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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
3 copies
1 newer yellow spine and bright blue text
1 old blue copy
2024 - got an old edition from a lady on the bordentown buy nothing fb group
1 newer yellow spine and bright blue text
1 old blue copy
2024 - got an old edition from a lady on the bordentown buy nothing fb group
Racism!! It is absolutely unacceptable for the characters to dress up like indigenous people, or to name a dog after a tribal chief. Some of the other Nancy Drew books have been re-written to remove racist stereotypes of Black characters— it is past time to re-write this one in a way that respects indigenous people.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
The Nancy Drew computer games were a significant part of my childhood and eventually became my lockdown "project" in 2020. I played the Shadow Ranch game as a kid and replayed it as an adult. Most of the games in the series are loosely based on one or more Nancy Drew books, but Shadow Ranch is the one game in the series that takes heavy inspiration not only from a single ND book, but from a single book from the main OG series (most take inspo from spinoff series or from multiple books).
I decided to replay Shadow Ranch this weekend, and in doing so decided to read my first ever Nancy Drew book.
I had to keep reminding myself that this is both a book for children AND a book published nearly 100 years ago, because from the lens of an adult in 2024, this book is a mess. It is not well written, the culprits are made incredibly obvious, and there are instances of pretty heinous cultural appropriation (our main crew dress in "Indian costumes"... YIKES).
Sure, it was a different time. But I really struggled to enjoy it in 2024. Everything was incredibly convenient and spelled out on the page. It breaks basically every novel-writing rule you've ever heard. It made me almost wish I were born earlier so that I would have a better chance at becoming a published author, because the bar was truly on the ground compared to today.
I decided to replay Shadow Ranch this weekend, and in doing so decided to read my first ever Nancy Drew book.
I had to keep reminding myself that this is both a book for children AND a book published nearly 100 years ago, because from the lens of an adult in 2024, this book is a mess. It is not well written, the culprits are made incredibly obvious, and there are instances of pretty heinous cultural appropriation (our main crew dress in "Indian costumes"... YIKES).
Sure, it was a different time. But I really struggled to enjoy it in 2024. Everything was incredibly convenient and spelled out on the page. It breaks basically every novel-writing rule you've ever heard. It made me almost wish I were born earlier so that I would have a better chance at becoming a published author, because the bar was truly on the ground compared to today.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
I’m done with Nancy drew books. I can get cozy mystery elsewhere
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
Rereading some of these books with the Book Lovers Club on Discord. I'm happy that Bess and George are finally around. However, I didn't think this book was nearly as exciting as the last two. This was much more on par with Book 1 or 2.
This mystery is really interesting and good at clues but wow is it problematic with its discussion of indigenous people.