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I thoroughly enjoyed Gennifer Choldenko’s first two Al Capone books. I finished her third–Al Capone Does My Homework–this month, however, and I am (as you may have noticed?) ambivalent.
On the one hand, there is emotional complexity and more than one enjoyable mystery. Moose and Natalie’s dad is now the assistant warden, a job that comes with more than one variety of risk. A fire in their apartment is blamed on Natalie. Piper’s being–weirdly–nice, and what’s with all the gifts going around the island? The resident kids hold their own investigation (although it’s worth noting that they don’t find the truth at the expense of incompetent adults, which is refreshing), and of all the truths to come out, there’s something to shock everyone.
On the other hand, Natalie has suddenly developed new–tics? obsessions?–that feel like they’ve been inserted solely to further the plot. And Capone’s “cryptic note” is so ridiculously cryptic that it feels as much like an arbitrary nod to series tradition as anything else. I was bothered by both issues less as I grew more caught up in the story, but I couldn’t–quite–forget them.
By the novel’s climax, however, I was captivated. There are some really fantastic moments with Natalie and Moose, not to mention Moose and his dad, and the progress Moose and his mother have made in their (more difficult) relationship is furthered rather than forgotten. Bottom line? I’m still looking forward to the fourth book–I’m also interested in what my son thinks of this one.