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The 39 Clues #1
The Maze of Bones
When their beloved aunt--matriarch of the world's most powerful family--dies, orphaned siblings Amy and Dan Cahill compete with less honorable Cahill descendants in a race around the world to find cryptic clues to a mysterious fortune.
Book includes game cards which the reader may use to play an online version of the treasure hunt.
Book includes game cards which the reader may use to play an online version of the treasure hunt.
220 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
1874 people are currently reading
38642 people want to read
About the author
Rick Riordan
354 books449k followersRick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many books, including the Percy Jackson series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,481 reviews
December 11, 2015
Book one of The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones, by author Rick Riordan, is an exciting young readers adventure book that will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat; your toilet seat. That's because the only place worth reading this book is while you've got a few minutes of privacy on the porcelain throne.
Amy and Dan Cahill are typical squabbling siblings who believe one another are the most annoying brother and sister in the world. However, that all changes when they get summoned to their mega-rich grandma Grace's funeral, along with the rest of the extended Cahill family. After the funeral they are all presented with a strange challenge from Grace given through her lawyer. They are offered the choice of either one million dollars or a clue to a riddle that the fate of the world depends on the Cahills solving. Amy and Dan reluctantly accept the clue, forgoing the million dollars, along with most of their relatives. This clue leads them on a wild adventure to many mysterious locations teeming with danger in an attempt to beat their rival relatives to the finish line.
And this book had me thinking about its finish line the whole time. Riordan and Scholastic, the publishers, have done an amazing job at pumping out a mass-marketed piece of crap. These are some of the shallowest, most meaningless characters I have ever read about. This book is nothing more than a horrifically written kids' version of the National Treasure films. The only credit I'll give this book at all is that it seems my students, for the most part, really liked it. It is certainly written for a kid's mentality. However, I've read many young readers books that are still extremely well written and appealing to adults as well as kids, so this simply doesn't pass the grade.
Amy and Dan Cahill are typical squabbling siblings who believe one another are the most annoying brother and sister in the world. However, that all changes when they get summoned to their mega-rich grandma Grace's funeral, along with the rest of the extended Cahill family. After the funeral they are all presented with a strange challenge from Grace given through her lawyer. They are offered the choice of either one million dollars or a clue to a riddle that the fate of the world depends on the Cahills solving. Amy and Dan reluctantly accept the clue, forgoing the million dollars, along with most of their relatives. This clue leads them on a wild adventure to many mysterious locations teeming with danger in an attempt to beat their rival relatives to the finish line.
And this book had me thinking about its finish line the whole time. Riordan and Scholastic, the publishers, have done an amazing job at pumping out a mass-marketed piece of crap. These are some of the shallowest, most meaningless characters I have ever read about. This book is nothing more than a horrifically written kids' version of the National Treasure films. The only credit I'll give this book at all is that it seems my students, for the most part, really liked it. It is certainly written for a kid's mentality. However, I've read many young readers books that are still extremely well written and appealing to adults as well as kids, so this simply doesn't pass the grade.
April 14, 2023
Let me start off by noting that I am very much not the target demographic for this series. But considering that the target demographic of the series probably doesn't spend a lot of time on this website, I figured I’d throw in my two cents.
I actually did read the 39 Clues closer to when it was first released, back when I actually was in the target demographic, i.e., my early teen years (quite the time to be alive). I remember I had some mixed feelings about it back then, and that's about all I remember.
Then about a month ago I finally watched National Treasure starring Nicolas Cage with my roommates, and while watching him decipher those silly clues on the Liberty Bell and whatnot, I suddenly got a rush of nostalgia and thought, “Hey, whatever happened to those 39 Clues?”
I decided to find out with a reread.
Let's get down to the actual content. In the original 39 Clues series, there are 10 books in the main plotline, plus an 11th installment that contains several short stories expanding upon the world and setting up the next spin-off.
In this story, pre-teen siblings Amy and Dan find out that they belong to the most powerful family on earth: the Cahills. The series does some pretty intense retconning, claiming that nearly everyone famous recorded in history (or at least those taught in western schools) is actually descended from one family living at the turn of the 16th century.
On a sidebar, the idea that so many powerful people could be traced back to a single ancestor and yet all the crazy conspiracy theorists out there would not have noticed this…is frankly insane. But then the whole premise is pretty insane. A world that claims some secret connection between powerful and wealthy people controlling things behind the scenes should set off some warning bells that there may be some *concerning* takes ahead.
In any case, at their grandmother's funeral, Amy and Dan receive the choice to join a clue hunt with the first clue given to them. Not even sure what the clues amount to, they rush off across the world searching for the rest while in competition with several teams made up of their distant relatives, most of them also underage.
All the books are short, between 100 and 300 pages. But still I think it's telling that it never took me more than a day to finish each individual book. Not counting a gap in the middle where I was waiting on library books, I did, all in all, finish the entire 11 books in about a week or so.
Even as an adult with a very short attention span, I found these books to be fun, fast paced, with just the right amount of not-taking-themselves-too-seriously. The perfect fodder for a little mindless escapism.
There are seven authors total who contributed to the series. No two consecutive books are written by the same author. This does mean that there are some wild fluctuations in characterization and theme between books.
I could see how readers might feel like they're getting whiplash, being tossed back and forth between these different writing styles and character arcs. But I honestly thought it was kind of funny. And given my aforementioned extremely short attention span, I actually found that this kept the series more fresh for me. By the end of the 11th book, I really did not feel like I had just read upwards of 2,000 pages. It felt more like I had read maybe one 500-page book.
The change in authorship from book to book also created a couple of hilarious twists in genre. My favorite being when Peter Lerangis had the third book take a sharp left turn into romance territory, which Jude Watson in book four promptly yanked all the way back out. (That was probably for the best, Ms. Watson, since any character falling in love with someone who calls her “cousin” has bigger problems in need of addressing.)
There are a few more glaring issues that I totally overlooked when I read these as a kid. When an array of nearly all white authors writes about white kids traveling in many international settings, there’s a natural potential for problematic takes to get mixed into the fray.
There's the way that Dan calls every Japanese person they meet a “ninja” (come on Dan, you know better)
The fact that Jonah, the only Black character in the clue hunt, calls everybody “homie, yo yo yo” (YIKES)
Not to mention Rick Riordan’s description of an 11-year-old girl as “11 going on 23” (um, seriously, Rick? What the H-E-double hockey sticks?!)
You could throw the usual argument that it's a reflection of its time or whatever, but that argument never held much merit in the first place, and it really doesn't hold up here considering that it hasn't even been 15 years since this series was released.
Aside from those issues, the 39 Clues was an enjoyable read that's probably not going to leave you thinking too hard once you put it down. I rated all of the books in the series between three and four stars. Plus, I had enough fun that I'm moving straight to the spin-off series, Cahills vs. Vespers, which came out a little later and also has the benefit of slightly aged-up main characters. It's already off to a more solid start.
So, in the grand scheme of things…
Do I think you should give this book to your kids to read? I mean, sure. If they’re somewhere between 8 and maybe 14, I bet they will enjoy the story and connect with the characters. However, I would not put too much hope in this series being an educational experience for anyone.
Do I think you should read this series as an adult? Yeah, go for it, just temper your expectations and remember this was not written for someone like you. With those caveats, it can be a really fun ride.
I actually did read the 39 Clues closer to when it was first released, back when I actually was in the target demographic, i.e., my early teen years (quite the time to be alive). I remember I had some mixed feelings about it back then, and that's about all I remember.
Then about a month ago I finally watched National Treasure starring Nicolas Cage with my roommates, and while watching him decipher those silly clues on the Liberty Bell and whatnot, I suddenly got a rush of nostalgia and thought, “Hey, whatever happened to those 39 Clues?”
I decided to find out with a reread.
Let's get down to the actual content. In the original 39 Clues series, there are 10 books in the main plotline, plus an 11th installment that contains several short stories expanding upon the world and setting up the next spin-off.
In this story, pre-teen siblings Amy and Dan find out that they belong to the most powerful family on earth: the Cahills. The series does some pretty intense retconning, claiming that nearly everyone famous recorded in history (or at least those taught in western schools) is actually descended from one family living at the turn of the 16th century.
On a sidebar, the idea that so many powerful people could be traced back to a single ancestor and yet all the crazy conspiracy theorists out there would not have noticed this…is frankly insane. But then the whole premise is pretty insane. A world that claims some secret connection between powerful and wealthy people controlling things behind the scenes should set off some warning bells that there may be some *concerning* takes ahead.
In any case, at their grandmother's funeral, Amy and Dan receive the choice to join a clue hunt with the first clue given to them. Not even sure what the clues amount to, they rush off across the world searching for the rest while in competition with several teams made up of their distant relatives, most of them also underage.
All the books are short, between 100 and 300 pages. But still I think it's telling that it never took me more than a day to finish each individual book. Not counting a gap in the middle where I was waiting on library books, I did, all in all, finish the entire 11 books in about a week or so.
Even as an adult with a very short attention span, I found these books to be fun, fast paced, with just the right amount of not-taking-themselves-too-seriously. The perfect fodder for a little mindless escapism.
There are seven authors total who contributed to the series. No two consecutive books are written by the same author. This does mean that there are some wild fluctuations in characterization and theme between books.
