Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 23
 Best in the series. August 11, 2009
Reacher Creature (Rochester)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Out of all the five books, this is by far the best in the series. Carman brought the series back to where it should be, it had the feel of the first two books. Dan and Amy are in Russia gathering clues, and they have to make an alliance with a team they don't want to, but need to.
As the story unfolds we learn something about the character of Irina Spasky. I hope we learn more about her, and the hint that is dropped is explored more. I really like what Carman did with her. He really developed her and made her an interesting character. I hope we can learn more about her and her past.
I also like how Carman got away from Amy and Dan bickering all the time. In books 3 and 4, that was a major draw back for me. Dan and Amy are in the race for their lives, and they have to battle different members of the family tree, and they have to fight? For me, that never worked, and took away from the story. Glad to see that Carman didn't that in this book. It was such a pleasure to read.
Dan and Amy have to face something in this book that they never had to face in the past. They have a time limit. Amy and Dan get a mysterious card saying that they just have a set amount of hours to do what they need to, and if they don't, all will be lost.
I also loved how Carman kept the story in Russia, and let the reader in on some of the history and interesting facts about Russia, I felt that this aspect was missing from books 3 and 4. The reader gets drawn in and doesn't stop reading to the last page. This book has a lot of Russian history, and it was presented in such an interesting way.
One more thing I'll say that made The Black Circle such an interesting read..... while Dan and Amy solve puzzles and clues, they have a chance to learn more about their parents. At one point, one character tells them, "Make sure you want to know something. Once you know it, you can't unknow it."
That being said, this is a fantastic read! This is the first book I've read by Patrick Carmen and I may look up more books this author has written. This is fast paced and draws the reader in. I just hope that Carman gets to write more books in this series. Honestly, there wasn't any boring parts.
Kuddos to Patrick Carmen, great job done!
Best...............For Now August 20, 2009
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The 39 Clues are a very good series this is the best The 6th one looks like its gonna be interesting also they might make a 39 clues movie read that off the internet
Great book September 12, 2009
M. Harris (Houston, Texas)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This was one of the best books in the series. There seemed to be less bickering and back stabbing. I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to the next one. I hope it continues in this style.
Carman and THE BLACK CIRCLE are amazing additions to this outstanding series September 22, 2009
Kidsreads.com (New York, NY)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
When Grace Cahill passed away, relatives oozed out of the woodwork in hopes of getting their hands on her fortunes. But Grace wasn't your typical old lady, and she didn't leave this world in typical fashion either. Instead of a will and an inheritance, she left behind a quest involving 39 clues that lead to a vast wealth and the highest authority imaginable. Now, six teams of Cahill relatives are racing around the world, chasing after intricately placed clues left behind by other famous Cahills, like Ben Franklin. The race is on, and there aren't any rules.
Fourteen-year-old Amy and her 11-year-old brother, Dan, make up one of the teams. Orphaned and unwanted by everyone except their beloved, and now deceased, grandmother, the siblings don't have anything to lose and have decided to go for it. But unlike their opponents, they have no money, no connections and no special training, not to mention the fact that they're just kids. Plus, Amy is shy and stutters when she's nervous, and Dan tends to be impulsive. This team has the odds of winning seriously stacked against them. But they do have a few pieces of jewelry from their grandmother to sell for expenses, a very cool au pair traveling with them, and, above all, a great deal of spunk, smarts and determination. And they've kept up with their opponents so far, somehow.
Jumping straight into the next leg of the race, Amy and Dan receive a telegram delivered to their hotel room in Cairo. It directs them to a locker at the airport, and is signed with the mysterious initials NRR. Dare they trust this stranger? Or is it just another deadly trick set up by one of their conniving relatives/opponents in the mad dash for the clues? Without anything else to go on, Amy and Dan slip out of the hotel, leaving a note for their sleeping au pair Nellie, stating that they went out for donuts. They never return.
What they find in the airport locker shocks both of them. It also points the way to Russia with two plane tickets, fake passports and disguises to make them appear older. While hitting their stockpile of junk food on the long flight, Amy and Dan tackle the mysterious message left for them in the locker. Of course, it isn't too long before they run into a few of the other teams, as everyone scrambles for a handhold and is willing to do almost anything to get one. Realizing they need a bit of help, they zero in on Hamilton Holt with whom to make an alliance. All of their past alliances have almost ended in deadly disaster, but once again, they feel they have no choice.
As Amy and Dan race through the hints left by the mysterious NRR, they learn about the tragic story behind the royal Russian family, the Romanovs, including Anastasia and Alexei, and the monk named Rasputin who worked with them. They also find themselves once again coming way too close to death. But they refuse to give up, especially when NRR hints they may find information about their deceased and dearly missed parents. The race is on!
Bestselling author Patrick Carman jumps in the driver's seat for the fifth leg of this incredible, mind-boggling race, and he does so with a gifted imagination and a brilliant knack for storytelling. He does an amazing job concocting the clever clues that pull Amy and Dan into Russia, and then shares some Russian history in an interesting and mind-grabbing way. Carman also has a talent for intense action sequences and end-of-chapter cliffhangers that really keep the story moving fast. And his hysterical sense of humor is splattered throughout the pages.
Carman and THE BLACK CIRCLE are amazing additions to this outstanding series. And fans won't have to wait too terribly long for book six, due out in early November. [...].
--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman
I loved all of them! September 8, 2009
J. Hollabaugh (Napa, CA)
My daughter started reading these at the end of 5th grade and has continued them. She is looking forward to book 6 coming this fall.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 23
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