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The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers #1
The Medusa Plot
Located at the far northeast corner of the United States, Maine is famous for its wild, untamed beauty. A True My United States series allows readers to experience what makes each of the fifty state distinctive and exceptional. Readers will get to know each states' history, geography, wildlife and future outlook. This series includes an age appropriate (grades 3-5) introduction to curriculum-relevant subjects and a robust resource section that encourages independent study. Readers will hike through the state and explore its incredible landscapes. As they reach Maine's towns and cities, they will also see how the state is governed and what role the state plays in national events. They will also find out what Mainers like to do for fun, what foods they enjoy, and much more.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published July 5, 2011
376 people are currently reading
11426 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Korman
240 books4,283 followersGordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 673 reviews
April 24, 2023
If the 39 Clues series were a kids show like Avatar: The Last Airbender, then Cahills vs. Vespers would be the slightly aged-up Legend of Korra sequel, with older main characters and heavier themes.
Two years after the end of the clue hunt, Amy and Dan have rebuilt their grandmother’s mansion into a spy-kids-esque headquarters for Cahill operations. Amy, at the ripe age of 16, has been made the leader of the entire family, a position which brings her so much grief that she has turned into a training machine to avoid cracking under the immense pressure of the decisions she has to make daily. She’s popular and has a nerd-hot boyfriend, a cool best friend, and a killer workout routine.
Amy reminds me of one of those social media influencers who claim they’re having a "glow up" moment with their extreme diets and crazy schedules and twenty-step morning routines—you know, the type who really makes you suspect they’re running from something rather than towards something.
image description: Amy, doing just fine, clearly not having some sort of extended internalized breakdown
Dan, now 13, is the only person alive who knows the formula of the Cahill serum, and the pressure also isn’t serving him well. He has retreated into himself, lost all but one of his friends, no longer jokes nearly as much, and appears to spend most of his time dissociating. He’s much darker in this series, tending towards violence and irrational decisions more easily.
You really have to wonder why, with all their money, the Cahill kids can’t afford to go to some serious therapy.
I think if I had read this series as a kid, I would have been annoyed by some of the changes made to the main characters as they’ve been aged up. However, reading this as an adult, I felt the updates to Amy and Dan’s characters were a natural result of all the trauma they went through in series one.
More than anything, these kids need a hug, a skilled therapist, and some reliable parental figures who won’t get kidnapped or die the second they turn their backs. Not necessarily in that order. I really felt for them and thought that their trauma-driven reactions, which may on the surface have seemed unreasonable, actually made a lot of (sad) sense.
The romantic suspense here was pretty silly, in my opinion. I had to laugh when, just like in series one, Peter Lerangis writing the third book pretty abruptly brought back the Amy-Ian pairing that seems to be his darling (in addition to a new love triangle that’s almost as hilarious), and the romance was once again heartlessly squashed in the next volume. I’m sorry Peter, I know you want this to be a romance series, but it’s just not going to happen for you.
image description: Peter Lerangis trying to get Amy to make out with every “hottie” she meets
One of my favorite things about this series was the new team-ups. Now that the Cahill family at large is no longer constantly at each other’s throats, there was more potential for the Cahill supporting cast to shine. My personal favorite was the Jonah Wizard & Hamilton Holt team up, which consisted essentially of Jonah flattering himself and Hammy performing various physical feats. Love these two. I think Hamilton has officially pulled ahead as my all-time favorite Cahill.
I still don’t think the 39 Clues has any business trying to educate anyone, not even kids, on history or geography. The actual historical information is so patchy and interspersed with Cahill myth that it’s difficult to tell what’s right and what’s made up unless you do the research yourself. At which point, you might as well just research history and not read this series. So I stand by my original assessment: read (and give to your kids) for personal enjoyment only, not educational enrichment.
I’m taking a breather before I consider jumping into series three (Unstoppable). Because seriously, at this point, how much more traumatized can these kids get? Give them a break, hm? They deserve it.