I could see how readers might feel like they're getting whiplash, being tossed back and forth between these different writing styles and character arcs. But I honestly thought it was kind of funny. And given my aforementioned extremely short attention span, I actually found that this kept the series more fresh for me. By the end of the 11th book, I really did not feel like I had just read upwards of 2,000 pages. It felt more like I had read maybe one 500-page book.
The change in authorship from book to book also created a couple of hilarious twists in genre. My favorite being when Peter Lerangis had the third book take a sharp left turn into romance territory, which Jude Watson in book four promptly yanked all the way back out. (That was probably for the best, Ms. Watson, since any character falling in love with someone who calls her “cousin” has bigger problems in need of addressing.)
There are a few more glaring issues that I totally overlooked when I read these as a kid. When an array of nearly all white authors writes about white kids traveling in many international settings, there’s a natural potential for problematic takes to get mixed into the fray.
There's the way that Dan calls every Japanese person they meet a “ninja” (come on Dan, you know better)
The fact that Jonah, the only Black character in the clue hunt, calls everybody “homie, yo yo yo” (YIKES)
Not to mention Rick Riordan’s description of an 11-year-old girl as “11 going on 23” (um, seriously, Rick? What the H-E-double hockey sticks?!)
You could throw the usual argument that it's a reflection of its time or whatever, but that argument never held much merit in the first place, and it really doesn't hold up here considering that it hasn't even been 15 years since this series was released.
Aside from those issues, the 39 Clues was an enjoyable read that's probably not going to leave you thinking too hard once you put it down. I rated all of the books in the series between three and four stars. Plus, I had enough fun that I'm moving straight to the spin-off series, Cahills vs. Vespers, which came out a little later and also has the benefit of slightly aged-up main characters. It's already off to a more solid start.
So, in the grand scheme of things…
Do I think you should give this book to your kids to read? I mean, sure. If they’re somewhere between 8 and maybe 14, I bet they will enjoy the story and connect with the characters. However, I would not put too much hope in this series being an educational experience for anyone.
Do I think you should read this series as an adult? Yeah, go for it, just temper your expectations and remember this was not written for someone like you. With those caveats, it can be a really fun ride.
November 7, 2020
3 Silver Stars
with Golden Sparks
yay! Another middle grade I enjoyed.
Dan & Amy were great! & Nellie! I really liked them. & their character's developments & their relationship.
many characters were unnerving & cheaters! (not the protagonists, thankfully!) but the constant chain of chases to solve the puzzles & the Clue hunts were interesting.
It was not as great as Camp Half-blood chronicles (the whole Riordanverse is a masterpiece!) & in this world there are no magic or myths (not yet at least) & just mysteries needed to be solved, But with all the riddles & ancient mysterious premise, sometimes It gave me a series of Unfortunate Events & Nicholas Flamel vibes & Book of the Dead (which I haven't read the whole Tombquest, but it's in my TBR, waiting for me to continue.)
It was fun & cute.
with an intriguing plot.
a quick read.
I probably would enjoy it more if I’d discovered it in my teenage years.
-
World building: ★★★/5
Characters: ★★★★/5
Written style: ★★★★/5
Plot: ★★★/5
General idea: ★★★/5
with Golden Sparks
yay! Another middle grade I enjoyed.
Dan & Amy were great! & Nellie! I really liked them. & their character's developments & their relationship.
many characters were unnerving & cheaters! (not the protagonists, thankfully!) but the constant chain of chases to solve the puzzles & the Clue hunts were interesting.
It was not as great as Camp Half-blood chronicles (the whole Riordanverse is a masterpiece!) & in this world there are no magic or myths (not yet at least) & just mysteries needed to be solved, But with all the riddles & ancient mysterious premise, sometimes It gave me a series of Unfortunate Events & Nicholas Flamel vibes & Book of the Dead (which I haven't read the whole Tombquest, but it's in my TBR, waiting for me to continue.)
It was fun & cute.
with an intriguing plot.
a quick read.
I probably would enjoy it more if I’d discovered it in my teenage years.
-
World building: ★★★/5
Characters: ★★★★/5
Written style: ★★★★/5
Plot: ★★★/5
General idea: ★★★/5
September 19, 2008
I've signed up for an online account, and am told I am a Lucien. Let the hunt begin. One of my 7th grade teachers read aloud the first chapter to her 130 students on Friday. Guess how many requests I have for the book now?
I finished the book last night, have entered one set of cards and unlocked my first clue, and have mastered the first five tasks the online game has presented to me. I wanted to be able to answer student questions about how to play or what was required. I plan to raffle off (for free) the other card sets to interested students and circ the books without cards. I'm planning to display the one card that can be reused by every player in a plastic stand near the computers with the website listed and I'll see what the interest is.
Riordan did a good job of kicking off the series, although I will agree with some other comments that it certainly is predictable in many places (our heroes do all the work to unearth a clue and the rival teams show up just at the right moment to steal it from them...) but I loved the history included. For instance, in their Ben Franklin research the boy learns that Ben wrote a whole essay about the importance of farting (true) and the magic number boxes that Franklin did for fun are part of the game (the kids say, "you mean Franklin invented sudoku?") They're leaving Paris now and are off to Vienna in the next book to follow the clues that lead to Mozart. I'll be there with them.
I finished the book last night, have entered one set of cards and unlocked my first clue, and have mastered the first five tasks the online game has presented to me. I wanted to be able to answer student questions about how to play or what was required. I plan to raffle off (for free) the other card sets to interested students and circ the books without cards. I'm planning to display the one card that can be reused by every player in a plastic stand near the computers with the website listed and I'll see what the interest is.
Riordan did a good job of kicking off the series, although I will agree with some other comments that it certainly is predictable in many places (our heroes do all the work to unearth a clue and the rival teams show up just at the right moment to steal it from them...) but I loved the history included. For instance, in their Ben Franklin research the boy learns that Ben wrote a whole essay about the importance of farting (true) and the magic number boxes that Franklin did for fun are part of the game (the kids say, "you mean Franklin invented sudoku?") They're leaving Paris now and are off to Vienna in the next book to follow the clues that lead to Mozart. I'll be there with them.
March 6, 2023
2.5 Stars
Obviously the plot is absurd with two super precocious kids but it's a fun adventure story for intermediate/middle school kids. I think this will be okay for NZ Y9 as Amy is 14 years old and it would suit someone looking for a quick read. There are lots of near death scenes and dastardly villains. There is an online game component but I am not sure if that is still something that can be played given how old the book is now.
I found the link but don't have the time to explore this game though.
https://kids.scholastic.com/kid/books...
Obviously the plot is absurd with two super precocious kids but it's a fun adventure story for intermediate/middle school kids. I think this will be okay for NZ Y9 as Amy is 14 years old and it would suit someone looking for a quick read. There are lots of near death scenes and dastardly villains. There is an online game component but I am not sure if that is still something that can be played given how old the book is now.
I found the link but don't have the time to explore this game though.
https://kids.scholastic.com/kid/books...
July 5, 2017
Adventurous and exciting treasure hunt with great humor. The information about Benjamin Franklin and the scenes in Paris were interesting. A really intriguing start of the series.
A few minutes later they stood in a muddy graveyard, looking up at the dark silhouette of St-Pierre de Montmartre. The church was made of gray stone slabs. A single square bell tower rose from the left-hand side, topped with a lightning rod and cross. Dan thought the building looked angry and resentful. If churches could frown, this one would.
Read
November 29, 2024an easy read, very nice, refreshing and relaxing! certainly not a difficult book but nonetheless enjoyable. I am already starting the second one.
September 4, 2016
It was a good read.
September 17, 2008
Grace Cahill changed her will moments before she died. For Amy and Dan, the loss of Grace, their grandmother, is a terribly sad event. They will miss their weekends spending time at the family mansion hearing stories of Grace’s past adventures and exploring the many rooms.
After the funeral, certain family members are invited to the reading of the will. Amy and Dan are included. Everyone is anxious to find out what their inheritance will be. No one expects what happens. Everyone is given a choice - take one million dollars or give it up for a clue. A clue that will lead to a deep family secret. The one who follows all 39 clues and uncovers the secret will become the most powerful Cahill in the world.
Amy and Dan are 1 of 7 teams competing for the clues. The other teams may be made up of family members, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous. Everyone wants Amy and Dan out of the way. They think they have inside information since they were Grace’s favorites. The problem is, Amy and Dan know even less than everyone else. They were never told how much influence the Cahill family has had in the world throughout the years. Because of their lack of knowledge and kind natures, Amy and Dan’s lives are put in danger several times as they fly to Paris and search for Clue #2.
39 CLUES: THE MAZE OF BONES is a fast-paced, adventure-filled, mystery. Each book comes with a set of clue cards. You are encouraged to visit the website, create an account, and begin solving the puzzle. You can win over $100,000 in prizes. The second book in the series is called ONE FALSE NOTE and is written by Gordon Korman and will be released December 2, 2008. Book Three is THE SWORD THIEF by Peter Lerangis and will be available on March 3, 2009. Seven more books are planned and the series will be completed in 2010. OH - and if this the clue cards and interactive website aren’t enough, the books have already been optioned for a movie. Word has it, Steven Spielberg is going to direct. WOW!
