Content levels
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
A series of mysteries.An explosion of truths.The Explosionist: Someone sets off a bomb outside fifteen-year-old Sophie's boarding school, but no one can figure out who.The Medium: Soothsayers and seance leaders are regular guests at her great-aunt's house in Scotland, but only one delivers a terrifying prophecy, directed at Sophie herself.The Murder: When the medium is found dead, Sophie and her friend Mikael know they must get to the bottom of these three mysteries in order to save themselves — even as the fate of all Europe hangs in the balance.Set in a time of subversive politics, homegrown terrorism, and rapidly changing alliances, The Explosionist is an extraordinarily accomplished debut novel for teens that delivers a glimpse of the world as it might have been — had one moment in history been altered.
Is The Explosionist appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 13 and up.
This YA alternate history mystery includes terrorism (bombing), murder investigation, and political themes involving subversive politics and changing alliances. Violence is present but not graphic, with mystery elements that may be intense for younger readers.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include murder, death, and terrorism (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will enjoy the mystery-solving duo unraveling connected puzzles involving bombs, prophecies, and murder in an alternate Europe.