Two years after the end of the clue hunt, Amy and Dan have rebuilt their grandmother’s mansion into a spy-kids-esque headquarters for Cahill operations. Amy, at the ripe age of 16, has been made the leader of the entire family, a position which brings her so much grief that she has turned into a training machine to avoid cracking under the immense pressure of the decisions she has to make daily. She’s popular and has a nerd-hot boyfriend, a cool best friend, and a killer workout routine.
Amy reminds me of one of those social media influencers who claim they’re having a "glow up" moment with their extreme diets and crazy schedules and twenty-step morning routines—you know, the type who really makes you suspect they’re running from something rather than towards something.
image description: Amy, doing just fine, clearly not having some sort of extended internalized breakdown
Dan, now 13, is the only person alive who knows the formula of the Cahill serum, and the pressure also isn’t serving him well. He has retreated into himself, lost all but one of his friends, no longer jokes nearly as much, and appears to spend most of his time dissociating. He’s much darker in this series, tending towards violence and irrational decisions more easily.
You really have to wonder why, with all their money, the Cahill kids can’t afford to go to some serious therapy.
I think if I had read this series as a kid, I would have been annoyed by some of the changes made to the main characters as they’ve been aged up. However, reading this as an adult, I felt the updates to Amy and Dan’s characters were a natural result of all the trauma they went through in series one.
More than anything, these kids need a hug, a skilled therapist, and some reliable parental figures who won’t get kidnapped or die the second they turn their backs. Not necessarily in that order. I really felt for them and thought that their trauma-driven reactions, which may on the surface have seemed unreasonable, actually made a lot of (sad) sense.
The romantic suspense here was pretty silly, in my opinion. I had to laugh when, just like in series one, Peter Lerangis writing the third book pretty abruptly brought back the Amy-Ian pairing that seems to be his darling (in addition to a new love triangle that’s almost as hilarious), and the romance was once again heartlessly squashed in the next volume. I’m sorry Peter, I know you want this to be a romance series, but it’s just not going to happen for you.
image description: Peter Lerangis trying to get Amy to make out with every “hottie” she meets
One of my favorite things about this series was the new team-ups. Now that the Cahill family at large is no longer constantly at each other’s throats, there was more potential for the Cahill supporting cast to shine. My personal favorite was the Jonah Wizard & Hamilton Holt team up, which consisted essentially of Jonah flattering himself and Hammy performing various physical feats. Love these two. I think Hamilton has officially pulled ahead as my all-time favorite Cahill.
I still don’t think the 39 Clues has any business trying to educate anyone, not even kids, on history or geography. The actual historical information is so patchy and interspersed with Cahill myth that it’s difficult to tell what’s right and what’s made up unless you do the research yourself. At which point, you might as well just research history and not read this series. So I stand by my original assessment: read (and give to your kids) for personal enjoyment only, not educational enrichment.
I’m taking a breather before I consider jumping into series three (Unstoppable). Because seriously, at this point, how much more traumatized can these kids get? Give them a break, hm? They deserve it.
September 25, 2011
OHMYGODOHMYGOD
OHMYGOD!!
edit on Sept 24, 2011
Oh lordy, after finishing the first series, I STILL don't get why it's soooo good! Especially with it being a kiddie series and...well, I'm not a kiddie...
This book was a GREAT and FANTASTIC start-off for "Cahills vs Vespers".
Things I love about it:
1) The Cahills are getting along in a "family" manner without the possibility of unexpectedly stabbing each other in the back.
2) The Vespers are delightfully sinister! I love them! They add more suspense and mystery, as well as edge-of-the-seat book-gripping-ness.
My predictions for the future books:
1)Something surprising about either Evan or Atticus - or both of them! - will be revealed.
2)Isabel Kabra MIGHT come back into the picture: on the Cahills' side...or the Vespers'...
P.S. As snobby as he is, I still hope Amy and Ian will end up together; I think she needs someone who shares her family history and understands all the things that have happened. (Evan's too good of a person anyway.)
edit on Sept 24, 2011
Oh lordy, after finishing the first series, I STILL don't get why it's soooo good! Especially with it being a kiddie series and...well, I'm not a kiddie...
