Years ago, I watched a program on PBS about the codebreakers at Bletchley Park so I greatly anticipated reading this book. Great Britain is at war and orphaned siblings find themselves living at working at Bletchley. Jakob is a mathematician working on breaking the Enigma cipher and his younger sister is a page. She, too, is code breaker and cryptanalyst, but she is also determined to solve the riddle of what happened to their mother.
Fast-paced and fun, you do learn about the history of Bletchley and the people who worked there, in addition to running around London with bombs dropping. Happy I got to read this one, and hope there are more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this DRC.
#TheBletchleyRiddle #NetGalley

When I saw that Ruta Sepetys and Steven Sheinkin wrote a historical fiction book together, I was immediately IN! These two masters of the middle grade historical world, and they always do a fantastic job of bringing this time period to life and capturing your heart. The Bletchley Riddle was no exception to their bodies of work.

This novel focuses on two siblings, Jakob and Lizzie, who are working at the infamous Bletchley Park helping England break German codes during World War II. The novel falls on the eve of the Blitz, where the Nazis began bombing England in an attempt to take over their country, and Bletchley Park was a huge part of that operation. The plot thickens as Jakob and Lizzie are also looking for their mother who went missing in Poland when the Nazis invaded. Everyone is telling them she is dead, but Lizzie refuses to believe that and embarks upon a journey to find out the truth.

What I loved about this story was the infusion of real life code breakers and stories from World War II such as Alan Turing, Dilly Knox, Gordon Welchman, as well as many other mathematicians who worked to defeat the Nazis. The story kept me reading as it jumped back and forth between Lizzie and Jakob's perspectives in order to help you see all different elements of the story, park, and war.

I do wish the tone of the novel was more serious in certain points. I felt that throughout the entire novel the mood was hopeful which was not actually the case for many workers/people living through the Blitz. However, this is written for middle grade readers and lovers of middle grade, so the tone did not hurt the story overall.

This book would be a fabulous read for any middle grade World War II reader and/or classroom/school library shelf. Overall, I would give this novel a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The Bletchley Riddle is fiction for middle grades based on a true story. Young readers will learn about Bletchley Park in England and the work of cryptographers and mathematicians to break Germany's codes and coding machine, known as Enigma. Some of the real-life workers at the park, including Alan Turing, make appearances. It's a good introduction to a fascinating part of WW2 history. The authors personalize the story by telling it through alternating points of view - 19-year-old codebreaker Jakob and his 15-year-old sister Lizzie, who works her way into a messenger job at the Park as they both try to solve the mystery of what happened to their mother, Willa, missing after a trip to Poland. The alternating POVs move the plot forward more quickly, but I did find some of the chapters were so short that it was hard to get into that part of the story before being jerked into the other sibling's story. Thanks to Viking Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

The history behind Bletchley Park as a WWII codebreaking center and Jakob and Lizzie's involvement within it were so gripping, but I couldn't get into this book for the life of me. I can't really describe how the narrative put me off, but the storyline with Jakob and Lizzie trying to figure out what happened to their mother, Willa, didn't appeal to me at all.

I vastly preferred chapters from Jakob's perspective where the codebreakers and mathematicians cracked codes and ciphers using logic and behavioral patterns. It was more fascinating to me to see how they managed to stay one step ahead of Germany and contributed to the war effort. While I enjoyed getting a glimpse into about real-life figures such as Alan Turing and the three heroic Polish codebreakers, I wish there had been more.

Ruta Sepetys is one of my favorite historical fiction authors, but I just don't think I'm the right audience for this book. I could see a younger version of myself potentially enjoying this book more, but this didn't hit the mark for me. Even so, I'm glad it introduced me to Bletchley Park and I can definitely see myself seeking out more literature about it.

Great middle grade World War 2 fiction centering around code-breaking at Bletchly Park. The authors give just enough detail around the park's purpose to give young readers a glimpse of this facet of the war. Siblings Jakob and Lizzie find themselves working at Bletchly Park as Germany threatens to invade Great Britain. Their American mother, a US Embassy employee, has gone missing, some say presumed dead. The siblings seek to find the truth.

I will say, although it was explained in the early parts of the book as a coping-mechanism, I did find it odd that both children referred to their mother by her first name. In my experience, it weakened the familial bond as a reader.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley.

The Bletchley Riddle is the perfect next read for anyone who loves mysteries and sibling relationships as it follows a brother and sister as they try to uncover what really happened to their missing mother. Full of action, adventure, riddles, and codes, this story will keep readers on the edge of their seat through every single twist and turn while also spurring them on to learn more about the history of Bletchley Park on their own.

This was one of my most anticipated novels of the year, and it did not disappoint!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this book was so fun, inventive, and perfect for young fans of historical fiction. I love reading books centered on Bletchley Park, and when I saw the title I immediately had to request it. I also love Sepetys's writing, having read several of her previous YA novels. Lizzie was such a firecracker of a character, and I loved how she pushed the plot forward through her observations and conversations with others. The reader will be able to see how intelligent she is, but also learn a great deal about what is going on around her. Jakob was written well, though I did find he sometimes acted younger than 19. I thought he was a great voice to teach the reader about the workings of Bletchley Park and why the work that they were doing was important. Overall, I thought this novel was paced well, paid homage to some of the greatest minds who won WWII, and would be a welcome addition to any bookshelf.

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for granting my ARC request.

I love everything Ruta Sepetys has ever written, and The Bletchley Riddle, in which she teamed up with Steve Sheinkin, is no different. I have never read anything Steve’s written, but if his past work is anything like this book, I will seek it out.

