Showing posts with label Spoilers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spoilers. Show all posts

Friday, July 31, 2015

Mission Hindenburg Live Blogging- Chapters 30-34

Disclaimer: This post WILL contain spoilers. If you haven't read the book yet, you may not want to read this post. 








We'll this is it. The last four chapters. I'm both terrified and ready for it to be over because I can't handle one more Carian moment.



"He really hoped he was right. He'd hate for his last words to his big sister to have been a lie." Ouch. That hurt. A lot. 

AGH. This is so stressful. 

I HATE THIS. "Do you trust me?" IAN, ONLY ALADDIN IS ALLOWED TO USE THAT PICK UP LINE. AND YOU ESPECIALLY AREN'T ALLOWED TO SAY IT TO CARA. 

Sorry, but the whole, "This is our last moment, I love you," thing was kind of lame.

....Wow. The Lucian airship blew. I find it very interesting Vikram didn't want Ian on board... He said he doesn't want any harm to come to Ian. Wow. 

Oh my gosh. IS THE OUTCAST TRYING TO MAKE THE SERUM TOO??? "One gram melted amber." If he is, he's a lot stupider than I thought. 

NO. AMY, YOU DO NOT LIKE CARA. HATE HER. 

I loved when Amy called the Outcast! It was super intense and awesome. Go, Amy!

YES! I knew Nathaniel was alive. This will be interesting. 

I loved the letter from Irina in the back of the book. Gosh, I miss her. 





Well, I finished the book! .....wow. I'm going to have a lot of posting to do on this.....



Mission Hindenburg Live Blogging- Chapters 24-29

Disclaimer: This post WILL contain spoilers. If you haven't read the book yet, you may not want to read this post. 







This is horrible. This is just....agh.


AMY, STOP CALLING IAN YOUR BROTHER. UGH. I WILL KILL YOU. 

YOU ARE NOT JUST FRIENDS. STOP. STOOOOOOOOOOOOOP. 

The Eriele/Cara/Ian fighting is driving me insane. Kill me. Please. 

So, Eriele just had them hide in a closet. I do NOT trust this chick. 

I KNEW SHE WAS EVIL!!!!!!!!!!! I KNEW IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phew. We're back to Sammy and Nellie. I needed a break from the other Cahills....

WHY DOES SAMMY HAVE A MAFIA TATTOO? Wait.....is it actually a mafia tattoo? Fe2+....isn't Fe the chemical symbol for iron? And the 2+ has something to do with electronic configuration? I took chemistry, but now I can't remember...

YES!!! I was right. Chemistry joke. Phew!

OH MY GOSH, YOU CAN'T CUT OFF THERE! DID HE SERIOUSLY NOT KILL NATHANIEL HARTFORD????

Aaaaaand, we're back to the kids. Hey, at least they got out of the broom closet. Woo hoo. 

.....I hate my life. 

WHY IS LONDON DOING THIS TO ME??? IF THERE IS ONE MORE CARIAN MOMENT I AM GOING TO SCREAM. 

UGH THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE WHYYYYYYYY???

Kill. Me. Now.

Mission Hindenburg Live Blogging- Chapters 20-23

Disclaimer: This post WILL contain spoilers. If you haven't read the book yet, you may not want to read this post. 





I'm back! I had to get food. Because tortilla chips go great with tears.



I can't believe that Dan actually had to jump!! That's insane. Also seriously far-fetched, but that's besides the point... Okay I have to rant. Where is any sense of reality in that???? Ugh. 

GO, NELLIE!!!!!!!! I love how easily she picked the handcuff lock. She's seriously awesome.

The fact that she burned Nathaniel's file....I don't know. I kind of think that she shouldn't have done that...

I'm really excited that Nellie wants to go to Lefortovo. I'm fascinated by Vladimir Spasky now. Their family is intense...

CARA PIERCE DONT YOU DARE SQUEEZE IAN'S HAND YOU LITTLE......

I feel bad for Ian, having to deal with his father again. He was obviously quite upset. I'm really surprised that Vikram just threw him out though, and didn't kill him. It's not very Kabra-like. 

OKAY ITS OFFICIAL ERIELE NEEDS TO TAKE A LONG WALK OFF A SHORT PIER. UGH UGH UGH. WE DO NOT NEED A THIRD GIRL!!!!!! WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS TO ME???? WHYYYYYYYYY? 

Excuse me while I go bury myself in a hole. With ice cream. 


Mission Hindenburg Live Blogging- Chapters 16-19

Disclaimer: This post WILL contain spoilers. If you haven't read the book yet, you may not want to read this post. 





Oh my gosh, Hamilton, Hamilton, Hamilton....he's not always the brightest. XD When he attacked the guy and threw his plastic trays out the window, I was laughing sooooo hard!!!! Hamilton also realized that Toby Griffin was on the ship-yet another Outcast ally. 

Meanwhile, Amy is on board the MIT ship. Did anyone else notice that the stutter made a comeback? Ah, first series...

Hmm, a new girl. Eriele. I'm not sure what to think. Let's face it, there's probably a 95% chance she's evil...

Hahaha, apparently Hamilton throwing the trays out the window made all of the ships come back to earth. Only a Holt.... XD

NELLIE AND SAMMY ARE BACK!!!! YAY!!!!! AND THEY'RE ALIVE!!! Well, for now.

I loved Nellie and Alek's argument about Irina. It was seriously awesome.

Wow. Reading Grace's kill order was intense. But it definitely didn't seem like she killed him just because he wanted a divorce. "N.H. has become a threat to more than just the tranquility of my home." "This is the hardest order I have ever given." Obviously he did something else. I also find it interesting that Irina and Alek's dad apparently killed him. I wonder if he's even more involved? 

I'm still wondering if Nathaniel is alive. And I also find it horrible that no one stood up for Vladimir Spasky- although maybe he did more evil than I'm currently aware..

