The 39 Clues

Cahills vs Vespers Book 6: Day of Doom by David Baldacci

April 28, 2014 by Daniel Johnston Leave a Comment

Here it is. The end. One way or another.

Amy and Dan have been fighting against the evil Vespers for some time, but it wasn’t until the end of the last book that they realized the truth: Vesper One is trying to create a doomsday device to destroy the world.

For those of you who don’t know, Cahills vs Vespers is the second arc in the exciting series The 39 Clues. In the first arc Amy and Dan learn they are members of the most powerful family in human history. They embark on a quest around the world, fighting their vicious relatives to be the first to discover the secret of their families’ power.

In Cahills vs Vespers, Amy and Dan and the rest of the group face off against a rival family named the Vespers who want to rule the world for themselves (or destroy it).

Click here to learn more about The 39 Clues

Day of Doom is the last book of the series. All the secrets are revealed, all questions are answered, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Summary

At the end of the previous book Atticus discovers the Vespers master plan: To recreate a doomsday device designed by Archimedes. The ingredients necessary to activate the device were given by Dan and Amy to Vespers as ransom to keep the hostages alive.

Now the Vespers have all of pieces and are about to activate it. Already there are natural disasters happening all over the place.

Dan freaked out at the end of the last book and took the serum he had been assembling. However, Amy realized what he was trying to do and switched the serum with a harmless concoction.

Amy also became very upset and ran out of the room when she learned of the Vespers true intentions. How could she have been stupid to trade the lives of the hostages for the whole world?

The Cahill team have been doing some digging and learn that Isabel was not Vesper One, as they had thought, but Vesper Two. They also have ascertained that she is heading to Washington D.C.

They also try to chase after Isabel, but fall into her trap. Luckily, they are able to escape, but Isabel gets her hands on the serum. Dan also learns that Isabel has been posing as his dad and sending him messages.

The hostages (now including Evan, Ian, Jonah, and Hamilton) are being transported to the Rocky Mountains, but manage to escape and meet up with Amy and Dan. They arrive at the doomsday device at the same time as the Vespers, in time for a colossal fight.

Here is the moment that matters. The moment that the Cahills will trimuph over the Vespers once and for all or the world will be destroyed forever. Who is Vesper One? Will he destroy the world? How many will die? Will an old enemy end up saving the world?

Review

After enjoying this book, I was surprised to learn that it has received absolutely terrible reviews on Amazon. The current star rating is only 3.2/5, by far the lowest of any book in The 39 Clues series.

Although I understand the criticism, I have to disagree. I thought this book wrapped up everything very nicely. It did do everything quite rushed, but there was no way around it because of all the events that took place in the book.

Some people complained about the characters being very different than in the other books. I didn’t notice this, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. However, I felt the characters were fine.

The action at the end is very exciting. It is not dealt with as delicately as we would all like, but what do you want when an evil maniac is about to activate a doomsday machine? I was glued to my seat reading about who would triumph.

Probably the worst thing this series does in wrapping up compared to the first one is that it gives absolutely no lead in to the next one. I was kind of looking forward to this being the last 39 clues book, and then at the back it said there is a new series.

I was like, “Really, come on.” However, I’ve been reading the series since it’s start all the way back in September of 2008, so this book came out about four and a half years later. That’s a long time to be reading a series.

As far as this series, though, I think this is a good wrap up. Is it as good as Into the Gauntlet? No, the emotional connection Margaret Peterson Haddix was able to make in that book was truly special. For everyone who has been involved in the fight against the Vespers, however, it is an exciting book that ties the series up in spectacular fashion.

Get Day of Doom by David Baldacci

Cahills vs Vespers Book 5: Trust No One by Linda Sue Park Review

April 21, 2014 by Daniel Johnston 1 Comment

In Trust No One by Linda Sue Park, we reach the fifth book of the explosive Cahills vs Vespers series. There are only six books, so.the action is coming to a head. Whereas in previous books Amy and Dan were willing to sit by and wait, things are heating up now as the Vespers are getting closer to their goal.

For those who don’t know, The 39 Clues is a multi-author series in which two orphans, Amy (14) and Dan (11) Cahill discover that they are members of the most powerful family in human history. The source of their families power is scattered throughout the world in the form of 39 special clues.