The Bletchley Riddle is a fast paced mystery, full of intrigue and heart. It’s told in alternating POVs. There’s Jakob, a nineteen year old cryptologist, who is working at Bletchley Park. He is somewhat estranged from his fourteen year old sister, Lizzie, who is investigating their mother’s supposed death and she desperately wants Jakob’s help. I am going to assume Ruta wrote Lizzie’s chapters and Steve wrote Jakob’s chapters, though I am not certain. What’s impressive is that Steve and Ruta managed to make Jakob and Lizzie’s voices close enough where you don't feel like two separate books were smashed together.

The characters are likable, spunky, intelligent, and funny. I rooted for all of the relationships to end in a happy place. I enjoyed that riddles were sprinkled throughout the text. I tried to figure them out, and was fascinated by the history of code breaking / spying. The mystery of what happened to Willa, Jakob and Lizzie’s mother, kept me turning the pages.

It was great to see Ruta and Steve include real life historical figures, like Alan Turing. I was even invested in the fate of his silver.

This is a great book for middle grade students, who perhaps don’t know the history of Bletchley Park or Enigma, to be introduced to a small part of WWII history. And now I, an adult, am interested in going to the Bletchley Park museum to delve more into its history.

I literally stayed up all night so I could say I read this book in one sitting when I started it at 9:00 pm on a Sunday night.

Let me tell you…I was not going to put this book down until I read every single word. Ruta Sepetys is a queen and I will read anything that she writes or helps write.

Jakob and Lizzie have the sibling bond that any older brother/younger sister siblings would have. They get along, but they haven’t been close in years. It takes them not only working on themselves, but also working on their relationship to come together to solve the biggest mystery in their lives. Is their mother actually dead? How does her trip to Poland factor into all of this and why does Mr. Jarvis keep poking his head into things that don’t belong?

This book had my mind captivated instantly and I couldn’t put it down. I needed to know what was happening after each page. I am so thankful I got to experience this book and will 100% be recommending it to my friends and family, as well as my middle school students!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6565660513

Reviewed as Emily Ann on Goodreads, see link.

Will definitely be recommending to others when it comes out!

My only critique is that the word “straightforward” is used maybe too often.

Thank you!

The Bletchley Riddle is a historical fiction novel set during World War 2. It follows 2 teenage siblings with alternating perspective, who are at Bletchley Park. This book was so engaging & I was incredibly invested. I felt like the alternating first-person POV worked really well.

Both characters became involved with codebreaking at Bletchley Park whilst also searching for clues on their family history. I loved how well-written the characters were & how observant and snarky they were.

This book was absolutely fascinating. I loved the ties to real-life history in the back of the book & will definitely be reading more about Bletchley Park. Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group, Ruta Sepetys, & Steve Sheinkin for the chance to read & review! Definitely check this one out!!

I have read everything Ruta Sepetys has ever written (and will continue to!) but I've never read anything by Steve Sheinkin. I will be seeking out some of his works after devouring this book in less than 24 hours. Short chapters, a mystery, alternating POV between siblings, and an informative look at a lesser known piece of history (although this is not my first book about Bletchley! I enjoyed this one as much as you can a book about WWII. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This middle grade novel was the first book I've read by Ruta Sepetys but it will not be my last. I loved her writing style. I loved how she wove real-life code breakers like Alan Turing, Gordon Welchman and Dilly Knox into the story with her fictional characters of siblings Jakob and Lizzie and their friends. I'm not a big nonfiction reader, but I really enjoy learning about the work that was done at Bletchley Park during WWII so reading this book was both entertaining and educational. I really loved Lizzie - she is smart and independent, determined and spunky. This book has a strong focus on family - both biological and found. As Lizzie says - "Friends are like family. And sometimes the families we build are just as strong as those we're born into."

A marvelous historical mystery. Bletchley Park and the Enigma code is fascinating all on its own as history. A mystery with more codes, great characters, a well realized setting, humor and excitement, and this book is a delight. Jakob and Lizzie are living in Britain during WWII. Jakob is working at Bletchely Park helping to solve the Nazi's coded messages in order to defend Britain. Their mother went to Poland to help clear out the American Embassy there, right before the Nazis invaded, and then she vanished. Lizzie is determined to find out what happened to her, while avoiding being sent to America where she will be safe from the German bombs. I highly recommend this book. Advance copy read on NetGalley.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw that two of my favorite authors had come together to collaborate, I couldn’t wait to read this book! I was not disappointed. I read a lot of WWII historical fiction and the history in this story surprised me. I really enjoyed it!

This was a beautifully done World War 2 middle grade novel, it had that element that I was expecting. It uses the codebreakers perfectly and was engaged with the characters and what was happening to them. It felt historically accurate and glad I got to read this. Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin have a great writing style and can’t wait for more.

As with all of Ruta's books, this is detailed, researched, and oh, so interesting! The author is a genius at using fictional characters to bring history to life. The surprises, the hope, the story! The characters are rich and the history ... accurate and a story not very well-known.

If you love spies and adventure, this book is a story of hope emerging from history.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

This was just what I expected from a Sepetys/Sheinkin collaboration. Lots of great, detailed historical information woven seamlessly into an exciting fictional story. Although both main characters are teenagers, this felt a bit more middle school/lower-YA than Sepetys's other books, and I actually really appreciate that. I feel like middle school-aged students don't have as much geared towards them. So much is either too babyish or too mature and this hits the just right sweet spot.

A breathtaking MG story of code breaking, war secrets, and the search for a missing mother in England during WWII. Captures the era beautifully while giving us a smart inquisitive brother-sister team as protagonists. Loved it!

With a few exceptions, I do not do well with multiple POVs. When the multiple POVs are also written in present tense, the book is certainly not one that I can read.