The story line is fantastic, a superb blend of history, danger and excitement. Many of the characters are well developed and believable, and the plot unfolds in seamless layers. My boys have read (or listened to) this series over and over this summer. So why only a 3 star rating? There is an underlying lack of balance in these books for me. In the first couple of books, when the mystery was almost complete, and completely fascinating - I was constantly annoyed with the name calling between the siblings. Was it supposed to make them more child like and believable? Because it didn't. It just made me want to stop reading. I don't expect the interaction to be completely kind and thoughtful either, but the incessant use of "Dweeb" and "Dorkface" not only marred the otherwise splendid reading, it added nothing of value, in my opinion. Plus, the insults sounded dated. When is the last time your child used "Dweeb"? It was almost comical. I felt the authors were attempting to make the children more real, and they just wound up sounding ridiculous. AND ANNOYING. Which, although it could be argued the annoying element itself made them more realistic, it also dampens my desire to keep on reading. But, after 2 or 3 books, the characters mature, and the name calling is drastically reduced. Hooray! This could have ratcheted the rating up to at least 4 stars, if only the plot continued to develop with the same finesse. Unfortunately, the story begins moving along too fast, the attention to detail and slow, magical unwinding of the mystery get lost somewhere. Questions generally get answered, and we do get to see supporting characters develop, but the magic is gone.The final books in the series eventually resort to violence and threats of violence to propel the story, as if the book was now being written for it's inevitable movie adaptation. Sloppy, sloppy. The tendency to sensationalism is increasingly common, but also increasingly disappointing. When the writing is focused and purposeful, it is hard to put down. But when it's not, you might as well reach for the remote. Starting Book 6 In Too Deep. I'm listening to this fabulous series on audiobook, and I'm having so much fun with it.I've traveled extensively, to many of the places that Amy and Dan have ventured on their quest for the 39 clues. Each author captures so well the feeling of being in each location such as Cairo, Egypt. They also weave history, culture, as well as developing each individual character in it's own evolution. I'm on Book 6, and Amy and Dan aren't the same kids they were when they started out. Neither are the other characters. In every book, as the stakes get higher..the choices get harder and the humanity or lack of it, becomes more apparent.They're questing to be the most powerful people on the planet..at the beginning that was just a concept. Dan wanted video games and to eat ice cream at will, like every other 10 year old. But now they're starting to realize very slowly..the implications of what unlimited power really means..they haven't quite asked themselves what happens if the wrong Cahill gains control of it. They're just kids after all. But I see them coming to that knowledge very fast..Outstanding series so far!!
What do You think about The 39 Clues Complete Collection: Books 1-10 (2010)?
We listened to the whole series on audiobook. The boys really enjoyed them.
—alex
Really, really, REALLY great. Not 5 stars, but still amazing.
—yogani
Fantastic series with a great link to historical facts.
—n_a
