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But as soon as you hear about the secret, it starts to nag at you. What is this secret? You wonder. Why am I not suppose to know about it? Why is it so important?
The quote above says it all.
I truly wish I could elaborate on why the details of this book must be kept hidden but its something you must find out on your own.
However, I can guarantee you that you will love love the characters, the narrator and the plot itself.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
who gave this book the right to be so good at everything it is? i read it in grade school and it still holds up
All of these secret series books are just truly incredible. These books got me to fall in love with reading and I will forever be grateful for what they did for me! I remember growing up I would just keep reading them and reading them because of how great they were, probably read the whole series 2 or 3 times.
Damn! Should have read these books earlier. I liked the characters, the clues, the narrative, the illustrations, EVERYTHING.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is both fun and mysterious, especially with a self-aware narrator. It's full of riddles, creepy villains, and is very humorous. It's perfect for fans of mysteries that aren't too serious but still deliver a nice adventure.
I have recently been revisiting childhood books that I remember liking but, for one reason or another, I never continued with. Maybe it was just as I was falling out of reading or maybe something distracted me at the time but for whatever reason I didn’t continue reading the rest of the series. And while for some I now see with my adult brain why I may have not continued with certain books, after rereading this one I am shocked that my younger self was able to put this down.
This book is meant for middle schoolers (and the simplistic puzzles do very much show that) yet this also contains genuinely funny moments, an actually intriguing mystery, and really lovable compelling characters (the sheer ridiculousness of Max-Earnest parents was phenomenal and I so desperately want Cass and Max-Earnest to succeed.) Add to that this book ever omnipresent narrator voice brings so much life to this story! Honestly one of the best examples of what a good character voice can do for a story.
The book is definitely meant for younger readers and that can be a turn off for some (I pretty much speed through it in a day) but, if you can enjoy these types of stories then this is well worth your time.
Can wholeheartedly recommend!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is a very middle grade book that I loved as a kid and am rereading for the nostalgia factor as I have been struggling with a pretty bad reading slump. It has all the flaws you would expect when revisiting something for a profoundly different (younger) audience - the plot is predictable, the story that once challenged and excited you now feels spoon-fed, there are some phrases that don't age well because the world has changed a lot since 2007. BUT I can so easily see why I loved this book series when I was around the age of the kids in the book! It is perfect for late elementary school early middle school kids who are interested in darker themes (murder, secret societies, cults, etc.) in a way that is still age appropriate. It also has the plus of incorporating a lot of second person (where the author talks to you, and "censors" parts of the story to deepen the feeling of mystery and realness) and ergodic elements (footnotes and back of the book appendices which constituted the first time those had been incorporated into my reading experience as a kid) that are fairly unique in middle grade fiction. If you are 9-12 years old I think you should give this series a try, and if you're the older sibling, parent, aunt/uncle, teacher, etc. of kids those age this is a great option!