The Westing Game

The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin, is a short mystery novel that focuses on solving the riddle of millionaire Samuel Westing’s death. My dad had been recommending this book to me for several years, but I had never actually tried it. At the beginning of the school year, I put it in my PE locker to use as a “backup book” in case I ever forgot to bring a book to read on Fridays, thinking I would never actually read it. However, I did forget a book one day and read The Westing Game during those 45 minutes. I became so entangled with the plot that I continued to read it after school had ended. 

The Westing Game  revolves around Samuel Westing’s will and the 16 heirs who try to interpret it. After all the heirs gather to hear Mr. Westing’s will, they are placed into groups and given several clues in the form of random words to help them unravel the mystery of his death. The heir(s) who solve the mystery will receive $200,000,000 in inheritance--Samuel Westing’s entire fortune. The problem is that the clue words have seemingly no meaning. Mr. Westing’s will perplexingly states that although each heir receives clues, they aren’t as important as what the heirs don’t have. All of the heirs live in Sunset Towers and regularly visit their neighbors in hopes of bribing them into giving away their clues. The rest of the plot focuses on each group’s efforts to win the game and steal clues from opposing groups. 

Although this novel was written for younger readers, I found the plot to be enjoyable and more intriguing than that of most children’s books. The Westing Game won a Newbery Medal in 1979 as the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature in that year. Raskin’s murder mystery is similar to the board game Clue, where each character suspects everyone else of murdering the victim. Contrary to most murder mysteries, Raskin keeps a light tone throughout the book and the plot feels like more of a game than a typical murder mystery. 

I usually don’t read mysteries because I find them dull until the final reveal, and on the rare occasion that I do decide to read one, I usually stop reading before the end. Raskin’s twist on this genre interested me more than most. I found her telling of the heirs’ stories captivating. She regularly switches viewpoints among all 16 of the heirs, much more than in other books I have read. Sometimes the perspective switches after only a paragraph of each person’s thoughts. Additionally, the characters’ ages range from kids to grandmothers, all with varying backgrounds. Raskin switches perspectives so regularly because all of the heirs are trying to solve the puzzle, and she tries to show how each of them interpret their clues. At times, this style worked well and I felt like I could follow the plot. However, sometimes the transitions were not smooth and I was confused on whose viewpoint I was reading. Although Raskin probably intended this confusion to enhance the mysterious aspect, at times it was overdone. I found some chapters frustrating, especially when Raskin doesn’t clarify whose perspective she is presenting. Additionally, Raskin uses foreshadowing to begin her book. I also found this technique slightly overdone and irritating on my first reading, but after finishing the book, I reread the first chapters and the second time it was much more entertaining than my original reading. I enjoyed rereading this section of the book to better understand the plot, but I would have appreciated this book more if Raskin had not used quite as much foreshadowing. Without knowledge from later in the book, the beginning was extremely confusing. I think Raskin’s goal was to make the reader want to know more about the mysterious details she hints at, but if I had had any other books to read at the time, I probably would have stopped reading before I reached the more interesting sections of the story. 

Due to the fact that Raskin describes all the heirs’ experiences, the book has several endings. Some heirs have a more limited view than others, and therefore think the game has ended long before it really has. The main protagonist, Turtle, is a feisty 13-year-old girl who narrates more of the book than any other character and is the only heir to truly finish the mystery, but she never reveals the secret to anyone else. Readers learn much more about Sam Westing through Turtle’s eyes as opposed to the other characters’ views. Some heirs such as Judge Ford and Mr. Hoo talk about Mr. Westing as though he were a cruel cutthroat. However, through Turtle’s perspective, readers are exposed to a new view of Mr. Westing: one that shows him to be a witty, game-loving old man who uses his money for good purposes. 

Overall, I would give The Westing Game  3.5 out of 5 stars. The plot interested me more than most mysteries, but it was confusing at times. I enjoyed reading each heir’s viewpoint, but I would have liked to read more than one paragraph at a time, as transitions between heirs were sometimes unclear. The book has a satisfying conclusion, however, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, fun read. 

--Miriam A