After the funeral, certain family members are invited to the reading of the will. Amy and Dan are included. Everyone is anxious to find out what their inheritance will be. No one expects what happens. Everyone is given a choice - take one million dollars or give it up for a clue. A clue that will lead to a deep family secret. The one who follows all 39 clues and uncovers the secret will become the most powerful Cahill in the world.
Amy and Dan are 1 of 7 teams competing for the clues. The other teams may be made up of family members, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous. Everyone wants Amy and Dan out of the way. They think they have inside information since they were Grace’s favorites. The problem is, Amy and Dan know even less than everyone else. They were never told how much influence the Cahill family has had in the world throughout the years. Because of their lack of knowledge and kind natures, Amy and Dan’s lives are put in danger several times as they fly to Paris and search for Clue #2.
39 CLUES: THE MAZE OF BONES is a fast-paced, adventure-filled, mystery. Each book comes with a set of clue cards. You are encouraged to visit the website, create an account, and begin solving the puzzle. You can win over $100,000 in prizes. The second book in the series is called ONE FALSE NOTE and is written by Gordon Korman and will be released December 2, 2008. Book Three is THE SWORD THIEF by Peter Lerangis and will be available on March 3, 2009. Seven more books are planned and the series will be completed in 2010. OH - and if this the clue cards and interactive website aren’t enough, the books have already been optioned for a movie. Word has it, Steven Spielberg is going to direct. WOW!
August 18, 2017
Još jedna knjiga koja mi je žao što nisam čitao kada sam bio mnogo mlađi. Napušteni brat i sestra sami protiv sveta u borbi za kontrolom nad istim. Pa skoro sami, par saveznika imaju (od kojih je jedna čangrizava mačka :) ).
Čist stil pisanja, sa relativno jednostavnim likovima koji su skoro čisto crno/beli mada imaju malo zatamnjenja čisto da ne budu dosadni, interesantna pričica sa fokusom na pronalaženje i režavanje zagonetki i tempo koji kreće odma od početka i ne popušta do kraja.
Preporuka za svakoga, naročito ako ste 15 ili manje :D
Čist stil pisanja, sa relativno jednostavnim likovima koji su skoro čisto crno/beli mada imaju malo zatamnjenja čisto da ne budu dosadni, interesantna pričica sa fokusom na pronalaženje i režavanje zagonetki i tempo koji kreće odma od početka i ne popušta do kraja.
Preporuka za svakoga, naročito ako ste 15 ili manje :D
October 3, 2010
In Which Rick Riordan Attempts
Another
Harry Potteresque Cash Cow.
Good God, is this man the most shameless author currently working in children's literature? First the highly derivative (but at least marginally entertaining) Percy Jackson, and now this - a hokey National Treasure meets Amazing Race mash-up? 10 books, each written by a different author, that follow a sibling duo as they globetrot, attempting to piece together the titular clues in order to reveal a single earth-shattering prize that will restore the power of their family name? Come. On. I'm all on board for books that tantalize reluctant readers, but this is just one more poorly executed, paper-thin Money Train that sacrifices excellent ideas and promises of excitement for soulless character building and trite, episodic adventures.
For the sake of arguing about plausibility, I'm going to suspend all disbelief at the patently absurd plot, and pay attention to the most egregious errors - errors that cannot be cast aside simply because the book will appeal to many children. Reluctant readers aren't stupid. Aliteracy isn't the product of stupidity. But this book treats its readers like they're stupid and that's what I resent more than anything else.
The one dimensionality of Dan and Amy is insulting enough; they should have more development than Good At Math And Typical Male Impulsiveness (Dan!) and Loves To Read And Is Scared But Determined (Amy!). What's even more repulsive is the 'development' of the secondary and tertiary characters. Nellie, the au pair, is a lazy, iPod-attached twenty-something who suddenly starts speaking Spanish. Is it an attempt for Riordan to show off some of his linguistic know-how? Is it an attempt to create a multicultural character? Who knows? Nellie argues on the phone with her father in Spanish and then it's never brought up again, except for her to admit quite casually that she also speaks French, which comes in handy when the kids go to France. In Nellie's words: "Duh. My mom taught French. She was, like, French."
Perhaps the most insulting endeavor to add a 'multicultural' spin to the book is the character Jonah Wizard. A swaggering reality television star, Wizard is a crass attempt to create a thuggish, streetwise black character who plays up his "cultural identity" to the cameras, but is actually much less "black" around people he knows. Witness as he says, in front of the paparazzi, "Yo! My peeps!" and then, inside a car without the flashing bulbs of the press, speaks without any vernacular whatsoever. Even when the reader is first introduced to Jonah Wizard, we are told that he tries to act like a 'street punk', which makes his patois even more caricature-like. "Hand me the clue, homes!" he demands to the executor of the will. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? And then we learn his reality show is called Who Wants To Be A Gangsta?, that he has an album called Gangsta Life, and that France has just released his pop-up children's book called... you guessed it... Le... Li'l Gangsta Livre Instantané. Jonah Wizard is a disgusting stock character who is one freshly-rolled joint shy of being completely racist. The fact that author is a middle-aged white man makes the character even more insulting and less authentic. Riordan should be ashamed of himself.
Want more bad character development? Meet the pumped-up Holt family (who wear matching athletic gear and whose patriarch shouts ridiculous things like, "Company, FALL IN!"), the Kardashian-like Kabras who jetset around and smuggle weapons onto planes, and Irina, the former KGB spy who hides poison-tipped needles in her fingernails. It's like Riordan sat down and pulled together every single unlikely but cliched character possible and thought, "But how can I cram them all into one book?" It would be a satire if it weren't written so damned seriously, which is a problem in itself.
The writing. Oy. The plot-driven storyline, filled with the typical "I-don't-know-how-to-write-a-mystery-so-I'm-just-going-to-have-the-characters-make-silly-guesses", is so ludicrously bad that it feels like it's been cobbled together by eight different ghost writers and smooshed into perfectly contained danger-filled episodes. During a house fire, Amy and Dan are crawling on their hands and knees below the smoke line (yay, fire safety!) when Amy notices ornate dragon carvings on the wall that all seem to be leading to an exit. They are. A secret passageway that leads the duo to safety. Seriously? Even Dan Brown, Grand Poobah Of Bad Action-Oriented Writing, would call shenanigans on that. Then there's the bombing of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia that decimates one team but leaves Dan and Amy curiously unscathed, even though they were inches from the detonation. Add to this that book is insanely predictable. Every time Amy and David find a clue or a scrap of information that will lead to a clue, one of the other teams has sneaked up on them and either hears the clue or steals it. Then there's a fight, both physical and vocal. That plot contrivance doesn't get old at all.
Riordan's final failure is his inability to capture a solid tone, which gives the book a truly obnoxious inconsistency. Panicky episodes are carelessly turned around with unbelievable sibling banter that paints Dan as a goofball and Amy as a shrill harpy (after being told that sedan chairs are not meant to be occupied by his scrawny 90-pound frame, Dan proclaims, "RESOLUTION: Start eating more ice cream.") Riordan must think that reluctant readers like corny humor because his misunderstanding of what young adults believe is funny is peppered throughout the book: a dog that rolls over and plays dead when commanded to pay attention, a hotel in Paris whose name translates into House of Roaches, and Dan's incessant ADD-laden distractions and quips will only provoke eye-rolling from much of its intended audience. It all smacks of Trying Too Hard.
Also Trying Too Hard? The heavy-handed Harry Potter copping. First in Percy (where the similarities were so obvious that even the names had the identical number of letters - Harry/Percy, Ronald/Grover, Annabeth/Hermione), now in The 39 Clues, where we read about a House divided into quarters, with each house representing a particular archetype. The houses are governed by a dying-then-dead figurehead whose encyclopedic knowledge is cherished by some and scorned by others. Additionally, the protagonists are reluctant heroes who realize their fate is to protect the world from falling in the hands of ne'er-do-wellers.
The fact that Gordon Korman, another author of dubious talents, writes the follow-up guarantees that I will definitely not continue with the series.
Good God, is this man the most shameless author currently working in children's literature? First the highly derivative (but at least marginally entertaining) Percy Jackson, and now this - a hokey National Treasure meets Amazing Race mash-up? 10 books, each written by a different author, that follow a sibling duo as they globetrot, attempting to piece together the titular clues in order to reveal a single earth-shattering prize that will restore the power of their family name? Come. On. I'm all on board for books that tantalize reluctant readers, but this is just one more poorly executed, paper-thin Money Train that sacrifices excellent ideas and promises of excitement for soulless character building and trite, episodic adventures.
For the sake of arguing about plausibility, I'm going to suspend all disbelief at the patently absurd plot, and pay attention to the most egregious errors - errors that cannot be cast aside simply because the book will appeal to many children. Reluctant readers aren't stupid. Aliteracy isn't the product of stupidity. But this book treats its readers like they're stupid and that's what I resent more than anything else.
