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alsoiread's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
imzadirose's review against another edition
3.0
A good one, not one of my favorites, but still enjoyable. Love the scene near the end where they try to get Spider's attention.
kasaya_mt33's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
3.0
This book brings in another member of the Bob Whites, Diana Lynch. Diana is the original poor little rich girl. Since her father became suddenly rich with some shrewd business deals, she has withdrawn from all her friends. She thinks nobody likes her because her life has changed so much and they can't have fun at her fancy new home which is over-run with servants. Trixie, Honey, and the Bob Whites decide to be extra nice to Diana and make her one of their secret club.
Trixie immediately senses a mystery when it becomes evident that Diana is very afraid of her Uncle Monty. Mrs. Lynch's long-lost brother has shown up and is throwing his weight around--influencing the family's choices in all sorts of things that affect Di. He becomes especially annoying when he takes over the planning for Diana's Halloween party. Trixie becomes convinced that the man is an impostor, but lacks proof. And even if Di is afraid of him, she doesn't take too kindly to Trixie investigating her family. Will Trixie lose her newest friend over her sleuthing habits? Or will she be able to curb her curiosity so she won't offend Di? Or...will she find out the truth about Uncle Monty and save the day again? [Anyone who reads (or ever read) these series books on the regular knows the answer...]
I loved the first two books. I have always enjoyed the stories that introduce us to Trixie and her core group of friends. I loved meeting Jim and Honey and the adventures they all got up to around the mansion. These were definitely two of my favorites of the series while growing up and I was able to enjoy them now as an adult. On the other hand, The Mysterious Visitor has always been one of my least favorite Trixie books. I never liked Uncle Monty and I didn't care much for the way Diana defended him even when she obviously didn't like him and was afraid of him. It would be one thing if he were an uncle she had grown up with and adored and Trixie thought he was suspicious. But Diana is the one who starts Trixie's curiosity going by telling them that she's afraid of Monty. Then she gets upset when Trixie thinks there's a mystery to solve. But I do appreciate the fact that it is another book that helps establish the group of friends and Trixie does do some good detective work tracking down the clues around Uncle Monty. Overall, a fun reading trip down memory lane.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting review content. Thanks.
Trixie immediately senses a mystery when it becomes evident that Diana is very afraid of her Uncle Monty. Mrs. Lynch's long-lost brother has shown up and is throwing his weight around--influencing the family's choices in all sorts of things that affect Di. He becomes especially annoying when he takes over the planning for Diana's Halloween party. Trixie becomes convinced that the man is an impostor, but lacks proof. And even if Di is afraid of him, she doesn't take too kindly to Trixie investigating her family. Will Trixie lose her newest friend over her sleuthing habits? Or will she be able to curb her curiosity so she won't offend Di? Or...will she find out the truth about Uncle Monty and save the day again? [Anyone who reads (or ever read) these series books on the regular knows the answer...]
I loved the first two books. I have always enjoyed the stories that introduce us to Trixie and her core group of friends. I loved meeting Jim and Honey and the adventures they all got up to around the mansion. These were definitely two of my favorites of the series while growing up and I was able to enjoy them now as an adult. On the other hand, The Mysterious Visitor has always been one of my least favorite Trixie books. I never liked Uncle Monty and I didn't care much for the way Diana defended him even when she obviously didn't like him and was afraid of him. It would be one thing if he were an uncle she had grown up with and adored and Trixie thought he was suspicious. But Diana is the one who starts Trixie's curiosity going by telling them that she's afraid of Monty. Then she gets upset when Trixie thinks there's a mystery to solve. But I do appreciate the fact that it is another book that helps establish the group of friends and Trixie does do some good detective work tracking down the clues around Uncle Monty. Overall, a fun reading trip down memory lane.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting review content. Thanks.
markmeavery's review
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
3.0
elvisneedsboats's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
divadiane's review against another edition
4.0
So, now having read the first four in the series in order and to my son, I still see the appeal. I could live without the complaining first Honey and then Di do about being rich. Even When they talk about how little the money means to them. Well, yeah! Poor little rich girls! And now so magnanimous.