Unfortunately, Amy and Dan aren’t the only ones after the clues. Their vicious relatives are willing to do anything to get the clues first; even kill.

The first ten books of the series were about Amy and Dan fighting to try and find the clues. The second series, Cahills vs Vespers is about Amy, Dan, and the rest of the Cahills facing off against an evil rival family named the Vespers who want the clues for themselves.

Click here to learn more about The 39 Clues

Summary

At the end of the last book, Vesper 1 informed Amy and Dan that they’d need to steal the Voynich Manuscript. Unfortunately, there is another problem going on as the Cahills have realized they have a Vesper mole in their midst.

Although at first they thought it was Ian Kabra (especially after he disappeared), Amy’s boyfriend Evan discovers that Sinead Starling was actually the one who sold out to the Vespers. She attacks Amy and tries to kill her, but Amy is able to subdue her.

This is a huge shock for Amy because Sinead was an integral member of their team and had even become Amy’s best friend. Sinead admits she did it because the Vespers promised her that they would develop a cure for her brothers ailments if she helped them.

Ian also lets Amy and Dan know about what he’s been to. He traveled to Africa to research his mothers charity, which he learned is just a bogus fake. They are well aware by now of the fact that Isabel is an active Vesper (possibly even Vesper 1).

Meanwhile, Atticus and Jake are continuing to develop as characters. Atticus remembers some of the stuff his mom told him (including about the Voynich), and they keep running into people who do them favors because them remember Astrid. He also knows he’s a guardian, although he’s not exactly sure yet what that means.

They are able to track down the Voynich from Yale to a Dr. Siffright who worked with Astrid. Although Amy and Dan are able to retrieve the manuscript, they keep getting attacked. It doesn’t take long for them to realize Isabel is the one behind it.

With all of the pieces in place for whatever the Vespers are doing, things are about to get bad. Amy and Dan begin to realize what the Vespers may really be planning, and that by trying to save their relatives, they may have destroyed the whole world. Will the Vespers take Amy’s ring? Will Dan take the serum in order to stop the Vespers? Is it too late, or can Amy and Dan still save the world?

Review

This is an excellent book. Even though Park isn’t an action writer, you wouldn’t know it by reading this book. She leaves us in complete suspense the whole way through.

While Park’s earlier contribution to the series was kind of in her own style, it appears she has gotten more in touch with the series now and this book is written very well, much like the rest of the books.

We learn a ton of mysteries in this book, which only make us want to ask more. This is the best part of The 39 Clues, and this book does it masterfully. You won’t be able to wait to read book six after this!

If you haven’t read The 39 Clues yet, I’d recommend starting with the first book of the current series. If you have, Trust No One is a definite slam dunk.

The 39 Clues: Shatterproof by Roland Smith

April 14, 2014 by Daniel Johnston 2 Comments

I was a little worried when I first saw that Roland Smith was to be the author of Shatterproof, book 4 in The 39 Clues: Cahills vs Vespers series.

For those of you who don’t know, The 39 Clues is a multi-author series in which two kids, Amy (14) and Dan (11), learn they are members of the most powerful family in human history. The source of their families power is scattered throughout the world in the form of 39 special clues. If they fall into the wrong hands, the price could be the world itself.

After fighting against their vicious relatives for the clues in the first series, in Cahills vs Vespers Amy and Dan face off against the Vespers, a rival family that wants to steal the clues, and also Amy’s mysterious ring she got from her grandmother. The Vespers have kidnapped many Cahills, and are holding them to force Amy and Dan to do their bidding.

Click here to learn more about The 39 Clues

I was worried when I got Shatterproof because I tried to read Peak by Roland Smith, but I just couldn’t. Smith didn’t seem like too good of an author. I’m glad this book was a pleasant surprise.

Summary

Amy and Dan have now fully teamed up with Atticus and Jake and are traveling to Germany. Vesper 1 tells them they need to steal a jewel, and sends fake police officers to put a fake diamond into Amy’s bag. Vesper 1 tells them they need to switch this with the one at the Pergamon museum.

Meanwhile a team of Erasmus, Jonah, and Hamilton are tracking the movements of Luna Amato, Vesper 5. In the last book the Cahills learned that McIntryre was murdered, and Erasmus believes Amato might have answers. Although they are able to kill Amato, the Cahills suffer yet another tragic death.

