Four teenagers from the same school wake up in a strange room, not knowing how they got there, or why. They aren’t friends, especially Andy, the narrator, and Chad, the boy who’s been bullying him. Gabriella Lee is one of the cool, beautiful girls of school (who Andy has always liked but has been too scared to talk to). The other girl refuses to give her name and the others, to their shame (apart from Chad, who is utterly shameless) can’t remember it, so they call her Nameless Girl.
The room they’re in is labelled K1 and has black floor tiles and a digital timer on the wall above a green door, which is locked. They soon realise they’re in a puzzle of sorts, where the goal is to work out how to escape via the green door. Andy and Gabriella Lee enjoy puzzles and work logically towards a solution. Nameless Girl’s demeanour is of studied indifference. Chad only knows brute force.
As they progress through different rooms – some with black floors, others with white – Andy realises they’re in a maze designed like a chessboard. Their ultimate aim must be to move up the board, one square at a time like the King chess piece, to the room designated as K8. Some rooms spookily remind them of their home life. They need to share things about themselves that they’ve kept secret in order to solve problems. They need to act as a team … but dangers await them should they fail. The Locked Room is just brilliant.
Reviewed by Bob Moore
Age Guide 12+
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adam Cece is an award-winning author of children’s books, including Wesley Booth Super Sleuth, Twin Spin and the hilarious ‘Huggabie Falls’ series, which has been published worldwide. He is passionate about inspiring people, young and old, to read and write.
He is a South Australian Premier’s Reading Challenge Ambassador, mentor, workshop facilitator and manuscript assessor, and visits schools and libraries delivering fun, interactive talks focused on being an author, the craft of writing, getting published, solving mysteries, and how to write a cracking shopping list.
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