Customer Reviews

The 39 Clues Book 2: One False Note

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It can't be unsaid that THE 39 CLUES has a pretty excellent marketing strategy going for it. What with having kids who read the series eager to collect the 6 cards that come with each installment and having their parental units buying up card packs to expand their collection as well. Then there's the idea of having different popular children's authors writing each book -- starting out with the very popular Rick Riordan (PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS) on book one, and now with book two, having Gordon Korman (ISLAND / DIVE series plus others) authoring. But with all that said, ONE FALSE NOTE continues the story and keeps things moving nicely, but still -- the series feels somewhat stunted.

I won't go into the plot much at all since so much of it rides on keeping the secret twists and things just that: a secret. The puzzles and clues that Dan and Amy encounter this time around are just about as baffling as in the first outing. One or two can be guessed pretty quickly, but there are others that really are a surprise. And more secrets of the Cahill family are uncovered, but nothing to really put everything together yet -- and that's probably how it should be since there are still eight books in the series to go.

ONE FALSE NOTE does have a few differences in style, which are to be expected from having a different author. Some of the word choicings seemed startling as they differed so much from THE MAZE OF BONES. But after about a chapter, it was easy to slide back into the Cahill world.

The whole time I was reading through, I keep thinking that this series could be so much more. It seems like there's a good idea being built upon, but sometimes things are a little too easy for the characters. Last book, I kept worrying that Amy and Dan wouldn't be able to get through something, but this time around things were a little easier for them it seemed.

All in all, ONE FALSE NOTE is good, and definitely keeps things rolling until the next installment. I just hope that the future authors really seize upon the ideas here and run with them.

If you are a veteran of The Maze of Bones, you now know about the Cahill family and the race to find and solve the 39 clues, have visited the catacombs in Paris, and know the answer to the first clue (Shh! Don't tell!). In One False Note, you'll gain new perspectives on what it has meant in the past to be a Cahill, learn a lot about Mozart, gain a little knowledge about Venice, and find and solve a second clue (which you'll probably figure out on your own by drawing on what you learned from the first clue).

Once again, Amy and Dan are still off trying to find the 39 clues with a Mozart musical composition in the hand writing by the master himself. To save money, they are on a clunky train headed for Vienna. Dan's amazing memory turns out to be essential, Amy's willingness to put up with her brother keeps the peace, and au pair, Nellie Gomez, patiently does the heavy lifting where an adult is essential. All of them are worried about Saladin not being willing to eat cat food (being used to fresh red snapper) as the cat gets thinner and thinner. There's lots of action as the Cahills seek to thwart each other.

A major part of the story's charm is that the opposing Cahills are such dunces while having exaggerated opinions of themselves. It's not hard for Dan and Amy to outwit them at virtually every turn. But the youngsters still have a lot to learn about keeping what they know to themselves.

To me, the only thing better than a mystery . . . is an extended mystery. The idea of putting together all of these books, trading cards, and the Web site permits the mystery lover to enjoy the unknown (which is always so much more exotic than the known) for a long time. It's terrific.

As a stand-alone book, this one is pretty good. But don't bother to pick it up unless you want to follow the story through all of the books. Naturally, if you really want to compete for the prizes you'll need to acquire the cards. But I think you can enjoy the whole thing quite a bit just by reading the books and visiting the Web site. It's a more entertaining version of The Amazing Race pitched for the juvenile set.

The book's main drawback is that the characters are too predictable . . . and are often more than just a little annoying. To sustain such a series with the highest level of entertainment, it would have been a good idea to make the leading characters more desirable and attractive. I also wonder if it was necessary to turn them into thieves to make the story work. I don't think so. There's a negative moral tone here that will bother any parent who pre-screens what his or her children read.

But if you want to enjoy it as pure fantasy and imagine yourself as either Amy or Dan (and how you could avoid being a crook and still win), I think you will have a good time.

Parents will like that there is so much culture and history crammed into the story line. It's likely that those who read the series will develop some lifelong interests that might otherwise have taken longer to sprout.

Enjoy your mysterious cake and eat it,too!

One False Note take us on the second leg of Dan and Amy's quest to discover all 39 clues. This time they are headed to Austria to figure out what Mozart has to do with their heritage and the mystery that has take over their lives.

Dan, Amy, and Nellie, their trusted and so cool au pair are hot on, the trail of the next clue, with Saladin in tow. On top of figuring out the clues, they are puzzled by whatever it is that is making Saladin, their late grandmother's cat, scratch himself silly and refuse to eat.