I find it interesting that Alek didn't just shoot them, he instead left this with the possibility of getting free. Maybe there's more of his sister in him than I thought? Fingers crossed they both make it out.

Oh my gosh, Ian...you can't bribe police!!! So smart, yet so, so dumb...

I find it hilarious that they're just letting Ham go to jail XD

They got another text from the outcast- a poem with the line 'a boy falling out of the sky'. Dan still wasn't back. 

This is interesting! The parts with Nellie and Sammy are definitely my favorites. Now I need to know- what happened to Dan???

Mission Hindenburg Live Blogging - Chapters 11-15

Disclaimer: This post WILL contain spoilers. If you haven't read the book yet, you may not want to read this post. 




Here are all of my random thoughts/rants on these chapters!!

It was funny seeing Nellie and Sammy back in Russia, like in the original Clue Hunt. I really loved The Black Circle, it was a very cool book. Anyways, it was hilarious when the crowd of people started to chase Alek! XD I loved that. The fact that they're in the Lucian stronghold is kind of terrifying. I'm fascinated to see what they learn though....

(Also, just a question, SHOULDNT THEY BE WEARING GLOVES???)

They found Nathaniel Hartford's file.....

THEY DIDNT GET TO READ IT!!! ALEK CAME IN AND RUINED EVERYTHING!!! UGH!!!! 

Okay, okay I'm calm.

ACTUALLY I'M NOT. HE COULD KILL THEM! AND THE NEXT CHAPTER IS BACK TO THE KIDS! NO!

Jonah holds a press conference to distract people from the other Cahills. It was kind of funny, watching him go from hip hop to artsy Janus every thirty seconds. 

Oh. My. Gosh. His crazy mime routine... I'm dying. I'm literally sitting here just cracking up. XD I love Jonah...

Dan is on an airship with Melinda Toth, so he's far from safe. Is his airship the one that the Outcast wants to blow up? Dan doesn't think so, but you can never be too sure...

Dan has two options- leave by parachute, or body bag...

These chapters have been pretty funny, to be honest. BUT I NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS TO NELLIE!


Mission Hindenburg Live Blogging- Chapters 7-10

Disclaimer: This post WILL contain spoilers. If you haven't read the book yet, you may not want to read this post. 




These chapters were pretty good! Here are my thoughts throughout the reading-

*sigh* It was so sad when Ian was reminiscing about Natalie. I wish that she hadn't died....

THERE WAS A *TINY* AMIAN MOMENT!! I DONT CARE HOW TINY, IT WAS STILL THERE!!!! :D

...then he started thinking about Cara. -_-

WHAT THE HECK NELLIE IS BACK AND SHE'S FINE??? WHAT??? I mean I'm of course thrilled but WHAT???? There's no reference to what happened? If this isn't cleared up later, I'm going to be ticked. 

Apparently Vikram Kabra is involved with the airship competition. Surprise surprise, he's involved. I'm actually interested to read more about him, he's never really been mentioned much. 

SALADIN'S OKAY!!! YES!!!!! I'm so happy to read that. I was worried the Outcast would kill him. Hey, at least he's alive for now! And he's feeding him and everything, even if it's not red snapper. 

Alek has been assigned to go to Moscow to get rid of Nellie and Sammy. He apparently wants to avenge the death of his sister, Irina. 

It was kind of funny to see Dan get all nerdy-excited about space travel. He's getting more and more like his sister! XD

The Cahills have a theory that one of the spaceships is going to blow up- whichever one flies closest to the sun. The one closest to the sun would be the winning ship, so the ship that they're looking for would have to be the only one that isn't sabotaged. 

Aaaaaand, Ian's flipping out, surprise surprise. Amy isn't the type to blindly follow orders, and that's driving him crazy. Big shock there. XD

Seeing Ian flip was really funny, but it was kind of sad at the same time. He's under a to of pressure, and he's trying to do what he thinks is right. 

"As they stepped from the plane and piled into the limousine, he quietly feared he had just ordered at least one of them to step on board a flying bomb. If things went wrong, the death of one of his only friends would be on his hands."

THAT IS SO SAD!! Gah. It seriously kills me. 

Time to read again! Another post will be coming soon:)

Mission Hindenburg Live Blogging C 1-6 Add-In

OH! OH OH OH!!!!!

I. Am. Ticked.

IAN KABRA USED THE WORD LOVELY WHEN TALKING TO CARA. "Lovely driving."

NO NO NO. THIS IS NOT ALLOWED.

C. ALEXANDER LONDON, HOW DARE YOU. 

LOVELY IS ONLY FOR AMIAN. OKAY? OKAY.

UGH. 

Mission Hindenburg Live Blogging- Chapters 1-6

Disclaimer: This post WILL contain spoilers. If you haven't read the book yet, you may not want to read this post. 





.....wow. Just wow. That was an...interesting six chapters.

First off- the Outcast killed Beatrice. WHY????????? Agh. Okay, yes, Beatrice has always been evil. An evil, nosy busybody who nobody liked. But did she really need to die??? She just wanted a normal life away from the Cahills. So I'm kind of ticked off that she died. 

What's happened so far is that the Outcast murdered Beatrice, and then he sent a blimp with a message for the Cahills. They realized that the blimp had a bomb on board, and managed to warn everyone before it blew up. This is much too low scale to be the Outcast's big disaster though, so they still have to figure out what that is. Right now, they've decided to head to Greece, because they think the disaster may have something to do with an airship race to space. At the end of the chapter, it was revealed that Hamilton has a boyfriend.

To be honest, I was a bit upset by this. I feel like it was completely out of character for Hamilton, and just kind of thrown in there. It really wasn't necessary. Also, these books are generally marketed towards children ages 9-12. A lot of kids that age are not aware of this type of lifestyle, and I don't think that it should have been written in, especially so close to the end. It was just kind of out of nowhere, and I really didn't like that. 

Time to read some more! Ahhhh, nerves!!!

