THE NAME OF THIS BOOK IS SECRET
The Secret Series , Vol. 1by Pseudonymous Bosch | Publication: January 1, 2007
Little, Brown | Genre: Children’s Books
Rating: ★★★★
Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee 2008,
Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award 2011,
Lauer Lufti 2010
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Warning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances. And he certainly wouldn't want you to know about the hair-raising adventures that follow and the nefarious villains they face. You see, not only is the name of this book secret, the story inside is, too. For it concerns a secret. A Big Secret.
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"Why bother? Warnings will not stop you from reading this anyways."
There is a perk when a book’s name is secret –we can name it however we like. Besides, it was written by a person under a false name. The catch is, since we’ve read it and named it, we also have to share in keeping its secrets. Or not, if we like treading on the edge and dipping a toe in the waters.
The author took his time giving an ample warning on whoever opened this book. He said that it is for our own safety that we don’t read it at all. And he never fails to interject this same warning throughout the story. It was really very considerate of him, but there’s no stopping a curious reader. Really.
“Generally speaking, books don't cause much harm.
Except when you read them, that is.
Then they cause all kinds of problems.”
Our two very unlikely protagonists are Cass and Max-Ernest. Both are very peculiar, too. Cass believes herself as a survivalist — she carries a survival-equipped backpack every time and has a penchant in warning people of any probable (and improbable) danger around. But for a survivalist, she is quite impulsive. Meanwhile, Max-Earnest is a chatterbox. He has a long-winded explanation of why his name is Max-Ernest, and why his parents live apart in the same house. They are apparently driving him crazy because of their parenting rivalry, earning him needed sessions with different shrinks. And in spite of his poor attempts in humor, he is actually really smart. Bosch sure knows how to make his characters extra special.
Their collaboration was born of curiosity and an affinity for having no other peers. Their adventure started with a mysterious box called The Symphony of Smells which was part of the artifacts found in a late magician’s house. Curiosity led them investigating the said house and bumped into our villains, Dr. L, and Mrs. Mauvais. Whatever they are looking for, Cass and Max-Ernest got away with it. That's not the end of it though, sooner than they expected, these two villains struck again and abducted a boy from their school. Cass then set out for a rescue mission.
I really love the tone of this book, the friendly narration, while being mysterious enough to keep the reader’s attention. The characters are charming and humorous. The plot is nothing new, but it still offers something unique and interesting. I thought that the family sets featured here were great and something we can learn from. I recommend this book (and the entire series) to those who like adventures, heroic characters, and solving mysteries. And even if you are only a third of that, I’m sure you’re curious enough to read this.
“For the magician's story, you must have all your wits about you.
No wandering minds allowed.”
There is a perk when a book’s name is secret –we can name it however we like. Besides, it was written by a person under a false name. The catch is, since we’ve read it and named it, we also have to share in keeping its secrets. Or not, if we like treading on the edge and dipping a toe in the waters.
The author took his time giving an ample warning on whoever opened this book. He said that it is for our own safety that we don’t read it at all. And he never fails to interject this same warning throughout the story. It was really very considerate of him, but there’s no stopping a curious reader. Really.
Except when you read them, that is.
Then they cause all kinds of problems.”
Our two very unlikely protagonists are Cass and Max-Ernest. Both are very peculiar, too. Cass believes herself as a survivalist — she carries a survival-equipped backpack every time and has a penchant in warning people of any probable (and improbable) danger around. But for a survivalist, she is quite impulsive. Meanwhile, Max-Earnest is a chatterbox. He has a long-winded explanation of why his name is Max-Ernest, and why his parents live apart in the same house. They are apparently driving him crazy because of their parenting rivalry, earning him needed sessions with different shrinks. And in spite of his poor attempts in humor, he is actually really smart. Bosch sure knows how to make his characters extra special.
Their collaboration was born of curiosity and an affinity for having no other peers. Their adventure started with a mysterious box called The Symphony of Smells which was part of the artifacts found in a late magician’s house. Curiosity led them investigating the said house and bumped into our villains, Dr. L, and Mrs. Mauvais. Whatever they are looking for, Cass and Max-Ernest got away with it. That's not the end of it though, sooner than they expected, these two villains struck again and abducted a boy from their school. Cass then set out for a rescue mission.
I really love the tone of this book, the friendly narration, while being mysterious enough to keep the reader’s attention. The characters are charming and humorous. The plot is nothing new, but it still offers something unique and interesting. I thought that the family sets featured here were great and something we can learn from. I recommend this book (and the entire series) to those who like adventures, heroic characters, and solving mysteries. And even if you are only a third of that, I’m sure you’re curious enough to read this.
No wandering minds allowed.”
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About the Author:
Pseudonymous Bosch is the infamously anonymous author of the New York Times bestselling Secret Series and the Bad Books. Despite rumors to the contrary, his books are not actually written by his pet rabbit, Quiche; the rabbit is merely his typist.
Pseudonymous Bosch is the infamously anonymous author of the New York Times bestselling Secret Series and the Bad Books. Despite rumors to the contrary, his books are not actually written by his pet rabbit, Quiche; the rabbit is merely his typist.
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