YA Guest Reviewer: Andrew Roberts
Title: The 39 - 1st in the 39 Clues series
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN-13: 978-0545060394
Release Date: September 2008
Genre/Sub-genre: Young Adult
Publisher’s Age/Grade Recommendation: Ages 9-12
OUAR’s Age/Grade Recommendation: Ages 9-14
Year/Setting: Present day—all over the world.
Overall rating: 5.0
Sexual Content Rating: None
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: Very Mild
Violent Content Rating: Minimal
Rick/Series's Website: www.the39clues.com
The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan was an intriguing start to what looks like a good series. In the book, Amy & Dan Cahill are orphans who are being taken care of their Great-Aunt Beatrice. When Beatrice’s sister, Grace Cahill, Amy & Dan’s favorite grandmother, dies of old age, Beatrice, Amy, Dan, and 37 other people are asked to hear Grace’s final will. What they come to find out is that it’s the rules to the a hunt described as the ‘Greatest, most perilous undertaking of all time – a quest of vital importance to the Cahill family and the world at large…’ All 40 people invited are offered $1,000,000 each or their first clue. Amy & Dan accept the first clue while watching their $2,000,000 go up in smoke. Their first clue leads them to Ben Franklin. They go to Philadelphia, where Franklin started his own printing business after running away from his brother’s, then to France, following Franklin’s footsteps the whole time. Amy & Dan were the favorites of Grace so they are the main target of all 6 deadly teams. The teams have gone almost to the same point at the same time. Teams range from old to young, experienced to inexperienced, strong to weak and rich to poor. With so many combinations, Amy & Dan keep themselves alert, luckily 24/7.
This book was impossible to put down. I was constantly doing work nice and peacefully and before I know it, my nose is stuffed into the book. It’s exiting how YOU are part of the whole game. You earn clues and cards. The cards range from special members of the branches, to top-secret files to increase your odds of winning. I say that the characters are well mixed. Amy & Dan have the brother/sister problem throughout the book. I hated a lot of people in the story. One example is the Starlings. You can be rich, you can be snobby, you can be rich and snobby, but the Starlings take it way too far. The Holt family is horrible. They’re ripped in both ways, strong (fat) and they cheat, a lot. They’re annoying, and always fighting with each other. There are other kinds of teams that you’ll have to read about. When you play the online game at http://www.the39clues.com, you won’t be able to stop. You earn special hints for the book and you can win cash prizes. Sounds like something you want to get into doesn’t it? Then grab a book and sink in. Get comfortable—you won’t be pulled out.
Andrew
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