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awesome514's review
3.0
This book was recommended to me by a 10 year old boy, and I can see how the adventure and fast-paced plot would appeal to that demographic. I was pleasantly surprised by the strong female characters, and that each of the 4 Kidd children had their own unique abilities.
As an adult reader, the plot moved a little TOO fast - which meant gaping holes were left in the story. Also, there was very little emotional development, even though the children were dealing with 2 major losses right from the beginning of the book.
As an adult reader, the plot moved a little TOO fast - which meant gaping holes were left in the story. Also, there was very little emotional development, even though the children were dealing with 2 major losses right from the beginning of the book.
ellav's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Okay, so this is probably one of James Patterson's best kid series yet! It's great for beginners, but really, all ages can enjoy them! I am in my teens and still get a laugh out of it whenever I read them.
When I was reading them, there were only two of the books, but now that there are so many of them, I thought a review might be in order.
I loved this series as a kid, and it was a great way to keep me invested in reading! If you know a kid that is struggling to read or maybe doesn't like to read, I would definitely recommend trying this series with them. It's funny, clean, and has a great plot that will keep any kid invested.
As well as being funny, it has some great history in there as well! Stuff about ancient treasures and real-life historical figures, as well as some allusions to popular books and artworks. I mean, yeah, it's not the ultimate educational series or anything, but it's better than some of the crap most kids are reading. It has great characters and it's so much fun for kids and middle-graders!
A 5/5 star series!!
When I was reading them, there were only two of the books, but now that there are so many of them, I thought a review might be in order.
I loved this series as a kid, and it was a great way to keep me invested in reading! If you know a kid that is struggling to read or maybe doesn't like to read, I would definitely recommend trying this series with them. It's funny, clean, and has a great plot that will keep any kid invested.
As well as being funny, it has some great history in there as well! Stuff about ancient treasures and real-life historical figures, as well as some allusions to popular books and artworks. I mean, yeah, it's not the ultimate educational series or anything, but it's better than some of the crap most kids are reading. It has great characters and it's so much fun for kids and middle-graders!
A 5/5 star series!!
arobinsc's review
4.0
While #stayingathome I haven't really found a way/found motivation yet to read a book from my own TBR, I truly enjoyed this one as a read aloud with the kids. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
christaboveall2105's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
1.0
mrskatiefitz's review
3.0
Treasure Hunters is yet another brand-new series from James Patterson. Its main characters are twins, Bickford (Bick) and Rebecca (Beck) Kidd, who have spent their entire lives traveling by ship with their treasure hunting parents. Their mother has already been missing for some time when their father is washed overboard in a storm, leaving the twins, their geeky sister Stormy and ladies’ man brother Tommy, to fend for themselves. They must band together to dodge unknown enemies, protect expensive artifacts, hide the fact that they are alone with no guardians, decide whether to trust their mysterious uncle, and most importantly, discover whether their parents are dead or alive.
James Patterson, for better or for worse, is an expert at giving his readers what they want. Thanks to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, middle grade readers are really into illustrated novels. This book plays into that popularity by having the twins narrate the story together - one in pictures, and the other in words. The illustrations don’t just break up the text and keep things flowing more quickly; they also provide information not shared in the text, and they give the reader a strong sense of artist Beck’s personality and role in the family. The illustrations also provide visual aides to help the reader keep track of the cast of characters, and to help the reader get a better sense of what the Kidd siblings look like. I don’t always like to be told this, but in this book, it works.
With this new series, Patterson also fulfills a major need for more realistic adventure stories set in the present day. So many kids want to read adventure stories, but it’s hard to find titles that grab their interest. This book, though long, should definitely fit the bill for most middle grade readers. It doesn’t hurt, either, that the story involves hunting for treasure or that the cover features a pirate ship, as kids never seem to outgrow their fascination with pirates.
This book is more serious and much longer than any of the titles in the Middle School series, and I found myself struggling with this one a bit more. There is still humor in this book, but it strikes a different tone, and there were times where I considered putting the book aside and not finishing it just because it drags on so long. Ultimately, though, Patterson's trademark twists and turns and chapters with cliffhanger endings kept me turning the pages right up until the end. I half-expected this to be a self-contained story because it’s so long, but I have a feeling most readers will be glad to discover this is only the beginning and that a second adventure will follow.
