Three Cheers, Secret Seven

The Secret Seven #8

by Enid Blyton

Who is hiding in the abandoned house? When Peter and Jack search for their lost model airplane, they realize the house isn't empty after all...

Genres: Childrens, Mystery, Fiction, Adventure, Classics, Young Adult, Middle Grade

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

See also:
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Інід Блайтон (Ukrainian)

Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English author of children's books.

Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.

Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.

According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.

See also her pen name Mary Pollock

Reviews

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the first Secret Seven books I read. I will share the reason why I decided to read Secret Seven here.

Unlike many of my friends here, I read the secret seven books in a haphazard manner, not according to any order. I picked this book neither because of Enid Blyton nor because it was a mystery book. I interestingly chose this book because of its cover (the younger version of me didn't know the concept of 'never judge a book by its cover' at that time).

The cover of the book I bought had an airplane on it, and I was so fond of anything about planes at that time. (I am still crazy about airplanes and love watching them even after flying in a few of them. Maybe I will grow up one day. On a serious note, the carbon emission and the atmospheric pollution they cause make me sad in spite of all this excitement. It might be one of the reasons why I simply love to watch a flight parked in an airport nowadays rather than travel in one). So I decided to go for try this eighth book as one of my first secret seven books.

After a few pages into it, I instantly loved this book and wanted to read the whole series as soon as I finished it. Sadly my local bookstore didn't have complete copies of the book there. Moreover, my parents only allowed me to purchase a new book only after finishing the one I had. So I bought whatever copy was available there and read it according to its availability.

The author discusses about Susie's model airplane. When they were flying Susie's plane, they accidentally discovered that Barlett Lodge was not empty. It seems that someone is secretly using its top room. What is the reason why the person is trying to hide? Is he/she a thief? Will they be able to discover the mystery behind the lodge? Enid Blyton answers all these questions through this book.


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[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Una de las historias más flojitas de la serie de 15 aventuras de los Siete Secretos. Enid Blyton nos sorprende con una historia previsible, de poco calado y que no está entre las mejores. Las pistas a seguir son bastante fáciles, y realmente no llega a pasar nada importante. Le falta hacer giros para que el lector no se anticipe a lo que va a llegar.

Pero Enid es mucha Enid, y sus aventuras gustan a niños y mayores. Se disfruta el ambiente del club, con sus reuniones para la merienda, las dotes de liderazgo de Peter y la cordialidad que reina entre los miembros de los Siete Secretos. Una aventura más para disfrutar.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved secret seven books as a kid and have just finished reading this to my sons - 9 and 11. Our biggest take away from this was how astonishingly sexist the secret seven are!
- The lovely toy aeroplane was wasted on Suzie because it was a boys’ toy.
- Suzie couldn’t possibly understand the complicated instructions because she is a girl,
- Suzie couldn’t be boosted up over the wall like the boys because she is a girl,
- girls in the seven aren’t allowed to join the final investigation because it was for boys only.
- And the girls are always asking to join and being told ‘No’ by Peter.
It is a short story and easy to read but not sure it passes the test of time.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know what Peter. I am sick to death of you going on about how much of a better sister Janet is than Suzie. Sick to death of it. Janet hasn't got half to spunk that Suzie has got. I genuinely live for Suzie's role in these stories. 'Get a life Philip', you're saying, but Suzie has got more personality than the rest of you lot put together.

Whilst I'm on the subject of Janet, what is it with the girls of the Secret Seven doing absolutely nothing in these stories!?!? Not a book goes by where the boys don't totally sideline the girls whenever anything interesting comes up. They say it's for their safety but let's be honest, the danger is pretty low-key in this series. In this book the boys go off and investigate empty houses at night whilst the contribution of one of the girls was TO INTERVIEW HER GRANNY.

Did you know that Blyton writes her female characters so forgettably, that modern editions of The Adventurous Four books have changed the girls' names completely and nobody noticed.

Look, this was actually a really heart-warming book with a humanised villain and heaps of empathy. I actually really liked it. It made me feel warm inside, like there really was hope for women in the fifties.

