The 39 Clues: Book 1 The Maze of Bones- Rick Riordan

OK, I've had the link to the website posted since the earliest days of this blog waaaaay back in the late summer of 2008, so I guess it's finally time I tackled the multi-platform, epic in the making, Internet tie ins galore, collectible trading cards included Juggernaut that is The 39 Clues.

Volume I (Apparently each volume will be written by a different author), Th Maze of Bones, was written by Rick Riordan whose work on the "Percy and the Olympians" series (The Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters, etc...) I admire, so I decided to crack it open in search of the answer to that all-important question, "But is the book any good?"

The answer? A surprising yes. You all know how I feel about most series, and this one seemed more soulless and prepackaged than most, but by the end of The Maze of Bones, I had decided to read further, something I certainly can't say for all Volume I s I encounter.

Well, it starts out with the line "Five minutes before she died, Grace Cahill changed her will." OK, I'm in. Death, last minute will alterations, world-wide ramifications, those are definitely ingredients that can be baked in to a compelling yarn.

The afore-mentioned Ms. Cahill is changing her will to offer a Westing Game style scavenger hunt to her considerable number of heirs. The main two are Amy and Dan Cahill, and they also seem to be the only ones actually named Cahill. At the reading of the will Amy, Dan an many other heirs (of all ages, genders, and nationalities) are informed that they may either accept one million dollars, or participate in a hunt for 39 clues around the world. The team that finds the final clues will become the most powerful and influential Cahill ever.

Apparently all famous figures throughout history were Cahills of one sort or another: Thomas Jefferson, Pablo Picasso, Mozart, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Napoleon, etc... To further complicate matters, the Cahills have been split into four feuding and competing factions- The Janus, Ekaterinas, Tomas, and Lucian. All of the current heirs competing for the clues are from these different divisions. The branches of Grace Cahill as well as Amy and Dan are not mentioned in the first volume.

Once Amy and Dan agree to accept the challenge (Of course they've been orphaned as small children, so they are being raised by a dowdy and overbearing aunt.) they are immediately plunged into life-threatening danger. Without revealing too much, they barely escape the reading of the will with their lives, and are soon on their way to Paris on the trail of Benjamin Franklin, who was apparently a member of the Lucian branch.

Intrigue, explosions, codes, hidden messages, catacombs, double crosses, triple crosses, and and other high adventure follows shortly thereafter. Dan and Amy have to use their wits (Amy is very bookish while Dan provides a keen number sense and a head for codes and patterns) to stay in front of their murderous competitors, both their own distant relatives, and some other shadowy figures whose presences are never fully explained in The Maze of Bones.

Overall, the tension and excitement are maintained throughout. Since this is a preconceived series, Volume I wrapped up in a relatively tidy fashion. Volume II sees Dan, Amy, and the rest of the Cahills on the way to Vienna in search of a clue concerning Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.


After finishing the book, the first thing I did was head to 39Clues.com in order to register myself. After picking a username (SirReadsalot of course), I was prompted with a series of questions in order to determine what family branch I would be. I wasn't sure why I would need to do this, but I certainly did not want to deny myself even the tiniest bit of the 39 Clues experience.

After answering a series of questions as truthfully as possible ("Remember, we can TELL if you are lying" I was warned at one point), I was the presented with the following message:

Excellent!

You’ve been identified as a member of the Ekaterina branch. We’re sure it’s a relief to understand why you’re so much smarter than everyone you know. You’re related to the most brilliant scientists and inventors in history – Albert Einstein, for instance. The other branches don’t stand a chance!

OK, so I'm an "Ekaterina," whatever that means. I wonder if that is a good thing? Moving on...

It remains to be seen whether or not the website and trading cards will either add to, or take away from the reading experience, but I'll let you all know after I take in Volume II: One False Note, by Gordon Korman.

The Sisters Grimm- Michael Buckley

The Sisters Grimm, by Michael Buckley, is a relatively pleasant addition to the genre sometimes known as "fractured fairytales," i.e. conventional themes and characters from world folklore updated and adapted for new settings, contemporary environments, or additional adventures.

In this case we have the sisters of the title, Sabrina and Daphne, who are the great great grandchildren of the legendary Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. In the story, the Brothers Grimm were not just compilers of the stories they grew up recording, but recorders of actual events in Europe and the rest of the world.

