The Night Raven by Johan Rundberg, A.A. Prime (Translator)
Publisher: Amazon Crossing Kids
Special thanks to Firefly for sending a copy for review.
Summary:
Mika is not your average orphan—and she’s about to prove it.
It’s 1880, and in the frigid city of Stockholm, death lurks around every corner. Twelve-year-old Mika knows that everyone in her orphanage will struggle to survive this winter. But at least the notorious serial killer the Night Raven is finally off the streets…or is he?
Mika is shocked when a newborn baby is left at the orphanage in the middle of the night, by a boy with a cryptic message. Who is he? And who is this “Dark Angel” he speaks of? When a detective shows up, Mika senses something even more sinister is going on.
Drawn in by Mika’s unique ability to notice small details—a skill Mika has always used to survive—the gruff Detective Hoff unwittingly recruits her to help him with his investigation into a gruesome murder. Mika knows she should stay far, far away, and yet…with such little hope for her future, could this be an opportunity? Maybe, just maybe, this is Mika’s chance to be someone who matters (Goodreads).
Thoughts:
Beginning:
The book begins with Mika receiving a newborn baby at the orphanage in the middle of the night. I wasn’t too sure about how this relates to the rest of the story, but luckily, the beginning has a steady pace that does not unnecessarily drag on. The build-up of the plot is also interesting, so I looked forward to finding out what would happen next.
Characters:
I liked most of the characters; however, some characters were not as well-written or detailed as others.
The main character, Mika, is described in the most detail in the story. As a 12-year-old, she has to be very mature and responsible to take care of the younger children at the orphanage. She has detective-like qualities, such as being witty and being keen attention to detail. I enjoyed seeing her character development where she learns to trust her instinct and strike first. She eventually becomes no longer a “prey” but “a hunter.”
Detective Hoff is a character who I wished the author talked more about, and I was disappointed that I couldn’t find out more about him. Still, his interactions with Mika were cute and entertaining to read about. His recruitment of Mika to help him with his investigation unexpectedly results in increased trust, bond, and protection.
Plot:
Since the book is relatively short, details are missing, but the story makes sense overall. I remember being hooked on the story after the 50% mark and wanting to find out what would happen next; however, I felt scammed because the rest of the plot felt rushed. I even found it hard to understand why characters made the decisions they made as not much explanation was given.
Moreover, there is a plot hole later in the story. Mika finds out that someone has been paying her fee even though she has no parents, but the author never explains why. As the book is part of a series, I’m guessing and hoping that the author answers my question in the next book.
Ending:
Once again, I felt scammed by the false hope given. While all the pieces add up together at the end, the author tends to jump to the conclusion immediately and ignores scenes where characters are trying to figure things out, so I was sometimes confused. It’s much like having a burger without ingredients; the important parts are missing.
Also, I was surprised that the book is meant for fifth to ninth graders because of certain images the author describes. For instance, the author includes quite vivid descriptions of vomiting, dead bodies, and cooking children, so I probably wouldn’t recommend this book to children under 12 who may find this disturbing.
In general, this book has massive potential, and it would have received a higher rating if it weren’t for the ending.
Reviewed by Renee L.