Synopsis (from
the publisher):
Fourteen-year-old Amy Cahill and her younger brother, Dan, head to the
Land Down Under to discover what their own mother and father knew about
the hunt for the 39 Clues. But following in their parents' footsteps
brings up lost memories for Amy so awful that she can't share them ...
even with Dan. Haunted by the ghosts of their past, chased by deadly
competitors, Dan and Amy can't see who is an enemy and who is a friend.
Their blindness leads to a terrible mistake ... and the death of a
hidden ally.
— ◊ —
— ◊ —
In Too Deep
The 39
Clues Series
Jude
Watson
Scholastic (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-545-06046-X (054506046X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06046-2 (9780545060462)
Publication Date: November 2009
List Price: $12.99
— ◊ —
Review: Amy and
Dan Cahill continue their quest for the 39 Clues to Australia,
following the trail their parents took 10 years earlier, in In Too Deep, the sixth book in this
series, this one written by Jude Watson.
Amy and Dan arrive in Sydney from Moscow, intent on locating an old
family friend who may know more about why their parents visited
Australia a decade earlier. The siblings had accompanied their parents,
but were too young to remember much. Yet just seeing their "uncle" and
visiting his home starts to bring back memories for Amy ... and not
necessarily ones she wants to remember. Relentlessly pursued by other
members of the family, the two increasingly find that danger seems to
lurk around every corner -- and security is provided by an unexpected
source.
It isn't strictly necessary to have read the previous books in this
series to enjoy In Too Deep,
but it would undoubtedly help. The first few pages provide sufficient
background to allow first-time readers to get acquainted with Amy and
Dan and why they're on a race around the world in search of clues that
will make them the most powerful people in the world. It takes a little
more effort to learn in which other family members are also in pursuit
of this goal, and which of the four branches they belong (and why this
is important).
A key phrase from this entry in the series is "trust no one". Amy is
told this, and "for the first time, she truly understood what [it]
meant. The stakes were so much higher than she'd thought. The lies cut
so much deeper. Right to her heart." In
Too Deep is a thrilling story, to be sure, but it is also a
study in self-reflection and the choices one makes. Adult readers may
appreciate this aspect of the story a bit more than younger readers,
who will likely revel in the chase through Australia and on to Jakarta.
There are also references to famous historical figures who Amy and Dan
discover are also Cahills, though admittedly distant relations. It's
probably not giving away too much (given the book's cover) to reveal
that Amelia Earhart -- also revealed to be a Cahill -- plays a key role
in their search here, and it's a thrilling possibility that her time in
Australia prior to setting off across the Pacific may have involved the
Cahill family.
In Too Deep furthers Amy
and Dan's adventure in a grand way. According to an endpaper, the next
book in the series, The Viper's Nest,
promises to reveal what family branch Amy and Dan are in.
Special thanks to Scholastic for providing a copy of In Too Deep for this review.
Review Copyright © 2010 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read In Too Deep? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
The
Maze of Bones
Scholastic (Hardcover), December 2008
ISBN-10: 0-545-06039-7 (0545060397)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06039-4 (9780545060394)
One
False Note
Scholastic (Hardcover), December 2008
ISBN-10: 0-545-06042-7 (0545060427)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06042-4 (9780545060424)
The
Sword Thief
Scholastic (Hardcover), March 2009
ISBN-10: 0-545-06043-5 (0545060435)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06043-1 (9780545060431)
Beyond
the Grave
Scholastic (Hardcover), June 2009
ISBN-10: 0-545-06044-3 (0545060443)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06044-8 (9780545060448)
The
Black Circle
Scholastic (Hardcover), August 2009
ISBN-10: 0-545-06045-1 (0545060451)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06045-5 (9780545060455)
In
Too Deep
Scholastic (Hardcover), November 2009
ISBN-10: 0-545-06046-X (054506046X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06046-2 (9780545060462)
The
Viper's Nest
Scholastic (Hardcover), February 2010
ISBN-10: 0-545-06047-8 (0545060478)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06047-9 (9780545060479)
The
Emperor's Code
Scholastic (Hardcover), April 2010
ISBN-10: 0-545-06048-6 (0545060486)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06048-6 (9780545060486)
Omnimystery keywords for In Too Deep ...
Location(s) referenced: Sydney, Australia, Jakarta, Indonesia.
