Reviews

The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene

zaisgraph's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious relaxing 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

3.0

This takes me back. Not the most compelling Nancy Drew book but enough of a nostalgia trip for me.

skysbooknook's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

meekumoh's review against another edition

4.0

Finally we meet Ned Nickerson! Who plays the role of errandboy as Nancy rushes headfirst into this mystery. It's quite less suspenseful, as Nancy confronts all the suspects and makes it no secret that she's a detective. Still, it's an enjoyable read.

nnowels's review against another edition

3.0

About to send it to my niece, and thought I’d take a last read. Cute.

onthesamepage's review against another edition

adventurous 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

3.0

I read a fair amount of Nancy Drew books back in the day, way before I was tracking my reading, so while I am 80% sure I've never read this specific one, I could be wrong.

It's definitely interesting reading this as an adult. When I was younger, I never noticed how dated the descriptions of their outfits were, for example, but it's something that stood out to me now. The writing itself doesn't feel too dated to me, but obviously the way the characters talk is, as are any cultural references.

This is a quick, fun read. Even though the characters are teens, I do think it works better for a middle grade audience. It requires a lot of suspension of disbelief with regards to the leeway Nancy is given to perform her investigations. I wanted to read this one specifically because it's the first time we meet Ned—I actually had no idea that this would also be Nancy's first time meeting him. For some reason, I thought they were dating even before the official start of the series.

paperbacks_and_ponytails's review against another edition

5.0

I'm rereading the series, and I think this one is probably one of my favorites in the original series! I loved that I got to find out, that this is the first appearance of Ned Nickerson (Nancy's boyfriend). The Mystery kept me intrigued from start to finish, a mysterious fire, a man who is found running away from the scene and a dropped diary will all lead Nancy Drew on an incredible mystery ride.

emilyalbertelli's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense 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

3.75

inkbunnie's review against another edition

4.0

This one wasn’t too bad there’s a lot of crime with the postal service in these last two I read. Never even thought about money schemes thru snail mail but that’s what happens when you’re born 40 years after it’s popular.
Nancy meets Ned for the first time in this and they are so cute together. They embark on a journey to help a poor Swedish family get money that was stolen from them and right the wrongs portrayed by a “patent” lawyer.

christinegreads's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.0

halfcentreader's review against another edition

4.0

and finally...NED!