This book was a GREAT and FANTASTIC start-off for "Cahills vs Vespers".
Things I love about it:
1) The Cahills are getting along in a "family" manner without the possibility of unexpectedly stabbing each other in the back.
2) The Vespers are delightfully sinister! I love them! They add more suspense and mystery, as well as edge-of-the-seat book-gripping-ness.
My predictions for the future books:
1)Something surprising about either Evan or Atticus - or both of them! - will be revealed.
2)Isabel Kabra MIGHT come back into the picture: on the Cahills' side...or the Vespers'...
P.S. As snobby as he is, I still hope Amy and Ian will end up together; I think she needs someone who shares her family history and understands all the things that have happened. (Evan's too good of a person anyway.)
May 10, 2017
Completed audiobook on a 5-day road trip with my 10-year old.
We liked the continuing adventures of Dan and Amy Cahill, helping to save their post-39-Clues extended family from the intent-on-world-domination Vespers organization. The books are sort of "Jason Bourne lite", as Amy and Dan (now 12 and 15, I think) are able to move somewhat freely around the world despite being in the crosshairs of Interpol. And everybody they know are a little too willing to support them, but hey, these were designed to be middle-grade adventures.
The learning opportunities about art, history and geography get a little muddled on audio, which is unfortunate, because that is the only opportunity The Youngster and I get to share these -- he now reads Dilbert instead of books for his own age.
We liked the continuing adventures of Dan and Amy Cahill, helping to save their post-39-Clues extended family from the intent-on-world-domination Vespers organization. The books are sort of "Jason Bourne lite", as Amy and Dan (now 12 and 15, I think) are able to move somewhat freely around the world despite being in the crosshairs of Interpol. And everybody they know are a little too willing to support them, but hey, these were designed to be middle-grade adventures.
The learning opportunities about art, history and geography get a little muddled on audio, which is unfortunate, because that is the only opportunity The Youngster and I get to share these -- he now reads Dilbert instead of books for his own age.
May 15, 2015
It said about 2 siblings who are the members of the most powerful family in the world, the Cahill family.
When 7 of their relatives are kidnapped they got to do whatever Vesper One say to get them back. One mistake, one will die.
When 7 of their relatives are kidnapped they got to do whatever Vesper One say to get them back. One mistake, one will die.
Want to read
April 26, 2011Just read the synopsis. Dan is 13? Two years passes eh? Doesn't that mean Amy is 17? Whoas, hard to imagine man. can't wait to read... though I have to read Vespers Rising first ^.^
February 27, 2023
Vespers are back!
The shadowy organization on the edge of the Cahill's existence for centuries. Watching, waiting for an opportunity to perform their terrible plan. And the first part of their plan is to abduct Cahills and then force others to do their dirty work for them.
First up is to steal a famous piece of art, Medusa by Caravaggio. If they fail, Vespers kill one of their family members. Their task is not made easy by the fact that Amy and Dan end up being chased by Interpol as notorious children who stole priceless works of art.
We finally see co-operation between different branches. It's not perfect, obviously. After 500 years of backstabbing and murder, it's hard to just forgive and forget. But the younger generations has learned to work with each other.
And we finally meet Evan (briefly introduced in Into the Gauntlet as her crush). He's suddenly thrown into this world of Vespers and Cahills and secrets spanning back centuries.
Will the Cahills bring back their hostages from the Vespers? Or is this just some diluted Vesper attempt at killing two birds with one stone?
The shadowy organization on the edge of the Cahill's existence for centuries. Watching, waiting for an opportunity to perform their terrible plan. And the first part of their plan is to abduct Cahills and then force others to do their dirty work for them.
First up is to steal a famous piece of art, Medusa by Caravaggio. If they fail, Vespers kill one of their family members. Their task is not made easy by the fact that Amy and Dan end up being chased by Interpol as notorious children who stole priceless works of art.
We finally see co-operation between different branches. It's not perfect, obviously. After 500 years of backstabbing and murder, it's hard to just forgive and forget. But the younger generations has learned to work with each other.