In this adventure Dan and Amy uncover yet another secret fortress used by their diabolical, and very artisitc, relatives to thwart the Cahill's discovery of useful information.

We learn about Mozart and his sister and several links between the great musician and other famous people. And who knew that Mozart's sister was a musician herself?

One False Note is a good read, not as good as the first book, but still full of action. One thing I didn't so much like was the constant bickering between Dan and Amy. Even for brother and sister it almost overshadowed the story. And the historical information is a lot more blatant in this one and not made as interesting.

I was very disappointed in this series. The first of the series was actually well written but this book was repetitive and not fun to read; in fact, my grandson asked me to just stop reading so we could tell our own stories. Although I did purchase one additional book in this series, it was not well written either. Personally, I think a series should be written by one author and that author should be totally involved in what s/he is writing about. I'm sorry but I can not recommend this series.
Karyl Wade

My 9-year-old is enjoying this series and learning history (without even realizing it) at the same time. The online game is a bit confusing and not really that fun, but the books alone are worth getting.

First let me tell you that my son for the most part hates reading. Getting him to read was comparable to getting him to brush his teeth (11 yr old boy, need I say more). He is dyslexic therefore his reading avoidance is somewhat understandable. He loved this book. In fact, once he started reading, he was reluctant to stop. He really didn't get into the website, although he likes games; however, he did enjoy the plot and enjoys writings by Rick Riordan.

I'm reading this series along with my 11 year old son and it's very good! I will say book 2 is not as good as books 1 and 3 though but I think it's important to read them in order. We compared the book to the Amazing Race but with kids instead; we think it is a great series!

After finishing the Harry Potter series my son and I didn't know what to read next. We got the first 39 clues and my son just loved it. It's not the writing and plot quality of HP but just enough suspense and mystery for a 10 year old boy!

Much as book 1, Maze of Bones, focused on the life and times of Benjamin Franklin, book 2, One False Note, focuses on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his sister Nannerl. Continuing almost immediately after book one, the pace of this one is much quicker. Moving from Paris to Vienna, the Cahill kids, Dan, Amy and their chaperon are ambushed by the big burly Holt clan. Narrowly escaping them, the dangers from other family members only intensifies. With more bombs, boat crashes, and run-ins with everyone from their aunts, uncles and cousins to Benedictine monks, this book is one wild chase scene.

The adventures in this book take our trio from Paris to Vienna then onto Salzburg then finally Venice. This book not only has a faster pace than book one, but also more dialogue. Some of that may be due to the writing style of the different authors, and some the point in the story arch and plot development. Gordon Korman does an excellent job continuing from the story started by Rick Riordan in Book 1.The transition is almost effortless. The feel is slightly different but the story continues to flow well.

It is interesting reading a series of 10 books with seven different authors, in part because we do not know how much freedom each author has. Do they write their section and hand it off and the next author has to create from there, or is there an overarching story arc already sketched out and the authors are composing the different scenes as movements in a musical piece? Either way this book is excellent and like the first leaves the reader hungry for more. I cannot honestly remember the last time I read a series that was so addictive. I picked up the next book immediately and dread when I will have to await the next release. All in all an excellent book in what is shaping up to be a great series.

The 39 Clues:

The Maze of Bones - Book 1 - Rick Riordan
One False Note - Book 2 - Gordon Korman
The Sword Thief - Book 3 - Peter Lerangis
Beyond the Grave - Book 4 - Jude Watson (June 2009)
Book 5 - Patrick Carman (August 2009)
Book 6 - Jude Watson (November 2009)
Book 7 - Peter Lerangis (February 2010)
Book 8 - Gordon Korman (April 2010)
Book 9 - Linda Sue Park (June 2010)
Book 10 - Margaret Peterson Haddix (September 2010)

Card Pack #1 - Books 1-3
Card Pack #2 - Books 4-6 (June 2009)
Card Pack #3 - Books 7-9 (February 2010)
Rare Card Pack (June 2010)

(First published in Imprint 2009-03-27.)

In this book Amy and Dan race their family members to find clues. Amy and Dan found a peice of sheet music by Mozart. Thsi was their only lead. Then the Hults come and to make sure that they didn't get the clue they ripped it up. So they lost their only lead. Our did they? Luckily, Dan remember every detail and replicated it. Then they are on their way to Venice. When they arrive they immediately follow their relative Jonah Wizard. They follow him all the way to the secret Janus hideout. The they start finding more and more. While they are ther they find Nannerl's diary. They find the next clue and now they are headed for Japan.