The Maze of Bones

There are two types of children series - the more common ones are where the author believes that the lack of knowledge and experience in the readers is the same as them being stupid and the less common ones (but the more visible to the world ones for obvious reasons) where the author acknowledges the fact that the readers will not have the knowledge and experience but that does not make them stupid - they need explanations but they also need a challenge. The first type are forgotten from the readers soon after being read once; the second type remain with them.

"The 39 Clues" had been talked about a lot - being a multimedia experience makes it interesting for the kids. I had been staying away from it - I like children stories but I am show more not a fan of the ones that require sites and games and whatsnot to appreciate them. Then an author I like (and one of the ones that I am working on reading all their works) wrote a book in the series - so I figured - why not, let's try it. If it is bad, I won't get to his book and will just have to live with not reading it.

And then I opened the first book and... actually liked it. No, it is not perfect and it is naive and weird in places but it is actually interesting. Some of the characters are cartoonish in their badness but even that is ok. Because there also awesome and deep characters such as the lawyer for example and there is a real story hiding under all of that.

The Cahills are a very special family - they had been in the front of history for centuries (think of an important person, he or she were probably a Cahill) and now the matriarch is dying. And she leaves a weird will - go on an adventure based on a clue or take a million dollars and never see the clue. Of course at the end of the adventure, there is something big waiting - which is a surprise. The main characters are orphans, Dan (who has a great head for math) and Amy (who is always reading), favorites of the dead Grace, being taken care of by another aunt that does not seem to like them much. The rest of the family members that choose to go on the adventure range from a Russian woman (assasin?) to a pair of siblings with means beyond what you can imagine, a weird family, some more kids and an older gentleman. And the clue is weird -- it is short and confusing but the race is on.

And off they are - to Paris (after finding money of course and almost dying in the process). It is fun to work out some of the clues before Dan and Amy can - the information is there so if you know your history, some of them are obvious. And people show their true colors - sometimes in the open, sometimes just for the reader. The book is full of odd pieces of history and geography - all of them correct (from what I know) even if some interpretations were a little bent to fit. But if you do not know some of those, I can see kids going and looking them up. And maybe they will learn something. Or not - but if they ever visit Paris, the book may bring some of the story back. Who knows. The best fiction is the one that makes you learn things.

Believable? Not really - you know it cannot happen. But so was the case with Treasure Island. Or Harry Potter. And even if that one is not as good as them, it is highly readable. Even if the writing is not so great - it will not win any literary awards any time soon but it is serviceable and is not making it impossible to enjoy the novel. And I am interested to see where the clue they found at the end will lead them. And as it turns out, just reading the books is enough - the rest are just... additional universe options. I expect that not all books in the series will be strong and that it will have its ups and downs but I suspect I will stick with it. show less

An action-packed puzzle, a dangerous mystery: orphans Dan and Amy, wards of their great-aunt Beatrice, attend their beloved grandmother Grace's funeral; during the reading of the will, they - and forty other members of the Cahill family - receive a choice: they can have one million dollars (each), or they can have the first of 39 clues to an international mystery. Dan and Amy, to aunt Beatrice's horror, choose the clue, but immediately their mission becomes more dangerous than they anticipated when Grace's mansion burns down, and they barely escape with their lives (and Grace's favorite jewelry and her cat Saladin). Grace's lawyer William McIntyre tells them to "trust no one" as they set off in pursuit of their next clue, following Ben show more Franklin's trail from Boston to Philadelphia to Paris.

Impulsive, brave, math-minded Dan and shy, bookish Amy both annoy and support each other; they have a strong sibling bond despite their differences. Their au pair, Nellie, comes along for the ride, and proves useful not just for her driving but for her fluency in multiple languages. Series opener (obviously!). show less

This book reminded me a lot of some other series I've read recently—unrealistic, over-the-top action, characters that know everything they need to know to progress, and one can never be quite sure who to trust. And yet, I enjoyed it more than I feel like I should have. By the time I got to the end, I was invested. I don't normally enjoy a book where you can't trust anyone, because characters are betraying each other left and right, but I still couldn't help but start to trust a couple of the potentially treacherous side characters by the end. And now I want badly to know how it will turn out with those characters. I also can't help but want to know what the big prize is, even though I suspect it will either be ridiculous or a show more letdown.

