With The Garden of Lost Girls A. L. Tait has delivered a mystery crime read for the tween audience. Although I do love the plethora of middle grade books with dragons and magic The Garden of Lost Girls is a pleasant change.
The Garden of Lost Girls is a page-turning mystery and I love how the three teen protagonists worked together, piecing together snippets of information. It was like a jigsaw puzzle where the whole picture isn't revealed until the last piece is placed in position.
Tait draws the mystery out, drip feeding information in a way that has the reader engaged and keen to keep the pages turning. I was so invested in what could have happened to Jessica I almost turned to the end of the book. My anticipation of the final reveal was that great. When I did get there I must say, I never expected that ending!
The teens are polite and respectful although Sam does lash out until he realises how much the play means to his mother. I felt empathy for the teens as it would be hard living with the ghost of someone you've never met.
There are plenty of themes included that tweens will relate to; surfing, drama, crushes and books.
Tait treats her young readers with intelligence with a plot that is complex and the mystery compelling, however also sensitive to the age of the intended audience.
If your tweens have been asking for crime reads, The Garden of Lost Girls is the perfect option.
My rating 4 / 5 👧👧👧👧
Recommended age 10+ years
Publisher: Scholastic Australia
Publication date: 1st September 2026
Genre: Middle Grade 10+ Crime
Pages: 288
RRP: AU$18.99 (paperback)
Source: Courtesy of the author
#crimereadsfortweens #Australianauthor #thegardenoflostgirls #altait #littlesquirrelsbookshelf #ausbookbloggers
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