Book 2 in The F.I.G. Mystery Series takes the FIGs to the bowels of Grand Central Station in search of Dara's mother. It is there they discover a hidden society and sub-culture more dangerous and terrifying than they could have imagined.
When she learns that her mother is still alive, seventeen-year-old Dara Roux and her two best friends, Mackenzie Yarborough and Jennifer Torres, the three collectively referred to as the FIGs (Females of Intellectual Genius), along with Carolina, their favorite teacher and mentor, travel to New York City in an attempt to find her and learn why Dara was abandoned in a candy store all those years ago. All the young women have to work with are five addresses, and when Mackenzie prepares a grid showing the locations of all five addresses, four of the locations form a square with the fifth in the middle--which is Grand Central Terminal. Relying on Dara's gift for speaking and understanding foreign and obsolete languages, the black and white images that stir musical dacences in Jennifer's mind, and Mackenzie's mathematical calculations that normally provide numerical solutions to life's most difficult questions but now keep showing the number "61", the determined FIGs tirelessly go from one address to another in search of Dara's mother. Their determination turns to desperation, however, when they encounter a dark hidden society and sub-culture more dangerous and terrifying than they could have imagined. It is there, deep in the bowels of Grand Central Terminal, that Dara learns why she was abandoned as a seven year old all those years ago.
Excerpt
Anyone can vanish. Maybe it is because they get lost, or they get abducted, or maybe they get killed. Or maybe they just want to leave the place where they are and the people they know and not ever be found again. These were the thoughts running through the mind of Dara Roux as she lay in her bed with the covers pulled neatly around her, staring into the darkness and listening to the faint ticking of the clock next to her bed. Then, as always whenever she faced an especially challenging situation or her thoughts became too heavy—a bit too serious, she focused on a foreign language, first establishing the root of each main word, or symbol in some cases, and assigning it a certain "weight" or number. By knowing this, she could then figure out the origin of the word; and from that, it was just a short step to recognizing its meaning. It was her own system, something she taught herself as a young African American child living with her mother in the back-bay area of Richmond, Virginia. From the age of two, she could speak and write seven languages, including the ancient language of Sanskrit, and she had an understanding of the characters from an obsolete Chinese dialect as well as Egyptian hieroglyphics. Now, as an eighteen year old and a new graduate of Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women in Raleigh, North Carolina, that list had grown to forty-two languages and a smattering of the unusual such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and Geechee, a distinctive language spoken by the descendants of enslaved Africans living in the low country region of South Carolina and Georgia.
On this particular night, though, as she attempted to turn away from thoughts about vanishing, she focused on an ancient dialect of the Romani New Indo-Aryan language with its Greek, Iranian, Kurdish and Armenian influences. It was the language of gypsies, and something which she had become familiar with only just recently.
The ability to translate any language, ancient or otherwise, and make it her own private language was how Dara’s mind functioned. It had always been that way. It was what helped her to survive when she and her mother had nothing to eat; and then later, after her mother vanished and Dara wound up living in orphanages. It was what made her a genius. Now, in the darkness of her room, the possibility of actually finding her mother after ten long years weighed heavily on her mind, and it was the language of gypsies that she turned to.
Professional Reviews
*****I Loved It!
There is something so welcoming and endearing about this series written by Barbara Casey. The setting, the characters, individually and together, their intelligence. As with the first book in the series, The Cadence of Gypsies, I enjoyed The Wish Rider so much. Written for young adults and adults, both will enjoy the writer’s way with words, the descriptive scenes. Ms. Casey connects you with the characters quickly so that you want to know more.
It is more than that though. The intrigue, when searching for hidden meanings or a missing person, draws you in. The relationship the three girls have with each other and Caroline inspire loyalty as well as friendship. Watching the three young geniuses find solutions to problems and answers to clues is interesting and amusing at the same time. It’s fascinating to see them use their unusual skills with mathematics, music, and languages to find answers.
I loved it. You will enjoy it as a stand alone, but it’s a series you should start from the beginning to learn how the adventures began.
*****The Three Orphan Geniuses Do Not Disappoint
Barbara Casey’s second book in “The F.I.G. Mysteries” - THE WISH RIDER – more than meets expectations. Following Book 1, THE CADENCE OF GYPSIES, this talented author takes the FIGs (Females of Intellectual Genius) on another adventure – this time to New York City. THE WISH RIDER is a is a thought-provoking story rich in suspense, emotion, and creativity that can only be brought about by the three very special orphans. I love this series and am already looking forward to Book 3.
****Great Follow-Up
I was really excited to read this book, especially after falling in love with The Cadence of Gypsies. While I still really enjoyed Wish Rider, there were some parts I wish were drawn out some more to give us a deeper look into Dara's exciting adventure and maybe a little more depth with the F.I.G.'s unique abilities similar to the first novel but Wish Rider was unique and special in its own way.
In Wish Rider, we find Dara on a quest to find her birth Mother. Unlike the other girls, Dara had been abandoned in a candy store in her youth and that is how she ended up at Wood Rose Orphanage. It was her trip to Italy with her friends and mentor, that made her want to discover her past - especially when she finds out her Mother may be in New York. She decides to make the trip with her best friends and mentor, Carolina, because there was no way she could do this alone.
When they arrive in New York everything seems to turn dark. I loved how Barbara ties in the gypsy heritage and knowledge from The Cadence of Gypsies in this second book. I was not entirely sure about Dara's Mother and what she was involved in but it was definitely dark and scary. I wish this part had been built up a bit more as I was a bit confused at this part of the novel. I just wasn't sure about Dara's Mother, what she was involved with and how this connected to the F.I.G.'s.
Wish Rider is a well written, second book follow up to The Cadence of Gypsies. We get an inside look at Dara, who although she has had a difficult past had turned into a wonderful young woman. A great follow up to the first novel in this series.
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