Stella and Josie make good main characters. Teens going through puberty will relate to the dynamics of Stella and Josie. They are very relatable to teens. Why I could not relate so much is because of the dialect of the characters was juvenile. As the police even reacted the same as an adult trying to get the facts about the case, not who liked who or what someone was wearing.

Where the mystery was involved. It did seem to take a really long time to get to the case. It did not really come together until the last third of the story.

This is is a cute book. While, I did like it, I would have to say that the target audience of a younger reader is the right choice. Which, young teens could read this as there is no language or sex portrayed in this book. So, this is a clean read. ( )

Saltwater Secrets is a fun summer mystery for tween and early YA readers. Josie and Stella are half sisters who live with their mothers in Australia and NYC, respectively, who only see each other in the summer when they join their father on the Jersey shore. Saltwater Secrets takes place the summer before the sisters start high school. They have shared traditions and Shore friends. They are used to getting water ice, going to the fun house and storing special treasures in a box in a secret hiding place. This summer, the water ice place is gone, replaced by a trendy smoothie store, their treasure box has vanished, dead jellyfish start washing up in large numbers and the boardwalk seems unstable. The sisters investigate these occurrences along with their friend Dario and uncover a sinister scheme.
The characters are well developed and I liked the bond between the sisters and the portrayal of how they are transitioning into teenagers. Dario, their friend, was my favorite character. The story moves quickly and is told from both sister's alternating point of view, which added to the suspense. The environmental mystery was well constructed and added depth and interest to the story. Saltwater Secrets is an enjoyable middle grade mystery with a fun beach town setting. #BooksForwardFriends ( )