The one dimensionality of Dan and Amy is insulting enough; they should have more development than Good At Math And Typical Male Impulsiveness (Dan!) and Loves To Read And Is Scared But Determined (Amy!). What's even more repulsive is the 'development' of the secondary and tertiary characters. Nellie, the au pair, is a lazy, iPod-attached twenty-something who suddenly starts speaking Spanish. Is it an attempt for Riordan to show off some of his linguistic know-how? Is it an attempt to create a multicultural character? Who knows? Nellie argues on the phone with her father in Spanish and then it's never brought up again, except for her to admit quite casually that she also speaks French, which comes in handy when the kids go to France. In Nellie's words: "Duh. My mom taught French. She was, like, French."
Perhaps the most insulting endeavor to add a 'multicultural' spin to the book is the character Jonah Wizard. A swaggering reality television star, Wizard is a crass attempt to create a thuggish, streetwise black character who plays up his "cultural identity" to the cameras, but is actually much less "black" around people he knows. Witness as he says, in front of the paparazzi, "Yo! My peeps!" and then, inside a car without the flashing bulbs of the press, speaks without any vernacular whatsoever. Even when the reader is first introduced to Jonah Wizard, we are told that he tries to act like a 'street punk', which makes his patois even more caricature-like. "Hand me the clue, homes!" he demands to the executor of the will. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? And then we learn his reality show is called Who Wants To Be A Gangsta?, that he has an album called Gangsta Life, and that France has just released his pop-up children's book called... you guessed it... Le... Li'l Gangsta Livre Instantané. Jonah Wizard is a disgusting stock character who is one freshly-rolled joint shy of being completely racist. The fact that author is a middle-aged white man makes the character even more insulting and less authentic. Riordan should be ashamed of himself.
Want more bad character development? Meet the pumped-up Holt family (who wear matching athletic gear and whose patriarch shouts ridiculous things like, "Company, FALL IN!"), the Kardashian-like Kabras who jetset around and smuggle weapons onto planes, and Irina, the former KGB spy who hides poison-tipped needles in her fingernails. It's like Riordan sat down and pulled together every single unlikely but cliched character possible and thought, "But how can I cram them all into one book?" It would be a satire if it weren't written so damned seriously, which is a problem in itself.
The writing. Oy. The plot-driven storyline, filled with the typical "I-don't-know-how-to-write-a-mystery-so-I'm-just-going-to-have-the-characters-make-silly-guesses", is so ludicrously bad that it feels like it's been cobbled together by eight different ghost writers and smooshed into perfectly contained danger-filled episodes. During a house fire, Amy and Dan are crawling on their hands and knees below the smoke line (yay, fire safety!) when Amy notices ornate dragon carvings on the wall that all seem to be leading to an exit. They are. A secret passageway that leads the duo to safety. Seriously? Even Dan Brown, Grand Poobah Of Bad Action-Oriented Writing, would call shenanigans on that. Then there's the bombing of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia that decimates one team but leaves Dan and Amy curiously unscathed, even though they were inches from the detonation. Add to this that book is insanely predictable. Every time Amy and David find a clue or a scrap of information that will lead to a clue, one of the other teams has sneaked up on them and either hears the clue or steals it. Then there's a fight, both physical and vocal. That plot contrivance doesn't get old at all.
Riordan's final failure is his inability to capture a solid tone, which gives the book a truly obnoxious inconsistency. Panicky episodes are carelessly turned around with unbelievable sibling banter that paints Dan as a goofball and Amy as a shrill harpy (after being told that sedan chairs are not meant to be occupied by his scrawny 90-pound frame, Dan proclaims, "RESOLUTION: Start eating more ice cream.") Riordan must think that reluctant readers like corny humor because his misunderstanding of what young adults believe is funny is peppered throughout the book: a dog that rolls over and plays dead when commanded to pay attention, a hotel in Paris whose name translates into House of Roaches, and Dan's incessant ADD-laden distractions and quips will only provoke eye-rolling from much of its intended audience. It all smacks of Trying Too Hard.
Also Trying Too Hard? The heavy-handed Harry Potter copping. First in Percy (where the similarities were so obvious that even the names had the identical number of letters - Harry/Percy, Ronald/Grover, Annabeth/Hermione), now in The 39 Clues, where we read about a House divided into quarters, with each house representing a particular archetype. The houses are governed by a dying-then-dead figurehead whose encyclopedic knowledge is cherished by some and scorned by others. Additionally, the protagonists are reluctant heroes who realize their fate is to protect the world from falling in the hands of ne'er-do-wellers.
The fact that Gordon Korman, another author of dubious talents, writes the follow-up guarantees that I will definitely not continue with the series.
September 15, 2020
این کتاب برای من نبود.
حتی اگه اون رو ده یا پانزده سال پیش میخوندم.
پلات حفرات زیادی داره. شخصیتها اصلا ثبات کافی رو ندارند. داستان منطق کافی رو نداره و اصلا به خواننده اجازه پیشبینی حل مسئله رو نمیده و جواب معماها یک آن از اسمان نازل میشه :)
خلاصه که کتاب من نبود.
و ۵ جللد دیگشم دارم :) شاید بعدها به جلد دوم یه فرصتی بدم.
حتی اگه اون رو ده یا پانزده سال پیش میخوندم.
پلات حفرات زیادی داره. شخصیتها اصلا ثبات کافی رو ندارند. داستان منطق کافی رو نداره و اصلا به خواننده اجازه پیشبینی حل مسئله رو نمیده و جواب معماها یک آن از اسمان نازل میشه :)
خلاصه که کتاب من نبود.
و ۵ جللد دیگشم دارم :) شاید بعدها به جلد دوم یه فرصتی بدم.
January 8, 2016
I really don't plan on ever reading this series again I'm just not a big fan anymore
February 25, 2024
la primera vez que leí este libro a mis trece añitos quería ser dan cahill y ahora que lo leo a mis veintitrés añitos sigo queriendo ser dan cahill
May 9, 2023
দ্য মেইজ অফ বোনস (থার্টি নাইন ক্লুজ সিরিজ)— রিক রিওরড্যান— শরীফুল হাসান
গ্রেস কাহিলের মৃত্যুর পর শুরু হয় কাহিল পরিবারে সম্পত্তি নিয়ে টানাপোড়েন। বাঁধ সাধে মৃত্যুর পূর্বে গ্রেস কাহিলের রেখে যাওয়া উইল। মৃত্যু খেলায় গ্রেস তাদের আমন্ত্রণ করেছে! বিজয়ী হবে পৃথিবীর সর্বাধিক ক্ষমতা ও সম্পদের মালিক! বাকিদের মতো অ্যামি, ড্যানেরও উইল সম্পর্কে কোনো ধারণা নেয়। কিন্তু গ্রেসের প্রিয়পাত্র হওয়ার দরুন তাদের পরতে হয় বাকিদের বিষ নজরে। তাদের জন্য মৃত্যু ফাঁদ পাতা হতে থাকে।
গ্রেস কাহিলের অন্ত্যেষ্টিক্রিয়ায় জানা যায় গত পাঁচশো বছর ধরে মানবসভ্যতার ইতিহাসে সর্বাধিক অবদান রেখেছে কাহিল পরিবার। তাদের মধ্যে অন্যতম বেঞ্জামিন ফ্রাংকলিন। যার বিভিন্ন কাজের মধ্যে লুকায়িত রয়েছে উনচল্লিশটি সূত্র।
কাহিল পরিবার একেট্রিনা, টমাস, জানুস ও লুসিয়ান গ্রুপে বিভক্ত। উইলিয়াম ম্যাকান্টায়ার তাদের হুঁশিয়ার করে দেন কাউকে বিশ্বাস না করার জন্য, ম্যাড্রিগালদের থেকে সাবধান থাকতে।
দুই অনাথ ভাইবোন উনচল্লিশ সূত্রের রহস্য সমাধানে বিশ্বভ্রমণে বেড়িয়ে পরে। মৃত নানুর ইচ্ছে ছিল তারা যেন সূত্রের খোঁজ করে। কিন্তু বিপদ যেনো পিছুই ছাড়ে না। সেই সাথে বেড়িয়ে আসতে থাকে বহু অজানা রহস্য! কাহিল পরিবারের বহু কালো অধ্যায়!
