I feel like this book was ultimately not for me. I liked the setting, and I really liked the main character, but I found the puzzle/riddle/code part rather dense, and unfortunately that is the bulk of the book. Pacing is probably my biggest make it or break it when it comes to stories, and the action to character development to puzzles ratio really impacted my overall enjoyment. I do think there will be an audience for these book, even if it wasn’t me.

When I saw the synopsis of this book I thought it was right up my alley! And while the story itself was interesting it was bogged down by SO much specific details for the cyphers and codes. I normally enjoy puzzle solving books, but when there are full chapters of “Let’s try L = E or J = E….” Etc. it gets to be really hard to follow and incredibly boring.

Since there was so much about deciphering the codes, it felt like there wasn’t enough time spent on character and story development. I also felt it was a little unrealistic that the kidnappers would leave everything up to a teen to figure out.

I think this could have been a really great book, but it just missed the mark.

I received a a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.

This was a decent read, but I found myself confused on whether this was targeted to adults or young adults. It seems to be somewhere in the middle. I did find all the puzzles an interesting part of the story and enjoyed them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

17-year-old Arizona lives a quiet life of exploration on the road with her mother and her dog Mojo. But everything changes on a sightseeing trip: her mother disappears, their camper is invaded, and shadowy figures are sending Arizona strange ciphers. The only way to get her mother back, it seems, will be by cracking these codes.

Fortunately, Arizona is a genius when it comes to ciphers and research. And she has moral support from Lily, a new friend she made before her world was turned upside down. Together, the two (and their dogs) follow a trail of literary codes and alchemical symbols, decoding a seemingly impossible truth about the history of the United States and the "Great Work." Could the ancient philosophers have been on to something? And if so, what did Arizona's late father have to do with it?

So many YA intrigue novels aim low, but The Language of the Birds never underestimates its readers. Even the most astute code-crackers and historians will find themselves stumped as we follow Arizona from campsites to national monuments in search of the truth. This storyline would stand alone just fine on its own, but there's more joy to be found in Arizona's own coming-of-age. As she fights to save her mother, she learns to open up to new friends in a world that until now has been too big, too loud, and too untrustworthy.

The synopsis of this was so intriguing since I love a good puzzle so even though it leaned towards YA territory with a teenage MC, I still decided to read it. The family dynamic in this was strong and I enjoyed seeing how much love they had for each other. t was very fun seeing how Arizona solved each cypher and made me wish I knew more about codebreaking. Parts were a bit farfetched - none of the adults seemed too concerned about a 17 year old girl alone with her dog - so you do have to suspend some disbelieve for this one to work.

I enjoyed this really detailed story about 17 year old Arizona. Her father has recently died and while visiting a historic state park before going to spread his ashes, her mother disappeared. In order to get her back, Arizona needs to solve a mystery. All the detail tied to that is interesting and the author must had spent a lot of time on researching before writing this book and making the diagrams and it shows.

an interesting unpredictable story filled with murder, mayhem
Cryptograms, ciphers, and mysteries. After her father's death Arizona and her mother go to set her father's ashes free, they go in their trailer to a ghost town and her mother is kidnapped. She is enlisted to help find a treasure, a secret her father took to his grave. Lots of twists and turns, interesting complex characters, a real page turner and a must read!

I was excited for this book because I love a near-divergent main character (The Maid, Eleanor Oliphant), and I am a fan of codes and puzzles. Immediately, Arizona reminded me of one of my favorite characters, Sloane from The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, so I was very hopeful that I would enjoy this book. I felt like the set up for the story was excellent, with so much potential to excite, but I did not feel it carried throughout the book. I am not a genius, but I love a tough puzzle, and these were far too complex for me to grasp, and I doubt that younger demographics will understand, especially with the nods to classic literature. It was interesting to see how she comes up with the answers, but as the reader, I wanted to feel that discovery with her instead of being told how she got there. I couldn't emotionally connect to Arizona, and that made me lose interest in the story. I picked this book up over 20 times, putting it down after only a few pages because it didn't captivate me like I had hoped. I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I hope that the author continues writing because I think the ideas were there.

I wanted to provide feedback to the Author and the Publisher, and to say "Thank You" for the opportunity to read this. I think this book will be loved by the right audience, but unfortunately I don't think that my corner of the internet is the right fit, so out of respect to the author, I will not be sharing this on my platform.

Seventeen-year-old Arizona is travelling across the country with her mom and their dog, Mojo, in an Airstream trailer, all while being homeschooled on the road. Still grieving the recent loss of her father, Arizona and her mother visit a national park to help them heal. When they temporarily separate and her mom fails to return, Arizona realizes something is terribly wrong—her mother has gone missing.

What happens next is a YA mix of National Treasure meets the Da Vinci code meets a more high stakes The Inheritance Games. Arizona is tasked with discovering clues to free her mother, which range from puzzles to ciphers to images, all which are included in the pages and add a level of immersiveness throughout the story. She is also forced to forge connections and lean on people in a way she previously hasn't.

I thought this was a really interesting and unexpected read. While at first it was hard to understand why a seventeen year old was expected to decipher and understand all the clues, I was really impressed by the time the author clearly dedicated to researching and creating these puzzles and spelling out the solutions for the readers. I would have liked a little more lead in as to why Arizona was targeted for this task (hint, it has to do with her father), and maybe a little more backstory on the big bad characters. Overall, this is a read you will want to pick up when you want to learn something or have some challenging brain training. A summer read that will make you think.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I felt very bored and the whole story was really bogged down by all of the puzzles and everything. I think there is a good balance between solving the puzzles and the rest of the story but this book didn't have that balance.

