Reviews

Nancy Drew: The Curse by Micol Ostow

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bargainsleuth's review

4.0

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I have watched exactly two of the new Nancy Drew CW series and found the changes made to Nancy Drew’s world a little jarring, but that didn’t stop me from reading Nancy Drew: The Curse, the prequel to the show. You do not have to have seen the show to read the book.

Nancy is still in high school, and her mom is very much alive (unlike in the rest of the books, Nancy’s mother died when she was 3, or 6, or 10, or “at a young age” depending on the book). There was a nod to Shadow Ranch, and George is briefly mentioned, but the rest of the Nancy Drew story is upended. This might as well be about Veronica Mars, which is the definite vibe I got.

Nancy has two best friends, just as in the original series, but instead of Bess and George, it’s Daisy and Lena, who are helping in Horseshoe Bay’s annual Naming Day Reenactment. (Horseshoe Bay? Not River Heights. Rumor has it because the name was too similar to Riverdale, another popular show based on the Archie Comics.) This year, as a senior, Daisy is chosen in a major part of the reenactment. This is a big deal because Daisy’s family is one of the founding families of Horseshoe Bay. But instead of being happy for her, Daisy’s parent’s are decidedly put out at the ordeal.

In Nancy Drew: The Curse, our favorite amateur sleuth is an aspiring journalist, working on the school newspaper, The Masthead. Something hits the newspaper’s window and Nancy finds it is a dead raven with a note on the bird saying that the Naming Day Reenactment should be cancelled because of “The Curse.” Curious, Nancy wants to find out more information on the curse and what it has to do with Naming Day.

Throughout the book, several other threats to cancel the Naming Day Reenactment appear, but the only one that seems to be taking them seriously is Nancy. Then two teenage girls disappear, one of them being Nancy’s friend Daisy.

As in the show, the police aren’t exactly the sharpest tools in the shed, so it is up to Nancy to find the missing teens and solve the mystery. Which, of course she does, because she is Nancy Drew.

Nancy Drew: The Curse, should be considered a stand-alone novel separate from the Nancy Drew universe. Because most of the characters in the book aren’t even in the CW show, I hesitate to call this a tie-in. You can read chapter one excerpted on Amazon if you’re unsure if you want to tackle this one or not. I found it interesting and am glad I read it; maybe I’ll give the show another chance.

animelanie's review

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2.0

Wanted to read a Namcy Drew because I loved it when I was a kid but I found this disappointing

michely66's review

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4.0

Nancy Drew isn’t one for ghost stories. So when the annual horseshoe Bay naming day celebration is threatened by warnings of an old curse, Nancy is sure someone—someone human—is behind them.

I have always loved the Nancy Drew books. This is one is a bit different, given it’s a prequel to the TV series that I absolutely love! I enjoyed this book. It was a bit hard for me to get into at first, but the last half kept me pulled in. I also never suspected who done what in this story. It was written well.

thejoellachapter's review

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3.0

I grew up devouring Nancy Drew books, playing Nancy Drew games, and overall aspiring to be a Nancy Drew. When I saw the previews for a new Nancy Drew series on the CW, I had to watch it. This show has a new (and much darker) take on my favorite teenage sleuth. I am absolutely obsessed with the TV show, so when I saw this prequel book, I knew I had to have it.

This takes place a few years before the onset of the show. Nancy is a junior in high school, and is looking forward to celebrating the annual Naming Day Festival with her friends.

It was super interesting to read this to see a glimpse into Nancy’s life pre-CW series. In this book her mom is still alive, and we see more of the friendships she alluded to losing in the tv show. I also loved seeing George and Ace from a distance and getting more insight into George and Nancy’s falling out!

Overall the book felt a little young for me, which I did expect but since the TV show is pretty mature it was slightly surprising. I don’t know if it would be at all appealing if you weren’t watching or planning to watch the series. I’m glad I read it though, and I definitely think I will now need to do a complete rewatch of the show while I anxiously await season 3!

rdyourbookcase's review

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3.0

I love Nancy Drew, but still haven't seen the CW show. I decided that starting with the prequel was a good idea.

I was disappointed that George was hardly there and that Bess, Ned, and Hannah were not mentioned. What??? Will that come later? I did appreciate the nod to Shadow Ranch, though.

I enjoyed the mystery in The Curse, and I'm curious as to how it ties in with the TV show. The solution had twists, but not too many. Overall, I liked the book even though it was missing a lot of her traditional world.