Customer Reviews

The 39 Clues Book 6: In Too Deep - Audio

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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, including Ben Franklin and Mozart.

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, connections, or 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 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 (a sort of domestic servant) traveling with them, and, above all, a great deal of spunk, smarts and determination. The race is on, and there aren't any rules.

IN TOO DEEP jumps right into action at the Sydney, Australia airport. Dan and Amy, along with their au pair, Nellie, have taken a detour --- not to follow another clue, but hopefully to discover some information about their deceased parents. But then everything seems to be tied in to the race for the 39 clues, including their parents' death --- which may not have been an accident after all. Once again, the siblings are reminded to trust no one, with one set of Cahill relatives saying one thing and another branch claiming the opposite. Old memories of the deadly fire begin to resurface, causing Amy to revisit that horrid night. And while some of the disturbing images help Amy and Dan to figure out the next part of the big hunt, others have Amy seriously doubting herself.

While in Australia, Dan, Amy and Nellie hook up with an old friend/cousin of their parents, a surfer/pilot named Shep. His enthusiasm and resources (such as owning a plane) help propel the siblings onto the scent of another clue, one involving famous pilot Amelia Earhart. The team flies to the Outback and some opal mines to learn more.

Another new character surfaces in Book Six: Ian and Natalie's mother, Isabel. If possible, Isabel is the most devious and cruelest of the Cahills thus far. She will stop at nothing --- including torture and murder --- to win the race. Her branch associate, the cunning Irina, doesn't agree with Isabel's methods, but dare she oppose direct orders? And if she does, she may have to offer up the greatest of sacrifices.

And then there's the au pair, Nellie, whom Amy and Dan are beginning to realize is unusually gifted. Among many things, Nellie is able to speak other languages, and, as the siblings recently discover, she can even fly a plane. Is Nellie really just a cool nanny, or is she hiding secrets as well? Amy and Dan were warned to trust no one. Surely that warning didn't include a member of their own team. Or did it?

Jude Watson returns to write another leg of this amazing series. Fans may remember that she tackled the challenge of Book Four, BEYOND THE GRAVE, with flying colors. And rest assured, she flies even higher with IN TOO DEEP. Once again, Watson delves a bit deeper into the emotional sides of Amy and Dan, but that doesn't mean she slacks on the excitement. This installment shines with the sweat of a heart-pounding adventure, including another life-threatening fire, deadly venomous snakes and spiders, and lots of clever clues. Another fun part of the story is learning Australian slang words and discovering some Australian snack foods that are so different from what Americans eat.

This outstanding series continues with THE VIPER'S NEST, due out in early February 2010. In the meantime, log on to www.The39Clues.com to hunt for the clues and have a chance to win some fabulous prizes.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman

Amy and Dan Cahill star in another 39 clues series book! A very exciting series of books. My whole family has one set of all the books and can't wait to find out the ending! I hope the author writes many more of these exciting books!

This was a darn good read! This book took a bit of a different turn that the rest of the books in the series this far. The major turn was that this book really didn't have to do with a major Clue for Dan and Amy to solve, as in the other books, but there were some smaller ones for Amy and Dan to deal with. This book was character driven, and not Clue Driven.

We learn a lot about what happened to Amy and Dan's parents. What really happened that night of the fire, and who felt it was "their fault" that it happened. I like the fact that we are able to learn somethings about Amy and Dan's parents. We're they on The 39 Clue hunt as well? You'll have to read to find out.

In this book, Dan was likable character. In the past, Dan was kind of a jerk, but in this book, I really liked him and he made me laugh out loud. I was glad to see what Watson did with him.

We find out a lot more about Nellie. Is she who we were lead to believe? Nellie has the chance to be a fantastic character. If the character is followed through (and I hope the next author does) she has the chance to be a great character, and a real addition to the series.

Besides learning of Amy and Dan's parents, we learn more about Irina Spansky. We learn about her past, and why she turned into the KGB killer that she was. As a reader, we find out what heart breaks she had early in life. She's a *perfect* sympathetic character! I really liked how she turned out.