I also felt like the story was just too unbelievable for me.

I hope others love it.

I was really excited about the premise of this book and all the puzzles in it. But it read really young to me, and I had just read two other road trips books (trend this year?) so this one just didn't hit right for me. I think/hope it will find it's right audience.

3.5* This was super intriguing because it weaved together math and science with classic literature. The mystery felt just like National Treasure and was both fun and nostalgic. I loved following along with the puzzle, and there is a dog, what more could you ask for!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a copy. This is out now!

An interesting take on the treasure hunt concept. where Arizona finds herself with her dog, hunting for her mom, and the truth behind her Dad's death, Arizona's neuro divergentancy serves her well, when combines with her talent for puzzles, when she finds herself alone and on adventure covering multiple sates. It's unique real history just adds to the fun of the story. A definite quirky read, fun for YA crowd and adults alike.

I love puzzles but this book is filled with way too many codes, riddles and poring through ancient texts. I'm sure this novel will find it's audience Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel, it just wasn't for me.

Since I did not finish the book I will not post to purchasing sites.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

When I read the synopsis I was intrigued. The idea of a teen trying to solve the disappearance of her mother with puzzles is not something I had seen done before. Unfortunately, this fell flat for me because I don't think I am the intended audience.

This story will not be for everyone, especially those who don't enjoy complicated puzzles or just want to relax their mind while reading. I, myself, love a good puzzle and have always held a certain fascination towards those who easily solve the most complicated of them. This author is a brilliant writer, to say the least, weaving together mind-boggling puzzles and an intricate plot involving a missing woman. The protagonist was well researched, intriguing, and highly likable. The dog I wanted to rip out of the pages and keep with me. This was a captivating read that kept me on my feet, succeeding in telling a solid mystery with surprising twists and a satisfying ending. Four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for this ARC.

Arizona isn't a.typical teen, she loves geocaching, cryptography and exploring just to name a few things. When she realizes her mom has been taken and there is a cryptic test along with the note she is upset but at the same time excited. She loves solving things and she is pretty good at it. She starts on her journey of solving everything the kidnappers throw at her. Will she be able to figure out every puzzle tossed her way and find her.mother in the end? This was a wonderful read and is great for someone who loves to put clues together and figure out the puzzle in the end.

This is just the book for math whizs who enjoy deciphering and code breaking. Unfortunately, that is not me so it’s hard for me to rate a book that has so much of this kind of content. I did like the action part of the story in which 17 year old Arizona must decipher clues in order to free her mother from kidnappers. Although, her mother’s numerous escapes and recaptures seemed a bit contrived and really didn’t add to the story. Arizona was a good character and developed well and I liked Lily but had a hard time not suspecting her of being in cahoots with the bad guys. Her character and the secondary characters were not developed well at all. I will admit that I found the code diagrams to be very boring and I had to skim past them so I really never figured out what big secret they were all trying to uncover. This is obviously not the book for me. Based on my lack of enjoyment, my rating is rounded up to 3 stars, knowing that the right reader will probably really enjoy the book.
Thank to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

Arizona and her mother take a camping trip to a place they loved to go with her father, recently dead, Death Valley and the ghost town of Bodie. The two decide to tour the town separately, but Arizona's mother never arrives at the meeting point. Eventually she discovers her mother has been kidnapped by someone who thinks one of the women may have, or have access to a secret her father supposedly took with him to the grave. This sets off a treasure hunt of ciphers and puzzles and secrets as she tries to rescue her mother and stay alive. Arizona is 19 and has neurological issues that have kept her removed from others her age, so it is hard for her to trust or ask for help. On her hectic, daring, and sometimes brilliant journey, she discovers who she can trust, and just what she is capable of (and it is a LOT). Arizona is a fascinating character, and shows great and believable character development with the challenging experience. The pace is often frantic, the puzzles complex and difficult, and the challenges demanding. But the characters raise it far above the usual thriller. Highly recommended.

The Language of the Birds follows seventeen-year-old Arizona, whose mother is kidnapped during a family trip. The kidnappers demand she solve puzzles and ciphers related to her deceased father's secret to secure her mother's release. With her dog Mojo by her side, Arizona embarks on a journey across the Sierra Nevada, decoding riddles that span centuries of American history.

This debut novel excels in constructing elaborate puzzles that puzzle enthusiasts will love. Arizona, coded as being on the autism spectrum, makes for an interesting protagonist whose analytical mind becomes her greatest asset. The author does well portraying her unique perspective as she ventures beyond her comfort zone. However, the book struggles with its identity, caught between adult mystery and YA fiction. The heavy focus on puzzle-solving comes at the expense of character development and pacing. Arizona sometimes reads inconsistently, alternating between mature adult and typical teenager.

For readers who delight in complex puzzles that go way beyond Wordle or the NY Times Crossword, this book offers a treasure trove of mental challenges. The author weaves these puzzles into hidden corners of U.S. history and western landscapes in clever ways that puzzle enthusiasts will appreciate. However, those seeking a more balanced narrative with deeper interpersonal relationships and thriller-level tension may find themselves skimming through the detailed puzzle-solving sequences.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine Books for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.