Review: Who Done It?

Edited by Jon Scieszka
Stories by J.R. and Kate Angelella, Mac Barnett, Jennifer Belle, Judy Blundell, Elizabeth Braswell, Libba Bray, Steven Brezenoff, Elise Broach, Peter Brown, Jen Calonita, Patrick Carman, Susane Colasanti, Elizabeth Craft, Melissa de la Cruz, Julia DeVilliers and Paige Pooler, Larry Doyle, Sarah Beth Durst, Dave Eggers, Daniel Ehrenhaft, Elizabeth Eulberg, Helen Fitzgerald, Gayle Forman, Aimee Friedman, Margaux Froley, Claudia Gabel, Michelle Gagnon, Adam Gidwitz, Anna Godbersen, John Green, Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown, Lev Grossman, Janet Gurtler, F. Bowman Hastie III and Tillamook Cheddar, Geoff Herbach, Joanna Hershon, Mandy Hubbard, Emily Jenkins, Maureen Johnson, Lindsey Kelk, Jo Knowles, Gordon Korman, David Levithan, Sarah Darer Littman, Barry Lyga, Adam Mansbach and Ricardo Cortes, Leslie Margolis, Julia Mayer, Barnabas Miller, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Sarah Mlynowski and Courtney Sheinmel, Lauren Myracle, Greg Neri, Jen Nielsen and Lisa Sandell, Michael Northrop, Lauren Oliver, David Ostow, Micol Ostow, Ali Pace, Joy Preble, Margo Rabb, Marie Rutkoski, Casey Scieszka and Steven Weinberg, Kieran Scott (occasionally Kate Brian), Alyssa B. Sheinmel, Sara Shepard, Jennifer E. Smith, Lemony Snicket, Jordan Sonnenblick, Natalie Standiford, Rebecca Stead, Todd Strasser, Heather Terrell, Ned Vizzini, Adrienne Maria Vrettos, Melissa Walker, Robin Wasserman, Lynn Weingarten, Kiersten White, Mo Willems, Rita Williams-Garcia, Maryrose Wood, Jennifer Ziegler, and Michelle Zink
Available now from Soho Teen (Soho Press)
Review copy
20% of sales benefit 826NYC

WHO DONE IT? is a hilarious anthology of murder most foul.   Odious, pickle-loving editor Herman Mildew has been murdered and the suspects most offer their alibis.  And the suspects are a veritable who's who of young adult and children's literature - these people know how to write an alibi.  Some will throw others under the bus, some will protest that they liked Mildew, but one of them is guilty.

My personal favorite were the entries wherein authors outlined their plans for murdering Mildew and expressed regret that someone else got their first.  But although many of the alibis followed predictable patterns, there was a great deal of variety.  And I don't just mean the fact that many alibis were illustrated or told in comic form.  Each entry has a strong, unique voice.  I read all of the alibis in one sitting and didn't get bored.

I recommend WHO DONE IT? to fans of humorous and light mysteries.  If you like just one of the many, many authors who contributed, the anthology is worth it.  Best of all, WHO DONE IT? supports 826NYC, a nonprofit organization begun by contributor Dave Eggers that helps students develop their writing skills.  It not only supports the program monetarily, but - as readers will find out - demonstrates how the program works.

In the end, I was disappointed by Soho Teen's first title (WHAT WE SAW AT NIGHT), but WHO DONE IT? is delightful from beginning to end.  I've still got high hopes for this imprint of young adult crime/thriller/mystery fiction.