James Patterson, for better or for worse, is an expert at giving his readers what they want. Thanks to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, middle grade readers are really into illustrated novels. This book plays into that popularity by having the twins narrate the story together - one in pictures, and the other in words. The illustrations don’t just break up the text and keep things flowing more quickly; they also provide information not shared in the text, and they give the reader a strong sense of artist Beck’s personality and role in the family. The illustrations also provide visual aides to help the reader keep track of the cast of characters, and to help the reader get a better sense of what the Kidd siblings look like. I don’t always like to be told this, but in this book, it works.
With this new series, Patterson also fulfills a major need for more realistic adventure stories set in the present day. So many kids want to read adventure stories, but it’s hard to find titles that grab their interest. This book, though long, should definitely fit the bill for most middle grade readers. It doesn’t hurt, either, that the story involves hunting for treasure or that the cover features a pirate ship, as kids never seem to outgrow their fascination with pirates.
This book is more serious and much longer than any of the titles in the Middle School series, and I found myself struggling with this one a bit more. There is still humor in this book, but it strikes a different tone, and there were times where I considered putting the book aside and not finishing it just because it drags on so long. Ultimately, though, Patterson's trademark twists and turns and chapters with cliffhanger endings kept me turning the pages right up until the end. I half-expected this to be a self-contained story because it’s so long, but I have a feeling most readers will be glad to discover this is only the beginning and that a second adventure will follow.
reader44ever's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars - good!
I ended up enjoying this book a fair amount. It was a good story, with intrigue, mystery, and danger. In the beginning, though, I wasn't too impressed. The language seemed stilted and I didn't really get a sense of who the Kidd kids were well enough to want to be friends with them.
Perhaps these initial feelings of ambivalence are due to the fact that I am most definitely not a member of the targeted age group for this book? (Middle school for me was over 25 years ago.) I think kids within that age group would probably enjoy this story from cover to cover without any of the issues I had with it.
Anyway, by the time I picked up the book again, either I was in a more receptive mood or I had simply adjusted to the manner in which this story was being told. I enjoyed the story much more from Chapter 19 on. I felt more connected to the Kidd kids; I especially liked Storm. The intrigue began to be more interesting and enjoyable rather than corny, as it had felt to me in the initial chapters.
I must say that I really enjoyed the illustrations. The comments Beck added to her drawings were especially fun. And when Bick took over for a few pages, his illustrations were even more charming. :)
By the end, I was eagerly reading and I find I'm looking forward to reading the sequel to see what those Kidds get up to next. :)
I ended up enjoying this book a fair amount. It was a good story, with intrigue, mystery, and danger. In the beginning, though, I wasn't too impressed. The language seemed stilted and I didn't really get a sense of who the Kidd kids were well enough to want to be friends with them.
Perhaps these initial feelings of ambivalence are due to the fact that I am most definitely not a member of the targeted age group for this book? (Middle school for me was over 25 years ago.) I think kids within that age group would probably enjoy this story from cover to cover without any of the issues I had with it.
Anyway, by the time I picked up the book again, either I was in a more receptive mood or I had simply adjusted to the manner in which this story was being told. I enjoyed the story much more from Chapter 19 on. I felt more connected to the Kidd kids; I especially liked Storm. The intrigue began to be more interesting and enjoyable rather than corny, as it had felt to me in the initial chapters.
I must say that I really enjoyed the illustrations. The comments Beck added to her drawings were especially fun. And when Bick took over for a few pages, his illustrations were even more charming. :)
By the end, I was eagerly reading and I find I'm looking forward to reading the sequel to see what those Kidds get up to next. :)
canada_matt's review against another edition
3.0
Choosing to dabble into a Patterson YA series, more to fill a little time than to compare it to some of his past works, I thought I would check out this new series. Opening the novel in an epic storm at sea, Patterson introduces the reader to four orphaned children whose father is presumed lost at sea in the aforementioned storm and whose mother is presumably being held captive in Cyprus. They must navigate their way to safety while they vow to discover the secrets left by their parents amongst various clues aboard the ship. Tapping into their treasure hunting abilities, they begin to unravel the mystery behind their mother's disappearance in hopes of saving her. Crossing paths with numerous obstacles, human and otherwise, Bick, Beck, Tommy, and Storm all come together to face adversity with their own special talents. Patterson uses his abilities to weave a story fit for teens that has potential to expand into a decent series aimed at this target audience.
I would be lying if I said the story was enthralling or deeply captivating. Hokey at times and plain silly at others, I have tried to peel back my preconceived notions as I am nowhere near the 10-12 year old target audience. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the Maximum Ride series and hoped this would parallel that experience. Still, the story moves well and is full of interesting facts perfect to pique the interest of a young reader.
