Who in the World is Carmen Sandiego? is basically a kid-appropriate novelization of the first two episodes of the Netflix reboot. The reboot is awesome (I love the animation!), and this novelization is a good one. I liked that we learned more about the world from Chase's point of view, about Carmen and Grey's relationship, and got to see some of Paper Star's time at VILE Academy. All in all, I'm happy with both the reboot and the novelization. I would be interested in seeing more novelizations of the other episodes.

I, unlike Gina Rodriguez and many others, did not grow up with the mysterious Carmen Sandiego. I didn’t know the name until college, when she was mentioned by a friend in passing. So this book was really the first time I’ve gotten a chance to experience the phenomenon—and it was so worth it! This book is a great adventure for children and long time fans of Carmen. Plenty of mystery and twists, it’s a great book that I’m sure many readers will enjoy. I look forward to watching the show!

3.5 stars

4.5 stars

Loved discovering more of what Carmen experienced as a VILE student in this novelization of the TV show. It surprisingly covers only the first two episodes. Most of it is the same but there are some additions to the story like her meeting Paper Star, a new professor I believe, and just more of Carmen's POV. I hope the next book dives into how she met the siblings in the TV show. I'm curious to see how much it'll cover.