The Adventures of Vin Fiz

The Adventures of Vin Fiz by Clive Cussler is the first of two adventure books starring fraternal twins Casey and Lacey. I read and reviewed the second book, The Adventures of Hotsy Totsy last year and was curious to see how the series started.

The book opens with a lengthy introduction to the Nicefolk family, their farm and Castroville, California. Yes, Castroville is known for its artichokes.

Cussler has a habit of using authorial insert to help his heros along. Here, as Sucoh Sucop, gets the entire series going. Sucoh appears at the farm offering to volunteer his time and labor during the harvest. As a parting gift, he leaves the twins a magical box that will make any toy become life size and real (with some caveats).

That's how Casey, show more Lacey and Floopy the dog end up on a strange cross-country adventure in a toy replica of Vin Fiz. Here is where things go from odd but plausible to head-scratching. The plane takes the twins to places that are more like moments in time from the original Vin Fiz, in those decades where 20th century innovations are starting to arrive but remnants of the 19th century still exist (the calvary and steam trains).

No explanation of the oddities of these towns are mentioned. They just are. Nor are the overly simplistic villains who keep appear explained. They just are and they come off like escapees from a Duddley Do-Right episode.

While these problems still exist in the second book, they are reined in. The adventures the Nicefolk twins have the second time are grounded in reality, even if their craft is once again enchanted. show less

The Adventures of Vin Fiz is an exciting book, where 10 year old twins Casey and Lacy, travel around the United States, saving everyone they meet with their magical plane. They go to exciting places like Niagra Falls and New York City. They have many adventures like: saving a town, stopping a train from falling off of a track, catching robbers, and saving 2 girls from falling of Niagra Falls..

The Adventures of Vin Fiz really makes you use your imagination. You might think that everything that happens could be a dream but there is evidence it could be real. I liked Lacey because she used her resources very wisely. Casey was very good with their plane so they never got stuck in a sticky situation. Floopy the dog is very cute and playful show more and adds a lot of excitement to the story. The book will make you feel like you were really there. show less

De tienjarige tweeling Lacey en Casey heeft het altijd al gewild. Maar kinderen kunnen niet vliegen... of wel? Als ze de mysterieuze Sucoh Suop leren kennen - een man die een toverkist heeft die elk speelgoed kan veranderen in iets echts - kunnen ze het wel!
Voordat ze het goed en wel beseffen zweven de tweeling en hun bassethond met de hangoren in de lucht en steken ze in een echte tweedekker van gebroeders Wright heel Amerika over. Het vliegtuig noemen ze Vin Fiz, naar Casey's favoriete frisdrank. Maar overal loert het gevaar, en als de tweeling het helemaal tot New York weet te brengen, zijn het helden voor de mensen die ze tegenkomen op hun wonderbaarlijke reis. Gelukkig kunnen ze vertrouwen op de magische Vin Fiz!