Raising Arcadia

2016 novel by Simon Chesterman

Raising Arcadia

Author| Simon Chesterman
Language| English
Publisher| Marshall Cavendish

Publication date

| 2016
Media type| Print (paperback)
Pages| 240 pp.
ISBN| 9789814751506
Website| www.raisingarcadia.com

Raising Arcadia  is a novel by Simon Chesterman, Dean and Professor at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law.

Published in May 2016, the book is the first in a trilogy.[1] A sequel, Finding Arcadia, was published in November 2016[2] and launched at the Singapore Writers Festival.[3] The third and final book in the trilogy, Being Arcadia, was published in 2018 and shortlisted for the Singapore Book Awards.[4]

## Overview

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The central character, Arcadia Greentree, is a sixteen-year-old savant, described as “aware of her surroundings in a way that sometimes gets her into trouble — and out of it again”.[5]

## Reception

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Kirkus Reviews describes the book as a young adult mystery paying tribute to Sherlock Holmes. “Though overstuffed with obscure allusions and unnecessary infodumps, this series opener is pleasurably packed with clever, solvable, well-explained puzzles; hits the spot for a mystery lover.”[6]

The School Library Journal places it in the tradition of English boarding school novels. “Fans of quirky protagonists, puzzling mysteries, and spy craft will enjoy this. A solid addition to any middle school, high school, or public library.”[7]

Glee Books rated it “highly recommended, especially for those who enjoyed the pacy intrigue and thrills of The Mysterious Benedict Society mysteries.[8]

## Awards

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Raising Arcadia was shortlisted for the Popular Readers' Choice Awards at BookFest Singapore 2016.[9]

Being Arcadia, the final book in the trilogy, was shortlisted for the 2018 Singapore Book Awards.[10]

## References

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1. ^ hermes (26 June 2016). "Law dean turned novelist Simon Chesterman takes on young adult fiction".
2. ^ "Singapore shelf". 27 November 2016.
3. ^ "Book Launch of Finding Arcadia, Singapore Writers Festival". Archived from the original on 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2017-04-19.
4. ^ LocalBooks.sg, Singapore Book Awards 2018 Collection.
5. ^ "Raising Arcadia".
6. ^ Kirkus Review of Raising Arcadia
7. ^ “Suspenseful Settings”, School Library Journal, 16 November 2016.
8. ^ “Teen Fiction”, Glee Books, 15 February 2017.
9. ^ Popular BookFest Singapore 2016.
10. ^ LocalBooks.sg, Singapore Book Awards 2018 Collection.