Cahills vs. Vespers Book 6 - The 39 Clues

David Baldacci writes like a newbie role-player. I really, really wish that someone else had written this book. This guy thinks that the best way to solve a love triangle is to kill off one person. Just brilliant. He butchered several characters' personalities, made some very improbable (more than usual, that is) things happen, and shoved some characters that were getting lots of nice development in other books into the corner. He left things hanging, things that were hinted at in previous books, and anything that he did manage to conclude was cliche. You're better off imagining your own ending.

My daughter, 11, writes: I used to like cahills vs vespers and when being my age its hard to be disappointed,but this book did. the characters weren't themselves and I for one thought it was boring and I didn't like it at all.

I read everything David Baldacci writes, he's my favorite author! I wasn't expecting this book to have kids as the main characters! I just don't like this type of fiction (kids doing all this things, running around the country and our intelligence knows nothing about it!! Ridiculous!!

Great book! Hated to lose key players but the nature of the plot demanded it. Looking forward to new adventures with the Cahill kids. Lots of life to live yet and untold adventurers to be shared with riveted readers for years to come.

Balducci let himself and his readers down with this book what a crock of rubbish!!! I didn't anticipate a badly written children's book when placing my order for this rubbish could only bear reading half the book before deleting it.
A waste of my time and money!

my Granddaughter loved this one the best of all. She won't let me donate it to the library because she wants to listen again. Hopefully there will be more storiea of Amy & Dan growing up . This can't be the end.

A book for elementary school children. Did not realize Baldacci had written children's books. Far departure from his usual thrillers. Wouldn't recommend it as adult reading but good for your 4th and 5th graders

Totally fantasy and Balducci can do so much better. The plot of destroying the world with a time machine stored in a mountain is unrealistic and the tribes/families that go along with it. Very disappointed.

Great book! Hated to lose key players but the nature of the plot demanded it. Looking forward to new adventures with the Cahill kids. Lots of life to live yet and untold adventurers to be shared with riveted readers for years to come.

my Granddaughter loved this one the best of all. She won't let me donate it to the library because she wants to listen again. Hopefully there will be more storiea of Amy & Dan growing up . This can't be the end.

For anyone who loves to read suspense novels, David Baldacci is the only author today who can keep the pages flipping. James Patterson and others have nothing on this writer. When a book makes my palms sweat, its a good book. I enjoy John Grisham but his novels never made my palms sweat except in "A Time to Kill".

*Warning: Might contain a few minor spoilers*

I am a huge fan of the 39 Clues series and this really let me down. I thought that there was practically no character development and a whole lot of false character traits in some of the . . . well, characters. To me, Amy Cahill is one of the biggest examples here. Who is this Day of Doom character? It's not the Amy we know and love. No offence to the author, but he just made an intellectual young girl into a Bella Swann wannabe.

Also some characters were fading into the shadows. *cough* Ian, Jonah, Hamilton *cough*. I think that those three are some of the most important characters in both series and I would have loved to see more of them. So I was very disappointed.

And there is another very big problem. Since when did this book switch into the romance genre? Oh that's right. NEVER! So I'm wondering where the action is! Stop with the Jamy! That was soooo over the top! If they wanted to get Jake and Amy together, they shouldn't change the personality of the female completely. This may be a children's book, but we're not stupid. We know that love or crushes don't work the way they portray it. The so called romance seriously ruined this book.

Another problem is that I felt the book was WAY too rushed. Too short and not enough detail or explanations to fit in. I see that this has upset a lot of people.

On the other hand, there were some good points.

We saw Dan Cahill coming back to his usual goofy self and I really liked that. And though there were some very unfortunate deaths, some tugged on my heart and made me cry. There were also some hooks that made you want to turn the page to find out more!

Overall, I would give this book two stars at the most. It has some nice points, but not enough to satisfy me.

