First Clues Review: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is delighted to publish a new student-written review of a mystery or suspense novel. These students offer their unique perspective on the book in their review, and provide a valuable resource to parents looking for new mystery adventures for their kids to read.

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The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
The 39 Clues Series

Scholastic (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-545-06039-7 (0545060397)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06039-4 (9780545060394)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $12.99

Review written by Noah, Grade 6.
Date of review: January 2011.

Review: What would you do if you were at your grandmother’s funeral and you had the choice to take one million dollars from her will and walk away? Or, you could take a clue that could lead you to being the most influential human being in the world, or lead you to death. Dan and Amy Cahill take the first clue and begin the adventure of their lives. These are the events that begin The Maze of Bones, the first book in "The 39 Clues" series. This book was written by Rick Riordan, but I find it interesting that each book in the series is written by a different author. The book is a mystery written in today’s world. Dan and Amy Cahill are the main characters of this story, Dan is 11 and Amy is 14 years old.

Dan and Amy Cahill are at the will reading during their grandmother’s funeral when they learn that their family is the most influential family in history. Amy has reddish brown hair and, like Dan has green eyes “like jade”. She also gets very nervous and tongue-tied around other people, especially crowds. I like Dan very much because he is a lot like me. He has dark blond hair like I do and he loves to collect things. He has a photographic memory and Amy thinks he is a huge dweeb. They begin a race to find the first of 39 clues which could lead them to either great power or certain death. Making enemies of fellow family members along the way, their many obstacles include when a library explodes with them inside, and other competitors stealing their leads.

The author wrote the story very literally which I liked because I might not have understood some parts if he had written the book with figurative language. The book is written as if it was really happening in our world today. The plot is very interesting; he made it seem as if you are there with them and you know what they are thinking. Rick Riordan filled the genre very well; he had everything a mystery novel needs to be great; suspense, intrigue and excitement. When I read the first chapter I was slightly confused as to what was happening, but that only made me want to read on, so it had an effective hook. The author described everything with phenomenal detail so I had a clear image in my mind at all times. The book is very well paced; it is not too slow or too fast the entire time, and it varied in speed appropriately throughout the book. The ending is written as a cliffhanger which well prepares the reader for the next book. Overall, the book is fantastic. Despite the fact that the author did not use figurative language, which I felt was not needed; I gave the book 10 out of 10. Readers of all ages will love The Maze of Bones.

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