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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
When I first read Hardy Boys, I think I was in class 5, I had such a crush on Frank Hardy. I liked the brainy one over the brawny one and that sums up my first impression of Hardy Boys.
In their late teens, Frank and Joe Hardy take after their detective father Fenton Hardy. Frank is the older of the two and has more breakthroughs in the cases because he is the brainy one. Joe is the younger brother who more often than not is useful when things get hot and they need to fight their way out.
Like Nancy Drew, the books in the The Hardy Boys series re written by ghostwriters under the collective pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. And yes, the earlier books were better than the latter ones.
In their late teens, Frank and Joe Hardy take after their detective father Fenton Hardy. Frank is the older of the two and has more breakthroughs in the cases because he is the brainy one. Joe is the younger brother who more often than not is useful when things get hot and they need to fight their way out.
Like Nancy Drew, the books in the The Hardy Boys series re written by ghostwriters under the collective pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. And yes, the earlier books were better than the latter ones.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
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
This was easily the worst Hardy Boys book I've read. I don't know if I got an earlier edition, but the writing style was totally different than the first 24 and not in a good way. Very simplistic, the Hardy boys were kinda assholes, Aunt Gertrude was terrible and the mystery was boring. Way below par for this series.
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
'The Secret Panel' is the first Hardy Boys novel written entirely by Harrient Stratemeyer Adams, despite having provided many outlines for previous books. It ends up reading a lot like what someone would think boys would like. A mysterious puzzle box of a house, lots of gadgets, secret passages and the odd gunshot vicitm. It shouldn't add up to a great deal, except we have our now-standard Chet Morton hijinks (who buys a boat off a stranger while out for a walk?) and another instance of Electricity Can Do Anything.
The plot and the clues and the reveals all turn out to be so goofy I can't help but like it. I guess I should throw in the towel. I officially don't want a sensible mystery story. Give me macguffins and convoluted crooks and more of Aunt Gertrude's famous pie.
Hardy Boys
Next: 'The Phantom Freighter'
Previous: 'The Short-Wave Mystery'
The plot and the clues and the reveals all turn out to be so goofy I can't help but like it. I guess I should throw in the towel. I officially don't want a sensible mystery story. Give me macguffins and convoluted crooks and more of Aunt Gertrude's famous pie.
Hardy Boys
Next: 'The Phantom Freighter'
Previous: 'The Short-Wave Mystery'
When I first read Hardy Boys, I think I was in class 5, I had such a crush on Frank Hardy. I liked the brainy one over the brawny one and that sums up my first impression of Hardy Boys.
In their late teens, Frank and Joe Hardy take after their detective father Fenton Hardy. Frank is the older of the two and has more breakthroughs in the cases because he is the brainy one. Joe is the younger brother who more often than not is useful when things get hot and they need to fight their way out.
Like Nancy Drew, the books in the The Hardy Boys series re written by ghostwriters under the collective pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. And yes, the earlier books were better than the latter ones.
In their late teens, Frank and Joe Hardy take after their detective father Fenton Hardy. Frank is the older of the two and has more breakthroughs in the cases because he is the brainy one. Joe is the younger brother who more often than not is useful when things get hot and they need to fight their way out.
Like Nancy Drew, the books in the The Hardy Boys series re written by ghostwriters under the collective pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. And yes, the earlier books were better than the latter ones.
When I was a kid, my dad found a copy of this up in our attic. Unfortunately, the last 5-10 pages were torn out and I never finished it. I bought it a few years ago and finally read it with my son. What a fun little mystery.