প্রথমেই বলতে হয় অনুবাদের মান যথেষ্ট ভালো। সুন্দর ও সহজ ভাষায় অনুবাদ করা হয়েছে। কিশোর অ্যাডভেঞ্চার হিসেবে দারুণ একটা সিরিজ।
গ্রেস কাহিলের মৃত্যুর পর শুরু হয় কাহিল পরিবারে সম্পত্তি নিয়ে টানাপোড়েন। বাঁধ সাধে মৃত্যুর পূর্বে গ্রেস কাহিলের রেখে যাওয়া উইল। মৃত্যু খেলায় গ্রেস তাদের আমন্ত্রণ করেছে! বিজয়ী হবে পৃথিবীর সর্বাধিক ক্ষমতা ও সম্পদের মালিক! বাকিদের মতো অ্যামি, ড্যানেরও উইল সম্পর্কে কোনো ধারণা নেয়। কিন্তু গ্রেসের প্রিয়পাত্র হওয়ার দরুন তাদের পরতে হয় বাকিদের বিষ নজরে। তাদের জন্য মৃত্যু ফাঁদ পাতা হতে থাকে।
গ্রেস কাহিলের অন্ত্যেষ্টিক্রিয়ায় জানা যায় গত পাঁচশো বছর ধরে মানবসভ্যতার ইতিহাসে সর্বাধিক অবদান রেখেছে কাহিল পরিবার। তাদের মধ্যে অন্যতম বেঞ্জামিন ফ্রাংকলিন। যার বিভিন্ন কাজের মধ্যে লুকায়িত রয়েছে উনচল্লিশটি সূত্র।
কাহিল পরিবার একেট্রিনা, টমাস, জানুস ও লুসিয়ান গ্রুপে বিভক্ত। উইলিয়াম ম্যাকান্টায়ার তাদের হুঁশিয়ার করে দেন কাউকে বিশ্বাস না করার জন্য, ম্যাড্রিগালদের থেকে সাবধান থাকতে।
দুই অনাথ ভাইবোন উনচল্লিশ সূত্রের রহস্য সমাধানে বিশ্বভ্রমণে বেড়িয়ে পরে। মৃত নানুর ইচ্ছে ছিল তারা যেন সূত্রের খোঁজ করে। কিন্তু বিপদ যেনো পিছুই ছাড়ে না। সেই সাথে বেড়িয়ে আসতে থাকে বহু অজানা রহস্য! কাহিল পরিবারের বহু কালো অধ্যায়!
প্রথমেই বলতে হয় অনুবাদের মান যথেষ্ট ভালো। সুন্দর ও সহজ ভাষায় অনুবাদ করা হয়েছে। কিশোর অ্যাডভেঞ্চার হিসেবে দারুণ একটা সিরিজ।
July 11, 2023
I wasn't really sure what to expect when I went into this, but it was much better than I anticipated. I like the overall mystery, even if the family is a bit terrible to one another.
The pacing was good, and overall, nothing was glaringly wrong mechanically. I am a bit nervous about reading on when each both has a different author.
I will have to check it out and see if the next book is as good as this one was.
4 Stars.
The pacing was good, and overall, nothing was glaringly wrong mechanically. I am a bit nervous about reading on when each both has a different author.
I will have to check it out and see if the next book is as good as this one was.
4 Stars.
October 30, 2024
পুরো গল্পটার মধ্যে একটা আনরিয়েলিস্টিক ভাব আছে। প্রথমত বিশ্বাস করতেই কষ্ট হয় একটা ১৪ বছরের মেয়ে আর ১১ বছরের ছেলে এতোসব দুঃসাহসী কর্মকান্ড করে বেড়ায়। তার উপর তার চাচা, চাচাতো ভাই বোন, আত্মীয় স্বজন অনেকেই হত্যা করার জন্য রীতিমত ফাঁদ পেতে রেখেছে। ক্লু গুলোও তেমন জোরালো মনে হয় নি।
অনুবাদ পড়েছি 'শরীফুল হাসান' এর টা। মানসম্মত বলার সুযোগ নেই। পাঠক মাত্রই ধরতে পারবেন অনায়াসে।
অনুবাদ পড়েছি 'শরীফুল হাসান' এর টা। মানসম্মত বলার সুযোগ নেই। পাঠক মাত্রই ধরতে পারবেন অনায়াসে।
May 29, 2021
بعد از چند ماه ک این کتاب نصفه مونده بود امروز وقت کردم کاملش کنم😐💔
صادقانه بخوام بگم این کتاب چیزی نبود ک از ریک ریوردن انتظارشو داشتم! کتاب سطحی بود و نسبت ب کتابای خفن دیگه ی ریوردن میتونم بگم هیچ بود هیچ!حالا کاری ندارم این کتاب قبل از اونیکیا نوشته شده باشه و حالا ی جورایی دست گرمی بوده باشه کلی میگم دوست داشتم بیشتر ازش لذت ببرم....البته اینم کم تاثیر نیس ک نویسنده هر جلد با جلد بعدی متفاوته و باید این داستان زنجیره ای ادامه پیدا کنه و هر نویسنده قبلی باید داستان رو طوری بنویسه ک نویسنده بعدی بتونه ادامش رو بنویسه.
مشکلی ک اذیتم میکرد این بود ک من توی این جلد نتونستم اصن چیزی رو حدس بزنم ب هیچ وجه!حالا چرا؟!بخاطر اینکه سرنخ هایی ک نوشته میداد خیلی پراکنده و دور از داستان بود کتاب کم حجم بود و اطلاعات کافی از داستان نداشتیم بخاطر همین نمیتونستیم دانسته هارو کنار هم بزاریم و وقایع رو حدس بزنیم!که این مشکل توی کتابای دیگه ی ریک ریوردن مثه مگنس چیس و پرسی جکسون اصن دیده نمیشه شایدم ب این شدت نیس من با ریتم اون کتابا همراه شدم و هرچند خیلی از حدسام غلط بود ولی خیلیاشم درست بود!
ایراد بعدی اینکه بنظرم سن کرکترای اصلی واقعا کم بود و من نمیتونستم با داستان خو بگیرم چرا؟چون باورم نمیشد ک دوتا بچه فسقلی بتونن از امریکا برن پاریس! 😐نوجوونا نقش مهمی توی داستانای ریک ریوردن دارن و برای مثال ما پرسی جکسون رو هم با سن پایین داشتیم اما باید اشاره کنیم ک اون داستان اسطوره ای و افسانه ای بود و حداقل توی ذهنمون میگنجید اما اینجا ما دوتا بچه عادی رو داریم ن نیمه خدا مثه مگنس ،پرسی، آنابت،الکس و...!
ی چیز بخوام بگم اینه ک شاید این داستان حالا مناسب سنم نبوده باید ده دوازده سالگی میخوندم ک با شخصیتا هم سن و سال بوده باشم و لذت ببرم ازش چون این موردم خودش بی تاثیر نیست🙂
بخوام نقاط قوتش رو بگم اینه ک ریوردن همیشه ماجراجویی رو قاطی جادو و تاریخ میکنه و من از این ب شدتتتتت لذت میبرم چون عاشق تاریخم و وقتی میام میبینم چیزایی ک بلدم توی فلان کتابش اومده ب شدت ذوق میکنم😁😂🌱
این از این حالا یکی دیگه اینکه:
نقطه قوت این داستان شخصیتای نمادین هم بودن میتونم بگم تقریبا تمام شخصیتا سبملیک و دارای نماد بودن اما اینم میتونم بگم اونقد ک باید بهشون پرداخته نشده بود و شما اونارو حس نمیکنین😐👌💔 ولی خب برای مثال امی اخرای داستان از ی دختر خجالتی و کم حرف ک وقتی کسیو میدید دست و پاشو گم میکرد تبدیل شد ب ی دختر شجاع!
ب هرحال نمیگم کتاب خیلی خوبیه ولی خیلی بدم نیس واقعا متوسطه!برای وقت پرکردن و لذت بردن توی تایم کوتاه خوبه و میتونه وقتتون رو پر کنه و جرقه هیجان و ماجراجویی کوچولویی رو درونتون بزنه و روشن کنه!🎆
پ.ن۱: دوس داشتم ۲.۵ بدم ولی گردش کردم ب ۳ دلم نیومد ۲ بهش بدم...
پ.ن۲:نمیدونم دقت کردین یا ن ولی ریوردن اینجام داستان رو از بوستون شروع کرده بود و من برام جالب بود ک اسم این شهر توی داستانای ریوردن هی داره تکرار میشه😶
پ.ن۳:من پی دی اف این کتاب رو از مترجمای ناآشنا و متفاوت خوندم میدونم نشر ویدا چاپش کرده ولی حقیقتش من خودم اگر باشم ۳۳هزار تومن پای این جلد نمیدم جاش ۲۰ تومن دیگه میزارم روش باهاش کتاب بهتری رو میگیرم اینم نصیحت من حالا دیگه خودتون میدونید...!🙂🤚😁
ب هرحال امیدوارم از خوندنش لذت ببرید من ب اندازه ای ک باید بردم شمارو نمیدونم😁
صادقانه بخوام بگم این کتاب چیزی نبود ک از ریک ریوردن انتظارشو داشتم! کتاب سطحی بود و نسبت ب کتابای خفن دیگه ی ریوردن میتونم بگم هیچ بود هیچ!حالا کاری ندارم این کتاب قبل از اونیکیا نوشته شده باشه و حالا ی جورایی دست گرمی بوده باشه کلی میگم دوست داشتم بیشتر ازش لذت ببرم....البته اینم کم تاثیر نیس ک نویسنده هر جلد با جلد بعدی متفاوته و باید این داستان زنجیره ای ادامه پیدا کنه و هر نویسنده قبلی باید داستان رو طوری بنویسه ک نویسنده بعدی بتونه ادامش رو بنویسه.
مشکلی ک اذیتم میکرد این بود ک من توی این جلد نتونستم اصن چیزی رو حدس بزنم ب هیچ وجه!حالا چرا؟!بخاطر اینکه سرنخ هایی ک نوشته میداد خیلی پراکنده و دور از داستان بود کتاب کم حجم بود و اطلاعات کافی از داستان نداشتیم بخاطر همین نمیتونستیم دانسته هارو کنار هم بزاریم و وقایع رو حدس بزنیم!که این مشکل توی کتابای دیگه ی ریک ریوردن مثه مگنس چیس و پرسی جکسون اصن دیده نمیشه شایدم ب این شدت نیس من با ریتم اون کتابا همراه شدم و هرچند خیلی از حدسام غلط بود ولی خیلیاشم درست بود!
