The Postcard

By: Tony Abbott

Narrated by: Lincoln Hoppe

She died today.

One phone call changes Jason’s summer vacation–and life!–forever. When Jason’s grandmother dies, he’s sent down to her home in Florida to help his father sort through her things. At first he gripes about spending the summer miles away from his best friend, doing chores, and sweating in the Florida heat, but he soon discovers a mystery surrounding his grandmother’s murky past.

An old, yellowed postcard . . . a creepy phone call with a raspy voice at the other end asking, “So how smart are you?” . . . an entourage of freakish funeral-goers . . . a bizarre magazine story–all contain clues that will send Jason on a thrilling journey to uncover family secrets.©2008 Tony Abbot; (P)2008 Listening Library

Edgar Award Winner for kids

I bought this by accident; grabbed it off the Award Winner list thinking it was the "Edgar Award Winner, Best Fact Crime, 2009" but in reality it was the "Edgar Award Winner, Best Juvenile, 2009."

Still, it was enjoyable, the kind of book I would've been all over as a kid. All the stuff that used to be my favorite plot devices: absent, distracted or "hands-off" parents, mysterious strangers with unknown motives, an attractive but initially stand-offish member of the opposite sex who becomes a trusted parter, and lots of clues that lead the two on a treasure hunt.

The treasure? Appreciating and understanding a grandmother's past in a way that helps a parent through a bad patch. The kids get to save the day in this story... but only if they can solve the mystery in time.

The narrator was pretty good. He often made me laugh at his portrayal of the main character's frequent bewilderment: "Whaa-aa-at?"

The Postcard, an excellent listen!

I have a hard time finding new authors and am often critical of some of the books I start, but this held my interest from start to finish. It's mostly about 2 kids who begin (and complete) an investigation into the background of the boy's late grandmother. So this ends up being a story within a story. I found the story quite exciting. A real good listen.

It was awesome.

I cannot say anything more than this was awesome. I loved the mystery in the mystery in the mystery. It was complete awesomeness.

For young teenagers

This book is very well written for young teenagers. It's not for adults. It's refreshing in that it is a good mystery, well written. and has no explicit foul language or sex.

Fun mystery, great performance

The Postcard is a book that reminds me of why I love reading and writing. Listening to the audio while reading The Postcard for the third time gave me a newfound love for it. I loved it before, but I especially love it now.

Lincoln Hoppe portrays Jason (the main character) with a sense of early teenage aloofness. There are times when he speaks with a bit of a smirk like Jason is tickled by what he's saying/experiencing. Then it's counteracted with Jason's more serious moments. Hoppe's narration for Twin Palms (the story within the story) has a very noir/pulp fiction turn and provides a nice nuanced balance for the novel.

The other characters are memorable too. Jason's dad is very reserved but tragically frustrated by his isolated upbringing. Dia is quirky but very accepting and driven to help Jason solve the mystery of the novel. The Secret Order of Oobarab is equal parts terrifying and goofy. All the minor characters stick with you as well.

The mystery, while not complex, is fun and nuanced. The embedded narrative is a great plot device for the novel that moves the plot forward and gives the reader/listener something to look forward to in the coming chapters. Well-paced, some parts were slow-moving while others were breakneck.

While it is a young adult novel, a lot of the themes are very grounded and real. Divorce, estrangement, isolation, love, coming of age, friendship, family, mystery, intrigue, subterfuge, right vs. wrong, good vs. evil. Tony Abbott doesn't hold back in this novel, but it's textually subtle, beautifully written, and endearingly relatable.