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sapphicaffair's review against another edition
4.0
I admit, I liked the first book a bit more than this one but it was still great. You see, the thing is that everyone has a different writing style, and the problem with reading a book series with more than one writer is that the minute you get used to a certain writing style it changes up on you. Personally I really enjoyed Rick Riordan's writing in the first book; I loved how he described certain things and switched point of views after every chapter to keep it refreshing and new. I guess I just expected it to be the same but this was written by a different writer so this writing style was way different than the first book.
However, the taste of broccoli in no way changes the taste of chocolate. So, for me this book was a 4-star book because it was still intriguing but there was definitely room for improvement. It felt a bit disorganized, with just a lot of random fighting and randomness thrown in together. Variety was an issue for me too, there weren't as many scenes including the other contest members or Nelly as much. The small Ian and Natalie scenes they DID have weren't as great either. Usually Ian is so neutral and in control and Natalie is pretty much a spoiled brat but in this book Ian looses him temper REALLY easily and actually yells whereas before seeing him make the smallest movement was a MAJOR expression. I don't know, they just seemed out of character. I thought the glowing tube from the last book was going to be used here but we don't read anything about it. *spoiler alert* The tracker though, was a great idea, I did like that part so kudos to you. **
The amount of fighting Amy and Dan had in this book irritated me a bit because it seemed a bit out of character. I mean we have these two kids who practically only have each other, a cat and an Au pair; You'd think that would only bring them closer but I admit it was 100% realistic because I mean, it's completely natural for siblings to fight. Their grandma just died and they have so many unresolved emotions going on which they haven't had time to process yet because of the search and stuff. They went though the first 2 stages of grief; Fist denial at the funeral and denial about what the 39 clues are and how they could possibly be involved in such a big part of history. Then they started accepting it, started their search for the clue hunt and that slowly transferred to the 2nd stage which is anger. Anger at Grace for not warning them ahead of time about the clues and anger at each other, more in this book than in the last. Amy is an amazing bad-ass when she wants to be but she does annoy me at times, she treats Dan like he's stupid. Like, he'll be sitting there and ask a genuine question and she'll be like 'Oh you're so dumb' and make him feel bad for not knowing. Although she IS the older sister so that may play a huge part because we all know bigger sisters are the know-it-alls and she does have a right to it because it's a big part of who she is, she doesn't just 'know' these things. She reads and spends time trying to understand them better and she practically DOES know everything.
Anyways, this was a pretty good book, it just wasn't my favorite. No worries though, the second book in any series is almost always my least favorite, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was my least favorite in the series -Yes I know, I'm awful-, Glass Sword in the Red Queen series, Crossed in the Matched series. I just don't have great luck with sequels, hopefully the next book will be better though.
However, the taste of broccoli in no way changes the taste of chocolate. So, for me this book was a 4-star book because it was still intriguing but there was definitely room for improvement. It felt a bit disorganized, with just a lot of random fighting and randomness thrown in together. Variety was an issue for me too, there weren't as many scenes including the other contest members or Nelly as much. The small Ian and Natalie scenes they DID have weren't as great either. Usually Ian is so neutral and in control and Natalie is pretty much a spoiled brat but in this book Ian looses him temper REALLY easily and actually yells whereas before seeing him make the smallest movement was a MAJOR expression. I don't know, they just seemed out of character. I thought the glowing tube from the last book was going to be used here but we don't read anything about it. *spoiler alert* The tracker though, was a great idea, I did like that part so kudos to you. **
The amount of fighting Amy and Dan had in this book irritated me a bit because it seemed a bit out of character. I mean we have these two kids who practically only have each other, a cat and an Au pair; You'd think that would only bring them closer but I admit it was 100% realistic because I mean, it's completely natural for siblings to fight. Their grandma just died and they have so many unresolved emotions going on which they haven't had time to process yet because of the search and stuff. They went though the first 2 stages of grief; Fist denial at the funeral and denial about what the 39 clues are and how they could possibly be involved in such a big part of history. Then they started accepting it, started their search for the clue hunt and that slowly transferred to the 2nd stage which is anger. Anger at Grace for not warning them ahead of time about the clues and anger at each other, more in this book than in the last. Amy is an amazing bad-ass when she wants to be but she does annoy me at times, she treats Dan like he's stupid. Like, he'll be sitting there and ask a genuine question and she'll be like 'Oh you're so dumb' and make him feel bad for not knowing. Although she IS the older sister so that may play a huge part because we all know bigger sisters are the know-it-alls and she does have a right to it because it's a big part of who she is, she doesn't just 'know' these things. She reads and spends time trying to understand them better and she practically DOES know everything.