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Mission Titanic Review- WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS

WARNING: THIS POST HAS MAJOR MISSION TITANIC SPOILERS. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE SPOILERS, DO NOT READ THIS POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (If you would like a review of the book that does NOT have spoilers, click here)










Seriously, why are you still reading?








You're just asking for trouble. Please don't read this.







Do you not get the memo? This has spoilers! Do you really want to read it??





Okay, if you're still here at this point, then you ACTUALLY want to read this post, spoilers and all. Hi! :D First off, I'm so sorry that this post is so late coming out. It's not exactly a short post to write, thus it's taken me ages to put together. :( Sorry! I will accept my Bad Blogger award, and go sit in the corner with my Cone of Shame. But, it's here now, so sit back, grab some popcorn and tissues, and enjoy!

 I've got to say, I was impressed by this book, more so than I expected to be. I don't know why, but I just didn't expect a lot out of it. (Besides emotional trauma, of course. :P ) Well, Jude Watson pushed all those fears aside, and did a GREAT job with Mission Titanic. I couldn't put it down, it was so gripping! Not even kidding, I sat on a pile of beanbags and didn't stop until the entire book had been devoured. It was an emotional afternoon. Anyways, without further ado, let's get started!!

So, the book opens from the Outcast's POV. (There was no prologue to this book, which I was a teensy bit disappointed by. Just saying.) Oh my gosh, the Outcast is really cool! Okay, I know, I know, I shouldn't root for the villain. And I'm not! He's just a REALLY GOOD villain. We know from the very first chapter that the Outcast was obviously very close to Grace. We never learn in this book who the Outcast's identity is, but my bet is on Nathaniel Hartford. I DON'T THINK HE'S
 DEAD! And I mean, there's a lot of attention paid to him. Either Scholastic is being unusually surprising, or he's the Outcast.

Chapter Two opens with Ian, being....well, Ian. The arrogance is back, full force. I wasn't thrilled with that at first. I was seriously worried that Jude had ruined his characterization. Thank heavens she didn't. But in this chapter, it seemed as though Ian liked Cara a whole lot more than she liked him. (Did Jude REALLY have to call her his one true pairing? THEY ARE NOT OTP. NO. DON'T KILL US FANGIRLS LIKE THAT, JUDE. THAT WAS JUST MEAN.) I mean, he called her the butter on his crumpets. Really Ian? REALLY? No. Just no. YOU CAN'T DO THIS. OK? OK. Anyways, they realize that the big Cahill Summit meeting that has been planned for weeks has been moved to today. They also realize that Ian's tailor had been trying to stick him with pins dipped in sedative, to slow him down. Definitely not a good sign. Someone is trying to keep Ian off of his game, and he is not going to stand for it. This meeting is going to happen, and he is going to be the one in charge, not whoever is trying to throw him off. He walks out into the room that is now full of Cahills, and begins to speak with them. As he does, Saladin tears through the room, and ends up ripping Ian's pants. Poor Ian! XD I was laughing a lot though...

The scene changes, and we see Nellie at a cooking competition. As the judges are conferring, her phone buzzes with the Cahill alert. The winner is announced....NELLIE GOMEZ!! But Nellie is gone. She's always ready to be there for her kiddos... *sniff*...*SOB* I'm fine. Perfectly. Fine. Yep. No emotional trauma here.

The next chapter opens with Hamilton and Jonah on Jonah's tour. Hamilton is Jonah's official bodyguard, and the two boys are having the time of their lives. I really love this friendship. The two boys work so well together, and they have so much fun while doing it. (Which is why I won't be surprised at all if one of them gets killed of. Total stab in the heart. Please no.) But as Jonah is being interviewed, their phones also buzz with the Cahill alert. Ditching the tour and Jonah's agent, the two boys are gone.

Back in Attleboro, Ian's very shaken up. He's trying to figure out who might be plotting against him, and he just lost his pants in front of the most important Cahills in the world. Not exactly the best situation to be in. Ian begins his welcome speech, when the room goes black. A screen lights up to reveal an old man. He calls himself the Outcast.

Vikram Kabra also made a reappearance in this chapter. I was really surprised, I didn't know that we would see him again. Ugh, I can't stand that guy...I wish he'd died with Isabel. Ian doesn't need to still have to worry about him.

The Outcast begins to speak, asking everyone why they are letting children lead them. Around the room, several people don't seem surprised by the Outcast's appearance. Magnus Hansen. Patricia Oh. Toby Griffon. Melinda Toth. This wasn't a surprise to any of them. The Outcast then quoted Grace. "If your best instincts are your worst enemies, take your hands off the controls. Find someone else to fly the plane." I was really weirded out by this new picture of Grace that this book painted. Her ruthlessness...I didn't think that she was like that. In a way, it kind of fits how the series has gotten darker, but I don't really like it. Anyways, the Outcast then proposed a challenge. He was going to replicate four of the world's worst disasters, and the kids would have five days to stop each one. If they didn't, innocent people would die. The kids were then thrown out of the mansion. At this point, I was really feeling sorry for Ian. A reader pointed out that Cara didn't really get thrown out, just Ian. She shrugged off someone, but that's about it. Perhaps because she's in with the Outcast?

The Cahill kids hunt down Amy and Dan. They had left the family, but the others need their help, and Amy and Dan know that they can't turn their backs on their friends now. They're in. The Outcast also said that this is for Cahills only, so Jake and Atticus can't be involved. #relief    That was super disappointing. ;) In all seriousness, I think it was good to have a break from those two, even if it only lasts for a book or so. I really don't think I could have put up with the fighting that always happens when the Rosenbloom brothers show up. So, thanks Jude, for giving me a bit of sanity, no matter how small. Am I the only one who feels like Jude isn't a huge fan of Jamy? I mean, she barely included Jake at all in this book, in A King's Ransom the two were always fighting, and in Nowhere To Run, Jake and Amy couldn't seem to get along, and Ian was flirting with Amy. I've read in an article that she ships Carian, but I feel like she kind of is opening Amian up a bit, or at least she's not killing us Amians by writing a ton of Jamy. I don't know, maybe that's just me. Opinions?

