Plot: Nancy Drew is awestruck by the picturesque Magnolia Belle, a riverboat hosting a charity dinner. As she and her friends settle down for the evening mystery play, they are shocked by an abrupt, unscheduled blackout. When the lights return, a valuable necklace disappears. Nancy must make her way through the boat, its mysterious curse, its questionable staff, and its strange passengers to discover the thief.
Genre: Mystery
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Similar Titles: Original Nancy Drew series, Hardy Boys
Personal Thoughts: I tried to like Nancy Drew. I really did. To give the series the best opportunity I could, I decided to read the "new" series, much like I did with the Hardy Boys. I think the original and the newer titles are the same. Nancy just does not strike me as believable. She gets the unquestionable approval of everyone except the passive-aggressive authority figures (very original *sarcasm*). Somehow, she manages to acquire unmentioned skills (such as long-distance swimming) just when she needs them. She searches rooms without permission or a warrant (good luck using such items in court, Kid). Also, she never seeks help from someone who actually has the legal rights to do something. Seriously. She depends on her friend to hack into police databases. Instead of contacting the chief of police, she has a friend, pardon, BOYFRIEND contact his father to snoop out the FBI. She does not address her concerns to the captain or any of the crew. AND SHE NEVER GETS IN TROUBLE. Somehow, all the laws and protocol she breaks never come back to haunt her. I would like Nancy Drew, but in the books I have read, she comes off as a Mary Sue.
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