The Bungalow Mystery (Nancy Drew #3) by Carolyn Keene

Title: The Bungalow Mystery

Series: Nancy Drew

Author: Carolyn Keene

Release Date: May 1, 1960 (revised ed.)

Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap

Add it on Goodreads

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis:

While driving a motorboat around the Twin Lakes, Nancy and her friend Helen get caught in a dangerous storm. Luckily, they are rescued by another teenage girl in a rowboat. They soon learn that their rescuer is Laura Pendleton, whose mother has recently having passed away. Laura has come to meet up with her new guardians, but something isn't quite right about them. Nancy investigates the situation, and soon she stumbles upon a shocking surprise in the cellar of a bungalow!

---

My Review:

For a long time, with its intriguing cover, this particular Nancy Drew book has always drawn me in. What's inside the bungalow? I was eager to find out!

This installment of the Nancy Drew series, The Bungalow Mystery, opens with Nancy and her friend, Helen Corning, stranded in the storm. They get rescued by a teenage girl, who they learn is Laura Pendleton, whose mother recently passed away. When Laura meets her new guardians, there is something off about them...

It was a well-written mystery.

I was intrigued; how is it that we hear the Aborns are a nice couple, then we see that there is something off about them? One minute they're cold and unfriendly, and the next, they're a nice couple...

There was a twist as Nancy discovers something shocking in the cellar of the bungalow!

Nancy was kind, brave, determined, and helpful - all the characteristics that remind me of why I love Nancy!

Would recommend to Nancy Drew fans.

The Summer of Owen Todd by Tony Abbott

Title: The Summer of Owen Todd

Author: Tony Abbott

Release Date: October 17, 2017

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Add it on Goodreads

Rating: ★★☆☆☆.5

Synopsis:

Owen and his best friend, Sean, are both eleven years old. They've lived on Cape Cod all their lives, and now that they're a little older, they'll finally be free to spend some time on their own. But Sean's mother has a different idea--she hires a babysitter to look after Sean. Paul is in his twenties, and a well-liked guy from church.

Paul starts doing things that just feel wrong. Because they've always been as close as brothers, Sean tells Owen, and no one else. What's not certain to Owen is what he should do. Sean warns him not to tell anyone what is happening. But if Owen doesn't tell, could something even worse happen to Sean?

This harrowing and sensitively told tale of child abuse is a must-read for anyone who might ever be called upon to help a friend in need.

---

My Review:

TW: child abuse, child molestation

What would you do if the only way to help a friend would also hurt them?

In Tony Abbott's The Summer of Owen Todd, Owen Todd finds himself in a difficult situation when his best friend, Sean Huff, is being molested - yes, MOLESTED - by his BABYSITTER! Because they've always been as close as brothers, Sean tells Owen everything but makes him promise not to tell anyone. So what should Owen do?

This book really raises awareness of sick people being out there and how we should be careful of who to trust.

The Summer of Owen Todd has been on my TBR for a long time, and as someone who's into books with mental health rep, I was really looking forward to it.

To be honest, it wasn't the best I've ever read. It was... alright, I guess. Some things were a bit confusing for me, and there was something in there that made me uncomfortable (did the author really have to do that?!). Also, there was a really disgusting graphic description that I felt like was really unnecessary in a children's book!

The only thing I would say I liked about it was the powerful message in the end that we should never remain silent when someone is in trouble. Owen did the right thing!

Witness to Murder (Hardy Boys CF#20) by Franklin W. Dixon

Title: Witness To Murder

Series: Hardy Boys Casefiles

Author: Franklin W. Dixon

Release Date: October 1, 1988

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Add it on Goodreads

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Synopsis:

Fatal charm

While trying to help Annie Shea, the pretty new girl in town, Joe accidentally runs down her old boyfriend, Phil. Joe's in a tight spot, but Annie seems afraid to help. Then the Hardys learn that Phil is the prime suspect in a million-dollar diamond robbery and Annie may be involved.

But when Annie is kidnapped the brother detectives swing into action. They follow her to the liar of America's most infamous gem thief, Cutter. Outnumbered, the Hardys take on the diamond man's gang in an all-out effort to save Annie -- and clear Joe of murder.

---

My Review:

It's been a while since I've last picked up a Hardy Boys Casefile, and as someone who has a thing for Joe being girl-crazy, I was really looking forward to this. It held me right on the first page! But what I didn't like about it were the few references in the beginning to the first book in the series, Dead on Target. Not that I've read it (and I'm absolutely not planning to!), but I heard that Muslims are villains in that book, which really offends me as a Muslim, so I couldn't stand even the reminder of it. I couldn't stand the word "terrorist" being referred to Muslims, especially not in a HARDY BOYS book! Why did it also have to be in my favorite series?

In this installment of the Hardy Boys Casefiles, Joe gets accused of murder - vehicular homicide. I loved how Frank would go length to prove his brother's innocence.

The mystery in #20 Witness to Murder was fishy. Phil Sidler, Annie Shea's boyfriend, is involved in a robbery gang, and she might be involved too...

There were some intense scenes that kept me reading.

Since it's one of my favourite subjects, I loved how this particular Hardy Boys book emphasized how much love hurts. I loved the ending; the moment between Frank and Joe. Poor Joe.

Overall, I may have liked some things about this particular Hardy Boys book, but unfortunately, it wasn't one of the best ones I've read. There were a few times when I felt like Joe was being an idiot. The culprit has been kind of obvious since the beginning, but I guess Joe was too blinded by love to see it or something. ***Spoiler***I knew there was something off about Annie Shea!***Spoiler***