Once contact between the characters of the stories (Prince Charming, the three little pigs, Jack-he of "and the beanstalk" fame-, the Queen of Hearts, Beauty and the Beast, Shere Khan from The Jungle Book, Mama Bear, Puck, among many, many others...) became too frequent, they moved to the then unsettled by Europeans continent of North America. There, a spell was cast by the legendary witch Baba Yaga confining all of these magical beings (referred to as "Everafters") to a small town in upstate New York. The descendants of the Grimms also live in the town and serve as the town's detective and overseers. The spell keeps the Everafters trapped in the town as long as there is a Grimm living there. Needless to say, the Grimms are not very popular with the denizens of the town...

As the story begins, Daphne and Sabrina are unaware of their heritage and destinies. Their Father, Henry, had turned his back on the family business and raised them oblivious in New York City. Unfortunately, Henry and the girls' mother, Veronica, have disappeared at the beginning of the story.

The girls have been bounced around from one foster home to another for the better part of a year. Eventually, they end up on the way to live with a grandmother they never knew they had in the town of Ferryport (originally "Fairy"port...get it?) New York.

Their grandmother, Relda Grimm, greets them enthusiastically with her companion Mr. Canis and an enormous great dane named Elvis. He's a major "Everafter" but I'll let you find out who for yourself. His name is a big hint, however. Sabrina, the older of the two sisters, is very wary and suspicious (especially after a year of awful foster home experiences) and is keen to escape from the house as soon as possible. The younger Daphne is more loving and trusting and is quick to believe Relda's story about being their grandmother.

After an escape attempt is foiled by an attack of malevolent pixies, the girls are forced to accept that there may be more to Ferryport than initially meets the eye. Just as they start to learn about their role as Grimms they run afoul of an angry giant and a mysterious plot that may or may not lead back to Ferryport's mayor, the nefarious Prince Charming.

Relda and Canis are kidnapped, and the rest of the story follows the attempts of Daphne and Sabrina (along with the aid of Puck, a magic mirror, and Jack of FEE-FI-FO-FUM fame who has particular expertise regarding giants) to save their new family and friends from the giant, avoid the attention of three porcine policemen, and figure out just what exactly it is that Charming is up to.
along the way we see Ichabod Crane, Dorothy's Ruby Slippers, Ali Baba's flying carpet, and even Excalibur! Buckley has a lot of fun with these beloved and familiar characters, and he balances the story well with tantalizing hints about a larger conspiracy involving the disappearance of Daphne and Sabrina's parents. Presumably, this larger mystery will be examined and solved over the course of the five subsequent sequels. I have heard that the sequels get pretty repetitive over time, the same fate that I felt befell the latter Series of Unfortunate Events books which became the same story over and over and over. It remains to be seen whether or not Buckley can keep his relatively original idea fresh. I'd love feedback from any readers who are familiar with any of the sequels; leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Sisters Grimm Site

H.I.V.E.- Mark Walden

I was ready to dislike H.I.V.E., the debut novel from former video game programmer Mark Walden, from the start. It seemed a little too emblematic of everything I dislike about children's literature today: formulaic and designed solely to generate revenue through inevitable sequels indistinguishable from the first. Take a little Artemis Fowl, add a dash of the Mysterious Benedict Society, marinate with the everything is not what it seems school setting from Harry Potter, and viola! you have yourself a best seller. Over the course of the story, I was won over slightly, but I still had some reservations.

H.I.V.E., the Higher Institute for Villainous Education, is a training academy for evil geniuses. It accepts only the best and the brightest, and of course only those with the most potential for mayhem and criminal enterprise. It is situated on a remote volcano compound at an undisclosed location somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

The novel centers around Otto Malpense (really? Malpense? Literally "Bad Thoughts.") an orphan from London. Otto's known he was exceptional from an early age, and now, at the tender age of 13, he runs the orphanage where he lives by slightly bribing/blackmailing the director. Otto immediately sets about improving the dilapidated nature of the orphanage, but it's not out of any sense of responsibility and obligation. It's mainly so he can continue to do/exploit/manipulate whatever or whoever he wants whenever he wants. In fact, it's my main beef with the book. Despite his actions later in the book, Otto remains largely unlikable (brilliant and charismatic yes, but still largely unlikable.) Nevertheless, it's easy to see what H.I.V.E. sees in him.

The story begins with Otto regaining consciousness on a helicopter en route to the school. With him is Wng Fanchu as somewhat stereotypical Asian martial arts expert. They quickly ascertain what has happened (they were shot with stun guns and essentially kidnapped) and shortly thereafter they arrive at the school. There they meet the school's director, the nefarious Dr. Nero.

