Customer Reviews

Hannah West in the Center of the Universe

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Twelve-year-old Hannah West - artist to be, amateur sleuth, dog lover, and all-around errand girl - doesn't think of her living situation as being homeless - she thinks more along the lines of moving, quite frequently, to various hip spots throughout Seattle, Washington; and having the opportunity to meet many new friends - both four-legged and two. This time, Hannah and her house-sitter mother are waving goodbye to houseboat living, and heading to Fremont, a funky area known to Seattle residents as none other than the Center of the Universe. Hannah is thrilled to have the chance to reside in such a happening area in a cooler-than-life apartment for two whole months. Plopping her goldfish, Pollock and Vincent into their new home, she instantly sets out to see the sights. Luckily, she has Elvis - the Basset Hound - she'll be dog-sitting for the next eight weeks by her side. Elvis is a known fellow in Fremont, and, with his assistance, Hannah begins to meet many cool new people who are sure to make her stay in Fremont even more awesome than she originally expected. However, in-between meeting dog lovers of all shapes and sizes, Hannah learns that, as a newcomer to Fremont, and an individual who just happens to be running her very own dog-walking business - which is quickly gaining popularity and notoriety - she has been fingered as one of the prime suspects in a handful of local dog-nappings that began to take place almost immediately after her arrival in Fremont. Hannah is outraged by the accusation. As an animal shelter volunteer, and all-around dog aficionado, Hannah knows better than anyone that she would never do anything to harm a slobbering pup. And she would certainly never steal dogs and hold them from their beloved owners for ransom. Unfortunately, Hannah's new Fremont acquaintances are completely clueless about Hannah's devotion to dogs, and are under the impression that she's simply trying to boost her dog-walking business by dognapping. Hannah, along with her adoptive mother, and best friend Lily can't believe that people who seemed so friendly could turn into nasty, know-it-alls in a matter of moments, and set-out to clear Hannah's name. But Hannah believes that clearing her own name isn't enough. She's determined to find the person who has been stealing people's dogs right out from under their noses, and won't rest until justice has been served. With Elvis' super snout, Hannah believes that she'll be able to do just that. But first she'll have to enlist the help of a Fremont local named Benito "Ben," and his darling dog Scooter, to assist her in getting the inside scoop on all things Fremont. With only two months until moving day, Hannah is determined to get a move on in her quest for accomplishment. But before she can even name a suspect, another dog has been kidnapped, and she realizes that solving the case is more important than ever.

Aside from Carolyn Keene's NANCY DREW, Bennett Madison's LULU DARK, and Jennifer Allison's GILDA JOYCE series, there are few books geared towards middle readers that revolve around an amateur sleuth. Luckily, Linda Johns appears to have taken this into consideration, and released the HANNAH WEST series. I found that the first two novels in the series were wonderful; however, as an animal lover, I must say that HANNAH WEST IN THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE took the cake, hands down. Hannah, is, once again, an unbeatable character, who lays her knowledge of dogs out like a deck of cards, giving the reader the chance to learn a little more about various dog breeds; while, at the same time, work alongside Hannah to solve the case. It's wonderful to see a character who is passionate about animals, and does what she can to assist them - from volunteering at an animal shelter, to attempting to locate dogs that have been kidnapped by creating flyers, and searching for clues and suspects. The fact that Hannah is an accomplished, and determined entrepreneur also adds a little extra to her character, as it displays how hardworking she is. While Hannah's dramatic best friend, Lily, isn't as prevalent a character within HANNAH WEST IN THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE, each time she does pop up she leaves dramatic entrances and exits in her wake. Benito "Ben" was an interesting new acquaintance who seems to be covered in a shroud of mystery that you'll have to get to the bottom of; while the illustrious senior citizen, Mick, takes on the persona of a phantom as he appears and disappears at the most unexpected moments, his bowler hat always in tow. Linda Johns has added a wonderful addition to the HANNAH WEST series that makes it impossible to stop reading until the last page is turned, and leaves the reader contemplating what's in store for Hannah, her mother, and Vincent and Pollock next. A howling good read!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Hannah, a middle schooler living in Seattle with her mother, a professional house sitter, is a dog walker, plant waterer, and a detective. Hannah and her mom are apartment sitting in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, known as The Center of the Universe. Hannah discovers that dogs are coming up missing and begins to do her magic at being a detective.
Hannah is an irrepresible young lady who uses her intellect to find the answers to the mystery. This would be a great book to read for those living in Seattle, those planning a visit, or those who enjoy mysteries with interesting locales. There are more in the series and each are well worth reading.

Linda Johns does a good job of supplying a mystery and giving it a Seattle flavor and local. Hannah is great for the kids and entertaining for adults, too. She's a cute, resourceful kid.