Second Post about The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin

While the ending wasn't a complete surprise, I felt the same way that Will did about who the killer was; he mentioned that he had suspected it for awhile, but hesitated to believe it.  I also thought about the likelihood that this person (I'll just call the person "M," so as not to give anything away) was the murderer, but did not want to believe this was true.  I'm not sure why I sympathized with "M" so much, since there was not much direct interaction between "M" and Will.  About 3/4 of the way through the novel, I realized that "M" was clearly one of the more likely suspects.  However, at times Berk makes the reader consider the fact that Devon or Will could have committed the crime.

I do wish that Berk would have treated "M"'s arrest with a bit more sympathy, considering Will's feelings toward "M."  I think much of the last portion of the book is told with little emotional investment, which leads me to wonder if Will is as sincere a character as he claims to be.  "M"'s motive for committing the crime is stated extremely briefly, and the possible implications of the arrest are only touched on briefly as well.  I was especially surprised that it is only mentioned that "they are talking about life in prison."  Maybe Berk was trying to avoid taking sides in what could end up being a moral debate?  Given the circumstances of "M"'s relationship with Pat, "M" could clearly have tried a self-defense plea or similar type of defense.  I guess I just find myself wishing that I knew how the inevitable trial turns out, but maybe it's better not to know.

I really like the twist about Purple's family history.  Finally Will knows more about his own family and might also have more connections with people in the public school.  However, I would have appreciated a family tree to better explain how the two are related (since Dummy Halpin is apparently Purple's great-uncle too...does that mean that there were other siblings somewhere?  Shouldn't he be her great-great-grandfather or something, since she is a Phimmul, not a Halpin?).  A visual tree would have greatly helped me understand this.

While I could see where the whole Ebony/Devon thing was going from the beginning, it was a nice addition to the story (although I do think that whole "dating your best friend's ex" thing is a little weird).

I also found it interesting that Berk includes many sections of text written as IM's back and forth between Will and Devon.  Students would probably find that type of writing easier to read and extremely relatable.  It also helps provide insight into both Will and Devon's personalities, as well as how they relate to each other.

Overall, I think this is a great mystery book that most students will be able to relate to in some way.  I also think it sheds light on how difficult it can be for students with special needs to participate in mainstream education, especially when the school district is not equipped to provide the necessary services.