The Writing on the Wall by Wendy Lichtman

Tess is just your average math loving eighth-grader until she becomes a little too interested in some graffiti at her school. Tess’s friend Sammy convinces her that the blue numbers form a sort of code, and Tess becomes determined to crack it. Unfortunately, this requires a lot of lying and some vandalizing on Tess’s part. But Tess is only concerned with finding out the message and doesn’t think about the consequences.

I found it interesting how Tess compared people and life to various math problems, but I could see the logic in it. For example, Tess’s friend Miranda’s math symbol is m, which always has a positive value, just like Miranda always sees the good in everything. But what I appreciated most about this math-obsessed girl was how she realized that her system of comparing everything to math was flawed because not everything in life can be figured out using simple steps and formulas.

I will admit that I was surprised that The Writing on the Wall was a mystery book; I thought it would be about some math geek who’s having a hard time in middle school. But I’m glad that math and mystery were combined to create this novel, which I highly enjoyed reading. Tess’s character is funny and very logical (in all things math), something I can appreciate and relate too. I also liked how Tess seemed to know how to do the right thing but was clueless in others, such as the world of boys.

If you are looking for a light and fast read, The Writing on the Wall is a good choice. I recommend it for younger readers, but even math lovers in higher grades will enjoy this book. Look for it when it’s released in July.

Rating: 3.5

Review copy from publisher HarperCollins