Customer Reviews

Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Sammy Keyes series just keeps getting better. In this newest installment, we have a great twist. For once, Sammy ISN'T blamed for something that happens and Heather, her archenemy, is. This book begins and, as the others in the series have proved, has the reader along for a wild ride for the remainder of the story.

Sammy, as usual, finds comfort in telling Hudson her problems and also by opening up to Grams. Noticeably missing from this book entirely, however, was Officer Borsch. I don't know what happened to him, but when the police were summoned, we were introduced to two new characters, Squeaky and the Chick.

This book will be a must-read for fans of the series. In it, Sammy tells about her middle school life and how it's still hard to avoid that "Where do you live?" question that she often gets from the grown-ups around her. Sammy even joins Casey and his friends for the 8th grade dance (although she is a 7th grader). The first REAL date for Sammy, the boys have rented a black Hummer limo, which they designate "The Black Pearl". The pirate banter is hilarious and will have you saying "argh!" while trying to get the song "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!" out of your head.

Sammy is always TOPS on my list and this book is nothing to miss!

Have you ever had a big secret that you couldn't tell anyone? Maybe a bad test grade that you couldn't tell your parents about or a mistake that made you so embarrassed your cheeks turned scarlet red? Whether you're willing to admit it or not, we've all had skeletons in the back our closets at some point or another. In Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway, Sammy definitely has one- literally too!

Wendelin Van Draanan, the award winning author of Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway, is also the author of the other installments in the Sammy Keyes mystery series and other novels like Flipped. The main character in this novel and the other books in the series is, as you may have guessed, Sammy Keyes. Sammy is a 13 year old girl finishing up seventh grade and is like any other normal teenage girl who plays softball and wears her signature high tops, or so it seems. In reality, Sammy actually lives illegally with her Grams in the Senior Highrise because her mom went off to become a superstar in Hollywood and her dad's whereabouts are unknown. She's bullied around by Heather Acosta, the pierced archenemy of Sammy's since her first day of school at William Rose Junior High School. She's friends with a wealthy girl who does a special dance every time she gets nervous, a Dutch girl who goes by the name of Dot, and a young lady who used to live in a box. She is a clever, witty, and quick teen who knows how to push peoples' buttons. She has a 72 year old friend named Hudson Graham who loves to rack her brain when she is confused about a mystery she's trying to solve. Mysteries you ask? Yes, Sammy is a local super sleuth in the town of Santa Martina. She solves the crimes before the police and knows how to think outside of the box. In this suspenseful novel, Sammy is faced with a big internal secret. Not only does she feel like she's being chased down by the "Army of the Bird God" after she has an incident with her homeroom teacher's bird, but she also is trying to figure out how she can stop the city from disrupting the lives of the people who live on neglected Hopper Street. At the same time, Sammy still has to deal with the typical junior high school issues- boys, bullies, and school dances.

As Sammy is investigating why someone would want to have Mrs. Willawago, the elderly lady who has Sammy walk her dog, Mr. and Mrs. Stone, a strange dressing couple who gets checks from the government, a young lawyer, who might have his own personal agenda, and an unknown owner of vacant lots, removed from Hopper Street, she is distracted by her bird crisis. Sammy feels ultimately guilty for her teacher's lovebird's accident, especially after being scared into a closet when her rival Heather walks in the door. Not only does Sammy feel ashamed, but her nemesis gets blamed for the bird's disappearance! Continuing Sammy's life of a Shakespearean drama, her crush, and Heather's brother, is yet again trying to woo her. When he invites her for a night out on the town, Sammy is uncertain whether to accept his invitation or blow him off.

