Into the Gauntlet
The 39 Clues #10
by Margaret Peterson Haddix

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s mystery, adventure

Spoiler notice: The following review will contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Maze of Bones.

The Cahill family has been split for many generations, and now it’s up to Amy and Dan to reunite them. But the fighting only intensifies as all five branches race toward the final clue.

The finale was both as exciting and as messy as the rest of the series. Taken on its own, I probably would have actually rated this book 3-3.5 stars, but I really enjoyed the series overall, so I’m leaving it at 4. But the finale just didn’t seem as smooth and well thought-out as I’d hoped for from this set-up. That might be an issue with having mostly different authors throughout, or more specifically with bringing in an author for the final book that wasn’t part of the rest of it at all.

One thing in particular that made me scratch my head is the inclusion of a team that has been out of the hunt since the very first book. If it was planned all along to bring them back at the end, I would have appreciated a reminder of them here and there throughout the series, because my aging brain had a very difficult time remembering that they ever existed when they suddenly showed back up. If it was not planned all along to bring them back…why do it? Their branch is already well-represented by someone who’s been a pretty big part of the series all along. Having him and this returning team part of the final showdown sort of bloats it in a way I don’t understand.

In the end, the finale isn’t a whole lot different than I expected, and it’s a bit saccharine, but I do think the author does a decent job of building on the minor changes in mindset in some of these characters in the latter books to culminate in an ending that doesn’t just come out of nowhere. If one can look past the characterization or continuity issues caused by multiple authors, this series is a lot of fun. And those in the age range it’s meant for, around 10-14, who like adventure and mystery will probably enjoy the series.

Find out more about Into the Gauntlet

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!