We then see the Outcast meeting with the people he's recruited. We meet the next member of the team- Alek Spasky. So the "Famous villain's brother" was Irina's brother. Wow. The fact that Fiske says Irina was a cupcake compared to Alek is slightly terrifying. I'm also really interested in seeing Alek. I'm a huge fan of Irina, so the fact that she had a brother is exciting. :) I don't feel like he'll have any character development, he seems to actually be truly evil, unlike his sister, but I still am excited to read more about him.

The Cahills have a hunch that a freighter is going to explode in Halifax, Nova Scotia, so that's their next stop. Ian is desperately trying to think of a plan, but the previous events at the mansion have really messed with his head. Cara tells him point-blank that he just needs to get over himself and move on with the situation. I'm sorry, I know that this was probably meant to be a Carian scene. But honestly, I thought that she was a little too harsh with him. I mean, the poor guy's lost most of his family and is in charge of the entire Madrigal branch. He doesn't exactly have things easy. That being said, there's quite a bit of flirting involved in this scene, and I've got to say, if I were a Carian, I would have been LOVING this chapter.  I still would I give my right arm for Amian to happen though. I get the feeling that I'm *probably* going to end up sobbing though, by the end of this series. Because as of right now, Carian is a definite possibility. That being said, if Cara turns out to be evil, there could still be a chance for Amian...;) Jude Watson ships Carian, so that's why there was so much of it in this book. It's kind of terrifying that the outcome of the couples in The 39 Clues could all depend on who Sarwat Chaddah ships. O.O I mean really, all he has to do is say, "okay, this is what I like, I'm going to do it." The writers are given a lot of freedom, and frankly that scares me. I'm not okay with this....

Meanwhile, Nellie and Sammy are in Mexico, hunting down Fiske. (Agh, I love Nellie and Sammy.. SO. CUTE.) Fiske has no idea who this man is, but he explains the concept of an Outcast to them. Apparently it was the label that Grace gave to anyone she thought was a disgrace to the family. She actually made Fiske an Outcast when he wanted to leave, because she thought it would be safer. He doesn't know who the other Outcasts were though, so he can't really help. He knows someone who would know, however, and the very thought makes them all shudder. Aunt Beatrice.

With Jonah as a distraction, Cara sneaks into a back office and gets information off of their computers about the ships. There's nothing on the list however that would be explosive. The group splits up to talk to different people, and Cara and Amy try to figure out what on earth the Outcast really wants. They realize that although there was nothing on the cargo list that would be explosive, there could be weapons trafficking going on, and Cara contacts Atlas, the biggest weapons trafficker in the world. Ian was a bit upset that this decision was made without him. Honestly though, I was really proud of Amy in this book, she handled Ian being the head of the family a LOT better than I thought she would. She was constantly biting her tongue, but I was kind of expecting a full out fight between the two of them, and that didn't happen. I'd been getting really frustrated with her during Vespers and Unstoppable, but I'm super happy with how she handled things this time around. Finally! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jude!!!

I have to say, Chapter 16 was probably the funniest in the entire book. Nellie, Sammy, and Fiske knew that they needed to talk to Beatrice, and so they video chat with her. Oh. My. Gosh. After this, I seriously need more Beatrice scenes. It was hilarious!!! She would NOT stay on topic, and kept rambling about her light cashmeres. It was great. XD Anyways, Beatrice was actually invited to join the Outcast in Singapore, but she turned him down- those long flights make her ankles swell! She then started talking about Grace. Wow. Again, this picture was being painted of Grace that was so different than what we've read throughout the books. She claimed that Grace was mean and petty, and alienated half the family while she was alive. I'm trying to keep in mind though, that this is Beatrice talking. She and Grace didn't exactly get along, so this could just be her perspective. (I actually need to do a post on why I have a hunch that Grace really wasn't evil. Spoiler alert- Irina is involved!) Then the shocking news came. Beatrice said that Grace made her own husband, Nathaniel Hartford, an Outcast and placed a kill order on him, because he wanted a divorce. He was allegedly killed in Moscow. Honestly though, I think that he's the Outcast. I really don't think that he ever died. Instead, he's back for revenge. I mean, it would fit. An Outcast. Someone who would have reason to hate Grace, but knew her quite well. It all fits. But honestly, I don't think that Grace just arbitrarily decided to kill Nathaniel because he wanted a divorce. There had to be more to it than that. It's kind of crazy to think that the Outcast could be Dan and Amy's grandfather. So,  do you agree? Do you think he's the Outcast?

Going back to the main crew, everyone is gathered in Halifax at St. Paul's Church to meet Atlas. As they are waiting, Ian and Amy begin to talk. Amy gets a text from Jake saying that he's going to be off the grid for the next two weeks, and that next year he wants to come home to Attleboro to be with her. (I'm just going to say. The last time Amy was separated from her boyfriend, she ended up with someone else. Is it going to happen again? I hope that she doesn't do the whole cheating-on-current-boyfriend thing again. Like, as much as I dislike Jake, it's not right. I still want her with Ian, but she needs to break it off with him first) She's super excited, and Ian notices. He asks her, "How do you do that? Be happy with someone?" That. Broke. My. Heart. He's just this seventeen year old kid, and he can't even comprehend what it's like to be happy, because his entire life has been filled with turmoil and betrayal and death. That one question gave me a lot of feels. :(:(:( Amy then encouraged him to trust the person who can break his heart. No, Amy...nooooooo....*whispers* don'ttttttt dooooooo ittttttt

Amy and Ian go together to meet Atlas. Ian was trying to act way too intimidating, which freaked me out from the start. Ian, don't be stupid! This guy has too much power! Don't mess with him! Ugh. As much as I love Ian, his arrogance can cause too many problems. Atlas agrees to take Ian, Amy, Hamilton, and Dan to the Aurora. (Also, just got to say, Jonah and Cara ended up working together quite a bit throughout this book. IF , and that's a big if, Cara isn't evil, and she turns out to be a perfectly nice, loyal, good character, could she possibly end up with Jonah? Right now, I would be absolutely ticked if she ended up with him, just because I don't like her and I adore Jonah, but if she shapes up, I can kinda-maybe-sorta-somewhat see them working. But she has to get a lot better because Jonah deserves the best.)

