BookPage, January 24, 2024: “Ben Guterson makes excellent use of his trademark ability to create puzzles and conjure clues in this innovative tale that pits clever and intrepid preteens against dark forces, dodgy family secrets and dastardly adults.”
BookPage, February 2024: “Department stores come to life in Ben Guterson’s artful adventure.”
Shelf Awareness, February 2, 2024: “Mystery in a wondrous environment melds with family history and a tinge of magic in this tale for detail-oriented young readers.”
The Week Junior “Book of the Week,” February 2, 2024
Publishers Weekly, February 2024: “Guterson dives headlong into adventure, employing flights of fancy and imagination and humorous situations to instantly charm readers.”
School Library Journal, January 2024: “The Nine is a fantastical place full of shops and activities that will surely tickle readers’ imaginations.”
Barnes & Noble “Young Reader Pick of the Month,” February 2024: “The World-Famous Nine brings an unforgettable setting — a massive department plaza — and packs it with the kinds of mysteries and secrets that you can find in Ben Guterson’s previous series, The Winterhouse Mysteries. It’s good fun, it’s page-turning puzzles and all alongside characters you’ll love to root for.”
The Nerd Daily, Interview, January 27, 2024
YA Books Central, February 26, 2024: “…an engaging read with superb world-building and a great sense of mystery throughout.”
YA Books Central, Interview, February 2, 2024
Kirkus Reviews, January 20, 2024: “Coded clues put two young sleuths on the trail of a magic mandala hidden somewhere in a huge, bustling department store.”