Anyways, this was a pretty good book, it just wasn't my favorite. No worries though, the second book in any series is almost always my least favorite, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was my least favorite in the series -Yes I know, I'm awful-, Glass Sword in the Red Queen series, Crossed in the Matched series. I just don't have great luck with sequels, hopefully the next book will be better though.
cerise_floryn's review against another edition
5.0
Before getting involved in this series, I hadn't realized that each proceeding novel was written was finished by separate authors. A series crafted by the efforts of a great many talented writers. The second novel, written by Gordon Korman, was a beautifully crafted pairing of the first novel. My main concern going into this series after discovering that it was being written by different authors, was that there was the great possibility that the integrity of who the characters and what they stood for would change. And yet, here I am writing this review in solidified elation knowing that Gordon put my fears to rest.
Not only did the stories, characters, mysteries, and captivating plot remain true to what was written in the first novel, it was improved. I'll admit that in the original there were some factors that made the storyline less realistic BUT with this being a novel written for children, I let it go and enjoyed the story as it was. That said, in reading the second adaptation of this series, those unrealistic factors seemed more grounded and had more rational sense that made the storyline easier for even an adult to follow. In this fact being mentioned, I should preface that I've been on a journey to read the novels thay I never got the chance to read when I was younger. This series, is one.
"Amy and Dan" in the word of Gordon Korman, while still the "well in over their head" teens, were written with a more matured tone. Still childlike and thrown into a world unknown to them, the two siblings spoke to one another with a deeper respect and trust than I can recall being shown in the first novel. It was as if the characters had become weathered with what can be assumed with enough life experience from having almost died more than a handful of times. As well, Amy and Dan alike appeared to take more risks with less hesitation than before. Dan especially being presented in being more witty, sarcastic, and with more intellectual spunk than before. His character was well enjoyed in this novel. I'll gladly admit that had me laughing with a few of his quick-witted remarks.
I can say, with certainty, that my inner child is excited to be on the journey of what has yet to unfold. I can't wait to continue onto the third book in this series.
Not only did the stories, characters, mysteries, and captivating plot remain true to what was written in the first novel, it was improved. I'll admit that in the original there were some factors that made the storyline less realistic BUT with this being a novel written for children, I let it go and enjoyed the story as it was. That said, in reading the second adaptation of this series, those unrealistic factors seemed more grounded and had more rational sense that made the storyline easier for even an adult to follow. In this fact being mentioned, I should preface that I've been on a journey to read the novels thay I never got the chance to read when I was younger. This series, is one.
"Amy and Dan" in the word of Gordon Korman, while still the "well in over their head" teens, were written with a more matured tone. Still childlike and thrown into a world unknown to them, the two siblings spoke to one another with a deeper respect and trust than I can recall being shown in the first novel. It was as if the characters had become weathered with what can be assumed with enough life experience from having almost died more than a handful of times. As well, Amy and Dan alike appeared to take more risks with less hesitation than before. Dan especially being presented in being more witty, sarcastic, and with more intellectual spunk than before. His character was well enjoyed in this novel. I'll gladly admit that had me laughing with a few of his quick-witted remarks.
I can say, with certainty, that my inner child is excited to be on the journey of what has yet to unfold. I can't wait to continue onto the third book in this series.
jademelody's review against another edition
4.0
This one was a little less interesting than the first. There was less intrigue throughout the book and some of the connections with different pieces of evidence didn't make much sense or track very well.
The action was great, and listening to the audiobooks almost makes it feel like watching a movie!
The endings for these books though are probably what I like the most! They keep me very much hooked to what happens next!
The action was great, and listening to the audiobooks almost makes it feel like watching a movie!
The endings for these books though are probably what I like the most! They keep me very much hooked to what happens next!
jscarpa14's review against another edition
4.0
***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***
Following a musical score from Mozart as a clue, Amy and Dan Cahill make their way to Vienna on an all never hunt for the next clue. Their au pair Nellie becomes their partner in crime as they break into hotel rooms, museums and strong holds of family branches. Despite the fact that they were supposed to be the only ones in possession of the second clue it seem that almost everyone is still hot on the chases and hard in the running. With the least amount of advantages how will Dan and Amy ever find the third clue?
When more than one write writes the same series you can’t help but compare them. One thing I can say for this series so far is I didn’t notice any contradictory facts between the two novels. As this is a common issue in shared series I have to applaud the writers for being so thorough on their story related facts. This was a well written mostly close third person with first person thoughts, mostly from Amy’s point of view. Actually unlike the last novel, very few scenes came from Dan’s point of view. While it did include a lot of interesting tidbits about historical figures, mostly Mozart, it didn’t contain the same wealth of knowledge offered in the first novel. While I still feel this fictional novel offered some decent educational appeal, it just wasn’t to the same degree as the first novel. There were some sections where the verb tense seemed a little varied which was odd for a professionally published novel, but it wasn’t large sections, it was a present tense verb here and there easily overlooked if it’s not a pet peeve of yours. Over all story wise it was a good second installment and a strong addition to the series.