This last book in the Cahill/Vesper series was such a HUGE disappointment! As I read this one, I kept 'falling out of the dream' because of the silly dialogue, huge plot gaps, characters' illogical or unbelievable actions, and the author's overly obvious attempts to make this sound like a 'tween/young adult' book (including bodily function humor. I mean...seriously!?!). There was even a bit of crude language in this one, which was never an issue in the other 15 Cahill books.

I seriously wonder if the author even read any of the previous books. If so, he certainly was unable to capture the 'voice' of most of the characters. It actually became a chore to finish this book, which was really frustrating since we had been so looking forward to its release. So bummed.

Scholastic definitely mailed it in on this one.

Really, I read borrowed this book from my friend. I don't think that this author knew the previous story very well and, more like this, doesnt know the CHARACTERS very well. Really, FISKE CURSES? You've got to be kidding me. Where did that fiery personality come from? And killing off Natalie and Evan? I can't even comment on that one, along with Isabel Kabra going crazy. I honestly think that this book might have well just ended the series. This book would've definitely been better off with a different author.

P.S. Wayyyy to much action in the book, need to slow it down and GIVE DETAILS!!!

This book was extremely disappointing. The series just comes to the point when "Amy has Evan, but then there's Jake? Oh, but Amy doesn't want to dump Evan? Better kill off the most awesome character in the Cahills vs Vespers series, Evan Tolliver!" I had become very close to Evan, and I was very angry to see two major people die in this book. The first one to be Natalie Kabra, and by her death, this series will lose much of the funny aspect that was there whenever Natalie was there. The other, of course, was Evan. He was just an average smart guy, who just got caught in the Cahill's business. Later, in Unstoppable, Amy says that Evan never knew that she was going to dump him for Jake. That is the worst thing to say when Amy is looking at Evan's tombstone. So all in all, this book was a one star book. It added an aspect to the 39 clues world that none of the fans ever wanted.

First, I will talk about the details that David Baldacci put into the book. I am now done talking about the details that David Baldacci put into the book. Next, I will talk about the very interesting plot. I am now done talking about the very interesting plot. Finally, I will talk about how inaccurate the other reviews are. I am now done talking about how inaccurate the other reviews are. I recommend that you buy the book, and read it. I am now done with my review.

Mom note: Seriously, my fourth grader wrote this!

"Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines." -- Hebrews 13:9 (NKJV)

Having a variety of authors can be a great blessing to a series such as this one. They can each bring something fresh and interesting to the story outline, along with their own unique styles. Occasionally, such a choice will misfire. That's what appears to have happened here.

I don't know why David Baldacci departed from the character profiles by so much in this story, but it could be that no one was willing to tell him that he blew it. After all, he might get grumpy and not help out again. Publishers worry about such things. Readers should hope that he won't come back to the 39 clues.

The Cahills vs. Vespers series started off with great promise ... and sustained it pretty well through five books. Then, well, we have Day of Doom ... which doomed the series.

I don't see how you can avoid reading Day of Doom ... because you'll want to know how this series ends. But you won't want to own this book. Borrow it from a friend or the library. I'm sure there's no long list to take it out.

If you think you want to read a David Baldacci thriller, try The Hit instead.

Check out the reviews before you start reading any future series about the 39 clues characters.

usaully i LOVE these books but did this author turn into a ZOMBIE or something?i mean,really David?you made Jonah look like an absessed wierdo,hamilton was not mentioned nearly enough also, during the entire series where the HECK was Madison Holt?sure they mentoined her in unstoppable but did you even hear the name Madison through hhe series Atticus said words i didnt know he knew.amy was just....a......what is that word?oh ya, a messed up pile of nothing! i enjoyed the Amy and Jake conclusion but i mean really?she has so much potentail (sorry i cant spell right today)also remember chapter two?oh thier looking at each other thier looking at each other then WHAM!!!!like one or two chapters later amy screams at jake also jake took over atticus;s personality by being the real one with a 7,3445,3445 IQ.amy was not charming or leading like we used to know her from the first series and previose books. David im sorry but you can do better and you stunk!if you right another,take my advice and everyone elses and read up on thier family history,and personalities ,please thank you very,very,VERY much and thx to all of my fellow review for telling this guy he didnt read up on these poor charcters.PEACE OUT!!!!!! :) :(