The four teens reluctantly join Atlas on a small boat. They know how dangerous this is, but that it has to be done. They're forced to give Atlas their phones, and begin to head to the Aurora. Atlas is steering like a madman, with the four holding on for dear life. Then, in the middle of the harbor, Atlas turns off the engine and points a gun at the Cahills.

So with that lovely little cliffhanger freaking you out (THANKS A LOT JUDE, DIDN'T NEED MY SOUL OR ANYTHING), we go back to Nellie and Sammy, who have traveled to Singapore. Sammy's godparents live there, the Chens, and Nellie and Sammy are staying with them. They have a daughter, Mabel (she's 11), who's very close with Sammy. She doesn't know much about the Clues and the Cahills though, because her parents won't let her be involved until she's 21. They chat for a minute, and Mrs. Chen, aka Tiff, takes Nellie and Sammy to their rooms. Nellie sits outside on the patio, and is soon joined by Mabel. Mabel is VERY interested in Cahill business, and thinks she knows someone that the Outcast might have tried to recruit- Bee Arnold. Bee recently moved to Singapore, and has pretty much been a hermit ever since. Naturally, Nellie and Sammy decide to find her. They get the address from Mabel, and go to an adorable cottage surrounded by flowers. They knock on the door and meet Bee Arnold- otherwise known as......dun da dun dun... Sinead Starling.

Okay, hold up. Sinead's back?? Say what now?? That was surprising. After series two, it was almost like she just dropped off of the planet, and I'd been dying to know what on earth happened to her. Even though she ended up double crossing the Cahills, I always thought that Sinead was pretty cool. I understand why she did it but gosh, I wish she had never doublecrossed them. *sigh* Story of their lives, I guess.

Nellie and Sammy talk with the Starlings, and learn that after betraying the Cahills, Sinead basically exiled herself to Singapore to take on the name Bee Arnold- the perfect name for a traitor. (Okay, question. How is Sinead getting away with becoming a whole different person? How does no one recognize her?? She was a prominent Ekat, one of the few people who had the opportunity to be a part of the Clue Hunt, yet no one in Singapore recognizes her? I don't get it. And obviously she didn't have surgery or something to disguise herself, because Nellie recognizes her instantly. So I've got to ask Cahills, what's up with that?) Sinead reveals that she was invited by Patricia Oh to join the Outcast, but she refused. Patricia didn't want to take no for an answer though, and continued to harass Sinead. Sinead continued to refuse, not wanting to betray Amy again. I really enjoyed this chapter. Sinead seems to have had a major change of heart. I felt like when she came back to the Cahill's side in DoD, it was way too cheesy and stupid, and I really didn't like her. (So. Much. Cheese.) Once again, Jude has saved the day, characterization-wise. At the end of the chapter, Sinead asks Nellie to give Amy a message- "Tell her I'm afraid." From Sinead, that's a lot. My heart broke a bit when she said that.

Back in Halifax, (FINALLY), things are serious. Atlas isn't kidding around- he's going to shoot these kids. Ian stepped in front of Amy (*squee*! Sorry, my Amian heart loved that. That counts as an Amian moment, right? Yes. It definitely does. A.M.I.A.N.) Atlas doesn't like these kids being in his business, and orders them to kneel down. This is happening, execution style. Ian's Lucian abilities are causing his mind to frantically run through his head, trying to figure out a way for them to make it out alive. His friends are behind him, tense, ready to attack. But Ian knew that wouldn't work. That would just get everyone killed. There is only one option that could work. If Atlas shot Ian, the others would have time to rush Atlas and take the gun. But Ian would have to die for it to work.

Aghhhhhhhhh. Wondering what that impossible sacrifice Ian would have to face? Yep. This chapter killed me inside. At the same time, I was so proud of him though. He went from this stuck-up rich kid to someone who was literally willing to sacrifice his own life for his friends. But I was freaking out. Like, a lot.

Ian refused to kneel. Amy immediately knew what he was thinking- he was ready to die. They've spent so much time together, they probably know what the other is thinking almost constantly. At this point, with Natalie gone, Amy probably knows Ian better than anyone. Atlas pulled the gun to Ian's temple when Ian saw a way out. He tried to stall Atlas, and a wave crashed against the boat. That was all that the Cahills needed. All four of them attacked Atlas at once, grabbing the gun and throwing it overboard. They ran for a small dinghy to escape, when Atlas came at them with another gun from below deck. They barely made it out, but now they had another problem. They were lost in the middle of the North Atlantic with a ship coming straight towards them.

After much frantic rowing and bailing water out, they managed to make it back to shore. Cara freaked out when she learned that Ian had almost gotten himself killed and, of course, Ian took it the wrong way and got defensive. Boy, you're clueless. But right now they have bigger problems than Ian and Cara's awkwardness. The Aurora is going to blow up, and they have to stop it. They convince Mr. Hannigan, who works at the shipyard, to help them, and they are able to stop the ship. But it turns out, the ship was never going to explode- the kids were wrong. There were just illegal weapons on board. ( XD Haha, "JUST" illegal weapons on board) Going back over the poem, they realized that it was actually pointing to a different disaster-the Titanic. The target is the Titanic II, which is setting sail the next day.

Back in Singapore, Nellie and Sammy are walking around when they realize they're being followed.They end up in an alley with none other than Alek Spasky, although they don't know who he is at the time. He threatens them, calling them "kiddos" - Nellie's special name for Amy and Dan.

