The Maze of Bones

I've heard a lot about the 39 Clues series, so I decided to read the first book, The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (who also happens to be an author I really like).  It is about Dan and Amy Cahill who are raised by their great-aunt since their parents died years earlier.  When their grandmother dies and leaves behind a mysterious will, Dan and Amy decide to accept a challenge rather than $1 million.  The challenge will leave them (and other family members, their competition) to find 39 clues, which will apparently lead them to the most powerful treasure in the world.

I'm surprised that I didn't really enjoy this book too much.  I love Rick Riordan's other books, and this series is so popular, I expected to be really into it.  But, I just felt like the characters weren't super well developed, so I couldn't build the connection with them that I wanted to.  That led to me feeling like parts of the story were just unrealistic.  I think the plot is a fun idea, but it just dragged on with a lot of searching for clues without any idea about where this is going to lead.  I did think the book was kind of interesting with lots of connections to Benjamin Franklin and his history.  I wouldn't consider it a wasted read, but it wasn't my kind of book.

Rating: * (1/3 = It was okay)