Along the way, Watson put Amy and Dan in so many dangerous situations, that the reader will be glued to the page to see how Amy and Dan get out of them. Watson's writing style will have the reader hooked to find out what happens to them. Kuddo's to Watson!

This is a great installment to the series. I had a ball reading it, and look forward to book 8. If you've read all of the books, then you'll want to read this one. If you haven't started the series, start with book one and en joy the ride. I know I am.

This is one of the weaker books in this series so far, I think. We find Dan and Amy on their way to Australia to find their next clue. All of the previous books had a very central historical character that their investigative work was about. This book lacks that, it mentions Mark Twain and Amelia Earhart, but they aren't the core that Ben Franklin or Mozart were to the other books.

What is heating up in this book is the confusion and shades of gray the other Cahills are walking in. We get to meet Ian and Natalie's mother, several other mainstays are also seen again. More alliances are forged and tested. And there is another (supposed) character death, though it seems a bit more final that the last one turned out to be. But who knows.

I still enjoyed it and breezed through it, but it felt a little discombobulated to me, without that central theme.

We also find out more about the night that Dan and Amy's parents died. And more about their past in general.

We find out their father's name was Arthur Trent--so why isn't their last name Trent?

I am in the middle of the series however I am unable to download this one book because it says it is not currently available. Is this going to be permanently unavailable or is it going to be put back on soon?

My kids love them (ages 10 and 12) . I always pre-order this series, and get them on or a day after release.

Don't get me wrong. I really enjoyed reading this book because it got me one step closer to finding out the ending and it also gave us some insight into the death of Amy and Dan's parents yaer before.

But... this seemed to try to stretch the use of other Cahil's as a central role and theme but I don't fell this one suceeded as well as the previuos books. This is still a series worth reading and I am enjoying following Amy and Dan till they reach the finish line.

I dont understand. I have book 5, 7 @ 8, where the H*** is book 6? How can you not have the middle of a series like this. I have been trying for 3 days now to download this book.

When their grandmother Grace dies, orphans Amy and Dan accept a challenge to search for 39 clues that could make them the most powerful people in the world. But they aren't the only ones looking. Other Cahills, more ruthless, wealthy, and powerful than them, have taken the challenge too and they are not willing to let a pair of poor kids beat them. In this book, Amy and Dan have followed a lead to Australia (specifically, with no idea where to go, they get a hint that their parents may have gone to Australia at some point). Isabel Kabra, meanwhile, is becoming increasingly frustrated by her children and Irina Spasky's inability to stop or surpass the Cahill siblings and is ready to take drastic action (sharks, poisonous snakes, and spiders anyone?). Amy gets some unexpected-and slightly unwanted-that forces her to confront memories of the day her parents died.

The strongest element to this book was the full-circle growth of Irina, a character who started as a definite enemy of Dan and Amy but slowly becomes...something of an ally. Finally we got the back story we needed to understand why her character behaves the way she does and what it is that makes her start second-guessing her life.

Amy and Dan have also begun to suspect Nellie, their au pair, who has turned out to be surprisingly more capable than expected. She can speak foreign languages, fly planes, and displays some other unusual skills. But with so few people that they can trust, do they really have to worry about the one person who has made their journey for the clues possible?

We get more history, this time with Amelia Earhart and Mark Twain, but where the historical figures in earlier books took center stage, in this book they were sort of background. They helped push things along and hint to the Cahills where they should look, but they weren't as big a deal as before.

This wasn't my favorite book of the season but it definitely helped move the mystery along further.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS WHOLE BOOK SERIES, AND I READ THE WHOLE SET OVER AND OVER AGAIN! I TALK ABOUT THE BOOKS SO MUCH THAT NOW MY MOM IS READING THEM AS WELL. I LIKE THAT HISTORICAL FACTS ARE THROWN INTO THESE ACTION-PACKED BOOKS.