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Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
Mean people are passing out unkind letters at night. They’re part of the Unkindness Club. But, in Jill Ammon Vanderwood’s The Unkindness Club, two friends, Persephone, a ten-year-old deaf girl, and Rowen, who moves around in a wheelchair, are set to make things right, to solve the mystery behind this Unkindness Club. The two become detectives in their combined efforts of sleuthing. What makes it even more interesting is that Persephone, on her tenth birthday, tells Rowan that she dreamed of becoming a cat. He decides to call her Purdy, and she really is a cat, but only at night. This new reality has some perks, including the fact that as a cat, Purdy (aka Persephone) can prowl around unnoticed and pick up some useful clues. Unfortunately, as a deaf cat, Purdy has to get close enough to lip-read the antagonists. Will the detective team be successful in finding out who’s behind all these unkind letters? Or will Purdy, the cat, get caught?
Jill Ammon Vanderwood’s middle-grade novel, The Unkindness Club, is the first book in the Purdy Franklin Mysteries series. The characters are well-developed and believable. Dialogue is used efficiently and effectively to move the plot forward. The plot is compelling and will engage readers from the beginning. Descriptive narrative is used well. At the end of the book, the author includes some interesting facts about deafness, as well as a detailed chart of ASL, so young people can learn some sign language. Young readers will be enthralled with the story, particularly the idea of the dual personality of Persephone the girl and Purdy the cat. This is a great read that not only teaches youngsters about differences but will also encourage them to be kind to others.