The Cahills are in Argentina, hoping to get aboard the Titanic II. There's a short passage from Cara's POV thinking about how he brushed her off and got all "Brit-fuff-fuff' just when she was trying to show that she cared. BUT DO YOU ACTUALLY CARE, MISS PIERCE? HUH? DO YA? .....Sorry about that. Anyways. So, the Cahills are trying to figure out how to get aboard the Titanic II. But before too long, they have a way- Hollywood people. Jonah works some hip-hop charm, and they're invited to come on board for some refreshments. True, they have to put up with a loony director talking about Flat Stanley meets the X-Men...but hey, they're on board! It seems like there's not going to be anywhere to hide, but at the last minute they find an empty cabin. With some pretty awesome teamwork/conning, they get inside a cabin. They send Cara back to shore, much to her dismay. I really didn't like how Cara was being so stubborn about not wanting to go back. Hmm. Wonder why she really was so insistent about staying on board...?

For Nellie and Sammy, things are starting to add up. Mabel did some spying for them, and between what she learned, the Chens' overprotective nature, and the fact that Nellie's assailant knew about her special nickname for D&A (something she said in front of the Chens), Nellie and Sammy know. The Chens are in league with the Outcast.

On the Titanic II, 3/4 of the Cahills are temporarily out of commission. Ian, Amy, and Hamilton are all miserably seasick due to rough conditions. Dan, however, is perfectly fine, and decides to use the rough weather as an opportunity to explore while most of the people onboard are stuck in their cabins. He almost manages to lift a key card from one of the crew members, but unfortunately fails in doing so. Instead, he ends up in a conversation with a scientist onboard, Dr. Jeff Tagamayer, about krill. (Really, Dan? Haven't you learned not to make friends???) Anyways, after reporting what he'd been up to to the still-dying Cahills, he heads back out, only to end up in some trouble. A crew member starts asking him where his key card and ID are- two things he doesn't have. At the last minute, he ends up being saved by Dr. Jeff who, after the crew member left, says, "Dan Cahill, I presume?"

Sammy is struggling to figure out how these people that he's known his whole life could be evil. Things at their house had always been so wonderful. But...had they been too perfect? But then, as he's lying in bed, he realizes something. The work that his father had been doing was on turning algae into biofuel. Biofuel, like what the Titanic II was running on. But Mabel had said something about combustion. Could the biofuel...blow up the ship?

The Titanic II has finally reached Antarctica. The Cahills are awed by the complete beauty of Antarctica. But they aren't able to admire the beauty for long. A text comes in from the Outcast- they only have two hours left. Before they have time to plan, Dan runs in with Dr. Jeff. Apparently, he's an Ekat who's been in the South Pole for the past year and has no idea what has been going on in the Cahill family. But, he's more than willing to help.

Ian leaves the ship and overhears that Dr. Jeff is leaving early, as he apparently also did when he was at the South Pole. Instead of being there for a year, like he'd told them, he actually only stayed a month. He texts the Cahills, telling them to keep an eye on him. He also sees someone familiar- more familiar than he'd like. Alek Spasky is also in Antarctica.

Nellie and Sammy sneak into Tiff's office. They hack into her computer and realize that she has all of Sammy's father's notes on the biofuel. Sammy looks through everything and realizes that it would be very easy to make the biofuel combustible, and someone named JET does know how. Sammy has to figure out how to reverse the combustion cycle- and fast. Suddenly, however, they hear footsteps. (AGH) There isn't time to keep looking on the computer. They slip into the next room and hide. Sammy frantically texts Jonah, trying to tell him all that they know and what to do. Nellie silently willed him to hurry. If this didn't work, her kiddos might not make it back.

Back in Argentina, Jonah is about to lose his mind. He hasn't heard from anyone in an hour, and he's really worried about everyone, especially Ham. "He felt like something was missing. Like his right arm." Meanwhile, Cara is trying to find digital trails, but is coming up with nothing. (Is she ACTUALLY looking for digital trails? Or is she doing something totally different? Sorry, I'm grasping at straws here. Gosh this is bad.) Cara tells Jonah how worried she is about Ian doing something stupid. Like blowing himself up. Jonah says that the two of them need to "Work this out, get honest, and get together." Jonah. No. Stop. No. Anyways. They start to get texts from Sammy. He tells them that the biofuel is going to blow up the ship. He isn't sure what to do though. Suddenly, the texts stop. Jonah and Cara are freaking out. There isn't much that they can do, and they feel pretty helpless. Sammy mentioned something about someone named Rollo possibly being involved, and Rollo is staying in the room next to them. They try to pick the lock and break down the door, but neither works. Finally, they end up sneaking in through the balcony. When they enter the room, they find Rollo dead. Lying nearby is a small, metal spear. One of Alek Spasky's spears.

In Antarctica, Amy is keeping an eye on Dr. Jeff. He's loading up a Zodiac inflatable boat, like he's leaving by himself. She decides that they (she, Ham, and Dan) need to follow him. He lands the Zodiac on Deception Island. They follow him around until they are spotted. He claims that he is simply there to collect krill data. He grabs a duffel bag, and Amy sees three letters stitched onto it. Jeffery E. Tagamayer. JET. Suddenly, JET slams the door and locks them in a small room. Out the window, they can see him fleeing in a helicopter.

It's absolutely freezing in the small room, and the three Cahills are very cold. The room is built to withstand all weather conditions, and they can't figure out a way to break out of it. Then, they remember something- the room is build with adjustable stilts. There's only one way to get out- collapsing the building. It worked! And, Ian came with a Zodiac, so they would be able to leave Deception Island. Ian also received a message from Sammy about how to stabilize the fuel. There's just one thing. Ian knows that there isn't much time left (30 min), and that Alek is running around. There's a good chance that the Cahills won't make it out alive. So, it makes more sense to only risk one life rather than four. He wants to leave emergency supplies with them, and go by himself to try to save the Titanic. He just couldn't bear to let them help him, when they would probably just die. But the other three aren't about to let him do this alone. With no discussion, they climb in the boat with Ian. They're going to do this.