I can see it now, but it didn’t bother me at all when I was reading them. I identified more with Trixie probably because she was the main character, but also because her family is solidly upper middle class, which is how it was in my family until I got to middle school (when my father’s business failed and we had serious money issues). All the kids felt it was important that they all contribute equally, financially and work-wise to their club and clubhouse The Bob-Whites and they all did odd jobs to earn money, even Di.
That is all just backdrop though. In this story, Trixie’s sixth sense is working overtime and she is suspicious of Di’s long lost uncle from the very beginning. Things get quite exciting there at the end and it makes me wonder what it was really like in the 50’s in smallish town America. It surprises me now that Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson (the fictitious town where Trixie lives) has a seedy part of town at all. My parents both were about the same age as Trixie’s brothers growing up in very small towns (under 1000 people) in Iowa and I don’t think there were enough people for a bad neighborhood. And many things were in many ways much simpler then. They don’t watch TV (although in this one the adults do!) and they don’t have phones or computers of course. They ride horses, garden, sew, repair various things and are counselors at summer camp. Even reading these in the early 80’s it was idyllic.
At any rate, the writing is good and the stories compelling. My son loves them.
Original review when added to GR without rereading. It’s really just a review of the series as a whole:
Strangely, this no. 4 in the series was my introduction to all that is Trixie Belden. I was enchanted! I loved how spirited she is, how close-knit and loving, her family is, yet she and her brothers bicker all the time, just like me and mine do. That she hung out and played with the "neighborhood" kids and all over the area where she lived, made her feel like she could've been one of my own friends. And what a cool friend she would've been. I wanted to have red hair like hers, but violet eyes, like Di.
I'm afraid I don't remember the details of any of the books in the series that I read (which was very many of them), but I loved them all. I couldn't understand why everyone preferred Nancy Drew!
I can see it now, but it didn’t bother me at all when I was reading them. I identified more with Trixie probably because she was the main character, but also because her family is solidly upper middle class, which is how it was in my family until I got to middle school (when my father’s business failed and we had serious money issues). All the kids felt it was important that they all contribute equally, financially and work-wise to their club and clubhouse The Bob-Whites and they all did odd jobs to earn money, even Di.
That is all just backdrop though. In this story, Trixie’s sixth sense is working overtime and she is suspicious of Di’s long lost uncle from the very beginning. Things get quite exciting there at the end and it makes me wonder what it was really like in the 50’s in smallish town America. It surprises me now that Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson (the fictitious town where Trixie lives) has a seedy part of town at all. My parents both were about the same age as Trixie’s brothers growing up in very small towns (under 1000 people) in Iowa and I don’t think there were enough people for a bad neighborhood. And many things were in many ways much simpler then. They don’t watch TV (although in this one the adults do!) and they don’t have phones or computers of course. They ride horses, garden, sew, repair various things and are counselors at summer camp. Even reading these in the early 80’s it was idyllic.
At any rate, the writing is good and the stories compelling. My son loves them.
Original review when added to GR without rereading. It’s really just a review of the series as a whole:
Strangely, this no. 4 in the series was my introduction to all that is Trixie Belden. I was enchanted! I loved how spirited she is, how close-knit and loving, her family is, yet she and her brothers bicker all the time, just like me and mine do. That she hung out and played with the "neighborhood" kids and all over the area where she lived, made her feel like she could've been one of my own friends. And what a cool friend she would've been. I wanted to have red hair like hers, but violet eyes, like Di.
I'm afraid I don't remember the details of any of the books in the series that I read (which was very many of them), but I loved them all. I couldn't understand why everyone preferred Nancy Drew!
sar_19's review against another edition
3.0
I am rereading the Trixie Belden book because of the podcast Books From the Basement. This one was truly closer to 2.5 stars. It is a story that does not age well.
hollie313's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0