Book Review: The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew # 1) by Carolyn Keene
Rating: 5 stars of 5
The Secret of the Old Clock is the first book in the hardcover Nancy Drew series (flashlight editions). I read the Nancy Drew books as a young girl and through them, fell in love with reading. That they are still in print and parents are still buying them for their children makes my heart so happy.
This year, I’m attempting to reread all of the original 56 books - about one per week, with some weeks doubled up. I’ve started with book one and it was such a delight to read it again. These mysteries carry so much nostalgia for me, and reading them again feels so comforting - like drinking a hot cup of tea, wrapped up in a cozy blanket on a cushioned window seat listening to the rhythm of the rain; a warm hug for my soul.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Secret of the Old Clock again. I love how the story is set in the 1930’s and carries with it that decade’s unique atmosphere, yet is still so timeless.
My sister once told me she didn’t like Nancy Drew much when she was younger because Nancy is too perfect in the books and I think that is a fair criticism (she is unrealistically perfect and very privileged; some of the circumstances are a bit too tidy as well), but I also think that is one of the things I liked about her stories. Reading them allowed for a bit of escapism and stoked my imagination, and that was still true for me as an adult reading this installment again.
There’s a scene in the story that made me want to find a 1930’s recipe similar to Hannah’s cinnamon cake to bake up and serve with hot applesauce. Why is this not a popular pairing anymore? It sounds delicious!
I’d recommend Nancy’s mysteries for anyone who is interested in a fast-paced, lighthearted middle grade book, for reluctant readers, or for anyone who read them when they were younger and is looking for a serving of nostalgia.
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