And we finally meet Evan (briefly introduced in Into the Gauntlet as her crush). He's suddenly thrown into this world of Vespers and Cahills and secrets spanning back centuries.
Will the Cahills bring back their hostages from the Vespers? Or is this just some diluted Vesper attempt at killing two birds with one stone?
May 25, 2020
This is a high three star read. I read the first 39 Clues book years ago and never got around to continuing. Yesterday I realized that I owned the first two books in the continuation series, Cahills VS Vespers and I decided to give them a try. Definitely have spoilers for the first series but I don't see myself reading those ever. I thought this was a ton of fun. I always enjoy heist books that revolve around art and old artifacts. They're so cool. I'm excited to dive right into the next book.
September 20, 2011
I CANNOT WAIT THIS LONG!!!!!!
September 16, 2020
Oh my Nellie! 😭 They hurt my Nellie 😭😭😭
I actually don't like Evan. Sorry, Amy, but I'm not comfortable with his aura. LOL
I actually don't like Evan. Sorry, Amy, but I'm not comfortable with his aura. LOL
February 7, 2023
What a good series! Good characters, good plot, and the right amount of aggression.
September 8, 2011
2.5 stars. The extra half star to round it up to 3 is for the sheer fun the previous books were.
Not quite the page turner I was expecting. Oh, it was action-packed alright, but it somehow felt a bit lackluster compared to the previous 39 clues books. Where's Riordan when you need him?!
Amy and Dan are, once again, racing against time - this time trying to save the lives of seven of their lot who have been kidnapped by the mysterious Vesper One. He/she needs Amy and Dan to steal certain priceless art, now lost to the world in exchange for the lives of their friends. This obviously sees the Cahill siblings travel all over the world to complete their mission.
Question - Why Amy and Dan? Why not the Kabras or the Holts or the Starlings or anybody else? What is so special about these two? I know a little suspension of disbelief is required here but I find it hard to digest that seven people, including three adults, are kidnapped before you can say 'jackrabbit' and it's up to two teens to save them.
I dislike how everything conveniently falls into place for Amy and Dan - they get away with stealing a highly guarded painting right from the museum, breeze through another heist - this time from an art collector's house where there are several security guards present, escape Italian police by disguising themselves in a blonde wig and "dorky" glasses and live through bomb explosions, shoot-outs and kidnap attempts. I mean, COME ON!
The book ended with absolutely no resolution. There was absolutely no progress throughout the book in spite of the Cahills being constantly on the move - there was no difference in their situation from page 1 to page 224. At the end, their friends are still being held hostage and Amy and Dan (while wasting many pages thinking about how the other sibling has changed since the Clue hunt and wondering if they have changed as well) still have no idea how to save them or who Vesper One is.
I wasn't satisfied.
Not quite the page turner I was expecting. Oh, it was action-packed alright, but it somehow felt a bit lackluster compared to the previous 39 clues books. Where's Riordan when you need him?!
Amy and Dan are, once again, racing against time - this time trying to save the lives of seven of their lot who have been kidnapped by the mysterious Vesper One. He/she needs Amy and Dan to steal certain priceless art, now lost to the world in exchange for the lives of their friends. This obviously sees the Cahill siblings travel all over the world to complete their mission.
Question - Why Amy and Dan? Why not the Kabras or the Holts or the Starlings or anybody else? What is so special about these two? I know a little suspension of disbelief is required here but I find it hard to digest that seven people, including three adults, are kidnapped before you can say 'jackrabbit' and it's up to two teens to save them.
I dislike how everything conveniently falls into place for Amy and Dan - they get away with stealing a highly guarded painting right from the museum, breeze through another heist - this time from an art collector's house where there are several security guards present, escape Italian police by disguising themselves in a blonde wig and "dorky" glasses and live through bomb explosions, shoot-outs and kidnap attempts. I mean, COME ON!
The book ended with absolutely no resolution. There was absolutely no progress throughout the book in spite of the Cahills being constantly on the move - there was no difference in their situation from page 1 to page 224. At the end, their friends are still being held hostage and Amy and Dan (while wasting many pages thinking about how the other sibling has changed since the Clue hunt and wondering if they have changed as well) still have no idea how to save them or who Vesper One is.
