The Mystery of Locked Rooms

“I was our decision-maker. Ever since starting to learn about probabilities, I’ve loved them. If you understand probabilities, you understand risk. And taking too many risks in an escape room is a bad idea.”

This quote introduces Sarah’s characterization as a highly rational and risk-averse protagonist. Although she applies those characteristics to math and games specifically, they also reflect the way she approaches life. Sarah’s logical side is an asset later in the funhouse, but she also often lets her fears get the better of her. This passage foreshadows Sarah’s character arc as she learns to embrace chance and let go of her sense of control.

“I might not be as bold as Hannah or as funny as West, but at least I know my numbers. Unlike other subjects in school, math feels simple to me. There is only one right answer. Same with escape rooms. If you take your time and follow the pattern, you’ll get out.”

Following The Rule of Threes, Sarah highlights her love of reason and logic as well as Hannah and West’s respective strengths. Once again, Sarah’s comments apply not only to school subjects and games but also more generally to her personality. The narrative’s emphasis on taking time and following patterns hints at the upcoming challenges that Sarah and her friends face in the rest of the novel.

“My legs feel like lead as I climb the steps up to Dad’s room. Two years ago, he was the most energetic person on earth. Mom joked that he was aging backward and that if he kept going at that rate, she’d need to find the fountain of youth to keep up with him.

Then everything changed. Dad suddenly slowed down. Like, way down. He said it felt like trying to recover from the flu, only he never had the flu. The first six months were terrible, like someone turned off a light switch in him. He slept most of the day, and when he was awake, he was moody and sad. The next six months weren’t much better. And when the doctors finally diagnosed him, that’s when our awful new reality set in. No one knows what causes chronic fatigue syndrome, CFS for short, or how to get rid of it. So pretty much he’s just going to be tired the rest of his life, and there’s nothing any of us can do about it.”

This passage offers insight into Sarah’s father’s chronic fatigue syndrome. His diagnosis marked a turning point in the family’s financial and emotional situation. These financial hardships are what catalyze Sarah and the Deltas’ adventure in the funhouse, as she seeks the triplets’ treasure.

“Mom is crying, and Mom never cries.

Crossing the room, I reach down and pick up the paper. Written in bold letters across the top are three words…words I’ll never forget seeing for the rest of my life.

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE”

This passage depicts the inciting incident that triggers the rest of the narrative: Sarah goes on a quest to save her family by finding the treasure. Although the notice of foreclosure may be difficult to understand for the intended audience of young readers, its impact is conveyed through Sarah’s reaction. The young girl points out that her mother is crying, and that she will remember the notice “for the rest of [her] life,” highly dramatic details that create tension and suspense.

“‘Okay, so what I heard was that these triplets built the funhouse way back in the 1950s. Apparently their parents died when they were like eight years old, and they weren’t adopted together. Brutal, right? They grew up separate but found each other again as adults and decided to start building this wacked-out house. […] They wanted their funhouse to be the most epic one ever built, so no lame stuff like basic mirror mazes. Instead, they built a bunch of complicated secret passages and hid riddles everywhere.’

‘Like an escape room before there were escape rooms,’ I whisper.”

This passage compares the 1950s concept of a funhouse with contemporary escape games, setting up the theme of Parallels Between the Past and the Present. Sarah’s comment provides relevant cultural context that makes the funhouse more relatable to a younger audience. It also creates intrigue and anticipation by setting up the funhouse as a “wacked-out” and mysterious setting for the narrative.

“The building is brick, two stories, and has windows of different shapes and sizes set into its face. Square windows, oval windows, and even a triangular window right in the center. But that’s not what surprises me the most. It’s the paint. Bright green across the top half and an ocean-like blue on the bottom. Several thick brown stripes start near the roofline and go all the way to the base, where they change shape and become round. A bright yellow circle sits in the lower right.

[The door] isn’t rectangular like a normal door, but instead is shaped and painted like a little house.

