places. In California’s Bodie State Historic Park she and her mother go their separate ways and agree to meet at 4:00. When her mother doesn't show up, after giving her more time, she talks to Stephen Gordon, a park ranger, to report her mother is missing.

Later, back at the Airstream she finds it has been searched and a note “Your father should have provided us with the information that we seek. His death could have been avoided. Now we have your mother.” Included is a lengthy list of random letters that she is told to decode. She discovers Stephen Gordon is not a park ranger. He has kidnapped her mom and now he wants her to search for the clues to uncover a secret her dad, a cartographer for the U.S. Geological Survey, was guarding.

Arizona is not your average teenager. She loves cryptography, solving puzzles and cracking codes. Once the task placed before her is solved, the kidnappers give her more codes to solve and clues to find. With Mojo at her side, Arizona tackles each mystery and task placed before her. She also makes a friend, Lily, which is a huge accomplishment.

It reads like a YA novel, but adult readers can also appreciate the clues Arizona must solve while trying to save her mom. Adult readers will have to set disbelief aside several times as the plot develops, but it is entertaining and well-written. Along with solving the codes, the plot involves literature, alchemy, history, and geography.

It surprised me how much I enjoyed many aspects of this novel, especially the history and literature incorporated into the plot. The solution to solving the codes is explained in the book (Those who aren't interested can skim.) There are illustrations included in the story to assist readers in following the mystery and the solution/answer Arizona finds along the way. The ending was great. I could see this becoming a series with Arizona breaking codes and solving mysteries.

The Language of the Birds will be best appreciated by those who love solving codes and ciphers as part of a greater mystery. Thanks to Random House/Ballantine for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

If you like puzzles and deciphering encryptions this is definitely the book for you! Well written, with great characters, this book got me hooked right away and kept me intrigued throughout. Admittedly, I'm kind of a nerd who likes puzzles, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Think :The Da Vinci Code" meets "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and you'd be in the ball park. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced reader copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. So this is definitely a young adult book which is not my normal cup of tea. However the book was well written...sort of like a Nancy Drew meets Robert Langdon. The main character was well done, and the story resolved fairly decently. A person will enjoy this book if they like puzzle mysteries. 3.5 stars.

My thanks to Net Galley and Random House Ballantine for this arc. Unfortunately I gave up at 85% read. I don't think this book is for my age demographic target audience. The premise was good with a young girls mother disappearing and the kidnappers make her solve a series of puzzles. It was way to complicated with the explanation of the puzzles and way over my head.

The Language of the Birds by KA Merson is a highly enjoyable debut novel about the power of family, the blessing of friendship, the value of a pet companion, and the joy of the chase. Young Arizona, a neurodivergent teenager who loves puzzles and history, is forced to interpret various types of cryptic clues in an effort to save her kidnapped mother. While this book gave strong YA vibes, it was still a fast paced mystery with an interesting heroine. It goes pretty far into the weeds with some of the intricate puzzles, so it might not be suitable for all attention spans. There was nothing inappropriate for the teen reader, and enough to keep the seasoned adult reader interested.

Thanks to Random House, Ballantine, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an unbiased opinion. I would personally give this 3.5 stars, but I am rounding up to four because it was very well-plotted and detailed.

There were parts of this story that I very much enjoyed, but there were some things that really dragged down the overall feel of the book. I usually like books with puzzles and ciphers as part of the story, but this book paid a bit too much attention to the details of these and that really took away from the tension and sense of urgency in the story.

I really liked Arizona, a young girl who has just lost her dad. She is smart, loves puzzles and classic literature. Although it is never out right stated in the story, she is also neurodiverse. We see this mostly by how she interacts in the world and how certains noises and other things affect her. But she shows a tremendous amount of growth in this story, even when she is being single minded in her need to find her mother. I really liked her relationship with her parents and her dog, Mojo. Arizona learns to connect with people as she goes through her ordeal and to eventually trust them as well.

The main plot of the story was well thought out. I liked the parts about the alchemists and some sort of conspiracy involving President Hoover and Hoover Dam, as well as the treasure hunt feel of the story overall. The pacing for the most part was also nicely done. The characters are well done as is the descriptions of the real places in California where this mostly takes place. What really made this story less readable were the ciphers and puzzles that Arizona had to solve. The author went into far too much detail and repeated parts so often, that I eventually just started skimming over those parts to get to the solution. As this book is aimed at teens, I think many of them will give up on the book because of this. Which would be a shame as overall this is a nicely done story with a great heroine.

This story could very much be one that teens who are into codes and ciphers will enjoy. It is richly layered with history, natural sciences and has a very inspiring independent young woman at its heart. This is recommended to those who enjoy a slower paced adventure story, teens into cryptology, and kids who enjoy a reading about a singular young lady who overcomes her social awkwardness to save her mom.

Seventeen-year-old Arizona, her mother Amy, and their boxer Mojo are off on a trip in their truck and Airstream to the ghost town of Bodie, now a historic park in California. It was one of Arizona’s father’s favorite places and now, a two-and-a-half weeks since his motorcycle accident death, they plan to scatter some of his ashes there. While Amy goes on a tour of the stamp mill, Arizona goes for a walk with Mojo. When she goes to the place she and her mother planned to meet up, her mother isn’t there.

When Arizona returns to the Airstream to wait for her mother, she finds it completely turned over and a note has been left telling her that a group is holding her until Arizona helps them solve a series of cryptic puzzles. Apparently, the kidnappers know that Arizona is neurodivergent and a whiz at solving puzzles.

