Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls: a mystery -- Bennett Madison
I'm going to do the easy thing and let this book speak for itself:
My name is Lulu Dark. I am not the girl detective type.
I'm not going to name names, but I know a thing or two about those amateur sleuths, the ones you read about in books, and they couldn't be more different from me.
I do not speak Arabic or Chinese or German or even Spanish like they do. I speak English, and the only French phrases I know are things like, "I go to the beach," or, "We go to the pool, yes?" I don't do jujitsu, I don't have a photographic memory, and I've never skydived. I can't water-ski and I don't want to. If there was a criminal escaping on water skis with a satchel full of priceless diamonds, I would certainly not chase after her in any way. What I would do is yawn and be glad that they weren't my diamonds because for one thing, I don't have any diamonds. My dad has a lot of valuable paintings, but if an evil crook carried them off across a tightrope, it would be no big deal because he's a famous painter and he'd just paint some more. No death-defying pursuit necessary.
I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I believe in truth, and the truth is that if old Mrs. Bannecker next door told me that her poor, beloved cat was missing, it wouldn't occur to me to be intrigued. I wouldn't say, "That sounds mysterious, Mrs. Bannecker, I'll go investigate." Instead I would say, "That's too bad, Mrs. Bannecker. Good thing you've still got fifteen cats left."
Fun! Fun fun fun fun fun fun fun. Lulu reminded me of Suze from Meg Cabot's Mediator books. She's got the same fashion obsession and the same irritation with having to be something other than a normal teenager. She's waaaaaaaaaaay meaner, though. (In a good way). Which leads to super entertaining reading. I'm looking forward to the next book. (If there is one--I'm assuming that it's going to be the first in a series).