Synopsis: When a book of unexplainable occurrences brings Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay together, strange things start to happen: seemingly unrelated events connect, an eccentric old woman seeks their company, and an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal, where no one — neighbors, parents, teachers — is spared from suspicion. As Petra and Calder are drawn clue by clue into a mysterious labyrinth, they must draw on their powers of intuition, their problem-solving skills, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has left even the FBI baffled?(Scholastic.com)
I think the word I can best use to describe this listening experience is bland. It's not that narrator Ellen Reilly has a bad voice, she just doesn't have a great one either. It was soothing and bland and it allowed me to drift in and out of the story, rather than remaining hooked on what Petra and Calder were up to. The story has several points where urgency is of the key but the narrator doesn't imbue those scenes with urgency. At least, not to the extent I would like.
I did however like the voices she used for Calder and Petra and Mrs. Sharpe. There was definitely plenty of distinction in terms of me knowing who was speaking during the story. There were a few times though where it sounded like Ms. Reilly said "Peetra" rather than "Petra" and that really bugged me. It could very well have been my bad car speakers though so don't quote me on that. Also, I kind of giggled every time the narrator said "Ms. Hussey" because well, it was hussy. Yeah, I'm totally immature, I know it. :)
The story was engaging however, though I guess I'm just not as big of a fan of coincidences as Petra and Calder as my believability was a bit stretched as to how things fell into place for them. But I enjoyed the art history lesson that was woven throughout the plot and I enjoyed seeing two young kids united in friendship, even though at the beginning of the story they thought of each other as somewhat odd. And, it was nice seeing kids being interested in something outside of technology. Pentominoes, art, painting, and true engagement in their sixth grade class made Petra and Calder kids I'd love to see come into my library. I do think that I missed a bit of the intricacies of the story by not seeing the illustrations accompanying the text also.
I'm not interested enough in Petra and Calder to read the remaining two books so I will leave Chasing Vermeer alone. It was a pleasant enough listening experience but it lacked the excitement and the vibrant narration that accompanies the Harry Potter series, the His Dark Materials trilogy, and even the early Stephanie Plum books before they switched narrators.
Chasing Vermeer is a 4 hour, 47 minute (4 CDs) audio book. It was borrowed from my local library.
