Warning: this review contains spoilers

****

I am definitely not in the target demographic for this book, but the more nostalgic part of my brain likes to take a walk down memory lane on occasion with the original Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mysteries. This mystery takes Nancy, Bess and George to Peru, where they visit their friend Carla and attempt to solve the secret of a wood carving that has been in Carla's family for several hundred years. Naturally, it is a dangerous secret, and there is much peril for Nancy and her friends. But of course she will save the day.

I frequently laughed out loud while reading this book, but what I found funny was not intended to be such. For example, when the girls first agree to go to Peru and visit Carla, the book says "Fortunately, the girls all had passports." YES, perhaps that is one thing you should check BEFORE planning to depart the country in two days' time! I also found a lot of the traumatic incidents involving Nancy to be over-the-top, such as when she nearly got sucked out of a plane. I laughed way too hard at that part. She was okay, so I don't feel too bad about laughing, but still, it was not intended as comedy.

One part that proved disappointing was the continual fat-shaming of Bess. Her cousin, George, constantly refers to her as tubby and needles her about consuming too much food. That is not something that needs to be in a book targeted to young girls, especially when she is contrasted with her "slim, attractive" cousin, and her catchphrase is said to be "I'll start dieting tomorrow".

One good thing that the book included was George's use of judo to knock down a villain or two. And I did like the setting (and have now requested a documentary on Machu Picchu to find out more about it). But overall this is a very cheesy mystery, and I don't know how much value a modern 11- to 14-year-old would get out of it. ( )

Again, Nancy Drew is off on an adventure- this time all the way in South America. I'm not sure about a few of the facts about South America, but I got a kick out of Nancy D. being perfect as usual. I think that what makes these mysteries endure despite being a bit outdated, is that the mysteries are complicated enough that the answers aren't obvious. This makes things a little more interesting, and keeps the reader going. This mystery had a lot of little pieces that kept Nancy and her friends traveling all over Peru before the clues began to come together. ( )

smuggling quinine? Sure

One of the most interesting, I think. Nancy goes to Peru in this one to help a friend with a mysterious carving. ( )