Bitter Tastes
by V.B. Rosendahl
Published by Stargazer Press
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Reviewed by Shawn Remfrey
When Kathy Harmon first moves to Warner, North Carolina, she has a really hard time fitting in. She’s different than all of the other kids, and it’s noticeable. She befriends a restaurant owner, Janine McCallum, who teaches her cooking as well as self-esteem. Things are starting to look up for Kathy until Janine is brutally murdered. Now Kathy, along with her one friend, Martha, are on an adventure to solve the mystery of who killed Janine. Though they have a few suspects, strange pairs of glasses show up everywhere, making things more difficult to figure out.
I really enjoyed this book. It was well-written but still easily readable for an older child. My only complaint with the writing is that some of the terms, such as ‘Deputy Dawg,’ meant absolutely nothing to my nine year old and left him confused. Overall most of the situations the girls found themselves in were situations he could easily relate to or imagine. Neither of us were able to figure out who the murderer was until the end.
As a parent, there were a few aspects of this book that I loved. First, it shows children that money shouldn’t be an issue between friends. Though one girl lives in a trailer park and another in a large expensive house, the girls learn that where they live and what they own have nothing to do with their friendship. Secondly, Kathy has a pretty severe disability for a child to deal with. She handles it like most children would. She’s embarrassed but musters as much courage to deal with it as she’s able. I love that this story shows the other children’s reactions to her disability and how they come to terms with it. It teaches children that just because someone may have a disability or be different, doesn’t mean they’re necessarily any different than you.
The second Kathy and Martha Mystery book will be Mudders, the third Legally Blind.
Armchair Interviews says: Interesting mystery just for young readers/young adults.
Author’s Web site: http://www.VBRosendahl.com