As they're sailing back to the Titanic, a metal spear hits the side of the Zodiac. Alek. Part of the boat began to deflate. There were several air compartments, but if Alek hit enough of them, the boat would sink. He shot two more compartments. They weren't going to make it. Another compartment was hit. To make matters worse, a nearby iceberg was cracking.

(Can I just point out how unrealistic this section was? Sorry, that bothered me. Carry on.)

Suddenly, Amy grabbed control of the boat from Ian. She shot them straight towards the iceberg, causing enough backwash to make Alek unable to follow them. They make it to the Titanic, but they only have ten minutes before the ship is going to blow.

They ran into the engine room. Four minutes left. Sammy told them that all they have to do to stop the combustion is to gum up the fuel tanks with canola oil. They poured. And poured. It was soooo slow. And they didn't have time. With one minute left, the gauge was back in the normal zone. The fuel wasn't going to combust.

In Argentina, Jonah and Cara were relieved that everything was alright. Then, texts from Nellie started coming in.

If we disappear ask Mabel

Jonah texted back, Who is Mabel?

Save my kiddos  was the only response.

Oh. My. Gosh. Three words can cause so much pain. What is going on with Nellie and Sammy? Are they okay?? Are they alive?? If they get killed, I honestly don't know what I'll do. The fact that Nellie's last three words could be "Save my kiddos" is giving me way too many feels. She's done so much for them, and now she could die. And she's still worrying about them. I can't handle it.

The Outcast is still in Grace's house. He finds a file, exactly where he remembered it. This is exactly what he needs to destroy the Cahills.


Wow. That is definitely the longest post that I have ever written haha! So, here are the main things that I'm taking away from this book-

• Jude Watson is amazing. I love her writing and her characterization. I'm so sad that this is her last 39 Clues book. :(

• The 39 Clues never fails to make me exceptionally emotional.

• If Nellie is dead and "Save my kiddos" were her last words, I may never stop crying.

• I want to know if Fiske survives the series.

• Sinead is back?? Will she be brought into more of the series? Will she be good or evil?

• IS CARA EVIL? PLEASE BE EVIL.

• Is Nathaniel the Outcast??

• Is Sammy good or evil? What about his parents?

• Vikram's back? How is he going to play into the series?

• Which ship is going to make it?

• WHO'S GOING TO DIE?????? PLEASE DON'T BE MY BABIES!!!!!

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What did you think of Mission Titanic??






Sunday, September 7, 2014

Flashpoint Review- WARNING- MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!


     So, this is my review of Flashpoint, right after I read it. I'll probably post on this again, (haha, I WILL post on this again!) but this is the initial review I wrote. More in depth review coming soon!!!