This book was the closing of the Cahills vs. Vespers series, and it was absolutely horrendous. I'm sorry, but David Baldacci simply did not write this book correctly. His writing style was way out of line from what the other authors kept too, and it sounded disjointed and awkward. And the characters were COMPLETELY changed. Amy became a lovesick slop, and Ian, Evan and Hamilton were hardly mentioned. The plot was okay, but I was so excited for a real thriller as the finale that I was really let down. All in all, you should read it if you have read all the other 39 Clues books, just to know what happens, but be prepared to be disappointed.

It is literally my least favorite 39 Clues books for so many reasons. It took me months to get through this book, where it only takes me days (usually three at the most) to get through the other books in the series.

It's written like amateur fanfiction, and I was so disappointed in Amy, which really hurt because she's one of my two favorite characters. I don't like what she did to Evan (constantly kissing Jake and having no remorse about cheating on Evan). For the record, I don't like Amy/Jake or Amy/Evan, but I just felt like in any of the other books, Amy wouldn't have done what she did (more than once, that is).

There were so many other problems, but I don't have the time to sit here and go through all of them.

I was so desperate to wash my hands of this book and get the newest one into them that I finished the next one in two days. If you can get through Day of Doom, I promise, it gets so, so much better. I hope Baldacci never writes another 39 Clues book again.

SPOILERS
I am an adult but have enjoying the 9 Clues and Cahills vs. Vespers. I disliked the final book for several reasons.
1. The characters were hollow and not "themselves" as developed in prior books.
2. The book felt like it was written as a chore to finish the series. It felt like they considered the series done so this book doesn't matter.
3. The author had no idea how the kids in the series speak and so he used "sucks" very often. So often it lost its impact.
4. The death of Evan was too convenient.
5. I had the audio book version and I believe that there was some kind of error in production. I believe some pages are missing at the very end. Chapter 39 ends with the Cahills blacking out in the explosion. That is the end of the book. The next chapter is interviews with news crews about the kids being under investigation for art theft after having returned one of the paintings. These kids are super smart and yet they couldn't return the painting in anonymously? Also, how did they suddenly get the painting from the Vesper stash? This might be in the pages missing from the recorded version. Now, apparently though, I do not see a way for them to live a normal life with being hounded by the press. Perhaps the entire book was "doomed" due to poor editing.
The following are story related issues that border on just bad writing:
6. The idea that the Doomsday machine worked by flipping the magnetic poles was weak since this has occurred many times over the earth's history. The reason that the effect would so disastrous this time, is that the machine would cause it to happen all at once. This added information about why the switch in polarity would be so dangerous is not mentioned until very late in the book. It was as if someone pointed out that the effect of switching the polarity would not bring the doom, so the author had to quickly add this point later on in the story. It would have made much more sense had it mentioned initially when they found out what the machine does and how devastating it would be. Also, if the machine was going to instantly switch the poles, then how did Vesper One turn the machine on low power for minimal power for some of the effects? Wouldn't it be all or nothing?
7. In the series, there are of course events which are not likely to happen. That comes with the territory and is fine. However, in this last book, some are so ridiculous that I could not suspend disbelief. For example, it is really unlikely a movie clip on a cell phone could produce the sound of a helicopter and police coming in so realistically that it would have fooled both Vesper Two and her troops.

Very disappointing read, especially if you have read the other books in the series. It seems like David B. Has not read the other books and is constantly popping in unneeded, klunky sentences. Also, the characters personality's have changed almost completely. Amy has turned into some boy crazy girl who is almost unrecognizable from the original character that I first connected with. A lot of the other characters have lost their shine as well, doing and saying things that are completely out of place for the personalities that were established with the other authors. Normally I will zip through a 39 clues book within a day or so but I have been putting this one off because it is so frustrating to read. The plot is OK but I really wish a different author had written it. This book is fine for knowing what happens next but if you value the other books in the series it not enjoyable.