I wasn't satisfied.
October 24, 2015
Это просто одинадцать из десяти. Черт подери, они привзошли мои ожидания. События этой книги разворачиваются спустя два года, после событий 11-й предыдущего цикла. Герои очень изменились, за них теперь жутко переживаешь, больше ��оражаешься и задерживаешь дыхание чуть ли не в каждой главе. Помимо Эми и Дэна, в книге фигурируют и другие Кэхилы. Они, правда, мало изменились. Впрочем, это не мешает им хранить прежнее обаяние, особенно младшому поколению.
Если честно, я не ожидала что будет так круто. Это была уже не детская книга, а практически настоящий янг эдалт. Море тайн, пытающихся убить вас незнакомцев и адреналина. Если вся серия будет такой, тогда я ее включу в категорию "любимое", куплю в печатном варианте, и буду перечитывать время от времени.
Уже вооружилась второй книгой и делаю чашку какао для атмосферности. Ключи, ждите меня!
Итог: 11 из 10
Если честно, я не ожидала что будет так круто. Это была уже не детская книга, а практически настоящий янг эдалт. Море тайн, пытающихся убить вас незнакомцев и адреналина. Если вся серия будет такой, тогда я ее включу в категорию "любимое", куплю в печатном варианте, и буду перечитывать время от времени.
Уже вооружилась второй книгой и делаю чашку какао для атмосферности. Ключи, ждите меня!
Итог: 11 из 10
October 9, 2011
It was a good book.... Will write my full review later. Just bought it from the book store. No, not in Vietnam, they don't sell that, in Australia, exactly.
I must said that I have always like the 39 clues series. They were hilarious, full with action and adventures, a little bit romance, and classified secrets.
But the medusa plot was a little disappointed. I don't know why....
I must said that I have always like the 39 clues series. They were hilarious, full with action and adventures, a little bit romance, and classified secrets.
But the medusa plot was a little disappointed. I don't know why....
Read
January 11, 2016This book is about two children Amy and Dan who must save their family from kidnapping but what will be the ransom. I like this book because it has a lot of action and drama just what I like and the story is so fascinating. I would recommend this book to my brother he likes these types of books and will enjoy it.
February 20, 2019
Cahills are being kidnapped. Distress. Action. Drama.
Amy and Dan have days to fulfill a bizarre ransom demand. Can they do it?
Amy is a strong, take-charge character and is ready to cross the ocean to free her family. Dan, a risk taker. Together they make a great team.
I've enjoyed the continuous action of these books. While at the same time learning something new. Very good.
Amy and Dan have days to fulfill a bizarre ransom demand. Can they do it?
Amy is a strong, take-charge character and is ready to cross the ocean to free her family. Dan, a risk taker. Together they make a great team.
I've enjoyed the continuous action of these books. While at the same time learning something new. Very good.
December 4, 2020
Medusa Plot belongs in a different plot , atleast a couple years after the 39 clues, but nothing is different when it comes to the fast paced adventure that keeps me in the edge of the seat all way. The audio , narrators are all incredible . I'm enraptured with Cahills Vs Vespers and probably will be binging this for the timebeing.
February 24, 2021
This branch of the story starts a little more coherent than the other series.
It makes me a little sad that Dan and Amy are so much older and more wary about the world. I like the addition of Jake to challenge Dan.
*Notes in updates.
It makes me a little sad that Dan and Amy are so much older and more wary about the world. I like the addition of Jake to challenge Dan.
*Notes in updates.
Want to read
June 21, 2011August?!?!?!?! I HAVE TONWAIT TILL AUGUST?!?!?!?
June 27, 2015
Dan Brown meets Spy Kids. For something aimed at teens or tweens, it was interesting. A quick, breezy read. I'll probably catch up with the rest of the series in between bigger, weightier books.
August 4, 2016
An excellent, exciting start; can't wait to see where the story goes from here!