I would certainly recommend Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway. It is an incredible story with twists and turns that you wouldn't expect. The Sammy Keyes series is a great, modern version of Nancy Drew and is in keeping with a modern tone that is up-to-date with current issues. While it is a fantastic mystery novel that is a real page-turner, I think this book is geared more towards girls, as they will definitely understand Sammy's point of view more when it comes to girls' crushes. If you are a guy who is interested in a good mystery series without puppy love, I suggest reading the earlier suspenseful books in the series. I also advise for all interested readers that you begin this series with the first book, as it will be more difficult to follow if you start in the middle of the series. "If you like page-turning, cliffhanger mysteries, than you'll love the latest Sammy Keyes adventure," is just one of the great comments that people are saying about this series.

Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway is a chilling novel that I fully enjoyed. This book was an entertaining story filled with unexpected surprises and humor. I enjoy the whole Sammy Keyes series and think that it is a great chain of novels that will keep you wanting more, as it has me. Try the Sammy Keyes series now before you're the last one to be in on this incredible series. And maybe invite that skeleton out from your closet to a tea party. He might be getting lonesome!

Kyra S.

This book is good, but not as funny as some of Wendelin's other books. Sammy is a strong character, as always, and I especially liked the way the teacher goes nuts after her bird disappears, Sammy feels quite guilty about that. It was a very pleasant read, but the mystery part itself wasn't all that compelling, and for me it wasn't laugh-out loud funny like the Art of Deception, but it's definitely at par with other Sammy Keyes books. It features a strong moral in terms of sticking up for what's right even when it's the tough choice. Wendelin's Shredderman series is hilarious and Flipped is also a really good book, whereas this book features some fun pirate talk but not much in the way of the funny and embarrassing teen romance scenes that cropped up in the Art of Deception, and the mystery bit is never tense or particularly exciting. Four stars is maybe even a bit much for this book, 3.5 is probably more like it.

every book series has a book you call a climber. climber: a book in tne middle of two important good books. this one just has a small plot and akind of creepy result. the thing i liked in this book was the dance that was cool. i didnt really like the bird or mrs. willawago plots kind of boring. but the cold hard cash makes up for the losses in this book! :-}

I am an adult and I love the tenacity, wit, HONESTY and the sheer guts of this character.
I read the first book of this series to check if it was ok for my young daughter to read, now I read them for my own enjoyment.

I give this story 3 stars. Sammy Keyes is a quick read with a weak character description. The two main characters are Sammy Keyes and Heather, Heather is self centered and possibly a cheater. Sammy is a regular teen but she likes to solve mysteries and gets to the bottom of things.
The setting is the school and a small suburban town in current day. There's a train that is a house in the in side that's home for a woman and a dog that Sammy takes care of.
The plot is center on school popularity, cheating, and a dead bird. The mystery is Heather is cheating to be the most popular. Sammy kills the teacher's lovebird by accident. There is also a plot to steal a house from her neighbor.
The theme is about truth and lying and how the truth comes out.
I'll say all of you people out there that like mysteries and don't care about the character description would like this book. The thing I like about this book is the settings and the plot. The description of the settings explain it very simply, and make it seem like it was written about my school. This book is confusing. The confusing part is how she solves the conflict. At some parts that can make it challenging for some people but I think it's pretty good for me. :)

Ok this book is the best! Sammy does something really bad and heather gets blamed for it. And there is a bit more romance between sammy and casey! in otherwords this is the best book ever and you have to read it!

I am almost embarassed to say that I enjoyed this book. Some of the main subjects being discussed are merely an end of the year dance and a popularity poll that will be announced there and the main character (Sammy) feeling bad that she killed a bird and didn't tell anyone. The other main line that the plot follows is about the town wanting to tear down a block of buildings and the mystery that arises from this. The mysteries are always intriguing and what pulls this book through is that Sammy is a spunky, willful, and curious heroine who narates the entire book with an entertaining dialogue and outlook on the different situations. It was fun to read a Sammy Keyes novel and in the end there was a good message sent about believing in your voice. This is a good contemporary read as long as you are only looking for a book to enjoy.

totally amazing, i think wendelin should be the new j.k.rowling!