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1.44k reviews for:
THE SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK. Nancy Drew Mystery Stories No. 1.
Carolyn Keene, Carolyn Keene
3.75 AVERAGE
1.44k reviews for:
THE SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK. Nancy Drew Mystery Stories No. 1.
Carolyn Keene, Carolyn Keene
3.75 AVERAGE
I can definitely see why so many young adults love Nancy Drew. She is a lovable character. The reason I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars is because it did not capture me. The mystery was basic.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I gotta admit, I still love Nancy Drew to death. These books are always entertaining and the mystery engaging. I want to be Nancy Drew.
This is certainly an easy read and I can see why it’s become a classic.
That being said, the plot is weak at best. There’s very little investigative work and Nancy honestly gets lucky more than anything.
That being said, the plot is weak at best. There’s very little investigative work and Nancy honestly gets lucky more than anything.
adventurous
hopeful
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:
N/A
My 2016 quest to re-read all of my Nancy Drews (at least one a week) has begun! Nancy's first adventure is rather tame and predictable. As she meets various kind folks in the towns and villages near her own hometown of River Heights, she suspects from all of them that a mutual friend has left them all money in a second will, instead of intending his inheritance go to a snobby, upper crust family. Nancy goes on a personal quest to find this second will and bring justice to all - and I think with this simple plot in mind and the title of the book, you can predict where the second will is located. She also foils the schemes of a trio of heritage/antique furniture stealers in the bargain.
It's a very simple story of good vs. bad (the bad people usually being the ones with the money and prestige in the town), and it sets up the characters well for the rest of the series. Bearing in mind these are books written specifically for young kids, I'm not going to scrutinize and rate these as seriously as I do the other books I read; they're a fun lark to read through and I plan to enjoy revisiting my childhood a little as I go through them.
It's a very simple story of good vs. bad (the bad people usually being the ones with the money and prestige in the town), and it sets up the characters well for the rest of the series. Bearing in mind these are books written specifically for young kids, I'm not going to scrutinize and rate these as seriously as I do the other books I read; they're a fun lark to read through and I plan to enjoy revisiting my childhood a little as I go through them.
This book is definitely a product of its time. The mystery did keep me going as I wanted to see how it played out…but the writing is extremely poor quality compared to what I usually read, and the cheesiness is just really hard to enjoy.
I know that if I had read these books in my childhood that I would have a fondness for this series. But for some reason my EXTREMELY bookworms child self was just never drawn to this series. I instead read every Bobbsey Twin and Enid Blyton book I could get my hands on. And I am sure that they are every bit as poorly written and cheesy, but they hold my childhood memories.
I decided to read this book finally so I could know what a Nancy Drew book was like. Now I know! I much prefer the recent tv series rendition of Nancy. (Though I HATE how that series portrays the Bobbsey Twins! I don’t care that they changed their race…that’s cool…I hate that they gave them such negative characteristics. Whoever wrote that series clearly hated the original Bobbseys!
I know that if I had read these books in my childhood that I would have a fondness for this series. But for some reason my EXTREMELY bookworms child self was just never drawn to this series. I instead read every Bobbsey Twin and Enid Blyton book I could get my hands on. And I am sure that they are every bit as poorly written and cheesy, but they hold my childhood memories.
I decided to read this book finally so I could know what a Nancy Drew book was like. Now I know! I much prefer the recent tv series rendition of Nancy. (Though I HATE how that series portrays the Bobbsey Twins! I don’t care that they changed their race…that’s cool…I hate that they gave them such negative characteristics. Whoever wrote that series clearly hated the original Bobbseys!
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No