[…] Everything is upside down! The green at the top is grass, the blue at the bottom is sky, and the brown lines on either side are trees. I gasp at the door shape, realizing that it’s the same shape as the funhouse I’m looking at right now.”

This description of the funhouse hints at the significance of triangles, which ties into the Rule of Threes. Symbolically, the inverted painted facade also suggests that the usual rules of logic and reason are upended in the funhouse, foreshadowing the challenges the Deltas are about to face. The front door is also represented as the funhouse itself on the mural, which may hint at the final plot twist, when the funhouse itself is revealed as the final prize.

“‘Haven’t you guys seen any heist movies before?’ Hannah asks, shoving a chunk of hair behind her ear. ‘They always put together a team of the most qualified people. That’s us. Seriously. We got this!’”

Hannah’s comment is one of several throughout The Mystery of Locked Rooms in which one of the characters refers to a real-life movie, book, or narrative trope. Hannah’s drawing attention to the heist movie format creates anticipation by framing the characters’ adventure as a similarly high-stake, thrilling narrative. It also adds humor by drawing a parallel between three teenagers who enjoy riddles and “the most qualified [team]” performing a dramatic heist.

“AUDENTIS FORTUNA IUVAT.

Hannah and West go quiet as they stare down at it with me.

‘Fortune favors the bold,’ West breathes out.”

This phrase, written near the funhouse entrance, is a significant motif in the novel. Sarah, West, and Hannah take it as a guiding principle, and Hannah later states: “It has to be our motto in here. If we want to find the treasure, anyway” (69). Further, the phrase takes on special significance for Sarah, who struggles with fear and taking risks. This phrase connects to Sarah’s character arc, in which she gradually learns to embrace randomness and boldness by reminding herself of that phrase, enabling her to earn the treasure.

“I want to make it through this funhouse and find the treasure. I want to save my parents’ house, to save us from drowning in the stacks of bills piled up on her desk. I want Mom to be able to sleep again and Dad to have a nurse more often. I want us to be a family again, a happy family that gets to watch movies together and isn’t so stressed all the time.”

This passage exemplifies Sarah’s motives throughout the novel. She is loyal, caring, and driven, with a deep fear of being unable to help her family. In contrast with her fantastical journey through the funhouse, which adds suspense and adventure, Sarah’s motivations are very down-to-earth, ensuring that the narrative remains emotionally relatable to its intended audience.

“When I first heard that Dad was sick, that he had a condition that was never going to go away, I felt like someone knocked the wind out of me. Life just kept going on around us as if it didn’t matter that my family was falling apart. Being stuck in this room while my hopes and dreams fizzle out like a soggy match isn’t that different. Outside, the neighbors are probably cutting their lawns or taking walks or doing whatever it is they do on a normal day. Meanwhile we’re struggling. Bad.”

This passage explores Sarah’s emotional struggle after she learned about her father’s condition. Sarah’s feelings of fear and lack of control are reflected by her aversion to risk and randomness. She equates that time in her life with her current situation in the Statue Room to emphasize her struggle with the triplets’ challenge. This, in turn, underlines the parallel between her journey through the funhouse and her emotional growth.

“Even though I originally wished I could trade places with her, I’m actually really glad Hannah got that experience. Maybe now she’ll finally believe in herself again.”

This quote takes place right after Hannah successfully gets the magnet out of her cage with her nose, a difficult task that she was scared of failing. After she confessed her feelings of inadequacy to her friends, Hannah admitted to overcompensating by taking unnecessary risks and acting impulsively. Significantly, the magnet challenge requires patience, illustrating Hannah’s growth and progress along her character arc.

“‘West!’ I throw my arms around him. He stiffens for a moment, then pulls back with a full goofy grin. ‘I’m so happy you remembered to keep those safe!’

‘Of course, I did,’ he says, laughing. ‘It’s impossible not to, remember?’

I smile back, my heart warming with the idea that for once, West isn’t embarrassed by his gift. He looks proud.”