ایراد بعدی اینکه بنظرم سن کرکترای اصلی واقعا کم بود و من نمیتونستم با داستان خو بگیرم چرا؟چون باورم نمیشد ک دوتا بچه فسقلی بتونن از امریکا برن پاریس! 😐نوجوونا نقش مهمی توی داستانای ریک ریوردن دارن و برای مثال ما پرسی جکسون رو هم با سن پایین داشتیم اما باید اشاره کنیم ک اون داستان اسطوره ای و افسانه ای بود و حداقل توی ذهنمون میگنجید اما اینجا ما دوتا بچه عادی رو داریم ن نیمه خدا مثه مگنس ،پرسی، آنابت،الکس و...!
ی چیز بخوام بگم اینه ک شاید این داستان حالا مناسب سنم نبوده باید ده دوازده سالگی میخوندم ک با شخصیتا هم سن و سال بوده باشم و لذت ببرم ازش چون این موردم خودش بی تاثیر نیست🙂
بخوام نقاط قوتش رو بگم اینه ک ریوردن همیشه ماجراجویی رو قاطی جادو و تاریخ میکنه و من از این ب شدتتتتت لذت میبرم چون عاشق تاریخم و وقتی میام میبینم چیزایی ک بلدم توی فلان کتابش اومده ب شدت ذوق میکنم😁😂🌱
این از این حالا یکی دیگه اینکه:
نقطه قوت این داستان شخصیتای نمادین هم بودن میتونم بگم تقریبا تمام شخصیتا سبملیک و دارای نماد بودن اما اینم میتونم بگم اونقد ک باید بهشون پرداخته نشده بود و شما اونارو حس نمیکنین😐👌💔 ولی خب برای مثال امی اخرای داستان از ی دختر خجالتی و کم حرف ک وقتی کسیو میدید دست و پاشو گم میکرد تبدیل شد ب ی دختر شجاع!
ب هرحال نمیگم کتاب خیلی خوبیه ولی خیلی بدم نیس واقعا متوسطه!برای وقت پرکردن و لذت بردن توی تایم کوتاه خوبه و میتونه وقتتون رو پر کنه و جرقه هیجان و ماجراجویی کوچولویی رو درونتون بزنه و روشن کنه!🎆
پ.ن۱: دوس داشتم ۲.۵ بدم ولی گردش کردم ب ۳ دلم نیومد ۲ بهش بدم...
پ.ن۲:نمیدونم دقت کردین یا ن ولی ریوردن اینجام داستان رو از بوستون شروع کرده بود و من برام جالب بود ک اسم این شهر توی داستانای ریوردن هی داره تکرار میشه😶
پ.ن۳:من پی دی اف این کتاب رو از مترجمای ناآشنا و متفاوت خوندم میدونم نشر ویدا چاپش کرده ولی حقیقتش من خودم اگر باشم ۳۳هزار تومن پای این جلد نمیدم جاش ۲۰ تومن دیگه میزارم روش باهاش کتاب بهتری رو میگیرم اینم نصیحت من حالا دیگه خودتون میدونید...!🙂🤚😁
ب هرحال امیدوارم از خوندنش لذت ببرید من ب اندازه ای ک باید بردم شمارو نمیدونم😁
May 27, 2021
I'm just glad 7 yro me put this down bc a lot of years later this was still thrilling 😂
Anywayssss really good and fast book! 😌
Anywayssss really good and fast book! 😌
April 26, 2022
বইঃ দ্য মেইজ অফ বোনস
(থার্টি নাইন ক্লুজ সিরিজ)
লেখকঃ রিক রিওরড্যান
অনুবাদকঃ শরীফুল হাসান
বইয়ের ধরণঃ থ্রিলার ও অ্যাডভেঞ্চার
প্রচ্ছদঃ আদনান আহমেদ রিজন
প্রকাশনীঃ সতীর্থ প্রকাশনা
প্রথম প্রকাশঃ জুলাই, ২০১১ (বাতিঘর প্রকাশনী)
মার্চ, ২০২১ (সতীর্থ সংস্করণ)
পৃষ্ঠা সংখ্যাঃ ২৩৬
মুদ্রিত মূল্যঃ ২৯০/-
🔘কাহিনি সংক্ষেপঃ
মৃত্যু যখন সন্নিকটে তখন প্রত্যেকেই জীবন আবারও একবার উপভোগ করতে চাই। অতীতের করা ভুলগুলো শুধরিয়ে নিতে চাই। কিন্তু এইক্ষেত্রে ব্যতিক্রম কাজ করলেন গ্রেস কাহিল। মৃত্যুর পাঁচ মিনিট আগেই উকিল উইলিয়াম ম্যাকান্টায়ারের হুঁশিয়ারির পরও পরিবর্তন করে ফেলেন উইল!
গ্রেস কাহিলের অন্ত্যেষ্টিক্রিয়ায় জানা যায় এক আজব উইলের কথা। উইলে কি আছে তা জানতে পারবে অন্ত্যেষ্টিক্রিয়া আসা হাজার হাজার কাহিলদের মধ্যে থেকে মাত্র চল্লিশজন! আর এই চল্লিশজনকে উদ্দেশ্য করে গ্রেস কাহিল রেখে গেছেন তাঁর অঢেল সম্পত্তি কিন্তু...!!!
উইল মোতাবেক সমস্ত সম্পত্তি সেই পাবে যে গ্রেস কাহিলের রেখে যাওয়া উনচল্লিশটি সূত্রের সমাধান করবে! অর্থাৎ গ্রেস তাদের জন্য রেখে গেছে একটি চ্যালেঞ্জ! যে চ্যালেঞ্জ গ্রহণ করবে না সে পাবে এক মিলিয়ন ডলার আর যে গ্রহণ করবে সে পাবে সূত্র। কিন্তু এই চ্যালেঞ্জে অভিযাত্রীর মৃত্যুও হতে পারে!!! মাত্র সাতটি দল এই দুঃসাহসিক অভিযানের জন্য এগিয়ে আসে। এদের মধ্যে আছে গ্রেস কাহিলের প্রিয় অ্যামি আর ড্যান। নানু যে তাদের এমন ভয়াবহ চ্যালেঞ্জের মুখে ফেলতে পারে তা ছিলো তাদের কল্পনারও বাহিরে।গ্রেসের প্রিয়ভাজন হওয়ার দরুন অন্যদের বিষ নজরে পরে অনাথ অসহায় বাচ্চা দুজন।
উনচল্লিশ সূত্রের সমাধানে সাতটি দল বেড়িয়ে পরে বিশ্বভ্রমণে। নেলি গোমেজকে সাথে নিয়ে অ্যামি আর ড্যান প্যারিসের উদ্দেশ্যই উড়াল দেয়। একদল অন্য দলের জন্য পেতে রেখেছে মৃত্যু ফাঁদ! অ্যামি, ড্যানের মা-বাবার মৃত্যুর সাথে কী উনচল্লিশ সূত্রের সংযোগ আছে? নাকি নিছক দুর্ঘটনা ছিলো? বেঞ্জামিন ফ্রাংকলিনের সাথে সূত্রগুলোর সম্পর্ক কী? কালো কোট পরা লোকটাকে কেন বারবার দেখা যায়? উইলিয়াম ম্যাকান্টায়ার কী লুকাচ্ছেন? ম্যাড্রিগালরা কাহিলদের জন্য হুমকি কেন? মানবসভ্যতা রচনায় কাহিলদের ভূমিকা কী?
ছোট অ্যামি আর ড্যান কী পারবে প্রশ্নগুলার জবাব খুঁজতে, সূত্রের সমাধান করতে...???
🔘পর্যালোচনাঃ
গ্রেস কাহিলের মৃত্যুর পর শুরু হয় কাহিল পরিবারে সম্পত্তি নিয়ে টানাপোড়েন। বাঁধ সাধে মৃত্যুর পূর্বে গ্রেস কাহিলের রেখে যাওয়া উইল। মৃত্যু খেলায় গ্রেস তাদের আমন্ত্রণ করেছে! বিজয়ী হবে পৃথিবীর সর্বাধিক ক্ষমতা ও সম্পদের মালিক! বাকিদের মতো অ্যামি, ড্যানেরও উইল সম্পর্কে কোনো ধারণা নেয়। কিন্তু গ্রেসের প্রিয়পাত্র হওয়ার দরুন তাদের পরতে হয় বাকিদের বিষ নজরে। তাদের জন্য মৃত্যু ফাঁদ পাতা হতে থাকে।
গ্রেস কাহিলের অন্ত্যেষ্টিক্রিয়ায় জানা যায় গত পাঁচশো বছর ধরে মানবসভ্যতার ইতিহাসে সর্বাধিক অবদান রেখেছে কাহিল পরিবার। তাদের মধ্যে অন্যতম বেঞ্জামিন ফ্রাংকলিন। যার বিভিন্ন কাজের মধ্যে লুকায়িত রয়েছে উনচল্লিশটি সূত্র।
কাহিল পরিবার একেট্রিনা, টমাস, জানুস ও লুসিয়ান গ্রুপে বিভক্ত। উইলিয়াম ম্যাকান্টায়ার তাদের হুঁশিয়ার করে দেন কাউকে বিশ্বাস না করার জন্য, ম্যাড্রিগালদের থেকে সাবধান থাকতে।
দুই অনাথ ভাইবোন উনচল্লিশ সূত্রের রহস্য সমাধানে বিশ্বভ্রমণে বেড়িয়ে পরে। মৃত নানুর ইচ্ছে ছিল তারা যেন সূত্রের খোঁজ করে। কিন্তু বিপদ যেন�� পিছুই ছাড়ে না। সেই সাথে বেড়িয়ে আসতে থাকে বহু অজানা রহস্য! কাহিল পরিবারের বহু কালো অধ্যায়!
