I decided not to use the publisher's summary, because it pretty much tells the entire story except for the ending. That right there indicates a problem.
When I am reading a book, I am strongly influenced by whatever I just finished reading. I recently read through all the Harry Potter books, which are outstanding. Nothing can compare to Harry Potter. I'm still jazzed by it and have been spending time in the Harry Potter subreddits. No Nancy Drew Diaries book can compare to Harry Potter, so that undoubtedly influenced my opinion. Even so, I don't think this is that good of a book.
I hadn't read the publisher's summary when I started the book, which is just as well for the reason I already stated. Despite not reading the summary, I knew on the very first page that it was sabotage.
Once I was a few pages into the book, I asked myself why I was reading it. Why am I continuing to support this series? I don't know. Every story is the same.
I found this book to be quite bland, lacking description and characterization. The book is just words on pages telling a story of sabotage for the umpteenth time in the Nancy Drew franchise.
This part of my review of Nancy Drew Diaries #10 A Script for Danger is relevant.
It's like Simon and Schuster is playing Nancy Drew Mad Libs. Each book must center around sabotage, and they switch around names and places, making up another generic sabotage story.
That really is what they are doing. Each book is the same story.
Nancy and her friends travel to __________ to visit Nancy's __________ at their new __________. The __________ is having problems. Perhaps someone is sabotaging the __________. Nancy must find the saboteur before it is too late.
This is so boring. The book never gave me reason to care.
Since the folks at Simon & Schuster cannot come up with any interesting Nancy Drew stories, perhaps the time has come for them to introduce the supernatural in the books. Let's get some werewolves and vampires involved.
Look, I am joking, but not completely. While I don't want the supernatural in the books, I do want an interesting plot that isn't the same recycled sabotage. The franchise needs new life to be breathed into it. It is possible to write an engaging story that is not sabotage. It really is, Simon & Schuster!
In fairness, Simon & Schuster has fixed most of my complaints about the Nancy Drew Diaries series. I took a list of how the books should be from one of my old posts.
1. The case is urgent.
Fail - I didn't feel any urgency.
2. Nancy doesn't go to the restroom.
Pass - no restroom.
3. Nancy's sleuthing abilities aren't belittled.
Pass
4. Nancy is confident.
Pass
5. Nancy has above average abilities.
Not sure. It might have more been writer's magic. I don't see how she guessed the solution to the treasure.
6. Technology is used properly.
Pass
I am glad that those problems have been fixed. Now we have just one lingering problem: sabotage. Could we fix that as well? Pretty please?
My closing statement in my review of Nancy Drew Diaries #13 The Mystery at Grey Fox Inn could be applied to this book.
This is a good book overall, but I've read this same story a few dozen times and have grown tired of the predictable plot.
As I read Captain Stone's Revenge, I was never remotely interested in the plot. Nothing about the book appealed to me.
The above commentary was written in January. I was puzzled when early reviews were favorable. I wondered why other people liked the book when I didn't. A couple of later reviews were decidedly lukewarm. Nevertheless, I still wondered if I was being too harsh. Perhaps I expect too much of S&S. I didn't think so, but I decided to hold this post until after I was able to read Hardy Boys Adventures #25 The Smuggler's Legacy. I finally read that book this week.
At least I now know that I wasn't being unduly harsh. I went into The Smuggler's Legacy expecting the worst and was pleasantly surprised. I'm not the problem; the creative team at S&S is.
I leave you with this: A better ghost writer makes for a better product. The Hardy Boys Adventures series overall has better ghost writers than the Nancy Drew Diaries series. That and the Hardy Boys Adventures series tends to avoid sabotage. It's disappointing that the Nancy Drew Diaries series is stuck with ghost writers who only know how to write about sabotage.
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