The Lost Cipher

Summary:

Lucas's father has recently died in Afghanistan, and to help him cope, his grandmother sends him to Camp Kawani, a camp for kids who have lost a parent. While there, he hears about the local legend of Thomas Jefferson Beale. Beale supposedly hid a hoard of gold in the mountains 200 years before. The location is encrypted in a set of codes no one has ever been able to decipher. When Lucas and his newfound friends decide to track down the treasure, they embark on a mission that could be too dangerous to survive.  (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review courtesy of the publisher.

Review:

This was a nice read that I think would have some appeal to kids who were going through a difficult time.  More so than focusing on the loss each of the kids had, it talked about the benefits of being the in the wilderness and the differences between the boys. They never really had any major breakdowns, but I think there were some emotionally poignant moments.

The book got much faster for me once more information about the mystery of the hidden gold had a spot of predominance in the ploy.  The boys made some questionable decisions, but in the end it all worked out.  I’d say this would be a solid read for middle-school boys.

Warning: Contains some danger and talks about parents who were passed away.

Rating: 4 stars!

Who should read it? Middle-school boys and teachers/parents.  I'm not sure others would be quite as interested.