November 9, 2017
In the realistic fiction novel The Medusa Plot by Gordan Korman they start by getting a message like they always do from Vesper #1 and the message continues them on a long trip through Italy meeting up with friends and finding enemies. The two-main characters, Dan and Amy Cahill, are brother and sister both of them are alike but they have some key differences, like Amy would never do anything risky Dan on the other hand would do something risky just for fun. Amy is very smart and can study and memorize very easily, so finding and solving clues is no issue for her. Dan has a photographic memory. They are the perfect problem-solving team. In this book they are surrounded by their family and they are forced to go and get a hidden object from Venice Italy.
I liked this book because I like mystery books so I would try to solve the problem before the characters did. Then you get more into the book and want to find the clue. I disliked how many different characters they put in the series because then you have to know all the names and who they go to and what they are like. I would rate this book a 5/5 and if you like realistic fiction mystery books, this would be a good book for you.
I liked this book because I like mystery books so I would try to solve the problem before the characters did. Then you get more into the book and want to find the clue. I disliked how many different characters they put in the series because then you have to know all the names and who they go to and what they are like. I would rate this book a 5/5 and if you like realistic fiction mystery books, this would be a good book for you.
November 5, 2024
I gotta say it was kind of thrilling to get back in the proverbial back seat with the Cahill siblings again while they face the newest enemy in the name of the vespers. The book itself stars off decently strong with a pretty badass abduction scene and really showed how the siblings have really evolved and adapted since the clue hunt but with that big jolt of tension you do still get that mystery and quest element you come to expect but the stakes still seem vary unclear which makes it harder to rate much higher.
August 14, 2020
I love this series so much!!
July 29, 2025
There was so much going on with this book. I need to re-listen/re-read when I can focus better.
August 28, 2025
A new adventure begins
October 23, 2017
I loved this book because it was so interesting and sad but like most books it is ok in the end. This book would be ideal for 4th though 6th if they like a book with action. If you liked the 39 clues the first book you will love this book. This story focuses on there family bond.
May 10, 2024
My son and I are enjoying reading this series together. The historical aspects and the travel make it interesting for us both.
August 14, 2016
The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers Book 1: The Medusa Plot
by: Gordon Korman
Product Details
ISBN-13: 9780545298391
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date: 8/30/2011
Pages: 224
Sales rank: 478
Age range: 9 – 12 Years
Lexile: 730L (what’s this?)
Series: 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers Series, #1
By: Gordon Korman
Summary: The clue hunt is over, two years have passed and Dan and Amy are back in school. Their au pair, Nellie is away at school in France (for culinary lessons, of course), Uncle Fiske is off and the teens are basically taking care of themselves in the newly rebuilt version of Grace’s mansion. Amy even has a boyfriend! Everything seems to be doing fine when all of a sudden Cahills start disappearing. Even the school bus with Dan and Amy on it is attacked. The two manage to whip the attackers into shape, but when they get the message about their family members being kidnapped and they will be killed if the younger family members (all from the clue hunt) do not follow all directions. The only other “family” that knows about the clues and wants all that power are the Vespers. The person ransoming the Cahills is Vesper 1. With the help of the cousins, Amy and Dan start a new search for whatever Vesper 1 wants in exchange for their loved ones. It leads them into an art heist for The Medusa and a few other wild adventures. The two travel through Italy gathering a different type of clue.
My thoughts: I love this series. I was actually hoping that it would end up being 39 books, but know that would get redundant. I enjoy the adventure of Indiana Jones type searches with the historical information thrown in. This book is no different. I enjoyed the quick pace with bits of history thrown in. The discussion of art and art history was tied directly to art heists and several close calls. This gives me an opportunity to learn while I root for my favorite duo. Also, there is historical information that I haven’t heard much about. It gives me an excuse to look up what “really” happened to the person the book references. In any other situation, I would not even think about it. The difference between this book and previous 39 clues books is that it’s not just Amy and Dan anymore. All of the cousins are working together for a common goal. They get along and each strength shines through. We are now free to love all of the family, instead of being suspicious of all motives. Also, this book is a little darker than previous books. Dan is depressed, the Vespers are completely ruthless, and there are outsiders that are getting into trouble without the Cahill training. I wonder if we know who Vesper 1 is. I’ve enjoyed the fact that we don’t know yet. That means there are more books to come! I’ve really enjoyed these quick reads and can’t wait for the next version. (5 stars)
by: Gordon Korman
Product Details
ISBN-13: 9780545298391
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date: 8/30/2011
Pages: 224
Sales rank: 478
Age range: 9 – 12 Years
Lexile: 730L (what’s this?)
