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toastlover1's review against another edition
Not my favorite of the series. The premise is actually stronger than some of the other books, but it wasn't as much of a fun read for me.
leorejoanne's review against another edition
3.0
This is a book I found in a carton in the dorms, in a place where old things are usually left for any one who would like to take. It looked familiar and when I looked at it I realized it was part of the '[b:Alfred Hitchcock|2014794|The Thirty-nine Steps.|John Buchan|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JYVWNH8DL._SL75_.jpg|2422487]' series which I used to read in elemetary school. So I picked it up and took it for the nostalgia.
Basically, it reminded me a bit of Enid Blyton's detective novel's for kids, just without the warm, British feeling, and the food. The reading was fun and smooth, the only thing that bothered me was the dozens of typos in the book, but I was highly amused by the number of the psychometry words which were there (a test I had to take a year ago).
I finished it in two hours. Had fun.
6.3.07
Basically, it reminded me a bit of Enid Blyton's detective novel's for kids, just without the warm, British feeling, and the food. The reading was fun and smooth, the only thing that bothered me was the dozens of typos in the book, but I was highly amused by the number of the psychometry words which were there (a test I had to take a year ago).
I finished it in two hours. Had fun.
6.3.07
mick_travel's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
prof_dr_mochi's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
izzysreading's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
izzy_cartwright's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
didsomeonesayviolin's review against another edition
4.0
My fourth-grade boyfriend gave this to me for my birthday and I remember devouring it in 2 hours. This series is just great. I read every single one in my library.
→4 stars
→4 stars
ferrisscottr's review against another edition
5.0
This is a re-read - thought I would read it again after I listened to an audio dramatization last week.
The book holds up great (I grew up on the Three Investigators) but it is what it is...juvenile 1960's detective story written for teen boys about three friends that hook up with Alfred Hitchcock, have a Rolls Royce on hand, have a great clubhouse in Jupiter Jones's junkyard and run a detective agency. Not realistic in the least but it's not supposed to, it's supposed to be escapist for teen boys.
The book holds up great (I grew up on the Three Investigators) but it is what it is...juvenile 1960's detective story written for teen boys about three friends that hook up with Alfred Hitchcock, have a Rolls Royce on hand, have a great clubhouse in Jupiter Jones's junkyard and run a detective agency. Not realistic in the least but it's not supposed to, it's supposed to be escapist for teen boys.
ashleylm's review against another edition
3.0
A decent-enough sequel, but I found myself wincing or shaking my head fairly often. I'm all for shades of grey in bad guys (no one sets out saying "I'm evil, I'll do evil things," but the relationship between protagonists and antagonists was all over the place here, and not handled well, in my opinion. There was no Alfred Hitchcock—and Worthington's place was taken by a colourless substitute—which makes no sense at all since it literally costs nothing to include them. It's a book, it's not a movie script.
The boys did less 'investigating' and more 'stumbling into solutions' which is profoundly unsatisfying. And the atmosphere (aside from a scene with fog near the end) was decidedly more spy/thriller than creepy horror mystery, which seemed to be their USP in the first book.
I had to go to the effort of interlibrary loan through my university to find this one (or pay silly amounts of money for a used copy) and I'm not sure I'll be seeking out the third any time soon. Although oftentimes that's when the quality creeps back up again ...
(Note: I'm a writer myself, so suffer pangs of guilt every time I offer less than five stars. These aren't ratings of quality, just my subjective account of how much I liked them: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)
The boys did less 'investigating' and more 'stumbling into solutions' which is profoundly unsatisfying. And the atmosphere (aside from a scene with fog near the end) was decidedly more spy/thriller than creepy horror mystery, which seemed to be their USP in the first book.
I had to go to the effort of interlibrary loan through my university to find this one (or pay silly amounts of money for a used copy) and I'm not sure I'll be seeking out the third any time soon. Although oftentimes that's when the quality creeps back up again ...
(Note: I'm a writer myself, so suffer pangs of guilt every time I offer less than five stars. These aren't ratings of quality, just my subjective account of how much I liked them: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)