Reviews

The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene

celtic_oracle's review against another edition

2.0

Wow - found this old-school Nancy Drew (and a few others) in a box I was rummaging through. I must re-read it. :) Nancy wasn't my favourite in this genre (the Bobbsey Twins held that honour for me), but I remember reading more than a few.

Interesting to realize this is a rewritten version - I'm tempted to track down the original for a comparison...

Review:
So I ended up taking turns rolling my eyes and being unable to put the book down. The writing is definitely dated - and at some points its Twilight bad. I did love the sleuthing bits though, and I remembered why I was so addicted to mystery books as a kid - I still wanted to be Nancy, making all those awesome discoveries.

I might take a run at the other Nancy Drews in that box, just for fun.

alexschmidt34's review

3.0

I didn’t read Nancy Drew as a kid and yet it is still very nostalgic to read it for the first time! I found this book easy to read and fast paced. Not exactly a gripping mystery, but very Scooby Doo-esque in terms of its complexity, which is very enjoyable. I’ll admit I just don’t think the police would be this responsive to an amateur detective’s theories today. But I don’t mind the nostalgia of a safer more honest world (whether that was real or not).
I think I would’ve loved it as a kid and I would definitely still recommend for young readers!

laura_cs's review against another edition

5.0

Another great mystery, full of hidden passageways and a mysterious haunting, all set with a backdrop of an old colonial mansion that holds secrets and surprises galore!

peyton_'s review against another edition

3.0

This was a fun, quick mystery. I figured the answer was immediately revealed in the title, and it was, which was disappointing. These books are an entertaining read, if a little dated. This one just flew by, but I enjoyed the setting of a big house.

linkpearl's review

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

miss_mono's review

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

3.0

shadow_summit's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Nancy's detective skills in this case would make the Scooby Doo crew proud, as she tries to figure out the mysterious, spooky happenings at Twin Elms mansion. On top of tracking down the ghost, she also juggles concerns for her father, Carson, who is being threatened over lawyer matters and then suddenly disappears~
I really enjoyed following our teen detective as she travelled across the countryside and searched the nooks and crannie of the old mansion.
Definitely recommend this quick fun read.

saltysnails's review

funny lighthearted mysterious 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

4.0

kspedds's review

4.0

This series was my favorite growing up, so I revisited some of the stories to check in. They definitely don’t hold up the same but I really do like Nancy’s spirit and the story was cute.

izzy1026's review

funny lighthearted 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

5.0