FLIP TURNS

Maddie and her best friend try to figure out who is vandalizing Maddie’s family’s pool while also dealing with typical tween dilemmas.

After she discovers broken glass at the community swimming pool owned by her family, Maddie recognizes it right away as pieces from the snow globe she returned to Lucas, an unwanted admirer. When other acts of vandalism not only continue to shut down the pool, but lead to lost revenue, causing her parents to consider selling the business to a gym chain, the rising eighth grader follows clues to find the culprit. Helping her with this endeavor is best friend Esmeralda. Realistic dialogue and interspersed texts drive this light sports mystery as self-proclaimed Nancy Drews Maddie and Ez also grapple with early adolescent experiences. Ez, who has alopecia, stresses over winning an elite swimming scholarship she needs to join a private school’s training program that her single mother couldn’t otherwise afford, while Maddie tries to keep her anxiety under control and develops a crush on Nico, the new boy in town. Her interactions with Lucas spotlight sexual harassment warning signs and add to possible motives as the mystery unwinds. Although the revealed vandal may not be a surprise to some, enough red herrings and plenty of sports competition keep the story lively. Main characters read as White; there is some ethnic diversity in the supporting cast as well as two same-sex relationships.

A solid whodunit for swimming and mystery fans alike.