Things are also still getting harder for Amy and Dan because Interpol is on them, especially one Milos Vanek. They are able to sneak into the museum and switch the diamonds, but not without being spotted. They are able to get away, but Amy loses the valuable ring she has been told to protect. Luckily, Vanek is able to give it to her in exchange for information about Amato, who also works for Interpol.

Of course, Vesper 1 isn’t about to let Amy and Dan off that easy. He wants them to find the “apology for my great transgression,” and doesn’t give them a whole lot of time to do it. Despite the stress, the book continues developing the idea of a romance between Jake and Amy, and Amy even ends up kissing him. This is despite the fact that Evan is already Amy’s boyfriend.

Amy, Dan, Atticus, and Jake are hot on the heels of finding the Apology, but two old friends named Casper and Cheyenne seem to be getting in their way. Meanwhile, the hostages are planning an escape plan. But things aren’t looking too good for young Phoenix Wizard. Will another hostage die?

Review

Although I wasn’t expecting this book to be super good, it actually was. It was very well written in the same style that we have gotten accustomed to throughout the series of The 39 Clues. It continues to develop the new characters of Atticus and Jake, and keeps the story exciting; not an easy thing to do towards the end of the second arc of a series.

I don’t really think all this romance stuff has a place in The 39 Clues, but a lot of people apparently like it judging by the incessant talk about it on message boards.

I do think there is getting to be a little too much action in the books with some many deaths close together. It used to really mean something when a character died earlier in the series, but now it’s almost routine.

I’m really impressed with the Cahills vs Vespers series and this is a great book to keep it moving. It definitely pushes you forward and keeps you guessing on the most fundamental questions of all: What do the Vespers want? Will Amy and Dan be able to stop them? Who is Vesper 1?

I’d recommend this book for sure. If you haven’t already read the earlier books in the Cahills vs Vespers saga, however, I’d recommend starting with the first book. Otherwise, dive right in! This book is a winner.

Get Cahills vs Vespers Book 4: Shatterproof by Roland Smith

The 39 Clues: The Dead of Night by Peter Lerangis Review

April 7, 2014 by Daniel Johnston Leave a Comment

Note: This post was originally written in March, 2012.

Recently, Scholastic released the newest book in the explosive The 39 Clues action series, The Dead of Night by Peter Lerangis. This has long been one of my all-time favorite kids series, and I usually finish the book the very day it comes out.

For those who don’t know, The 39 Clues is a series about two kids, Amy (14) and Dan (11) Cahill, who realize they’re part of the most powerful family in the world, the Cahill clan, at their Grandmother Grace’s funeral.

The source of the family’s power is hidden in the form of 39 special clues, which will make whoever finds them the most powerful family in human history. Of course, Amy and Dan aren’t the only ones who want the clues. Their vicious relatives will do anything to find them first.

Click here to find out more about The 39 Clues

Summary

At the end of the last book, Dan got a text from his father (Arthur Trent), who was long presumed to be dead in the fire that destroyed their old home. Dan doesn’t know what to make of it, but he’s worried his dad may be working for the Vespers (or even be Vesper 1).

Atticus Rosenbloom (Dan’s best friend) was kidnapped by the Vespers). Not only is he a super genius, but his mother (now deceased) was a Guardian, a group that has worked with the Madrigal’s to guard secrets for years, although Atticus (11) doesn’t know what it is he’s guarding.

The Vespers are ruled by a Council of Six, headed by Vesper One (whose identity is currently a secret). In each book he sends them on a task, and threatens to kill one of the hostages if they’re late. Because they withheld information from Vesper One, Atticus was kidnapped.

They want information from Atticus, but he doesn’t have it. He only just found out he’s a Guardian in the last few days, but if he doesn’t do something, they’re going to kill him. Will Atticus’s cunning allow Amy and Dan to save him?

This time they travel to Samarkand, Uzbekistan (the oldest city in Central Asia) in search of “stale orbs” at the prodding of Vesper One, bringing Atticus and Jake along to ensure nothing happens to him again.