Series: 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers Series, #1
By: Gordon Korman
Summary: The clue hunt is over, two years have passed and Dan and Amy are back in school. Their au pair, Nellie is away at school in France (for culinary lessons, of course), Uncle Fiske is off and the teens are basically taking care of themselves in the newly rebuilt version of Grace’s mansion. Amy even has a boyfriend! Everything seems to be doing fine when all of a sudden Cahills start disappearing. Even the school bus with Dan and Amy on it is attacked. The two manage to whip the attackers into shape, but when they get the message about their family members being kidnapped and they will be killed if the younger family members (all from the clue hunt) do not follow all directions. The only other “family” that knows about the clues and wants all that power are the Vespers. The person ransoming the Cahills is Vesper 1. With the help of the cousins, Amy and Dan start a new search for whatever Vesper 1 wants in exchange for their loved ones. It leads them into an art heist for The Medusa and a few other wild adventures. The two travel through Italy gathering a different type of clue.
My thoughts: I love this series. I was actually hoping that it would end up being 39 books, but know that would get redundant. I enjoy the adventure of Indiana Jones type searches with the historical information thrown in. This book is no different. I enjoyed the quick pace with bits of history thrown in. The discussion of art and art history was tied directly to art heists and several close calls. This gives me an opportunity to learn while I root for my favorite duo. Also, there is historical information that I haven’t heard much about. It gives me an excuse to look up what “really” happened to the person the book references. In any other situation, I would not even think about it. The difference between this book and previous 39 clues books is that it’s not just Amy and Dan anymore. All of the cousins are working together for a common goal. They get along and each strength shines through. We are now free to love all of the family, instead of being suspicious of all motives. Also, this book is a little darker than previous books. Dan is depressed, the Vespers are completely ruthless, and there are outsiders that are getting into trouble without the Cahill training. I wonder if we know who Vesper 1 is. I’ve enjoyed the fact that we don’t know yet. That means there are more books to come! I’ve really enjoyed these quick reads and can’t wait for the next version. (5 stars)
February 14, 2020
This is the real beginning of the second season of the series, Cahill vs. Vespers. I was extremely excited after highly rated Vespers Rising, and this one certainly doesn't disappoint.
I was surprised by the fact it starts two years after the end of the previous book - I was used to the small gap between the books in The Clue Hunt. In this one, we see that the decisions made and emotions felt by the end of Vespers Rising increased. Amy is a sixteen years old girl now, with a boyfriend (!) she fell in love with since she was fourteen (!!). Dan is the most fascinating one now since to see his inner changes is something that catches my attention badly. All his doubts are very pertinent after all they have been through until there.
The coolest thing of all is the return of all that action and travels and escapes and incredibly crazy plans that drew my attention back in the first season. Now the race is not just between the family members but all of them against this dangerous and unpredictable enemy called Vespers. The fight here is heavier and more dangerous.
Gordon Korman perfectly balanced the plot and the language to the target audience of the series, even with grown main characters - and this make us grow with them. The micro and macro revelations are surprising, the book is funny, agile e absolutely interesting. I'm an unconditional fan of it.
The elements of plots and characters are untouchable, it didn't receive the favorite icon because the author repeated two setences twice each of them, in different moment, as if he copied and pasted. Sentences that are known by the readers who got this far. It doesn't spoil the experience but I just couldn't not notice it. I'm looking forward to the next books.
"Global warming doesn't care what's in your bank account, [...]. Think it over."
"Hard experience had taught her that the biggest danger often lay in those factors that could not be prepared for."
" [...] people are unpredictable."
"Say your good-byes carefully, [...]. You never know when it's your last chance."
