Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Action, fast moving plot
Cons: Thin characters, as always
The Bottom Line:
Trip to Montana
Hunting thieves and some lost gold
Action packed story
Thieves and Gold Out West
I always wanted to read Hunting for Hidden Gold. I mean, who doesn’t want to go on a treasure
hunt? And when the Hardy Boys are
leading the treasure hunt, all the better.
I didn’t get my hands on a copy as a kid, but I was able to snag one as
an adult. It’s a Hardy Boys book, but
it’s a fun one.
Frank and Joe Hardy are on an expedition with their friends
when they get a summons from their father.
He’s been working on a case out West, Montana to be specific, and he
needs their help. Before they leave,
they learn about a fortune in gold that was lost there years ago.
They quickly book tickets to join their dad, but the journey
itself is filled with danger. When they
arrive, they learn that their dad was on the trail of a gang of thieves, and
there is a suspected mole in the nearby town.
Who is it? Where is the gang
hiding out? And what about the gold?
When you pick up a Hardy Boys book, you know you are going
to get plenty of action. That’s
certainly the case here. In fact, I was
a little surprised at how quickly it started and how much danger the Hardys
faced. I’m not complaining; I was along
for every twist and turn of the plot. I
was even impressed that there was a bit of a mystery as to who the mole was for
most of the book. Normally, the Hardys
figure things like that out fairly quickly, so it was a nice change.
Of course, the characters are thin, which is common in the
series. Most of the regulars, even their
father, only have cameos. This is really
Frank and Joe’s show. I had trouble
keeping a few of the supporting players straight, and it would have been nice
if they had more personality, or easier to differentiate names, but that’s a
minor complaint.
As a kid, I never really noticed the dated elements, but
they are very obvious to me now. Of
course, there’s also been more time since I read them as a kid. A few things or references might confuse
kids, but I suspect most of them won’t notice as long as they know going in.
Overall, this is another fun book that kill entertain middle
graders. Even adults will enjoy the
nostalgia of Hunting for Hidden Gold.
I read a few of these when I was a kid and then reread one recently and was startled by the dated element. I do feel like the Hardy boys got all the fun action. All Nancy Drew got was hit on the head and kidnapped regularly.
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