Throughout the book, there is a whole series of all different kinds of puzzles, and they become increasingly complex. I’m talking a LOT of puzzles. To appreciate this book, it’s critical that you enjoy lengthy descriptions of puzzles and their solutions. But you will also follow along on Arizona’s travels to various western sites, as she follows the clues. Arizona’s journey is also one of personal discovery, as she finds she must break out of her shell and deal with people and things that she has always avoided. Meanwhile, you’ll also spend some time with Amy, who is no slouch at finding ways of working against her captors.

This is a well-told story about a compelling young woman. The sheer volume of puzzle material is the only potential barrier to this book finding a broad audience.

Before I get into the review, a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at Ballantine Books for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Language of the Birds follows 17 year old Arizona who is still reeling from the shock of her father's death. His motorcycle accident is only the first in line of mysteries she needs to solve. While Arizona and her mother are spreading her father's ashes at some of his favorite ghost towns, her mother goes missing and a ransom letter is left in her place. Brilliant Arizona must solve several clues in order to find what the kidnappers are looking for and get her mother back. With her dog Mojo at her side, Arizona winds her way through the desert to unravel an age old mystery. The Language of the Birds comes out on May 13th and is available for preorder now.

I don't remember the last time I rated a NetGalley ARC this low so I know going into this review that it's going to seem so harsh. I apologize in advance for that. I think there are a few factors at play in this novel that lead to my low rating. 1) This should be in the general fiction category. I don't know why it's listed as a YA Mystery Thriller. That is so wrong in so many ways. There's one gun fight that includes a dog getting shot in the leg and everyone else is mostly fine. That scene was not thrilling in any way. This incorrect category is going to lead to this book getting some low ratings just based on expectation alone. 2) Some of the puzzles are obvious and the main character takes about an hour just describing it to the reader over and over before finally solving it. It's dumb how frustrating that was. While other times, the puzzle is based on something the author clearly knows a ton about and can make the character jump to the conclusion without any on page research or any description that explains it to the audience. 3) I don't think this man has ever met another human being in his entire life. The way these people are interacting with each other makes no sense. It ignores the way humans act in favor of keeping the plot moving along the trajectory the author has already plotted out. NONE of the adults who this girl bumps into along the way raise issue with the fact that this 17 year old girl is alone and doing all of these insane things, that this girl is very obviously distressed? Plus the twist about the park ranger was so completely stupid at the end. It undoes a previous twist (and what was actually a good one) in order to bring the story to its final conclusion. As far as writing style goes, it was bad. If it weren't for the fact that I had an ARC of this one, I would have DNF'd after the first chapter.

Arizona is a brilliant character who has struggled socially in the past and we see her have to over come the social awkwardness in order to solve these puzzles and save her mom. That aspect of the story is sweet and great to see. I think Arizona and her dog Mojo are the only two bright spots in this entire book. (Though, if you are a dog lover, please do remember that Mojo does get shot in the leg at one point.) The rest of the book just doesn't work in my opinion. The author clearly has some hobbies that he truly enjoys exploring and researching and making puzzles out of, but none of that can help get this book off the ground in my opinion.

Overall, I would say that this book just needs a lot of work. I struggled throughout the entire thing. I think there may be some substance there for people who really enjoyed the Dan Brown books or who love seeing mysteries and puzzles in the mundane. It didn't work for me.

There is a beautiful cinnamon roll boxer dog in this book and there is a scene where he gets harmed, but no dogs die in this book. Because he is the best boy.

This was like a more mathy version of National Treasure and with higher stakes. Arizona is a neurodivergent teen who is spreading her father's ashes. When Arizona and her mother visit the ghost town of Bodie, California, her mother is kidnapped. This kidnapping sets Arizona on a mysterious hunt where she must use ciphers to solve cryptograms. Honestly, this is a really fun book though it does get a little dry sometimes. I did really like the puzzles represented on the page, but they were a little long for me. I kind of just skipped to the solution, but that's probably just my ADHD getting the best of me.

I liked Arizona and the way the author represented her neurodivergence. I also loved that throughout the story Arizona learns to come out of her comfort zone and make friends. Arizona was bullied in the past and that has really stunted her ability to for connections. The bullying, coupled with her neurodivergence, had made her a little bit of a hermit. One of the best parts of the story for me was that she was able to form friendships and recognize them as genuine.

I could have done with more information about the mom. The mom gets kidnapped and several of the chapters are from her point of view. I wish we could have gotten more information about the mother/daughter relationship. Arizona talks a lot about her mother being a protector, but I felt like I didn't get enough on page evidence of that. So much of this book is Arizona's journey, but I would have like more building on her relationship here.

This is a fun quick read. If you like mysteries a la National Treasure, then you'll enjoy this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballatine for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own

This was an enjoyable Raiders of the Lost Ark/Da Vinci Code-type adventure novel with a young neurodivergent heroine, Arizona. I also kept remembering my Encyclopedia Brown collection while reading this book. Facing impossible odds, young Arizona must solve a series of riddles one step ahead of her mother's kidnappers. There are government agents, cult members searching for the philosopher's stone, and lots of clues left hidden by Herbert Hoover across Arizona and Nevada. Arizona puts all the pieces together and slowly tries to understand her emotions. This would be a great young adult series, so I hope the author writes more. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

This felt like a unique book - but ultimately one that I wasn’t quite the right audience for. As someone who isn’t super into puzzles, all of the these felt over my head and detracted from the flow of the novel for me. This left the actual plot moving a bit slow for my taste - but for the right reader this would likely be a great book!

Wow! This was a really unique story with crazy great characters. Filled with puzzles, treasure hunts and lots of emotion. An intense read.
Thank you NetGalley, KA Merson and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this book