[Maria Carmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely surprise! This Secret Seven adventure is by far the most humane and unexpected! I do not want to give out any spoilers, but in fact I agree with Peter's Father, the kids have never had such a satisfactory adventure! Moving and generous, mysterious and scrumptious...
Worth remembering!

Maria Carmo,

Lisbon, 8 January 2020.

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is only *sort of* about thieves, because it involves trespassing and living in a house that you don't own, but for kind of good reasons? But at least the Seven don't break up another robbery ring, so that's something. This one absolutely takes the cake in terms of how lowly the boys think of the girls. Susie couldn't possibly appreciate a model aeroplane, because unlike a boy, girls can't follow complicated instructions. -Sigh-

Anyway, much the same as the other books in the series. Four stars.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

these books i grew up with. i wanted to be a part of their adventures and i was when i read them. i reccommend these books for any child under 10.
I has been a while scince i read these books so i can't give a proper review.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a lovely ending but was quite sexist throughout. The aeroplane had to be a boys toy and was therefore wasted when giving to a girl and the girls were left behind in the adventure because it was deemed too dangerous

[Shreyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Three Cheers, Secret Seven' (The Secret Seven #8) by Enid Blyton.


"And let me say this, all of you. You've had many adventures before, you Secret Seven, but I don't think you'll ever have one that has such a satisfactory ending. And one more thing - I'm very, very proud of you all!"


Rating: 4.5/5.


Status: Definitely a first read. I don't recall reading this particular book during my childhood. [I had first read some of the Secret Seven books about 20 years ago. At present, I'm not sure which of these I had read earlier and which I haven't.]



Review:
A different adventure for the Secret Seven than usual. Based on the last few books and Pam's solo mission in this book, I have a strong suspicion that Pam might be dyslexic.

The stakes are not high, but it is a thoroughly engaging read. There's a crime, but it isn't done with malicious intent, and that makes the story unique in a way. I liked how the members of the Secret Seven pooled their savings to help Grim and his ailing wife. Also, it was a nice gesture for Susie to contribute as well. Satisfactory ending indeed!



Disclaimer: Ratings reflect the enjoyability factor of these books considering they are intended mostly for children. Not to be compared with my ratings and reviews for books primarily intended for YA and adults.

[Sagor Reza · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book of The Secret Seven I read. And I've said it before and I still say I should have read the book a little younger. The composition, and writing style are very beautiful but the mystery seems very simple, the same applies to the adventure. I successfully guessed the ending after 80 pages, which is a bit disappointing. And, not all Secret Seven members participated equally, especially the girls. But it's better than before.

[Kelly-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars.

[Arpita K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small Stories that too children centric can teach us something so important!!! Avoid and Clear any Misunderstanding.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think this might be my favourite in the series so far!

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books are falling into a real formula where they start with oh we haven't met for a while let's meet, followed by an incident with Jack's sister Susie, who is really the book series greatest character, and often puts poncey Peter to shame.
You can't help but feel that these kids are overprivileged selfish gits and that they need a good hard talking to - but anyway apart from that they are ok.
The "mysteries" are getting thinner and weaker and they more often just stumble into them. They are certainly much weaker than both of Blyton's "five" series, having more characters does not mean better. The half way point of the series has now been reached!

[Martyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Three Cheers, Secret Seven!, Enid Blyton delivers a masterclass in how to take a minor domestic inconvenience and transform it into what could loosely be described as a "mystery," while throwing in a generous helping of outdated gender norms for good measure. The eighth book in this series is a perfectly wrapped gift of absurdly convenient plot resolutions and rampant sexism, with all the subtlety of a toy aeroplane crashing into a house—literally.

Let’s start with the so-called mystery. The Secret Seven—Peter, Janet, Jack, Barbara, George, Pam, and Colin—are, as usual, meandering through life with nothing to do but look for the faintest whiff of trouble. Enter Susie, Jack's sister, and her new toy aeroplane, a marvel of the age that, tragically, is wasted on her. Why? Well, you see, she’s a girl, and therefore she can’t possibly comprehend its “complicated” instructions. The notion that aeroplanes, or toys of any kind, are beyond the mental grasp of half the population is treated as a simple fact, and our dear Peter is quick to remind us of this at every opportunity. It’s enough to make you want to place Susie at the controls to a real plane just to prove them all wrong.