Amy and Dan are in search of the planetary work of Ulugh Beg meaning “Great Ruler” (his real name was Mīrzā Mohammad Tāraghay bin Shāhrokh), a revolutionary mathematician and astronomer, who had a huge observatory and plotted the course’s of stars and planets extremely precisely.

In addition, just as Lerangis played up the romance between Amy and Ian in Book Three (many avid readers are still on “Team Amian”), he hints at Amy liking Jake-already spurring “Team Jamy.” To compound things, Amy already has a boyfriend, Evan Tolliver, who is working with the Cahills because of his technological knowledge.

Vesper Five is also revealed as Interpol continues their attempts to catch Amy and Dan. Ian goes off the map, in search of a connection between the Vespers and the Lucian’s.

Meanwhile, the hostages try to escape. It was all Phoenix Wizard’s idea, but it backfires heavily.

On the good side, Amy and Dan request a picture, and a reptile crawls in while it’s being taken. Nellie gets a crazy idea that gives the Cahills an idea to where the hostages are being held. And it points straight to where they have tracked Ian.

Amy and Dan learn that McIntyre (their Grandmother’s lawyer and top Madrigal agent) died, and more texts from the man identifying himself as Arthur Trent come in. What is the connection between Amy and Dam’s father and McIntyre perishing? And what is the real identity of the mysterious texter?

Review

I wasn’t actually expecting this book to be too good, but it exceeded my expectations. I thought The Sword Thief was the weakest and worst written of all the books in the series, and I didn’t like The Vipers Nest much either. This book, however, was great.

As usual in the series, this book paints a good historical picture, sprinkling in all sorts of historical details. It’s 190 pages with small pages and average text, so it’s not a long read, meant for ages 8-14.

In this book, the action scenes were pulled off spectacularly, and by no means was the writing too relaxed (the main problem in earlier books by Lerangis). He also managed to retain funny moments, as well. This is definitely more reminiscent of the previous series, and might be the best book in the Cahills vs. Vespers so far.

If you haven’t read the previous books yet, I’d recommend starting with the first book in the Cahills vs Vespers series. If you have, this book is a great addition to the series.

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Cahills vs Vespers Book 2: A King’s Ransom by Jude Watson

March 31, 2014 by Daniel Johnston Leave a Comment

After a great start to Cahills vs Vespers series, I was super excited to read A King’s Ransom by Jude Watson. This book reveals a lot more about the Vespers, and gives us an interesting historical trip through the world.

For those of you who don’t know, The 39 Clues is a multi-author series in which Amy (14) and Dan (11) Cahill learn that they are members of the most powerful family in human history.

The source of their families power is hidden throughout the world, and Amy and Dan need to find it first to make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

The first arc of The 39 Clues deals with the clue hunt and Amy and Dan fighting off against their vicious relatives (who want the clues first), and learning more about themselves and their family branch.

The second series, Cahills vs Vespers, is about a rival family named the Vespers who want the clues for themselves, along with a mysterious ring that Amy was given by her grandmother Grace. It also takes place two years later so all the characters are older.

Learn more about The 39 Clues

In the first book, most of the Cahill family was kidnapped by the Vespers, and Amy and Dan are now forced to do Vesper One’s bidding or else he’ll kill the hostages.

Summary

Amy and Dan learn from Vesper One that they have to retrieve something for him in Lucerne, Switzerland. They don’t like it, but it’s not like they have much of a choice with their loved ones in danger.

Unfortunately, Interpol (the international police) is after Dan and Amy for stealing the “Medusa” from the Uffizi museum, and they are constantly having to dodge them.

Vesper 6 lets Amy and Dan know that they need to get their hands on the de Virga map. They don’t have a lot to go on, but they sneak into an auction house to try and find it. They have to flee, but come up with some leads.

Meanwhile, Dan is trying to construct the clues so he can take the serum if necessary. He knows that the Vespers are a huge threat and that even though the serum will completely mess him up, it may be worth it to prevent them from destroying the world.

Amy and Dan realize that they have to locate a book in the Czech Republic, but unfortunately they are unable to get it without a reference. Fortunately, Amy and Dan happen to run into Jake and Atticus Rosenbloom. Their dad is a famous professor, and Atticus is a genius even though he’s only 11 years old.

