Reviews

The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene

smartie1685's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious

3.0

tartbarbie's review against another edition

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4.0

Nancy has just finished a case headed for a much needed vacation with her best friends Bess and George in Arizona at Shadow Ranch. However her vacation may be short lived because upon arriving she learns that a mystery is unfolding at the ranch that could force all the girls’ home early. Before the girls can even leave the terminal they encounter a stranger warning them away from Shadow Ranch, as if that’s not enough they have car trouble on the way to the ranch.

As the girls arrive at the ranch Nancy convinces that Rawleys that she will be able to solve the mystery before times runs out for them all. As the girls dive deeper into the mystery they learn more about the phantom horse. They also learn the lore about who Dirk Valentine was and why someone would want to scare them off the ranch. With her friends by her side Nancy sets out to find who’s really after the ranch, will she find them before they find her?

I love Nancy Drew she one of those girls I was able to relate with as I was growing up. She’s also still enjoyable now that I’m an adult it’s just good clean mystery. Nancy is the kind of girl you can’t help being addicted to she’s smart and savvy but comes off as a real girl. Plus what can I say I love the outfits she wears; I visualize her as this cute blonde high school girl in grown woman clothes. Plus who wouldn't want to solve cases with your best friends by your side.

I've always been a Nancy Drew fan my mom hooked me on her before I was ten, so reading her books is like visiting an old friend or fond memory. All of the books in the Nancy drew series can be read separately, or in order which is nice because I've been known to read them out of order as a child. It’s been ages since I've read a Nancy Drew and happened to be craving a clean quick mystery. Shadow Ranch is a fast paced quick read filled with action, adventure and horses the perfect makings of a great story. I always suggest Nancy Drew to younger girl readers because I feel like they will connect with her and want to read more of the series. That being said I think it’s a fun series that teen’s even adults will enjoy. I loved picking up and reading the whole book in one afternoon.

caytlynn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

This book started out super fast. I’m so used to the short buildup that them starting out fast really got the book and story going from the start. It was definitely a good and fun read but I feel like there was so much going on at once that I could of done without the second story line.

hstapp's review against another edition

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3.0

Another exciting adventure. This book dumps Helen and introduces George and Bess. But it's interesting because they also reference Ned but Nancy hasn't met Ned yet.
I expected a more gradual introduction but they're just written in like we already know them.

chumpapagwa's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

sam_antics's review against another edition

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4.0

These are not hard mysteries to figure out, but they are still very enjoyable. They are kind of on par with Scooby Doo. Nancy is such a kickass character. She is brave, smart, and doesn't give up. I quite liked this story. Although I did have trouble keeping the Cowboys straight (hahaha). They were all introduced at the same time, and kind of blends together for me. Other than that this was a fun mystery that made me wanna throw on some boots and ride out on the range.

alidy's review against another edition

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challenging dark

2.0

royallyreading's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense 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

zenithharpink's review against another edition

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4.0

Finally we're out of River Heights! This mystery was a nice change of pace from the others, that centered around Nancy's home life, and her famous, tall and handsome lawyer father Carson Drew. Nancy, or course is an excellent horsewoman, and the local cowboy is smitten with her, so of course Western fun/mystery ensues. This story was more complex than most, though the story itself doesn't feel to be in the right order, as characters that have never been introduced in previous books are referenced. Still a fun, light read, this would be a good one to read if you're looking for a better sample of the Nancy Drew series.

musingsfromamandalyn's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious fast-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

5.0

This book was a lot of fun and did closely match the game but with quite a few more characters. It was nice to now have Bess and George and there was even a very brief mention of Ned. I think the game played up on the love story a tad more, but the main plot and treasure was the same. I think this one is my favorite so far. I think it would be fun to get to stay on a ranch like this.