Book: Nessie Quest (2020)
Author: Melissa Savage
Genre: MG, Contemporary
Opening lines from the book …
Words may seem innocent enough, but I’m here to tell you that they’re a way bigger deal than most people know.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK…
1) Ada Ru is going to Scotland for the entire summer with her parents! How cool is that? She gets to live in an old abbey and gets to have tea and scones every day! Oh my. What a dream. 🙂
2) Enter Hammy Bean. He’s blind (something I missed at the opening of the story but figured out as the book progressed), but he’s such a loveable guy. He lives with his grandmother because his parents are royalty. Or is it that they’re missionaries? Or doctors serving in Africa? The story always seems to change, and Ada Ru looks to find the truth behind Hammy Bean’s past.
3) I love the walkie-talkie system that the kids have. Hammy Bean constantly wakes Ada Ru up in the wee hours of the morning to give her the tasks for the day. (She’s “working” for him as they join the hunt to find Nessie.) And the secret code! I love how Dax (another friend) learns the code first and that Ada Ru decides that she does not want to be left out in the dark.
4) Getting back to the whole Hammy-is-blind thing … There is a wonderful exchange where the kids discuss color and Hammy Bean bascially says “I don’t know what you mean by color.” I love how Ada Ru comes up with a description to help him “see” color and clouds and all that.
5) I like that there’s a slight connection to Melissa Savage’s first book, Lemons. This is not really a companion book, per se. But the characters in this book do reference the characters in that one. It’s a fun little connection. (And no, it’s not absolutely necessary to read that book first!
6) Oh, and did I mention Scotland?
THINGS THAT BOTHERED ME…
1) I didn’t get why Ada Ru did NOT want to go to Scotland! I mean, Scotland. She obsessed with Harry Potter and at the beginning of the book she has not desire and they’d be staying in an old abbey. In the book, she claims that she’ll be homesick. But wait! Both Mom and Dad will be there. I just didn’t buy into this.
FINAL THOUGHTS
What a fun romp. I love the trio of Ada Ru, Hammy Bean, and Dax and all their attempt to find the Loch Ness Monster.
YOUR TURN…
Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…
Of Maria Antonia 
I haven’t read it, but I’ve added it to my list! 🙂
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What a charming story with interesting characters and a fun quest! Sounds like a big adventure for all. And I love how Ada helps Hammy understand the meaning of “color.” Did they catch a peek at Nessie? Thanks for sharing!
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Haha! You’ll have to read the book to find out!
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Such a fun, interesting story line. The characters you described have me hooked to read this one soon. I’ve not read any of this author’s books, but this sounds like a good place to start. Thanks for featuring on MMGM.
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This sounds like a fun story. And the first line really draws you into the story.
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This sounds like such a fun read! I mean, I think having characters named Ada Ru and Hammy Bean automatically makes for a fun read, but searching for the Loch Ness Monster certainly doesn’t hurt either. Though I agree, it is strange how little she wants to go to Scotland. Thanks so much for the great review!
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You had me at Scotland. I can’t imagine anyone who doesn’t want to go there. I hope to go soon myself. This does sound like a fun story. I will try to get a copy. Thanks for telling me about it.
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