I've heard of this series for a long time and considered reading the books years ago, but never have until now. I wonder if I might not have been ready for the style and tone of the book until now, since I've read a few other series with the same kind of wildly unlikely storylines—at least one of which I liked (Mr. Lemoncello's Library) and one of which I really didn't (Treasure Hunters). Now, I'm more able to let some of the things that might have bothered me in the past go and enjoy the story for what it is. I'm not sure how I'll like the change of authors throughout the series, but I'm definitely going to keep going. show less

It's Rick Riordan, if that doesn't tell me it's good what will?

This was fast paced and action packed and it was wickedly good. Unlike Alex Rider it's not overly sad and unlike Cherub - I like the main characters. As a reader, I relate to Amy but I love Dan's way of looking at things. They're a great team. Nellie, the au pair, is hilarious. She's laid back and loyal and can speak a seemingly million different languages. The rest of the Cahill family kind of suck, but what's an adventure story without a villain? Or ten? The plot is riveting - the mix of fiction and history is fascinating and I flew through this and the next one in the series. They're not particularly long - but then this kind of book never is - or at least never feels show more like it is. I can't wait to read the rest. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.


This was a great start to a new series. I love Amy and Dan. I felt for them at having lost their parents and then their grandmother and having only Aunt Beatrice to look after them. I felt even worse for them as they struggle to trust everyone they meet. It's kind of like A Series of Unfortunate Events in a way, everyone's out to get them. At least they have Nellie (which in itself reminds me of Alex Rider and Jack) - although she is kind of absent in a lot of their adventures. As a child reading this I wouldn't think much of it - as an adult I can't help but thinking those poor children. Grace kind of seems like a jerk having palmed them off to Beatrice. Plus it's not like she actually looks after them - she hires nannies. It's kind of ridiculous. And she could've provided them some sort of security - I mean it's not like Beatrice is going to continue to look after them when she was forced - why would she when Grace isn't around anymore to keep her in line?

Anyway. I like the mystery of the 39 clues - what they are, what the ultimate goal is, etc. I like how they work to gain the first clue and how their different skills play a part.
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⋇⋆✦⋆⋇Exciting and Adventurous⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

4.5 stars

This book is immature. The characters are tragically flat. The events are borderline preposterous. And the plot was literally designed by Scholastic beforehand. There is absolutely no way a 13-something-year-old girl could have "flipped" Dan upside down. Unless the author mixed him up with Saladin the cat, of course. And there is also absolutely no way the same girl could've thrown a gallon of ice cream and knocked over two adults, one of whom is an ex-KGB agent. I told you this book was immature. So why in the world did I like it so much?!

I just couldn't help it. No, this book isn't good literature. Yes, if someone recommended it to me, I'd have the impression they had show more horrible tastes (but I still can't keep myself from recommending this series to others...). The intrigue and the action (all throughout this series, actually!) was genuinely exciting. The humor is the type that makes you laugh and cringe in equal proportions and at the same time. And the facts and historical references were interesting and well-thought-out.

I loved this series as a child, and I still have a fondness for it.

««Recommended for...»»
☐ Reluctant/impatient readers
☐ Children grades 3-6
☐ Those who love fact-paced reads
☐ Fans of [b:The False Prince|12432220|The False Prince (Ascendance, #1)|Jennifer A. Nielsen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585683740l/12432220._SX50_.jpg|16221764]
☐ Readers of middle grade, fantasy, historical fiction, and/or action and adventure
☐ Someone wanting to get out of a reading slump show less

When Dan and Amy Cahill's grandmother dies, they've lost the last blood relative who really cared about them. And they're also thrown into a deadly scavenger hunt, The 39 Clues. Members of the enormous Cahill family can choose to receive a million-dollar inheritance or the chance to solve the 39 Clues and inherit the power and fortune that the Cahills have built up over hundreds of years. Dan and Amy choose the clue and thus begins their whirlwind journey.

I did not expect to like this one as much as I did, but it was fabulous! The action is non-stop, taking Dan and Amy (and their au pair Nellie) from Boston to Philadelphia to Paris in search of the next clue. The other members of the Cahill family, who are also searching for the clue, show more will stop at nothing to find it. Most impressive is that Riordan weaves in such interesting information about a particular historical figure without it ever seeming like he's trying to get you to learn something.

The audio recording was fantastic - David Pittu is a master of accents and voices. This would make a GREAT audiobook for a family road trip, especially with boys (but girls, too!). I think the mystery is something the whole family could get into. show less

Better than I thought it would be for something as gimmicky as this. I was skeptical, due to the big push on accompaning playing cards and internet game play along, but the book stands alone as an exciting, not-too-violent and somewhat intelligent kids' adventure book.

It remains to be seen if the rest of the thirty-nine book series keeps up the quality level.