Good work Mr. Patterson. I hope this series and some of your other YA ones do well for the younger fans and that you groom them for your powerful adult series.
I would be lying if I said the story was enthralling or deeply captivating. Hokey at times and plain silly at others, I have tried to peel back my preconceived notions as I am nowhere near the 10-12 year old target audience. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the Maximum Ride series and hoped this would parallel that experience. Still, the story moves well and is full of interesting facts perfect to pique the interest of a young reader.
Good work Mr. Patterson. I hope this series and some of your other YA ones do well for the younger fans and that you groom them for your powerful adult series.
nbsmith24's review against another edition
4.0
I love this book. It is soo touching and is so mysterious. I can't to read the next book, good work James!!!👍👍❔❓
reanne's review against another edition
1.0
I'd pretty much written off James Patterson by now as a lazy author who just doesn't give a crap anymore... but I got a free ARC of this book at Comic-Con, and I was intrigued by the concept of an illustrated novel. Even for kids, I just don't read a lot of those. They seem to be something that's coming back into style, and I think that's a good thing. I don't have kids, but it does seem like it would help young kids transition from reading picture books to reading novels.
The tone of the book is a bit odd. It's written in a humorous, light-hearted sort of way, but it starts with the main characters losing their dad (as in, he's lost and assumed dead). They don't really show much emotional reaction to this. The tone doesn't really match with what's happening, which is a little off-putting. They have these 12-year-old kids threatening or planning to shoot people (they don't end up doing it, but the kids show no qualms about the apparent necessity), and it's still written in this weird, shallow, light-hearted style.
As I read this, I find that it really seems to be for younger kids than it thinks it is. On the ARC page at the front, it says for ages 8-12. When I was 12, I was reading sci-fi and fantasy novels written for adults. This book is, really, a chapter book along the lines of Bunnicula or Beverly Cleary when it comes to reading level. That's how it seems to me, anyway. It's hard for me to imagine a 12-year-old really being interested in it. And while I appreciate the idea of kids reading thick books, and a lot of this book is pictures, I wonder how eager kids who are still reading books that are at this level of writing and character/plot development would be to pick up such a thick book. Then again, some kids will probably like it. I suppose it depends on the kid. Still, a book with apparent parental death right off the bat, not to mention the various mention of piratical activity, seems a little too heavy for the level of writing. But, as I say, I could be wrong. I'm not a teacher or librarian or parent. There are also a lot of words and references that it doesn't seem like kids who are the target age for this book would get. Like describing something as the size of a box that graduation pens come in. Or kids using words like 'commode' for toilet. That term's too old-fashioned even for me. It's hardly something I'd expect to come out of a 12-year-old's mouth.
This book just confirms what I already knew: that James Patterson has stopped giving any kind of a crap about telling a good story, creating interesting characters, or writing books for any reason other than to make money. He's just coasting on his name at this point.
The tone of the book is a bit odd. It's written in a humorous, light-hearted sort of way, but it starts with the main characters losing their dad (as in, he's lost and assumed dead). They don't really show much emotional reaction to this. The tone doesn't really match with what's happening, which is a little off-putting. They have these 12-year-old kids threatening or planning to shoot people (they don't end up doing it, but the kids show no qualms about the apparent necessity), and it's still written in this weird, shallow, light-hearted style.
As I read this, I find that it really seems to be for younger kids than it thinks it is. On the ARC page at the front, it says for ages 8-12. When I was 12, I was reading sci-fi and fantasy novels written for adults. This book is, really, a chapter book along the lines of Bunnicula or Beverly Cleary when it comes to reading level. That's how it seems to me, anyway. It's hard for me to imagine a 12-year-old really being interested in it. And while I appreciate the idea of kids reading thick books, and a lot of this book is pictures, I wonder how eager kids who are still reading books that are at this level of writing and character/plot development would be to pick up such a thick book. Then again, some kids will probably like it. I suppose it depends on the kid. Still, a book with apparent parental death right off the bat, not to mention the various mention of piratical activity, seems a little too heavy for the level of writing. But, as I say, I could be wrong. I'm not a teacher or librarian or parent. There are also a lot of words and references that it doesn't seem like kids who are the target age for this book would get. Like describing something as the size of a box that graduation pens come in. Or kids using words like 'commode' for toilet. That term's too old-fashioned even for me. It's hardly something I'd expect to come out of a 12-year-old's mouth.
This book just confirms what I already knew: that James Patterson has stopped giving any kind of a crap about telling a good story, creating interesting characters, or writing books for any reason other than to make money. He's just coasting on his name at this point.