I’m a big fan of hard-boiled detective stories, so when I saw The Big Splash---the first one of that sort that I’ve ever seen written for a juvenile audience---I really, really wanted to read it. After all, where else but in middle school will you find the situation so ideal for the noir-style mystery? And Jack D. Ferraiolo includes just about all the elements of the genre: there’s an organized crime boss, bully boys, assassins, dangerous dames, a story-hungry reporter, and the law, represented by the orange sash of a hall monitor, of course.

I really enjoyed the combination---and the mystery---but I’m not so sure The Big Splash will hold the interest of its intended juvenile audience. After all, how much fun is it to read a book written in Humphrey Bogart’s voice when you don’t even know who Humphrey Bogart is? There are also a few more adult themes hovering behind the story---the relationship between the hero’s mom and his best friend’s married dad, for example. Perhaps a juvenile reader won’t think anything about that detail, but I’m more inclined to err on the side of caution and recommend The Big Splash to a slightly older audience, just in case.
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Classic Raymond Chandler noir recast in middle school with squirt guns.

Enjoyable, but probably better if you're either a) a kid, or b) fond of noir. ( )

A noir-ish style mystery with a quick-talking, fast-thinking detective channeling Mickey Spillane. This tough guy is planted firmly in middle school, however. His case? A tough nut to crack, someone has put Nicky Fingers, the school "boss's" toughest hit woman, in the Outs with a well-targeted super-soaking. Private eye Matt Stevens doesn't have much to work with, and too many suspects. But he's on the case, and he's got connections.

A fun, fast read, but I question the appeal for a middle-school audience unfamiliar with the genre. ( )

Reviewed by Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen for TeensReadToo.com

"The Frank" may seem like a typical middle school, but it's actually run by Vinny Biggs and his gang. Need a stolen exam? Or want a sugar high? You'll have to go through Vinny. Cross Vinny, and you'll be facing one of his "hired assassins."

Vinny's "hired assassins" hold your social life fate in their hands. These assassins hide water guns, and with one quick shot you'll look like you peed your pants, face social humiliation, and immediately are put in "the outs."

Nikki Fingers used to be the fastest and most feared shooter at "The Frank," but at the beginning of seventh grade decides for a fresh start. But when Nikki is taken out, seventh grade detective Matt Stevens is hired. Could it have been her former boss, Vinny? The boy who had a crush on her? Or one of the many students at "The Frank" with a reason to hate Nikki? Matt only has a week to find out or he might find himself in "the outs" as well.

I can't say enough good things about this book! It's wonderfully written in a clever noir style that kept me laughing and guessing all night. It reads just like an old pulp detective novel and includes many of the characters you would expect to be there - the mob boss, the hired guns, the detective, the girl crush - only this time they're in sixth and seventh grade. At times it reminded me of one of my favorite old movies, Bugsy Malone, in which kids play the gangsters.

There were so many things sprinkled in this story that made me smile. The kids who would do anything for a pixy stick rush, the frazzled newspaperman, and the kid-owned sandwich shop all added to the style, and I felt like I really was transported back into one of those old pulp detective novels.

The mystery had plenty of twists and turns and kept me guessing and second-guessing who did Nikki in. The dialogue is witty and snappy and is full of humor.

Although the setting is middle school, readers who have gotten through their middle school years are sure to enjoy THE BIG SPLASH, as well. Fans of great detective novels or gangster stories should add this one to their reading pile!

I'm looking forward to reading more from Jack D. Ferraiolo - and hope that Matt Stevens is on another case soon! ( )

jr high mafioso drama with excellent playful language

1.09 ( )