The Agathas – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

The Agathas

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2022

87%

WISE Score

A sharp, modern YA mystery where two teen girls use Agatha Christie's classic tropes to solve a very real murder in their gossip-drenched town.

The Agathas

book

2022

87%

WISE Score

A sharp, modern YA mystery where two teen girls use Agatha Christie's classic tropes to solve a very real murder in their gossip-drenched town.

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Screenwise Verdict

If your kid is currently obsessed with true crime podcasts or One of Us Is Lying, this is an easy win. It’s smart, fast, and actually rewards the reader for paying attention to the clues.

It’s also a stealthy way to get them interested in the classics. By the time they finish, they'll probably be asking for a copy of And Then There Were None. The audiobook is also a fantastic option here—it builds those crucial language comprehension strands of literacy while keeping the 'page-turner' energy high.

Age Fit

Perfect for the 12-16 crowd. It's sophisticated enough for older teens who like Veronica Mars or Knives Out, but clean enough for a mature middle-schooler looking to graduate from Nancy Drew.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The core of the book is a solid, unlikely friendship between two girls from different social strata. While the plot involves murder and teenage drama, it prioritizes loyalty and intellectual teamwork over cattiness.

Imaginative

Using the 'complete works of Agatha Christie' as a literal survival guide and investigative manual is a clever meta-textual hook that encourages readers to think about narrative structure and tropes.

Safe

It's a murder mystery, so expect discussions of death, disappearances, and some peril. However, it stays within the standard guardrails of modern YA—no extreme gore or gratuitous content.

Enriching

Excellent for building vocabulary and narrative reasoning. It serves as a perfect gateway drug to classic detective fiction and reinforces the idea that logic and observation are superpowers.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

Friendship over romance is the real heart here, focusing on the bond between Alice and Iris rather than just the basketball-star boyfriends.
It makes classic literature feel relevant by treating Agatha Christie's books like a tactical manual for real-life problem solving.
The pacing is relentless, making it a great pick for kids who think they 'don't like reading' but love binge-watching mystery shows.
It tackles class and money issues honestly, showing the friction between the town's haves and have-nots without being preachy.

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What to Watch For

The plot involves a missing girl and a murder, so if your kid is particularly sensitive to themes of peer-on-peer violence, be aware.
There are references to underage drinking and toxic relationships, though they are usually framed as the problems to be solved rather than behaviors to emulate.
The 'Basketball Star' boyfriend is a bit of a jerk trope—good for a conversation about red flags in early dating.

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think Alice uses Agatha Christie books to understand her own life? Is there a book or movie you use as a 'manual'?"
"Iris and Alice come from very different backgrounds. How does their money (or lack of it) change how the police and the town treat them?"
"Do you think the 'rules' of a mystery novel actually apply to real-life crimes? Why or why not?"
"Who was your prime suspect halfway through, and what clues actually led you there?"

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