     That's right guys, I read Flashpoint! WARNING- If you don't want to read spoilers, I'm also going to post a spoiler-free book review right after I finish this post. But if you want to read this version, hey, I won't judge! Maybe you somehow got a copy like I did early, and want someone to rant with. (In which case comment on this post- I will be happy to rant! Trust me, I have a lot to rant about with this book…) Or perhaps you're one of those people who just doesn't care. I've always wanted the book to be a surprise, but I've known people who like to read summaries before reading the actual book, so if you want to, by all means, read ahead!
     So, I have to admit, all in all, Flashpoint was a pretty good book. Gordon Korman is on of my favorite 39 Clues authors, so I was all too happy to see that Flashpoint was going to be written by him. The book begins with Dan being held by Galt and Cara Pierce in their helicopter. (The very helicopter that killed Pony. Still not over that!!!) He's interrogated with truth serum, until he knocks himself out with chloroform. You go, Dan!! He wakes up once they land, and is able to escape with the help of…drumroll please… Cara Pierce! I was quite impressed with that.
     While all this is going on with Dan, everyone else is on a plane, looking through Pony's computer for new information when they find that Pony was tracking something- or someone- on Pierce's plane. Any ideas on who/what? I was quite shocked…
     Before I go any further with what's going on with Dan and Amy, let's check in on Sammy and Nellie. They're still imprisoned in Trilon Labs, but they are starting to gain the upper hand, through Nellie's fabulous cooking. She has become the chef, and who knew just how much more people will like you if you serve them some good French desserts? Meanwhile, she and Sammy have a master plan- they're going to blow up Trilon Labs.
     Back with the rest of the Cahills, everyone is in Cambodia, trying to find the last ingredient in the antidote- Tonle Sap snake venom. They have to find this last ingredient- and fast- because Amy's symptoms are getting worse and worse. (I'd just like to say, really Amy? Really? Taking the serum? I know she was trying to save Dan, but I just can't help thinking there had to have been another way…) She's starting to have awful hallucinations, that are getting more and more distracting. Jonah and Hamilton go to a crocodile farm in hopes of finding the snake, which apparently used to be used to feed the crocodiles. It's not used anymore, due to the snakes being close to extinction, but there happened to be one in the water. The only result of Jonah and Hamilton's attempt, however, were two very wet boys who are probably banned for life from that crocodile farm…
     This chapter was possibly the most heartbreaking in the entire book, at least for me, anyways. I am a HUGE Amian shipper, I have been ever since the third book. (Jamy fans, please don't kill me in the comments section…) I mean, they were always just SO cute! Plus, I think that they're really meant to be together, since Ian changed because of Amy's influence. When she saved him from falling off of Everest, something just clicked. She helped him to become a better person, the person that he is today. I also think that they really should be able to connect with each other. They've both dealt with an insane amount of grief and loss to only be 16. Amy lost her parents, and feels responsible for the deaths of Evan, Natalie, Erasmus, McIntyre, and many other people, and Ian lost his entire family through Day of Doom. Thus I think that they both have a pretty good idea what the other is going through. All that to say, in my mind, Amian is the perfect couple. So that's why Chapter 9 absolutely broke my heart. Ian is at Angkor Wat with Pony's computer, trying to find out what Pony was tracking. Suddenly, Pony's laptop starts to be wiped, and Ian sees a girl sitting outdoors on her laptop typing furiously- she's obviously the person who is wiping the laptop. It only takes him a split second to realize who it must be- April May, the mysterious hacker, the only person in the world with hacking skills that rivaled Pony's. As Ian confronts her, however, he realizes April May's true identity- Cara Pierce!!!! That's right guys, April May is Cara!!! I'd wondered about that, but I hadn't really been sure. Turns out, Pierce has no idea that his brilliant hacker is his own daughter. She's done all this secretly, because she realized that she couldn't trust her father anymore. In talking to her, Ian sees that she's just like him- struggling with the fact that she has to betray a parent, trying to change. Exactly the position that he himself was in two years ago. Ian is in love. This girl is, in his words, 'practically his soul mate'. So as of this book, Amian is probably never going to happen, and I'm heartbroken. I'm really quite happy for Ian, but I just don't think it's right. Amian used to be such a major thing, and even in the last three books, there were still little signs of it. But now Amy has Jake, and Ian has Cara. I know this is horrible, but I was almost hoping that Cara would get killed off in the battle against Pierce. (FYI, she doesn't….) I kind of felt the same way about Jake, so I don't really know what to think. There's still going to be one more series, and I don't really know what I want to come out of it. Should they stay the way they are? I suppose that Jake and Cara could be killed. It wouldn't really surprise me, but I kind of doubt that the writers would do that. Unfortunately, I think Jamy might be here to stay. :( I can't say it would bother me if they were killed off… (again, Jamy shippers, please don't kill me!) What do you guys think? I don't have anyone to talk to about it, since none of my friends read the books, so let me know your opinions in the comments section!!!!
     Within the next few chapters, Galt terrorizes the Cahills, chasing them with his goons everywhere that they go, and Nellie and Sammy are still working on their plan to blow up Trilon. I have to say, Galt, in my opinion, is a really annoying character. He's basically a Tomas on steroids, which gets really old. It's just chase, chase, chase. He never uses any skill, which bothers me. Then again, I'm half Lucian, so I guess that's why. The Cahills end up having to be rescued from Galt by none other than Cara herself, and they also manage to find the snake, which was in Ian's shoe. (He wasn't too thrilled about that!)
     Amy really doesn't trust Cara, but she agrees to let her come with them. Amy insists on tying Cara up, but she escapes in the middle of the night- with the snake! Everyone panics, until Cara walks in with the snake in a nice new aquarium, ties herself back up, and plops onto the floor. It's a really funny scene, but I think it was a great way for Cara to prove her trustworthiness.
     Back at Trilon, Nellie and Sammy succeed in blowing up the lab, with Dr. Callender in it- a total plus! Before they accomplish the task, Sammy tells Nellie just how much he cares about her, and Nellie gives him a kiss. Ah, a couple that I'm actually okay with! I think that Sammy and Nellie are really sweet together. :)
     The Cahills fly back to the States, so that Sammy can create the antidote in a hidden underground lab at Harvard. The antidote creation is a success! There's only one problem- Amy refuses to take it. She says that she wants to have the benefits of it as long as she can to help defeat Pierce. Jake is totally against it, but Dan sides with Amy. They need all the help they can get. The only fear is, will Amy live long enough to take the antidote?
     The antidote was tested on Fiske, thus saving his life. I was soooo happy! I was certain that he would die in this book, so I was thrilled that he lived.
     Amy is given flying lessons, so that she can operate a crop dusting plane to deliver the antidote in a spray form to Pierce and his goons at the clambake on Pierce Landing, where Pierce is planning to announce his run for presidency. Meanwhile, Dan goes to visit Saladin, who's staying with Aunt Beatrice. Aunt Beatrice is a huge Pierce fan, (figures..) and she mentions to Dan that Pierce was madly in love with Dan's mother. Pierce never got over Hope, so he of course hates all of her descendants.
     Finally, the time has come. It's do or die. Dan, Ian, Hamilton, and Jonah sneak onto Pierce Landing much before all of the guests arrive, and hide in a shack. Amy, Jake, Atticus, and Sammy are on land, preparing the crop duster with enough antidote. When Jake and Amy take off in the plane, Jake tries to give Amy the antidote, but she slaps it out of his hand. He's absolutely horrified. Will she live long enough to even get the plane to Pierce Landing?
     During the flight, Amy's muscles stop working, and she's unable to fly the plane. Jake has to take over, and is alright with Amy guiding him. They spray the clambake with antidote, but Amy then passes out. Jake hastily injects her with antidote, but it might be too late. The plane crash lands in the water, and Jake desperately tries to keep himself and Amy afloat. They are both about to die, when Amy wakes up. Relieved, they both begin to stroke for shore.
     Back at Pierce Landing, everyone is panicking. Those who don't know about the serum and the antidote have no idea what was just sprayed over them, and they're petrified that they've been poisoned. Pierce is furious, and Debi Ann is able to use his fury to humiliate him with the cameras all watching. His run for presidency is ruined, but he still has another plan. He runs into the house, with the Cahills and Cara following close behind. He sets off a timer for six nuclear bombs to go off all over the world. The Cahills have a mere five minutes to figure out the abort password. With two seconds remaining, they discover the password- HOPEOLIVIA, after the girl he always loved.
     With Pierce defeated, everyone is able to return to their lives. Jonah begins touring again, with Hamilton as his manager. Amy and Dan decide to take some time off, and finally travel- without being chased. And as for Ian and Cara, they are running Cahill Headquarters together back in Attleboro.
I have to admit, although my heart was shattered *tears*, this was a really good book. After Day of Doom, I was thrilled to read a series finale book that was actually good! I can't wait to see what the next series holds in store! :) Tell me what you all think in the comments section!!!! <3