Naturally, the boys of the Secret Seven, clearly the superior aeronautical experts in this scenario, take charge of the plane. In what may be the least thrilling setup for a mystery ever, they manage to accidentally crash the toy aeroplane onto the balcony of Bartlett Lodge, an empty house currently under the care of Mr. Frampton, the local bank manager. As the gardener doesn’t want them snooping around and refuses to let them look for the plane, Peter and Jack do some investigating—by which I mean they happen to notice a gas fire burning inside the house while recovering the toy. Gasp! Clearly, something sinister is afoot, because who would ever think to use heating in an empty house, right?

This is where the “mystery” begins. If you can even call it that. The Seven are on high alert, convinced they’ve uncovered something nefarious. Are we dealing with burglars? Ghosts? A sinister criminal organisation using Bartlett Lodge as a hideout? No, of course not. We’re dealing with George Grim, the gardener, who has—shockingly—moved his sick wife into the house because their own cottage has a hole in the roof and is part-flooded, but has done so without permission from Mr Frampton (When asked by Frampton why he didn’t ask, he quite rightly points out there’s no way he would have said yes). Mrs. Grim has a serious cough, which the doctor says needs treating in dry conditions, so George did the only thing within his power at the time and temporarily relocated her to the lodge.

This is the “mystery” that the Secret Seven spend the better part of a book puzzling over, and the grand reveal is less a result of clever sleuthing and more a product of Peter and Janet’s father just happening to have a solution and Blyton needing to get him involved. Mr. Seven-Dad conveniently owns a nearby cottage that has just been vacated by a farmhand, and he generously offers it to the Grims—solving both the “mystery” and their housing problem in one tidy stroke. All of this is wrapped up so cleanly that you half expect a bow to appear on top of the book.

But let’s not forget the rampant sexism that permeates every corner of this tale. The girls in the Secret Seven—Janet, Barbara, Pam—are consistently relegated to the sidelines, forbidden from participating in the “dangerous” or “exciting” parts of the investigation. Peter, in his infinite wisdom, decides that this is all too much for their delicate constitutions. After all, girls can’t possibly handle real adventure, right? If they’re lucky, maybe they’ll get to bake some cakes for the boys to eat while they’re off doing the “real” work. It’s a good thing Peter’s there to protect them from the horrors of a mildly suspicious gas fire.

And then there’s Susie. Poor, clever, always-ignored Susie, who is treated like an afterthought simply because she’s a girl and not a member of the hallowed Secret Seven. The boys’ condescending dismissal of her ability to understand the toy aeroplane’s manual is truly something to behold—because clearly the mental gymnastics required to operate a small wind-up toy are far beyond her. The fact that Susie consistently demonstrates more intelligence and resourcefulness than most of the Seven combined is, of course, irrelevant.

In the end, Three Cheers, Secret Seven! is a triumph of lazy plot development and gender stereotyping. The “mystery” is less of a whodunnit and more of a "whocares," the sexism is as predictable as the conclusion, and the resolution is so neatly tied up you can practically hear Blyton’s sigh of relief as she types the final paragraph. As for the Secret Seven? They’ll pat themselves on the back for a job well done, even though the real hero of the story is Mr. Frampton for not immediately shopping the Grims to the police and Peter and Janet’s father pulling a job and new place to live out of his hat.

So, three cheers for the Secret Seven, indeed! But perhaps next time, they could aim a little higher than recovering a toy plane and solving the world’s least mysterious mystery. And maybe—just maybe—allow the girls to do something more exciting than make sandwiches. One can dream.

[Sana Ziya · Rating 4 out of 5]

#11...
I was introduced to the genre of mystery in my childhood by 2 groups of children
1.The Famous Five
2. The Secret Seven
The fact it was more interesting and exciting as the mysteries were solved by children my age that time... So reliving my childhood memory..

[Vishal Mehta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this book as a child. It moved me then, and it moved me now! My favourite Secret Seven Adventure so far!