"If enough bad stuff happens, the bad becomes normal. Risks aren't risks when the consequences are no worse than your regular life."
I was surprised by the fact it starts two years after the end of the previous book - I was used to the small gap between the books in The Clue Hunt. In this one, we see that the decisions made and emotions felt by the end of Vespers Rising increased. Amy is a sixteen years old girl now, with a boyfriend (!) she fell in love with since she was fourteen (!!). Dan is the most fascinating one now since to see his inner changes is something that catches my attention badly. All his doubts are very pertinent after all they have been through until there.
The coolest thing of all is the return of all that action and travels and escapes and incredibly crazy plans that drew my attention back in the first season. Now the race is not just between the family members but all of them against this dangerous and unpredictable enemy called Vespers. The fight here is heavier and more dangerous.
Gordon Korman perfectly balanced the plot and the language to the target audience of the series, even with grown main characters - and this make us grow with them. The micro and macro revelations are surprising, the book is funny, agile e absolutely interesting. I'm an unconditional fan of it.
The elements of plots and characters are untouchable, it didn't receive the favorite icon because the author repeated two setences twice each of them, in different moment, as if he copied and pasted. Sentences that are known by the readers who got this far. It doesn't spoil the experience but I just couldn't not notice it. I'm looking forward to the next books.
"Global warming doesn't care what's in your bank account, [...]. Think it over."
"Hard experience had taught her that the biggest danger often lay in those factors that could not be prepared for."
" [...] people are unpredictable."
"Say your good-byes carefully, [...]. You never know when it's your last chance."
"If enough bad stuff happens, the bad becomes normal. Risks aren't risks when the consequences are no worse than your regular life."
November 8, 2011
I just finished listening to this first book in the second 39 Clues series on the way back from a trip to Pennsylvania this weekend. I find audiobooks are a wonderful way to pass the time in the car, and books that are action-packed like the 39 Clues are especially riveting. The story kept me awake as I drove six hours in the dark.
That said, I'm losing some of my enthusiasm for this storyline. Now Dan and Amy Cahill are having to band together with some of the very relatives who were trying to murder them just a few books ago in order to save their friends and family members from the evil Vespers, a group bent on destroying the Cahill family and stealing its most prized treasures.
Dan and Amy are two years older than they were at the end of the first series. Amy now has a boyfriend and has to learn how to negotiate trying to have a "normal" teenage relationship and being a Madrigal -- which means she periodically must drop everything at a moment's notice to go off on a dangerous adventure to the other side of the globe. She finds that it's hard to have her cake and eat it, too, at least until her boyfriend learns the truth.
Then there's young Dan. He was greatly changed by the events of the first series. His normally glib demeanor is still there, but there is a darker side to Dan, too. He's clearly suffering from a sort of PTSD and copes with trauma by withdrawing from the world and those around him.
The other characters are all still here, but somehow their having to "play nice" with one another has taken away some of their edge. I'm not sure the Vespers, as sinister as they are, make quite the nemeses that Ian and Natalie Cabra did in the first series.
That said, I'm losing some of my enthusiasm for this storyline. Now Dan and Amy Cahill are having to band together with some of the very relatives who were trying to murder them just a few books ago in order to save their friends and family members from the evil Vespers, a group bent on destroying the Cahill family and stealing its most prized treasures.
Dan and Amy are two years older than they were at the end of the first series. Amy now has a boyfriend and has to learn how to negotiate trying to have a "normal" teenage relationship and being a Madrigal -- which means she periodically must drop everything at a moment's notice to go off on a dangerous adventure to the other side of the globe. She finds that it's hard to have her cake and eat it, too, at least until her boyfriend learns the truth.
Then there's young Dan. He was greatly changed by the events of the first series. His normally glib demeanor is still there, but there is a darker side to Dan, too. He's clearly suffering from a sort of PTSD and copes with trauma by withdrawing from the world and those around him.
The other characters are all still here, but somehow their having to "play nice" with one another has taken away some of their edge. I'm not sure the Vespers, as sinister as they are, make quite the nemeses that Ian and Natalie Cabra did in the first series.
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