প্রথমেই বলতে হয় অনুবাদের মান যথেষ্ট ভালো। সুন্দর ও সহজ ভাষায় অনুবাদ করা হয়েছে। কিশোর অ্যাডভেঞ্চার হিসেবে সিরিজটি পাঠকদের ভালো লাগবে আশা করা যায়।
(থার্টি নাইন ক্লুজ সিরিজ)
লেখকঃ রিক রিওরড্যান
অনুবাদকঃ শরীফুল হাসান
বইয়ের ধরণঃ থ্রিলার ও অ্যাডভেঞ্চার
প্রচ্ছদঃ আদনান আহমেদ রিজন
প্রকাশনীঃ সতীর্থ প্রকাশনা
প্রথম প্রকাশঃ জুলাই, ২০১১ (বাতিঘর প্রকাশনী)
মার্চ, ২০২১ (সতীর্থ সংস্করণ)
পৃষ্ঠা সংখ্যাঃ ২৩৬
মুদ্রিত মূল্যঃ ২৯০/-
🔘কাহিনি সংক্ষেপঃ
মৃত্যু যখন সন্নিকটে তখন প্রত্যেকেই জীবন আবারও একবার উপভোগ করতে চাই। অতীতের করা ভুলগুলো শুধরিয়ে নিতে চাই। কিন্তু এইক্ষেত্রে ব্যতিক্রম কাজ করলেন গ্রেস কাহিল। মৃত্যুর পাঁচ মিনিট আগেই উকিল উইলিয়াম ম্যাকান্টায়ারের হুঁশিয়ারির পরও পরিবর্তন করে ফেলেন উইল!
গ্রেস কাহিলের অন্ত্যেষ্টিক্রিয়ায় জানা যায় এক আজব উইলের কথা। উইলে কি আছে তা জানতে পারবে অন্ত্যেষ্টিক্রিয়া আসা হাজার হাজার কাহিলদের মধ্যে থেকে মাত্র চল্লিশজন! আর এই চল্লিশজনকে উদ্দেশ্য করে গ্রেস কাহিল রেখে গেছেন তাঁর অঢেল সম্পত্তি কিন্তু...!!!
উইল মোতাবেক সমস্ত সম্পত্তি সেই পাবে যে গ্রেস কাহিলের রেখে যাওয়া উনচল্লিশটি সূত্রের সমাধান করবে! অর্থাৎ গ্রেস তাদের জন্য রেখে গেছে একটি চ্যালেঞ্জ! যে চ্যালেঞ্জ গ্রহণ করবে না সে পাবে এক মিলিয়ন ডলার আর যে গ্রহণ করবে সে পাবে সূত্র। কিন্তু এই চ্যালেঞ্জে অভিযাত্রীর মৃত্যুও হতে পারে!!! মাত্র সাতটি দল এই দুঃসাহসিক অভিযানের জন্য এগিয়ে আসে। এদের মধ্যে আছে গ্রেস কাহিলের প্রিয় অ্যামি আর ড্যান। নানু যে তাদের এমন ভয়াবহ চ্যালেঞ্জের মুখে ফেলতে পারে তা ছিলো তাদের কল্পনারও বাহিরে।গ্রেসের প্রিয়ভাজন হওয়ার দরুন অন্যদের বিষ নজরে পরে অনাথ অসহায় বাচ্চা দুজন।
উনচল্লিশ সূত্রের সমাধানে সাতটি দল বেড়িয়ে পরে বিশ্বভ্রমণে। নেলি গোমেজকে সাথে নিয়ে অ্যামি আর ড্যান প্যারিসের উদ্দেশ্যই উড়াল দেয়। একদল অন্য দলের জন্য পেতে রেখেছে মৃত্যু ফাঁদ! অ্যামি, ড্যানের মা-বাবার মৃত্যুর সাথে কী উনচল্লিশ সূত্রের সংযোগ আছে? নাকি নিছক দুর্ঘটনা ছিলো? বেঞ্জামিন ফ্রাংকলিনের সাথে সূত্রগুলোর সম্পর্ক কী? কালো কোট পরা লোকটাকে কেন বারবার দেখা যায়? উইলিয়াম ম্যাকান্টায়ার কী লুকাচ্ছেন? ম্যাড্রিগালরা কাহিলদের জন্য হুমকি কেন? মানবসভ্যতা রচনায় কাহিলদের ভূমিকা কী?
ছোট অ্যামি আর ড্যান কী পারবে প্রশ্নগুলার জবাব খুঁজতে, সূত্রের সমাধান করতে...???
🔘পর্যালোচনাঃ
গ্রেস কাহিলের মৃত্যুর পর শুরু হয় কাহিল পরিবারে সম্পত্তি নিয়ে টানাপোড়েন। বাঁধ সাধে মৃত্যুর পূর্বে গ্রেস কাহিলের রেখে যাওয়া উইল। মৃত্যু খেলায় গ্রেস তাদের আমন্ত্রণ করেছে! বিজয়ী হবে পৃথিবীর সর্বাধিক ক্ষমতা ও সম্পদের মালিক! বাকিদের মতো অ্যামি, ড্যানেরও উইল সম্পর্কে কোনো ধারণা নেয়। কিন্তু গ্রেসের প্রিয়পাত্র হওয়ার দরুন তাদের পরতে হয় বাকিদের বিষ নজরে। তাদের জন্য মৃত্যু ফাঁদ পাতা হতে থাকে।
গ্রেস কাহিলের অন্ত্যেষ্টিক্রিয়ায় জানা যায় গত পাঁচশো বছর ধরে মানবসভ্যতার ইতিহাসে সর্বাধিক অবদান রেখেছে কাহিল পরিবার। তাদের মধ্যে অন্যতম বেঞ্জামিন ফ্রাংকলিন। যার বিভিন্ন কাজের মধ্যে লুকায়িত রয়েছে উনচল্লিশটি সূত্র।
কাহিল পরিবার একেট্রিনা, টমাস, জানুস ও লুসিয়ান গ্রুপে বিভক্ত। উইলিয়াম ম্যাকান্টায়ার তাদের হুঁশিয়ার করে দেন কাউকে বিশ্বাস না করার জন্য, ম্যাড্রিগালদের থেকে সাবধান থাকতে।
দুই অনাথ ভাইবোন উনচল্লিশ সূত্রের রহস্য সমাধানে বিশ্বভ্রমণে বেড়িয়ে পরে। মৃত নানুর ইচ্ছে ছিল তারা যেন সূত্রের খোঁজ করে। কিন্তু বিপদ যেন�� পিছুই ছাড়ে না। সেই সাথে বেড়িয়ে আসতে থাকে বহু অজানা রহস্য! কাহিল পরিবারের বহু কালো অধ্যায়!
প্রথমেই বলতে হয় অনুবাদের মান যথেষ্ট ভালো। সুন্দর ও সহজ ভাষায় অনুবাদ করা হয়েছে। কিশোর অ্যাডভেঞ্চার হিসেবে সিরিজটি পাঠকদের ভালো লাগবে আশা করা যায়।
August 14, 2022
What do you do when its too hot to do anything - well in my case its find a cool corner and read a book. This is part of a bundle of books passed to me for donation - something that happens to me surprisingly a lot. Before I pass them I thought I would give the book a go and I have to say it grew on me.
yes it is aimed a different age group so I have to keep that in mind but the action was fast and didn't feel too sanitized either which I guess some of these books can suffer from (and I mean it complexity of story, language and settings rather than blood and danger).
The story itself has elements of many (if not all great) mystery adventure stories - however rather than feeling like a re-hash of the same stories it rapidly grew its own identity and considering who wrote this volume (I believe there are multiple authors in the series) it does not surprise me.
For a random read I have to say it was jolly good fun
yes it is aimed a different age group so I have to keep that in mind but the action was fast and didn't feel too sanitized either which I guess some of these books can suffer from (and I mean it complexity of story, language and settings rather than blood and danger).
The story itself has elements of many (if not all great) mystery adventure stories - however rather than feeling like a re-hash of the same stories it rapidly grew its own identity and considering who wrote this volume (I believe there are multiple authors in the series) it does not surprise me.
For a random read I have to say it was jolly good fun
October 24, 2019
3.5 stars!
