This review contains spoilers.
Amy and Dan Cahill may seem like normal siblings, but they are a part of the largest family in the world. And in “39 Clues,” the members of this sprawling family tree compete in a race.
“39 Clues” is a series made up of 11 books written by many famous authors, of whom each wrote a book in the series. The authors include Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis and many more. “39 Clues” features two siblings, Dan and Amy Cahill, and their grandmother named Grace, who recently passed away.
There are four branches to the Cahill family: Tomas, Ekaterina, Lucian, and Janus. Each branch specializes in their own skills. But there is also a secret branch called the Madrigal’s. The Madrigal’s are evil since they are not treated well in the Cahill family. To add on to the plot, Amy and Dan do not know which branch they belong to, but as the series continues, will soon find out.
Grace, Dan and Amy’s grandmother, mysteriously changed her will five minutes before her death. Because of this, the Cahills face a critical choice: to either join the race for unlimited power or to obtain one million dollars. And so, they decide to join the competition—a game of brains as well as brawn—and face some of the most clever, powerful, and guile Cahills to ever live. Amy and Dan travel across the world to find clues that lead to unlimited power.
I think “39 Clues” is a great series. The series contains lots of lore, and many mysteries that the reader is able to uncover. The writing is very detailed; you can easily imagine and picture the story in your brain. Each character is unique and has their own personalities, while being introduced with detail.
As a reader, you’re also able to learn about places around the world, from their lifestyle to religious and cultural beliefs. “39 Clues” is a very exciting experience and has a bit of education. This book series also tells you a lot about famous people from all around the world. The series mentions the story and path that the famous people took—Amy and Dan had to follow Benjamin Franklin’s storyline, and even Mozart’s to reveal all of the clues. This book also shows the culture diversity from all across the world and lets you understand how each region in the world works.
Due to the length of the story and how much excitement it holds, this story is suited for people who like action and adventure. But if you aren’t a fan of adventure and action then this book is not for you. I would rate this series four and a half stars, mainly because the books are very complicated and require a lot to be inferred. “39 Clues” is perfect for fifth graders to eighth graders, and I definitely would recommend this series.
The other competitors of the race:
The Holts
The Holt family, which come from the Tomas branch, are powerful and can beat anyone in a boxing match. However when it comes to thinking, they tend to struggle. This family consists of Eisenhower Holt, Mary-Todd Holt, Hamilton Holt, Maddison Holt, and Reagan Holt.
The Kabras
These siblings are part of the Lucian branch and are clever and will do anything to win the game. They use clever machinery such as dart guns to their advantage. The Kabras also ally with other competitors, although these relations are temporary. There is an exception for this, as Amy and Dan’s are the Kabra’s biggest opponents. The Kabras include Ian and Natalie Kabra.
Mr. Alistair Oh
Alistair Oh is an old Korean man who is commonly seen holding a diamond tipped walking stick. He is also very proud of himself for inventing microwavable burritos. Alistairr Oh tries to ally with Amy and Dan, but the Cahills were taught to trust no one. He is referred to as Uncle Alistair; Alistair is also a part of the Ekaterina branch.
Irina Spasky
Irina Spasky is Russian as well as an ex-KGB spy, which is a fallen secret organization from the Soviet Union. She is part of the Ekaterina branch just like Alistair Oh. In the book, she allies with the Kabras.
The Starling Triplets
Ned, Ted, and Sinead are the unlucky trio. These three chased down the Cahills but got severely injured by a mysteriously placed bomb at the front door of a library. As a result, the triplets had to back out of the competition. They are also Ekats.
Jonah Wizard
Jonah is one of the most rich and spoiled people in the series. His father runs around with him to help him find clues to win the race. Jonah is also a famous celebrity and attracts a lot of attention, but this comes across as a difficulty for him. Jonah is a part of the Janus branch.
The Man in Black
There is also a mysterious man who wears all black and follows the main characters, Amy and Dan. He also was the culprit for the Starling Triplets’ tragedy.
Other Characters:
Nellie Gomez
Known as Dan and Amy’s au pair. Nellie Gomez helps Amy and Dan travel across the world to help get the clues. Amy and Dan would not be able to make it through airport security without Nellie.
Saladin
This cat was owned by Grace. But after Grace passed away, Saladin had to come with Amy and Dan on their journey. Saladin loves to eat red snapper and finds out the true goodness of normal cat food on their journey.
Aunt Beatrice
When Grace died, Amy and Dan lived with Aunt Beatrice. Aunt Beatrice took them to the funeral but they escaped with Nellie in search of the clues. Aunt Beatrice looks for Amy and Dan in the U.S.
