The Westing Game ~Ellen Raskin~

            The Westing Game was one of those books that I really had to push myself to get through. It took me at least four days to read and it’s only 180 pages! The reason for that is because one of my hamartias is that when I reach a boring spot in a book, I put the book down. Unfortunately, I reached many of these “boring spots” so the book took me longer to finish then I had originally planned.

This book was suggested to me last semester by a friend of mine who is actually surprisingly good at finishing books on her book list before she adds more, unlike me. My book list is six pages long and growing. Yikes. Guilty as charged.

Anyway, the book: The Westing Game. What initially intrigued me was the foreword. The foreword was written by Ann Durell. She described her friendship with the author, Ellen Raskin. Durell did a great job of unfolding the energy and unique personality of Raskin, which inspired me to read the book in a different light.

 Though through most of the novel I felt no connection to the characters, by the end I felt a love for the different characters that had been introduced. The Westing Game is narrated from a child’s perspective. It’s not necessarily that the book is from the view of a child; rather, the details that only a child would notice are brought out. 

The plot, though not super suspenseful, was rather intense. Samuel W. Westing left a will that stated that one person out of sixteen contestants would be heir to his fortune. Westing created an intricate game before he died, the winner would be the individual who correctly guessed his murderer.

I actually really enjoyed this book. Though it seemed to drag on forever, I was sad to part with the characters when the book finished. Especially my favorite character, Turtle Wexler. Turtle reminds me of myself as a young child, adventurous, feisty, and a little disrespectful. I feel a stronger bond to her than I do the other characters because I can relate to many of the struggles she faces. Of course I’ve never had to live in a closet, but I understand her feelings of insignificance. I’m glad I read The Westing Game; it was a great experience!

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This is a picture I took of a little girl I know who reminds me of Turtle Wexler: