Cassandra is a survivalist 11-year old girl. She's ready for every catastrophe. Max-Ernest is her classmate and soon to be her only friend. Cassandra's grandfathers are given a case with a 'Symphony of Smells'. Determined to learn the mystery, Cass and Max-Ernest break into a home, a magician's home, where they find a notebook with a horrible story. Then Benjamin Blake, another classmate, disappears and Cass knows Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais took him. She's determined to save him, no matter what. But neither Cass nor Max-Ernest could know what they've gotten themselves into. Or who the magician may actually be.

A good mystery and suspense novel. The narrator is right along with you. The plot is hard to explain, but basically Dr. L and Ms Mauvais kidnap children who have synesthesia, confusion of the senses. Then they use their brains to create an elixir to extend life. This is the mystery Cass and Max-Ernest discover. Very much like the Lemony Snicket's tales, for an older crowd. The first in a series.

The middle grade me would give it a 5 star but the adult me would only give it a 3. 4 is a good midpoint ;).

I like the characters and the story. I also like the narrator... insisting that the secret is bad. Of course that would make any curious person want to open the next page.
What I'm not too crazy about is the ending. By that time the secret thing had lost its magic for me.

All in all, it's a very enjoyable story. Highly recommended for middle grade adventure lovers!

Cas and Max-Ernest, friends from school, team up to solve the mystery that surrounds the disappearance of a magician reported missing/presumed dead. They find themselves swept up into an adventure of untrustworthy adults, a box labeled "The Symphony of Smells" and a kidnapped classmate.

+++++

This middle grade book was a lot of fun that put me in mind of Lemony Snicket and The Series of Unfortunate Events. The negative reviews I have read all come from adults who seem to not realize the reader level of the book.

I found it enjoyable for what it was. Though as a 50 year old adult woman, I probably will not be seeking out the next book.

3.5 I wanted a book I couldn't put down. This wasn't it. But I did love learning about synesthesia. That part made for an interesting read. Generally I like the narrator inserting himself into the book, but I didn't always feel like that added to the story.

pretty good

4.5 stars
this is so niche but why r Barbara Barbara from the Nancy Drew movie and Gloria Fortune from this book the SAME person

4.5 stars for the nostalgia

I found the title intriguing when I was 12(?). VERY interesting premise on which the story revolves around. The first few pages were slightly annoying with a hype being built about the "secret". Perhaps, I would have liked it more if I had been 12. It would have competed fiercely with my favourite book of that year. (The Librarian: Quest for the Spear. It's okay. Everybody has an embarrassing past.)

Cute. The style of writing which is the book version of a movie/show constantly breaking the "fourth wall" was really endearing and made this a fast, fun read. Cass and Max-Ernest are interesting enough characters who I wouldn't mind reading about again but so much DIDN'T happen in this book that by the end it felt like a lot of set up for a series instead of a book on its own merit. Still, worth the read. I loved the brief touches on Egyptology and really enjoyed the Synthesia inclusion!