Eliza Down Under Book

Even though I've been looking for years, I've never managed to track down all 30 of the Teen Power Inc series. I really hope at some point these are released in ebook format. Or reprinted as paperbacks. I'm not really fussed but I would definitely like to read all of them in some format. Still over the years I've read a great many of them and have recently been rereading the ones I have. (And scouring auctions and used bookstores for missing copies.)

Anyway Teen Power Inc is brilliant. They're lighthearted mysteries featuring a cast of six teenagers who start their own odd job business to earn money. Each book is narrated by a different character. There's Liz who is the mother hen. She is passionate about equality and fairness and helping others. Her best friend is Sunny who is super sporty. She spends a lot of her time exercising and attending taekwondo and gymnastic classes. Tom is the class clown of the group, always ready with a joke and his sketchpad. Elmo is the reporter. He joins the group in the first novel, when the gang accept a job as the new delivery people for the Pen (the local newspaper) that Elmo's father owns. Nick is described as being "cool". He's always ready with the right words and the charm. And last of all is Richelle who is the fashionista and kind of an airhead. Each book focuses on the adventures and mysteries the group fall into when they start a new job.

The Disappearing TV Star is narrated by Richelle. Richelle is a funny character - her thought process was interesting to read. She is a little stuck up but her point of view shows she does have a good heart - she just seems to ignore it at times when she's busy being judgemental. Richelle dreams of being famous - model, actress, I don't know that she's particularly concerned with how she gets there - just that she does. Richelle seems to get on best with Nick who she seems to consider her equal in terms of coolness.

The gang has been hired as extras in an advert for a new chocolate bar with famous actress Cassandra Cass. Richelle is thrilled at the opportunity to be on tv and possibly launch her career into the stratosphere. But not long after they start filming, Cassandra Cass disappears. Her mother claims she has been kidnapped but the local police think she left of her own accord.

Nick and Richelle are the main characters in this novel. We see a bit of the rest of the gang but these two are the ones who get caught up in the danger. They're both fairly shallow though - and kind of asses. Richelle asks towards the end about why Nick called Elmo to cover the crime when he doesn't really like him and he says because then Elmo owes him and it's good to build favours. I guess I just thought that because they all hang out together they're friends or something - I mean none of them really seem to have friends outside of the group so it seemed logical but they're just friendly, I guess? Nick's pretty calculating at times. Richelle isn't much better though. At least though she does recognise that it's not a good thing. For instance she observes Cassandra manipulating people and considers whether she's like that and doesn't like what that may say about her. She's not perfect but she does at least try to be better.

I really liked how they solve this mystery. They work with the police to reconstruct their kidnapping and it's pretty creative. The mystery is really good and there were a lot of twists I didn't see coming. For a middle grade novel they're surprisingly deep. Well it's a cross between middle grade and young adult whatever you call that. I love all the characters and enjoyed them piecing together the clues. I would rate four stars but while I enjoyed it, I don't know that I like Richelle enough to give it four stars. 3.5 stars. For the age group 4 stars, maybe 4.5. I can't wait to read the next one.