As the perspectives shift we also meet Raven, a beautiful assassin who rocks twin katanas AND an invisibility suit, as well as Professor Pike, a mad scientist type, Colonel Francisco, the instructor of tactical maneuvers, and stealth/reconnaissance instructor who inhabits the body of a cat due to a botched experiment, and H.I.V.E. Mind, a melancholy and surprisingly pliable artificial intelligence who runs H.I.V.E.'s day to day protocols. The reader also briefly meets the mysterious Number One (who has a particularly keen interest in Otto) who even Dr. Nero fears. Otto and Wing also meet other students: Shelby an American cat burglar extraordinaire, Shelby a Scottish computer and technology expert, Nigel Darkdoom, a legacy student hoping to live up to his late father's formidable legacy, and Franz, the German son of a candy magnate/Criminal Mastermind. Franz reminds me of the hilariously rotund German exchange student Uter on The Simpsons.

The students are forced to attend classes like Villainy Studies, Tactical Education, Practical Technology, Biotechnology, and Stealth and Evasion. Otto, used to having his own way and doing whatever he likes whenever he likes, immediately decides to work on an escape plan. Once again, he wants to escape, not because he is philosophically opposed to a school designed to train him in evil, but because he resents its intrusion upon his autonomy. Soon he convinces some of the other students to go along with him.

The rest of the story follows the escape attempt and, believe it or not, a giant mutant carnivorous plant. The action scenes are plentiful, but overall H.I.V.E. serves only as a gateway to its sequel The Overlord Protocol. There is very little resolution in the initial story. Instead of a self-contained narrative, the reader is left hanging and unsatisfied. What is Number 1's interest in Otto? How is Dr. Nero connected to Wing? What will happen to the students of H.I.V.E.? If you really do care, you can read The Overlord Protocol to find out, but I don't think I'll be joining you there.

H.I.V.E. website

The Graveyard Book- Neil Gaiman

I'm always a happy guy when a new piece of fiction from Neil Gaiman comes out, but I'm downright delighted when he publishes a new work aimed at young readers. He has written two picture books (with David McCean) Wolves in the Walls, and The Day I traded My Dad for Two Goldfish. He has also published a book of short stories M is for Magic, but he is probably best known for the deliciously creepy Coraline.

Now, just in time for Halloween, Gaiman has returned to the world of children's literature with The Graveyard Book. TGB tells the story of Bod (short for Nobody) Owens, a young boy who is raised by ghosts in a graveyard after his family meets a particularly gruesome end within the book's opening chapter. This initial scene is fairly intense and terrifying, but the book settles down after that. The fate of Bod's family is no less unsettling than what happened to Lilly and James Potter in the Harry Potter books.

Bod enters the care of the ghosts after escaping his parent's fate as a toddler. Here he enters into a particularly loving and unique childhood. Raised by four hundred year's worth of ghosts, Bod has the benefit of wisdom from several different ages of British gentility. The oldest resident of the yard is a former Roman Centurian who never made it home from Caesar's campaigns. The most recent (or youngest) ghosts are Victorian dandies, the graveyard having been filled to capacity one hundred years ago. In the intervening years the graveyard is protected as a nature preserve, and thus explains how Bod is able to grow up without interference from pesky Child Protective Services or other well-meaning, but poorly informed dogooders.

Gaiman deftly weaves a growing confrontation between Bod and the shadowy cabal (really, is there any other type of cabal worth worrying about?) responsible for the deaths of Bod's family. These men, known as the Jacks of All Trades (needless to say, their trades are hardly carpentry or coopering) are magic users who crave power through the control and domination of others.

Along the way, Bod meets werewolves (his teacher, who refers to herself as a Hound of God), ghouls (particularly terrifying), witches, and death her(!)self. He also learns the ways of the dead: he can see in the dark, fade into invisibility, walk within the dreams of others, haunt, and induce fear from vague uneasiness to outright terror.

Throughout, Gaiman keeps the readers guessing as to the reasons for the death of Bod's family, and maintains tension along the way the climactic confrontation between Bod and the Jacks of All Trades. In addition, Gaiman sprinkles the story with liberal doses of his dry British humor. For example, each new ghost the reader meets is introduced by the inscription on their headstone: Traveler, Put Down Thy Staff, Deeply Regretted by All Who Knew Him, or my personal favorite Who Did No Harm To No Man all the Dais of Her Life. Reader, Can You Say Lykewise?

All in all, TGB is the welcome return of a master storyteller to the world of children's fiction. Here's hoping that it won't be so long next time. P.S. Readers, when your older, check out Gaiman's work on the Sandman graphic novels. Epic storytelling plain and simple.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society- Trenton Lee Stewart

As literature written expressly for children enters its second century of existence, we find that many characters, themes, and plots begin to repeat themselves, and it takes a special author or idea to create something truly unique. In The Mysterious Benedict Society Trenton Lee Stewart proves himself to be just such an author.