There might be spoilers
A thrilling treasure hunt! I enjoyed this book a lot. It was fast paced, with good characters and intriguing plotline. But I guess this was not what I was expecting (hence the rating). To be clear, I enjoyed every moment in the book but that's it. After finishing it the feeling didn't last long. And maybe I'd thought they'd get some sort of treasure in the end or there would an actual maze to explore (that's the reason I started reading it in first place).
Anyway, it was only a set up for the upcoming books and it holds a lot of potential. There are so many secrets to unravel along with a world tour and scavenger hunt. I'm definitely sticking with the series.
Recommended for middle grade reading.
There might be spoilers
A thrilling treasure hunt! I enjoyed this book a lot. It was fast paced, with good characters and intriguing plotline. But I guess this was not what I was expecting (hence the rating). To be clear, I enjoyed every moment in the book but that's it. After finishing it the feeling didn't last long. And maybe I'd thought they'd get some sort of treasure in the end or there would an actual maze to explore (that's the reason I started reading it in first place).
Anyway, it was only a set up for the upcoming books and it holds a lot of potential. There are so many secrets to unravel along with a world tour and scavenger hunt. I'm definitely sticking with the series.
Recommended for middle grade reading.
February 13, 2023
I decided that I really need to know how this series finished, who cares that I'm almost 25 years old.
I was a kid when these series first came out and, while I red first 6-7 books, I was too impatient to read them all, I decided to wait until they all came out. Then I got busy reading other books. But lately, it has been on my mind and I realized I simply have to know how it finishes. Do we find out what lies on the other end of the 39 clues?
This is such and interesting and fun series, I would like to know how the authors came up with it. Plus, I love to learn about history this way, from books when it doesn't feel like learning. I am aware that some of the facts about these historic figures were made up, like the fact that they all belong to the same family. but it is simply more fun this way.
I love Amy and Dan. They're not perfect, but they have each other's back and complete one another in this hunt. It is kind of funny that all the other contestants seem to be familiar about the hunt and the clues for centuries, but still feel so threatened by these children who are so much more resourceful than them.
I love that Dan is still an immature 12 year old (so many of these novels make the children behave in much more adult ways than their ages suggest). I cannot wait to see Amy grow and become more confident and self-aware.
On to the next book, ahoy!
I was a kid when these series first came out and, while I red first 6-7 books, I was too impatient to read them all, I decided to wait until they all came out. Then I got busy reading other books. But lately, it has been on my mind and I realized I simply have to know how it finishes. Do we find out what lies on the other end of the 39 clues?
This is such and interesting and fun series, I would like to know how the authors came up with it. Plus, I love to learn about history this way, from books when it doesn't feel like learning. I am aware that some of the facts about these historic figures were made up, like the fact that they all belong to the same family. but it is simply more fun this way.
I love Amy and Dan. They're not perfect, but they have each other's back and complete one another in this hunt. It is kind of funny that all the other contestants seem to be familiar about the hunt and the clues for centuries, but still feel so threatened by these children who are so much more resourceful than them.
I love that Dan is still an immature 12 year old (so many of these novels make the children behave in much more adult ways than their ages suggest). I cannot wait to see Amy grow and become more confident and self-aware.
On to the next book, ahoy!
January 7, 2016
Grace Cahill has left behind her will and she has given those on the list a choice to take one million dollars or to be given a clue. That clue is one of 39 keys to unlocking the Cahills' greatest secret. Her grandson and granddaughter Dan and Amy are surprised their grandma gave them no warning given how close they were to her. Pitted against distant relatives, the siblings embark on the clue hunt which proves to be dangerous as they are seen as the prime contenders to solving the whole mystery and their relatives will do anything to be the ones at the very end.
The book was fast paced and exciting from the start. The characters were quirky and fun. Even the 'baddies' were kind of likeable even though they did some pretty crazy things to harm Dan and Amy. The whole plot line felt far-fetched but reading the book felt like watching a cartoon. There was never a lull in the story. I also learnt a few things about Benjamin Franklin and his fascinating achievements. It was a history lesson delivered in an interesting way. Mr Riordan masterfully intertwined history with fiction here just like he did with mythology and fiction for Percy Jackson. The next book is passed on to a different author and I'm looking forward to what they have in store for Dan and Amy!
The book was fast paced and exciting from the start. The characters were quirky and fun. Even the 'baddies' were kind of likeable even though they did some pretty crazy things to harm Dan and Amy. The whole plot line felt far-fetched but reading the book felt like watching a cartoon. There was never a lull in the story. I also learnt a few things about Benjamin Franklin and his fascinating achievements. It was a history lesson delivered in an interesting way. Mr Riordan masterfully intertwined history with fiction here just like he did with mythology and fiction for Percy Jackson. The next book is passed on to a different author and I'm looking forward to what they have in store for Dan and Amy!
July 26, 2008
Well, I've read MOST of it. The ARC is missing the ending. Scholastic did that on purpose because it is all part of the game, the cards, etc.
What I read was fun, but not amazing. It appears to be an Amazing Race sort of book --- a bunch of different groups all chasing around the world for clues that will solve a big mystery. This first one sets things up. Two kids (younger boy is a gaming/computer guy while the older sister is a shy bookworm) and their au pair (just happens to know the right languages and is easily convinced to do this whole thing, dangerous as it clearly is). Then there are all the other competitors --- nasty families, nasty siblings, nasty single uncles and cousins, and an annoying celebrity from all over the place. The book is about the two main characters looking for the first clue. It is fun, quick, undemanding reading. Rick Riordan evidently has designed the whole series and wrote this book. The rest will be written by others (the next by Gordon Korman). It will be interesting to see the ending of this one and how the series plays out with the different writers involved.
What I read was fun, but not amazing. It appears to be an Amazing Race sort of book --- a bunch of different groups all chasing around the world for clues that will solve a big mystery. This first one sets things up. Two kids (younger boy is a gaming/computer guy while the older sister is a shy bookworm) and their au pair (just happens to know the right languages and is easily convinced to do this whole thing, dangerous as it clearly is). Then there are all the other competitors --- nasty families, nasty siblings, nasty single uncles and cousins, and an annoying celebrity from all over the place. The book is about the two main characters looking for the first clue. It is fun, quick, undemanding reading. Rick Riordan evidently has designed the whole series and wrote this book. The rest will be written by others (the next by Gordon Korman). It will be interesting to see the ending of this one and how the series plays out with the different writers involved.
December 8, 2020
DECEMBER 2020 RE-READ REVIEW:
This one gets more immature each time. I appreciate that I'm no longer the target audience, and accept I'm too old for it now, but I do really love the action and fast-moving pace of it. I like the multi-POV and the narrator's accents, and I like Amy's social awkwardness and anxiety.
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Read this one a few times now, and still enjoy it every time :) I've just never gotten around to finishing the series, and I hope to this time. Sometimes I find it quite childish, like with the Holts, but I love the whole mystery aspect, and the suspense with the other teams and the danger and it's all so exciting!
This one gets more immature each time. I appreciate that I'm no longer the target audience, and accept I'm too old for it now, but I do really love the action and fast-moving pace of it. I like the multi-POV and the narrator's accents, and I like Amy's social awkwardness and anxiety.
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Read this one a few times now, and still enjoy it every time :) I've just never gotten around to finishing the series, and I hope to this time. Sometimes I find it quite childish, like with the Holts, but I love the whole mystery aspect, and the suspense with the other teams and the danger and it's all so exciting!
July 8, 2015
Pues para ser el primer libro de una serie de 11 no está taaaan mal. Aunque creo que se hace un poco lento porque sabes que la historia no va a avanzar mucho, precisamente porque la serie es taaaan larga. Pero no estoy diciendo que la premisa no sea interesante, es decir, ¿que un libro empiece con la muerte de una persona, la lectura de su testamento y una decisión entre un millón de dólares o la posibilidad de participar en una carrera que puede resultar mortal para buscar un tesoro gigante? Eso a mí me parece muy cool.
Eso sí, leer este libro es como estar leyendo una versión súper light de Endgame combinada con las películas de La Leyenda del Tesoro Perdido de Nicholas Cage, jajajaja.
Eso sí, leer este libro es como estar leyendo una versión súper light de Endgame combinada con las películas de La Leyenda del Tesoro Perdido de Nicholas Cage, jajajaja.
October 22, 2016
Wow, I have been wanting to read this book since fifth grade, but I just never got to it. I always was reading 'I survived' back then.
The book starts of boring then gets better and better. It is about two kids and when they go to there grandma's funeral. They get invited to a 'scavenger hunt' to be the most powerful cahill ever. Benjamin Franklin was a cahill, and the two kids have to go around finding his clues to the thirty-nine clues. It is actually a very good story, authors take turns writing the book too. I highly recommend this.
The book starts of boring then gets better and better. It is about two kids and when they go to there grandma's funeral. They get invited to a 'scavenger hunt' to be the most powerful cahill ever. Benjamin Franklin was a cahill, and the two kids have to go around finding his clues to the thirty-nine clues. It is actually a very good story, authors take turns writing the book too. I highly recommend this.
April 3, 2018
After starting this one way back in on Christmas, my 8-year-old and I finally finished this one up! This was a really great book to read out loud. The story was entertaining for both of us, and we're ready to move a little faster in the series now.
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