This may include spoilers.

This was, so without a doubt, the WORST 39 clues book ever! In truth I only finished the series to see if Amy and Jake become a couple, but the way that happened was SUPER cheesy! I mean, they still despised each other in Trust No One, and now they,re saying they love each other? Come on!! Also, Amy gAve Evan's death like 2 seconds of grieving, then just shrugged it off like it was nothing!!! And I found that there were some parts where you forgot that Atticus was in the room. They also didn't really explain everything about Guardians and just why they were so serious and important. All in all, everything felt rushed. I liked the first three Cahills vs. Vespers, but after Shatterproof, everything went downhill. Defiantly not worth what I paid for.

The Day of Doom was terrible compared to its preceding books. It's plot felt way too rushed and some vital characters seem to be fading into the background. I would really like to see more of Hamilton and Jonah. And this author makes Atticus look like a freak! He's an eleven year old genius and David Baldacci seems to just keep Atticus around because he has to. Atticus says all the stupid comments and the only decent part he has is talking to Isabel. Isabel also seemed really weak in this book. Even though she's evil to the bone, everyone loves a good villain. *SPOILER* She starts screaming when she hears Dan's MP3 DOWNLOAD. That made me mad because the Cahill siblings always use their brains to get out of problem, not a MOVIE RECORDING! Also, this book has a lot of guns. EVERYONE HAS A GUN! Like I said before, The Cahills use their brains, not materials. The guns kinda ruined it for me. And the interactions between Sinead and Amy... EWW! It's so sappy and- FRIENDSHIPPY!

Amy: "I'm looking forward to be your friend again."
Sinead: "Even after all the horrible things I've done?"
Amy: "Yea! Of course! I mean we're, like, family. Right? Now lets share an awkward hug that gags our audience."

Granted, it didn't go EXACTLY like that, but it was just as disgusting. I don't have anything against sad. There's just a fine line between sad and LAME. And, yes, this was lame.

BOTTOM LINE: Don't waste your money! If you want to finish the series, go to the library. But this is definitely not worth however much it costs.

Please note that my young teen/tween children contributed to this review.

Caution! This review contains spoilers.

We were disappointed in this book because it seemed very rushed. The characters were given no time for development. The storyline was jumpy and moved too fast. The previous authors seemed to have spent some time working together to develop the characters and the storyline throughout the series. While there were some hiccups in the character portrayals with the different authors, overall they moved in one direction. The previous authors had the characters maturing over the series. A couple of examples would be Hamilton proving he had brains as well as brawn and Jonah starting to read Shakespeare and expanding his world beyond his Hip-hop image. We were very disappointed in the reunion between Nellie and the kids, as well as the way the deaths of Natalie and Evan were written. Ian had begun to grow close to his sister and yet only a few sentences were given to his sister's death. As for Evan, his death was too convenient. How simple to just remove one character so that Amy doesn't have to make any tough decisions. The ending dream type sequence that Amy experienced, with Natalie skipping happily along with her mom in a heavenly setting, was ridiculous. In this book, all of the characters seemed relegated to their earliest portrayals and all of their growth throughout the series was ignored. Did David Baldacci even read the previous books? Did he want to write this book or did he just do it to get his name noticed by a younger audience? If so, it may not be the recognition he wanted. This story could have easily been made into two books. The characters and story could have been given more depth and emotion. Instead, it feels as though the story was written just to get it out of the way and wrap things up without any thought for the readers.

I absolutely loved the first series, the second series was a little slow, but since I loved the first so much I decided to stick with it. Trust No One ended on a cliff-hanger, so I was really excited for this one. It was a HUGE letdown. My two favorite characters die and the evil character turns good. The lamest thing authors can do is kill a character, then bring them back to life, and guess what!?!?!?!?! That's what he did! The writing was horrible, and the boring parts were too long, and the exciting parts were too short. David Baldacci if you think you can blow this off because it's a children's book, you are wrong!