West experiences a validating moment after confessing that he struggles to accept a key aspect of his identity. Through Hannah and Sarah’s support, West is now able to see his extraordinary memory as a strength, and even to make light of it. Once again, Sarah’s reaction underscores her genuine love for both of her friends and the theme of Teamwork and Friendship.

“Even though it isn’t perfect, nothing ever is. There are parents—probably angry ones—headed here, and who knows how we’ll be punished for this. Still, I’m happy. Out of all the escape rooms we’ve done together, this is my favorite. I never realized how much I trust West and Hannah until now, and based on the secrets they’ve both shared today, I’m not sure they did either.”

This quote summarizes the emotional arc that Sarah, Hannah, and West went through together in the narrative. Although they were already close friends at the beginning of the story, their bond is now deeper and more complex. Indeed, they have been able to open up to one another and experience true support and loyalty. Their journey through the funhouse both prompts and reflects the evolution of their Teamwork and Friendship.

“‘Open it,’ West and I say in unison. Is it risky? Maybe. But there isn’t time to be safe.”

Significantly, Sarah notes at the beginning of the story that she and West are “Careful. Practical. Not adventurous” (72), while Hannah is bold and impulsive. In this instance, as the three friends find a locked chest in the mirror maze, their roles are reversed. Hannah shows restraint, whereas Sarah and West urge her to open the box, with Sarah uncharacteristically dismissing the risks. This underlines the friends’ growth in the funhouse as they learn to get out of their comfort zones and face their respective fears.

“The triplets were a lot of things—odd, determined, resilient—but they weren’t predictable.”

Although they only appear through memories and news articles in the story, Hans, Stefan, and Karl Stein are almost treated as full characters. Their past actions impact the characters directly, which highlights the Parallels Between The Past and the Present. In addition, Sarah, Hannah, and West repeatedly refer to the triplets’ intentions or choices as if they knew them personally. In this instance, for example, Sarah infers some of their personality traits based solely on the types of challenges the triplets implemented in their funhouse. This creates a level of interaction between the two sets of characters that only enhances the intrigue.

“Dad always says that giving up can become a habit. Once you do it, it’s easier to do again and again. Maybe that happened with Hannah when she quit dance. I don’t know for sure, but I do know that if she wants to quit trying in this funhouse, I’m not going to make it easy for her. Good friends encourage each other.”

In this passage, Sarah demonstrates how important her relationships with her family and friends are to her. She reminisces about her father’s advice and applies it to support Hannah, who is struggling with her self-esteem. By drawing upon her past experience and advice from her father, Sarah draws Parallels Between the Past and the Present, this time to emphasize Teamwork and Friendship.

“‘Guys. What if no strategy was their strategy?’ I ask. ‘Think about it—every room in this funhouse has tested us somehow! Hannah had to learn to be patient. West had to finally accept and use his good memory.’

[…]

‘How is that possible though?’ West asks. ‘The triplets didn’t know us. They didn’t know Sarah. How could they create this final room to test her specifically?’

[…]

‘They didn’t need to know me,’ I say quietly. ‘They learned the hard way that sometimes you can’t control or predict things. Life is…challenging.’”

This passage illustrates the Parallels Between the Past and the Present in the novel. The funhouse challenges seem tailor-made for Sarah, West, and Hannah, who each work through their issues by accomplishing a different task. Sarah deduces that the triplets’ central message is to learn to achieve Emotional Growth Through Challenge, a message that can apply not just to the Deltas but to anyone who wants to address their difficulties and grow.

“Cut their way through? The idea is horrible. Not just because it means the police might actually reach us, but because it means they’d ruin what the triplets created. Now that we’ve come this far, I understand why Art Conley wanted to film his television show in here. There is something special about the funhouse, something magical. Yeah, it’s covered in years of dust, and things aren’t exactly the way they would have been if the triplets finished it, but it’s still amazing. I don’t want them to tear it apart.”

