aemkea's review against another edition
I read several of these in my childhood, but not all of them.
rebeccatc's review against another edition
4.0
I needed a book in a series with more than 20 books for my reading challenge, so I grabbed this off my daughter's book shelf. I'm sure I read it as a child but I didn't remember the plot. It's hard to believe this book was written in 1930 -- I didn't realize it was so old! This was a clever little mystery and Nancy Drew was a likeable character who was quite progressive for her time. Some aspects are quite dated -- described as "good looking" and obviously quite affluent, Nancy is 18 years old and seems to be out of high school, but has no real employment other than helping her lawyer father occasionally and assisting their live-in housekeeper, Hannah Grueber, with running errands. On the other hand, she drives a convertible, changes her own tire, saves herself and others on more than one occasion and does not hesitate to express her opinion, even to men her senior. She's a kind person who wants to help less fortunate people and showed a lot of courage (if foolishness) in trying to solve the mystery of missing will. I really enjoyed the nostalgia of reading this.
thinkingbookishthoughts's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
kaysea98's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
hstapp's review against another edition
2.0
Just reread this book for the first time in many years. It's okay. The beginning is very dull though it does pick up a bit later. It's still not a very exciting adventure or elaborate mystery.
I know it's the introductory book in the series but doesn't give me much hope of enjoying these books like I did in my youth.
I know it's the introductory book in the series but doesn't give me much hope of enjoying these books like I did in my youth.
jkoncurat's review against another edition
3.0
Synopsis (no spoilers): Josiah Crowley has died. His will leaves all the money to the Topham family. However, multiple financially struggling families had been told by Josiah he would leave money to them. Now, Nancy Drew is on the case, trying to find a later will that will leave the money to the right beneficiaries.
Review: This book isn't for me, and that's okay. Nancy Drew is less a good detective and more just lucky. She's kind to random people, and stumbles onto clues as a result of her kindness. She's rich, with a lawyer for a father and a fancy blue convertible she flashes around the countryside. Nancy chooses to help people simply because she's board. A book with no stakes, a vanilla lead, and a painfully predictable mystery, The Secret of the Old Clock is fine, but it's mostly just boring.
Content Warnings:
none
Review: This book isn't for me, and that's okay. Nancy Drew is less a good detective and more just lucky. She's kind to random people, and stumbles onto clues as a result of her kindness. She's rich, with a lawyer for a father and a fancy blue convertible she flashes around the countryside. Nancy chooses to help people simply because she's board. A book with no stakes, a vanilla lead, and a painfully predictable mystery, The Secret of the Old Clock is fine, but it's mostly just boring.
Content Warnings:
none
bibliotequeish's review against another edition
I had this book as a youngster (It's still at my parents)
To me Nancy Drew was the height of sophistication and bravery.
Nancy Drew did scare me when I was young, and this is just the kind of book I would like to re read as an adult.
To me Nancy Drew was the height of sophistication and bravery.
Nancy Drew did scare me when I was young, and this is just the kind of book I would like to re read as an adult.
panics70's review against another edition
5.0
This is my first ever Nancy Drew book and it was great to share it with my daughter. We both enjoyed this book and I’m sure we will go through the entire series available at our library.
Strong smart female characters. The male characters were all intelligent, kind, and respectful. (Except the bad guys, of course!) I wasn’t pulled into the mystery, but the strength of the characters kept me interested start to finish.
Strong smart female characters. The male characters were all intelligent, kind, and respectful. (Except the bad guys, of course!) I wasn’t pulled into the mystery, but the strength of the characters kept me interested start to finish.