Where this book really lost something compared to the first novel was its secondary character development. The search for the clues is a cutthroat and deadly competition at best. These characters are supposed to be playing for keeps, however most of the secondary characters barely make more than short cameo appearances in this novel. While we did get scenes from their points of view which I liked, they seemed less involved and less of a danger than they did in the first novel. We did however gain some major character development in Nellie, the au pair and the main characters, Dan and Amy remained true to form with some growth and depth added.
Overall I’d definitely recommend this book thought it doesn’t have the same talent evidenced as Riordan’s series debut, it’s still a good addition to the series. I’m looking forward to reading the next title.
Following a musical score from Mozart as a clue, Amy and Dan Cahill make their way to Vienna on an all never hunt for the next clue. Their au pair Nellie becomes their partner in crime as they break into hotel rooms, museums and strong holds of family branches. Despite the fact that they were supposed to be the only ones in possession of the second clue it seem that almost everyone is still hot on the chases and hard in the running. With the least amount of advantages how will Dan and Amy ever find the third clue?
When more than one write writes the same series you can’t help but compare them. One thing I can say for this series so far is I didn’t notice any contradictory facts between the two novels. As this is a common issue in shared series I have to applaud the writers for being so thorough on their story related facts. This was a well written mostly close third person with first person thoughts, mostly from Amy’s point of view. Actually unlike the last novel, very few scenes came from Dan’s point of view. While it did include a lot of interesting tidbits about historical figures, mostly Mozart, it didn’t contain the same wealth of knowledge offered in the first novel. While I still feel this fictional novel offered some decent educational appeal, it just wasn’t to the same degree as the first novel. There were some sections where the verb tense seemed a little varied which was odd for a professionally published novel, but it wasn’t large sections, it was a present tense verb here and there easily overlooked if it’s not a pet peeve of yours. Over all story wise it was a good second installment and a strong addition to the series.
Where this book really lost something compared to the first novel was its secondary character development. The search for the clues is a cutthroat and deadly competition at best. These characters are supposed to be playing for keeps, however most of the secondary characters barely make more than short cameo appearances in this novel. While we did get scenes from their points of view which I liked, they seemed less involved and less of a danger than they did in the first novel. We did however gain some major character development in Nellie, the au pair and the main characters, Dan and Amy remained true to form with some growth and depth added.
Overall I’d definitely recommend this book thought it doesn’t have the same talent evidenced as Riordan’s series debut, it’s still a good addition to the series. I’m looking forward to reading the next title.
hidingzeus's review against another edition
3.0
I think this series is going to be one that a perfect example on why I don't usually like to read a book series that has multiple authors writing it. Inconsistencies with characters being the main reason.
I do want to know what happens, though.
emilym1093's review against another edition
Good plot, storyline, action...but somewhat missed Rick Riordan's writing from the first book.
melissabejot's review against another edition
1.0
I was hoping this book would be better than the first in the 39 Clues series, [b:The Maze of Bones|2921082|The Maze of Bones (The 39 Clues, #1)|Rick Riordan|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51L8HIN6WaL._SL75_.jpg|2948317], but the only way it was better was that it was a bit shorter. The story is contrived, BORING, stupid, and feels empty. I had to force myself to keep reading from the beginning all the way to the end. Now that I've tried two of the books in the series without liking them, I don't think I will read the rest. And I'm not too hard to please as a reader! I like most books I read. All I ask is to be entertained. With this book, I was not.
rara2018's review against another edition
2.0
More engaging than its predecessor, but also so much more annoying. Dan absolutely sucks and reads like a 6 year old mixed with a middle aged man who thinks he’s really witty. This book had a better plot and moved along super quickly, but significantly worse characters. No one was likable except for Nellie, once again. I do wish the website still worked because I feel like that was half the fun with these books, but unfortunately it has been wiped from the interwebs. I don’t think I ever finished this series my first time around, so I’m excited to see how it ends up, but so far even the fake feminism isn’t enough to win me over.
ellehawk's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This one was good too! I thought that the characters were slightly less fleshed out in this one than they were in the first one, and the adventure piece of it was slightly less entertaining, but overall, it was still a fun read and I enjoyed my time reading/listening to it.
fallonoc's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
I liked it. Fun cute middlegrade. Im rooting for these kids.