Narrative tension ramps up as the novel nears its climactic point, with police officers threatening to destroy the funhouse and real-life consequences awaiting the Deltas outside. Sarah, who initially believed that Art Conley was an eccentric showman, now realizes the inherent magic and appeal of the funhouse. In terms of her character arc, this implies that she has learned to embrace the weird and unpredictable nature of the challenges, and by extension of her own life.

“I knew the probability of there being a treasure in this house wasn’t good. But what I didn’t know was how horrible I’d feel when I found out it didn’t exist for sure. It’s like realizing that magic and spells and unicorns aren’t real. The world is just a little darker once you know it.”

In the crucial moment right before she finds the triplets’ treasure, Sarah hits a low point in her emotional journey. She contrasts mathematical probabilities with irrational fantasies to emphasize her crushing disappointment, equating finding the treasure with “magic and spells and unicorns.” This plays into the theme of Emotional Growth Through Challenge, as Sarah is learning to face difficult challenges with emotional maturity.

“All this time I’ve been afraid. Afraid of letting my family down. Afraid of letting West and Hannah down. Afraid of ending up like William Taters, handcuffed and headed to jail for breaking into the funhouse. But my biggest fear—the fear that the treasure doesn’t exist—already came true, and I survived it. I guess even though there’s no treasure, the triplets’ riddle was right about one thing. Getting to this room was a victory, and all their maddening tunnels, passages, and riddles did lead to something I know.

I know I can absolutely, 100 percent survive whatever is waiting for me at the bottom of this slide.”

This passage demonstrates Sarah’s emotional growth. After being at her lowest, she has now faced her fears, such as heights, powerlessness, and loss of control, thanks to the triplets’ challenges. However, she has also gained the maturity and confidence to work through those tasks, thus exemplifying Emotional Growth Through Challenge. At the end of her adventure, she is now confident that she can “absolutely, 100% survive” new challenges without succumbing to paralyzing fear.

“‘This is so Willy Wonka,’ West says breathlessly.

‘What?’ Hannah asks with a loud laugh.

West grins. ‘You know, Willy Wonka! He left his whole chocolate factory to a deserving kid. A kid who needed money for his family.’

That would make me Charlie Bucket.”

Throughout the story, the characters occasionally compare their current situation to similar pop culture stories. This enables the author to draw playful parallels between well-known narratives to enhance the sense of wonder and adventure, play with established narrative conventions, and evoke particular genres and atmospheres. In this example, West mentions Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, in which the eccentric Willy Wonka leaves his wonder-filled chocolate factory to an unsuspecting protagonist, Charlie Bucket, whose family needs money. The comparison between the triplets’ funhouse and Sarah’s eventual windfall is evident and is reinforced by her depiction of William Taters at the end of the story as “just like Willy Wonka himself” (242).

“I twist the wishbone charm dangling from my necklace and smile. Luck wasn’t something I ever believed in before—before the yellow slip of paper, the funhouse, and the treasure. Now I get it. Life throws curveballs sometimes. We can’t always plan, can’t always predict. But maybe, just maybe, with hard work and a little luck, we’ll be okay.”

The wishbone, which was the first symbol the Deltas noticed in the funhouse, is now the last to appear in the story. It is particularly significant with regard to Sarah’s character arc as she learns to embrace chance and to not let her fears control her. Sarah adopting the wishbone as her personal symbol of luck represents her emotional journey and her acceptance of the triplets’ message.

“William Taters.

William isn’t the weirdo burglar everyone presumed him to be. He’s just a dude who wanted to know more about his family history, and like us, made some sketchy decisions trying to find it. Looking at him now, I realize he’s a lot like the funhouse; nothing is as it appears.”

Once again, Sarah demonstrates her emotional growth as she has now learned about William Taters’s true nature. She does not judge by appearances anymore, like she initially did when she first learned about the triplets, the funhouse, and Taters’s and Conley’s attempts to find the treasure. She embraces the complexities and unexpectedness of life, and this extends to her perception of others.