With Atticus and Jake’s help it looks more and more likely that they will find the map, but time is running out. Will they find the map in time, or will the hostages die? Or will another close confidant of Amy and Dan be murdered? And could Arthur Trent really be still alive?

Review

A King’s Ransom is a very good book and really completes the transition into the new series. We meet Atticus and Jake, who end up being crucial characters for the rest of the series.

Although there is a serious death in this book, it ends with suspense and Amy and Dan not even knowing. I definitely think it could’ve been done better so that we could have gone through some of those emotions.

Amy and Dan are more on their own than ever and they have to face that cruel reality in this book. It gives me some comfort to see how they move from the old and familiar and adapt to new circumstances with new people.

Overall, this book is very good. It’s not an earth-shattering book or one of my favorites in the series, but it moves the story along with lots of action. If you haven’t read the first book in Cahills vs Vespers series yet, I’d read that. If you have, this book is a must.

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The 39 Clues Cahills vs Vespers Book 1: The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman Review

March 24, 2014 by Daniel Johnston 1 Comment

When I first heard that The 39 Clues series was doing a reboot, I was pretty excited. After all, The 39 Clues is one of my all-time favorite series with some of my favorite authors and favorite characters.

For those of you who don’t know, The 39 Clues is a multi-author series which features two kids named Amy (14) and Dan (11). In the first series, they realize they are members of the most powerful family in the world. The source of their families power is hidden throughout the world in the form of thirty-nine special clues. The person to find all of them will be the most powerful person ever.

Of course, Amy and Dan aren’t the only ones looking for the clues. In an intense race all across the globe, Amy and Dan face up against ex-KGB agents and ruthless killers. When that was done, they thought they could relax…

Not quite.

Unfortunately there is another family known as the Vespers who also want the clues. And they’re smart; really smart. Amy and Dan are going to have to be at the top of their game if they’re going to outsmart the Vespers.

Click here to learn more about The 39 Clues.

Summary

Luckily, The Medusa Plot is written by my favorite kids author, Gordon Korman, so you know it’s going to be good. Unfortunately, a lot of Cahill’s are kidnapped by the Vespers, and Amy and Dan have to act fast to try to keep them alive.

The Vespers are run by a Council of Six. The highest up on the council is Vesper One, supposedly the evilest dude on the face of the earth. He gets in contact with Amy and Dan and texts them what they need to do to satisfy him.

A weird part of the book is that Amy and Dan are now two years older, and Amy is dating a boy named Evan. I don’t really like this at all, although the romance factor is certainly popular among a number of readers.

Vesper One sends Amy and Dan on a chase to Florence where they have to steal Caravaggio’s “Medusa” from the Uffizi museum. This isn’t an easy task at all because the museum is very heavily guarded with tons of high tech security.

Amy and Dan are not alone, however. The Vespers only captured seven Cahill’s, so Amy and Dan still have plenty of help, including Jonah, Hamilton, McIntyre, and even Ian Kabra. Even though Evan isn’t a Cahill (at least not that we know of), he is devoted to Amy and agrees to help out.

Even though Amy and Dan perform heroically in trying to steal the Caravaggio from the museum, it is not enough for Vesper One. Nellie gets shot, with a clear threat of death. Will Amy and Dan let the hostages die? Or will they make an even bigger mistake by being Vesper One’s perfect pawns?

Review

This is a really good introduction to the new series. I think this series is a good followup to the original (although nothing can match it) and will be very captivating for many kids.

The Vespers are a good addition to the series because, similar to the clue hunt, we are left scrambling to try to discover who the different Vespers might be. It keeps the mystery of the series going and leaves Amy and Dan having to fight a new and realistic villain.

As I said earlier, I don’t really think the romance with Evan is a good idea because later in the series it turns into a battle between Evan and another guy. Although a lot of clue hunters liked that, it is becomes somewhat reminiscent of the “modern” young adult books that I hate. I think a lot of girls like the romance, but a lot of boys will probably be turned off by it.

Even so, this is a really solid book. I expected so with Gordon Korman’s name on the cover, and he doesn’t disappoint. Amy and Dan go through a bunch of crazy adventures in this book and we even learn more about their characters. So yeah, it’s really good. This is a good place to start The 39 Clues series if you don’t want to go all the way back to the first book. Kids around seven to thirteen will love this book.

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