Product reviews for The Five Clues (Don’t Doubt the Rainbow 1)

This debut novel by Anthony Kessel is an exciting story which is gripping from the start but has some surprising links to current affairs. It deals with the adventures of Edie, a 13-year-old girl, who has lost her mum under mysterious circumstances a year earlier and finds a note left by her mum in her coat pocket with five clues to solve her death. This starts an adventure for Edie to uncover the truth about her mum’s death which doesn’t just take her on exciting and often dangerous adventures, but simultaneously leads her on a journey to deal with her own grief and loss. Ultimately, it is the story of a teenage girl and her family coming to terms with sudden loss and finding a new purpose in life, being guided by the memory of her. It therefore deals with difficult concepts like bereavement, loss, mourning and family relationships, but also hope for the future. 

People who enjoy solving puzzles and like reading mysteries will like the escape-room-like clues that lead Edie to the answers she is looking for. 

At times, the story – though fast-paced and gripping – touches upon too many different themes and topics at once, not all of them fully explored, so that the saying ‘less is more’ springs to mind. However, there are plenty of issues to be discussed with your teenage children and the story will keep you hooked until the end. Due to the nature of some of the themes, this book is most suitable to young readers aged 14 and over, as there is one scene in particular which may be unsuitable to a younger audience.