Debbie Winkler

Beyond the Grave

Book Review by Debbie Winkler

Series: The 39 Clues Series Book 4
Author: Jude Watson
Publisher: Scholastic Press (June 2009)
ISBN: 0545060443, EAN: 9780545060448
Page Count: 192 pages
Format: Hardcover + 6 game cards (for online game or collecting)

Target Age Group: 9 – 12
My Rating:  the break-neck pace continues!

Synopsis:
Amy & Dan Cahill escaped the death trap in Korea and are trying to move past the brutal betrayals of their cousins and uncle. All they have to guide them to the next clue is a drawing of a pyramid and the word Sakhet. So they set off for Egypt, hoping that they will discover more clues to keep them in the race to find the greatest treasure in the world. But before they can start searching, they realize that Irina Spasky, former KGB agent with poison-tipped fingernails, is hot on their trail! They manage to evade her, but then they stumble across an Ekaterina stronghold in a luxury Egyptian hotel. Seems that they are not the only ones who suspect that Alistair Oh is still alive – and there are those in the Ekaterina branch who hope for his demise. Luckily, an old friend of their Aunt Grace, Hilary, lives in Egypt and manages to rescue them just in time. She and her grandson, Theo, give them a few precious items that Grace left in their care and provide vital information to solving the next clue!

They need to find four jewel-eyed statues of Sakhet, an ancient Eygyptian goddess, and must search through bazaars, antiques shops and the ancient burial chambers of Egyptian queens. Hot on their heels are Irina Spasky, Alistair Oh, the Kabra cousins and someone else. After their experiences in Korea, Amy & Dan don’t know who to trust. Amy especially cannot get over Ian Kabra’s betrayal. Did he really feel anything for her at all or was he just flirting to get information from her? While searching through the desert sands, Amy & Dan learn more about the Cahill family branches, leave false clues behind them to throw their family off their tracks, are haunted by a ghost in a mummy’s tomb, and are left to feed the crocodiles of the Nile. With a family like this, who needs enemies?!

Review:
There are many series that you can read out of order or skip books and not miss out on any information. This is not one of them. I strongly encourage you to begin the series at the beginning: #1 is The Maze of Bones, #2 is One False Note, and #3 is The Sword Thief. Each author gives a synopsis of previous plot lines that are pertinent to the ongoing story line so you can get the gist of what is happening, but you miss out on a lot of the mystery and more subtle story lines so I don’t recommend it. Also, you will want to purchase the books yourself so that you can play the online games and collect all of the clue cards (which is half the fun!). You can only use the code on the cards once so siblings cannot share, but you can play the games and the missions multiple times online so everyone can get a turn.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written by veteran children’s author, Jude Watson, who gave great descriptions of Egypt and managed to balance historical information with action to keep the reader interested. I think that Amy & Dan Cahill are finally hitting their stride in this book and are really starting to gel as a team. They still have weaknesses and drive each other crazy sometimes, but they have settled in and are in it to win it. They are not letting anything hold them back and they are determined to press forward. They are changing, but not always for the better. Amy & Dan are much more suspicious (with good reason) and are starting to play the game. They leave false trails and misleading clues for other Cahill members to give them more time to get to the final clue first. I felt that they are really starting to mature as characters and that the authors all seem to have a handle on them now so they are becoming more real. There are also more plot twists and surprises, which will be fun for children & adults to guess what is going to happen next and try to solve the mystery on their own before it is revealed.

Content:
This book is completely appropriate for children as it was written for children. There is a lot of intense action and many of the characters go out of their way to try to purposefully harm or kill the lead characters, but they always manage to escape. Amy & Dan are placed in many precarious positions and face betrayal by people who seem to be their friends and allies, but they are not seriously harmed. It is like an Amazing Race for children! As the series goes on, the lines between good and evil become more blurred and there are a lot more shades of grey than flat black and white. Parents may need to discuss ethics with their children or if the ends really justifies the means. Other than that, the book is clean and appropriate for children of all ages! The website is also completely safe and you can leave your child happily playing unattended for hours on this carefully monitored site. A great option for both boys & girls who enjoy adventure!

Other Recommendations :

1. One Foot in the Grave Review
2. The Maze of Bones Review
3. The Story of Cirrus Flux Review
4. Birdie’s Book Book Review
5. The Postcard Book Review