The 39 Clues Book Two: One False Note by Gordon Korman
(Rated: C)
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 978-0-545-06042-4
Published Dec 2, 2008
Hardcover, 174 pages

After reading the first book in this series, I eagerly anticipated reading the second. Would it be as highly entertaining, filled with adventure, near-misses, and heart-stopping chases? You bet!

The story continues as the duo team of 14 year-old Amy Cahill and 11 year-old brother Dan Cahill travel to Austria and Italy to find the second clue in their quest to find the 39 Clues that will lead them to great power. In the first book we learned about Ben Franklin, and in this second we learn about Wolfgang Mozart and his sister, Nannerl. The same characters introduced in the first book—the power hungry relatives on the same hunt—return in this one, although they are not developed at all in this book. So if you haven’t read the first book, The Maze of Bones, you may not appreciate them as rivals.

This panoply of characters with their distinct and quirky personalities have their strengths which Amy and Dan must supercede to win the race to find all 39 Clues. For this reason I strongly suggest reading the first book before any of the others. In the first book we learn that Amy and Dan’s parents died mysteriously and we meet their grandmother, Grace Cahill, who introduces this chase through her will, after she dies. The second book makes references to these events and others, as well. I am more than positive revelations about their family will be explored in upcoming books.

I also noted that each book is written by different authors. As of today 6 of the 10 books are available for purchase.

Book 1: Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (creator of this series)
Book 2: One False Note by Gordon Korman, one of my favorite authors as a child
Book 3: The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis
Book 4: Beyond The Grave by Jude Watson
Book 5: The Black Circle by Patrick Carman
Book 6: In Too Deep by Jude Watson
Book 7: The Viper’s Nest by Peter Lerangis (available Feb 2, 2010)
Book 8: (title not yet available) by Gordon Korman (available April 6, 2010)
Book 9: (title not yet available) by Linda Sue Parker (available June 8, 2010)
Book 10: (title not yet available) by Margaret Peterson Haddix (available August 31, 2010)

I wonder if having different authors for each of the books will disrupt the flow of the storyline. However, the books are more action-driven than character-driven. The list shows authors who are renowned for their success with their own novels, and I think they will contribute well to the series. I now look forward to reading the third book.

Disclosure: Thank you to Nikole from Scholastic Canada for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.