Superficially the book is like many (good or bad) stories we've read before: mysterious calamity that adult authority figures are either too powerless to stop, or too clueless to even recognize, that can only be solved by a group of spunky, resilient, outcast, (in this case) orphans.

As TMBS opens, four children are responding to a strange advertisement in the newspaper. The ad asks simply, “ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES?” Reynie Muldoon, the protagonist, finds it strange that the ad is directed to children and not their parents, but as he is an orphan with only his tutor, Ms. Perumal (who is teaching him Tamil by the way), for company, he decides to answer at her urging.

What follows is a series of increasingly bizarre and seemingly impossible tests. As Reynie passes each ones we are introduced to each of the other three children who will eventually form the Mysterious Benedict Society: George "Sticky" Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire. Each of the children are able to pass the tests in their own ways, Reynie by finding a pattern, Sticky by the sheer breadth of his knowledge, Kate through the resources (telescope, pocketknife, rope, flashlight etc...) she carries in a bucket looped to her belt, and Constance through sheer force of will and stubbornness.

After passing the final test, the children are introduced to Mister Benedict, a kindly old man unfortunately prone to bouts of narcoleptic slumber, who informs them that all of the trouble and unrest in the world (incidents are mentioned in the newspaper that Reynie is perusing when he first encounters the ad) are due to the actions of one Ledroptha Curtain and his Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened (L.I.V.E.). Using a machine called the Whisperer, Curtain is sending out subliminal messages that are creating the tension the world is experiencing. He plans to use this machine to (and what evil genius villain wouldn't wan tthis for him or herself?) take over the world.

The children must infiltrate L.I.V.E. and destroy the Whisperer before Curtain's plans reach their fruition. Throughout this sequence Stewart does a fantastic job of maintaining suspense and tension in the reader. Never once does he take the easy or cliched way out of a situation he has put one of his characters in. To reveal too much of the action here is to spoil the plot for the reader so I will reign in my more expository instincts...

Suffice to say, the mission is fraught with peril and very real dangers for the children, and only through the combined use of ALL of their gifts are they able to persevere. The Mysterious Benedict Society is highly recommended for all fans of the mstery and adventure genre, especially those who want some depth to their characters and some complexity to their stories. Also, check out the highly entertaining official website here.

Ranger's Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlann

For my inaugural post I'd like to address a phenomenon in children's literature that has emerged in the wake of the phenomenal publishing success surrounding the trials and tribulations of a certain young wizard: the dearth of inferior or downright derivative fantasy series that have sprung up in its wake like so many night crawlers wriggling helplessly on the sidewalk after a summer downpour. Publishing, like any other big business, loves proven winners. When Harry Potter sold through the roof, then the green light was given to dozens of lesser series (I'm looking at you Inheritance Trilogy, aka "The Lord of the Star Wars"), while at the same time pushing authors with legitimate vision and innovative ideas if their books did not have sequel potential.

The "Ranger's Apprentice" series by John Flanagan is a pleasant exception to this dismaying trend. Thus far, the first three volumes exist in paperback, and the fourth is still only available as a hardcover. Flanagan eventually intends to publish seven books in all. All seven are currently available in his native Australia. Visit the official website here.

Book One, The Ruins of Gorlan, tells the story of the orphan boy Will and other orphans in Redmont Fief, within the kingdom of Arulen. As they approach the "Choosing Day," they will be selected for the job that they will serve in for the rest of their lives. As can be expected from the title of the series, Will is selected for Ranger training. He had had his heart set on Battle School, but he soon learns to embrace his calling. Under the tutelage of the gruff and mysterious Halt, will begins to learn the way of the Ranger: unseen movement, tracking, archery, cartography, and horsemanship.

The Rangers serve as the eyes and ears of the kingdom of Arulen, especially when the evil Lord Morgarath, who had been banished from the kingdom after leading a failed rebellion fifteen years before. Oftentimes, the first books in a series are overburdened with exposition and origin stories, but The Ruins of Gorlan has plenty of action as well. Interspersed between Will's training chapters are the stories of several of the other orphans and their endeavors, as well as the schemes and machinations of Morgarath and his armies of Wargals (an Ork-like creature that resembles a cross between a gorilla and a bear), and the particularly horrifying creatures the Kalkara.

As the plot advances, the Kalkara are loosed on the kingdom, and it is up to Halt and Will to stop them before too much carnage is unleashed. The Ruins of Gorlan is highly recommended for fans of fantasy, and adventure series along the lines of Lloyd Alexander, Ursula K. Leguin, or C.S. Lewis.