I’ve heard a lot of bad things about
the “Hardy Boys Adventures” series, so I decided to give one of the books a try
to see if the series is really that bad. I was surprised to find that “The Madman of Black Bear Mountain” was actually a
good book, at least for the first half.
Frank and Joe’s characterizations
appear to be pretty much the same as their characterizations in the Undercover
Brothers books. Like the UBs, the books are in the first person, the chapters
alternating between Frank and Joe’s perspectives. I’ll get to this in a bit.
The first half of the book revolves
around the Green Environment Conservation Club (GECCO for
short) taking a field trip to Black Bear Mountain to meet Dr. Kroopnik, a
famous biologist. Frank and Joe of members of the club of course, but anyone
expecting to see Chet Morton or any of the other chums are in for a
disappointment. The rest of the club members are new characters.
It takes a few chapters for the
Hardys to actually reach Black Bear Mountain, and the only plot relevant thing
that happens during those chapters is a conversation that Frank overhears. The
book is very cartoonish, with a lot of jokes and occasional slapstick humor.
The plot wouldn’t look out of place in a Scooby Doo episode, and Frank and Joe
even get chased around by someone in a costume.
I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing. I
laughed at the jokes, although the slapstick was a bit too much. The characters
are quite cartoonish as well, especially Jim. Jim is the teacher in charge of
the club, and the slapstick and most of the jokes revolve around him. The
titular “Madman” is also pretty menacing, at least until their identity is
revealed.
Once Jim goes missing from his tent,
the book actually becomes pretty suspenseful as Frank and Joe try to get to a
nearby ranger station while avoiding an axe-wielding maniac. Had the entire
book been like this, the rating for this book would be higher.
The mystery is kind of weak, but
seeing Frank and Joe using their survival skills makes up for it. Even when Jim reappears, the book keeps its
suspenseful tone as Frank and Joe make a surprising discovery in a backpack
that Jim was carrying.
Unfortunately, the second half of
the book is nowhere as good as the first half. A surprising plot twist occurs
(although Frank should have figured it out from the start), and we get a super
long chase scene involving rafts, horses, and helicopters.
It drags on for way too long, and the fact
that the chapters constantly alternate between Frank and Joe means that often
we get told the exact same information twice. Cliffhangers that should take a
chapter to resolve take two or three chapters instead. The scene where Joe
hangs off a broken bridge becomes hilarious because of how long it takes to
rescue him. He must have had super
strength to hang on for as long as he did.
The pacing problem could have been
solved had the ghostwriter stuck to Joe’s POV during the chase. Joe’s chapters during the second half are a
lot more entertaining due to the presence of a character who I can’t identify
because their presence is a major spoiler. Said character is the best character
in the book, and I hope they make another appearance in the series.
There’s been complaints about how a
lot of the Adventures books are too short, but in this case, it seemed like 144
pages was just too much for the ghostwriter to handle. The book is wrapped up
rather anticlimactically, the villain is caught due to luck, and their
accomplice doesn’t even put up a fight. Consider how long the chase scene
lasts, this is rather annoying.
There’s also some inappropriate
language as a character says “OMG” in one of the last chapters. As the
Adventures series is clearly intended for a younger audience than the previous
Hardy Boys series, I have to deduct a point for it.
Despite all my criticisms of it, I
liked “The Madman of Black Bear Mountain”. It may be cartoonish and have pacing
issues, but it’s an enjoyable read. If it wasn’t for the second half, the
book’s rating would be higher. I’d recommend at least borrowing this one from
your local library.
Rating
6 out of 10
No comments:
Post a Comment