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Review: A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall

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By Jasmine Warga
New York: Harper, 2024. Fiction. 211 pages.

A painting has been stolen from the Penelope L. Brooks Museum and sixth-grader Rami Ahmed is worried he's the main suspect. His mother works at the museum as the lead custodian and Rami spends a lot of time hanging out at the museum while she works. On the day the painting went missing, the only people there were the security guard Ed, the cleaning crew, and Rami. Then, a mysterious girl appears in the museum. She floats around from room to room and only Rami can see her -- and she looks exactly like the girl from the missing painting. To prove his innocence and help figure out who the floating girl is, Rami partners up with an aspiring sleuth at school named Veda and the two dive into unexpected situations as they try to solve the mystery.

This is a cozy mystery that is focused mostly on characters and ambiance and only a little on the mystery itself. Don't read this book if you're looking for a twisty story with lots of unexpected turns, read it instead for a story that feels like an instant classic. Though grounded mostly in reality, some magical elements like the floating girl and an artistic turtle named Agatha who helps solve the case add a sense of wonder to the story. It's not a surprise that this book is getting serious awards buzz. With a memorable setting and intriguing characters, this is a delightfully deep story.

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