[Midnight Sun · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories were good but one has the realise the kind of sexist thoughts they are putting in the heads of kids who are reading them…

[Sam Crossland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up with the SS, FF, Mallory Towers and St Claires. I have seen the comments about the sexist language used throughout but Enid Blyton brought joy to lots of children with her plethora of books. These are of the time. The language is dated, for current society, but as I re-read these for nostalgia purposes, I can reflect how stories reflect the time they were written in and realise they don't speak to a present society. We can reflect on how stories etc... inform wider societal values. Our choice of language and our actions need to be inclusive. The past is the past though and we have the opportunity to learn from that past, we can't change it but must use it to inform the future.
Enid Blyton will always have 5 stars from me for their nostalgia. I had many school holidays where the SS and FF filled my time and then fuelled my wider interest in reading.
All those marking 1 star for these, remember they are of their time.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the ending a mile away but this was still so much fun?

PS: It's very sexist. Children should probably not be encouraged to read it because it perpetuates several gender stereotypes. Having said that, if you're an adult reader with a fully developed brain, you can enjoy the story while you acknowledge all the datedness. On that note, this would be a fitting pedagogical exercise! Ask the class to read the tale or read it with them and follow it up with an assignment/classroom discussion that highlights all the gender stereotypes in the story and why they're wrong.

Also, our boy Peter will grow up to be a bit of an asshole. That's another assignment there! What would character X or Y be like as a grown up? Justify with examples.

These are a bunch of rambling thoughts. Ignore me.

[Malinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with other reviewers that there are issues with misogyny in this book, as it is very much of its time. That must be addressed when reading it aloud, and parents should be aware of the issue when children are reading the book independently. However, I think the book also has many good points. Particularly, I appreciate the ending where the children choose to give their own funds to help an elderly couple in need of adequate housing. It sets a good example for readers. It is also an opportunity to discuss housing issues and Elder Care issues with children who are ready for such in-depth topics.

[Farseer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of little children have a secret club and investigate mysteries. Simpler stories than other Blyton novels (like the Famous five or the Adventure series), for very young readers.

In this one, the children investigate intriguing goings-on in a supposedly empty house. Simple and straightforward story, in the same style as the others in the series. In this case, the surprise is the motivation that the suspects turn out to have, which is different from the usual thieves that serve as the bad guys in this series.

[Mario A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the book that introduced me to the world of Enid Blyton. I read these books to test how far my reading has come, The first time I read this in my teens it took me more than a day and a half to read and now it can be read within the hour.

The plot is simple enough and this is one of the books where there's a twist with regards to the perceived antagonist of the book.

The series is a good gifting option for ages 8 - 14.

[Abhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of you could hypothesize that it could be old Grim's wife hiding in the house? I'm disappointed, Secret Seven. Yeah of you too, Scamper. You could've barked your disapproval when you heard them making the wrong assumptions. And rolled your eyes when Janet and Barbara presented their report. "Duh! What do you want me to do, write it down for you?"

[Vinay Leo]

The Secret Seven series was the first “series” of Enid Blyton I came across, thanks to a book being passed on to me by my cousin. For a child, I think the series was fun. It made me want to explore the idea of forming secret clubs with badges and passwords and such. It is a box set I’ve acquired since then, and hope to reread soon.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars & 3/10 hearts. This is a fun, humorous, interesting mystery, like all the Secret Seven books. There are a few words (gosh, golly) but otherwise it’s very clean. I particularly appreciate how the children are very obedient to their parents, and how the police are represented as kind, intelligent men. 

[Sragvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good and a fantastic story. I was shocked when the gardener saw Peter and Jack. In my side I loved the story of how Susie's aeroplane went over the wall on its first flight. how the S.S investigated the fire, wet soil etc. After all that investigation the S.S were able to solve the mystery.

[Jenna Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really glad to see that another mystery got solved in a new way to keep the stories from getting stale. Also glad that we finally get a book where Susie isn't demonised for no reason lol.

It was really cute that all the kids wanted to help the old couple with their own saved-up pocket money at the end.

[Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a heartwarming read again. So nostalgic for me. I could instantly recall the story from back when I used to go to school. One with my favorite satisfactory ending as well. I absolutely love the way Enid Blyton just keeps it so wholesome and positive yet writes in a way that appeals to the child in us.

[Ranit Dey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really a touching story