Book title: The Maze of Bones (39 Clues, No. 1)
Author: Rick Riordan
Status: finished
Synopsis:
Minutes before she died, Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her decendants an impossible decision: "You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue."
Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. From Benjamin Franklin to Mozart, every important historical figures was related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.
"The 39 Clues" is Scholastic's groundbreaking new series, spanning 10 adrenaline-charged books, 350 trading cards, and an online game where readers play a part in the story and compete for over $100,000 in prizes.
Review: (***SPOILER ALERT***)
I picked up this book mainly because it's written by Rick Riordan, author of "Percy Jackson & the Olympians". Turns out he only wrote the first book of this series, though he did map the narrative arc for all 10 volumes (I didn't know it by then, but other high-profile authors will be writing for the series, too)
Anyway, "The 39 Clues" is totally my kind of thing, jammed with adventures, mysteries, plot twists, suspense, peril, puzzles and snappy humor. So all in all, Riordan is doing a good job keeping readers glued to the pages.
When Grace Cahill died, the chosen ones were given the choice: inherit one million dollars or participate in a perilous treasure hunt. Amy and Dan weren't so lucky, being the helpless orphans they were, money wasn't an option, as their heartless guardian would soon rip them off and suck them dry. Amy and Dan could be annoying at times, with her social phobia induced stammering, and his hyperactivity and inconsiderate behavior; but as the siblings worked together to solve puzzles and survive dangers, they've developed into well-drawn individuals with their own strengths and personalities.
Can't wait to start reading Book 2!
