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Secret #1-5
The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch - A Collection of 5 Books - You have to stop this, This isn't what looks like, The name of this book is secret, If you're reading this, it is too late, This book is not good for you.
Title In This Collection:-
The Name of This Book is Secret: Book 1 (The "Secret" Series)
If You''re Reading This
it''s Too Late: Book 2 (Secret 2) (The "Secret" Series)
This Book is Not Good for You: Book 3 (Secret 3) (The "Secret" Series)
This isn''t What it Looks Like: Book 4 (Secret 4) (The "Secret" Series)
You Have to Stop This: Book 5 (The "Secret" Series)
This isn't What it Looks Like: Book 4 (Secret 4) (The "Secret" Series)
When Cass dared to taste the Midnight Sun's deadly chocolate, her mind was transported back to Medieval England, leaving her body in a coma. She helps the founder of the Terces Society to escape the wicked clutches of the Midnight Sun and finally finds the Secret but, to her horror, wakes from her coma she has forgotten everything...
You Have to Stop This: Book 5 (The "Secret" Series)
The Terces Society are accused of stealing an Ancient Egyptian mummy from the local museum, get trapped in a crate with a mummified cat, and unwittingly find themselves on their way to the great pyramids of...Las Vegas. As they draw ever closer to uncovering the Secret, so too do their arch-enemies, the Masters of the Midnight Sun.
The Name of This Book is Secret: Book 1 (The "Secret" Series)
When intrepid friends Cass and Max-Ernest set out to discover the history behind the mysterious Symphony of Smells, they become embroiled in an experiment to discover the secret of eternal youth. Together they must come up with a plan to rescue their classmate from a hideous fate and escape the eerie pyramid of dastardly villains The Midnight Sun.
If You're Reading This, it's Too Late: Book 2 (Secret 2) (The "Secret" Series)
Cass and Max-Ernest are proud new members of the top-secret Terces Society, and can't wait for their first mission. Soon they are kidnapped by their dastardly enemies, discover the powerful and mysterious Sound Prism, and find themselves in a race against time to track down
The Name of This Book is Secret: Book 1 (The "Secret" Series)
If You''re Reading This
it''s Too Late: Book 2 (Secret 2) (The "Secret" Series)
This Book is Not Good for You: Book 3 (Secret 3) (The "Secret" Series)
This isn''t What it Looks Like: Book 4 (Secret 4) (The "Secret" Series)
You Have to Stop This: Book 5 (The "Secret" Series)
This isn't What it Looks Like: Book 4 (Secret 4) (The "Secret" Series)
When Cass dared to taste the Midnight Sun's deadly chocolate, her mind was transported back to Medieval England, leaving her body in a coma. She helps the founder of the Terces Society to escape the wicked clutches of the Midnight Sun and finally finds the Secret but, to her horror, wakes from her coma she has forgotten everything...
You Have to Stop This: Book 5 (The "Secret" Series)
The Terces Society are accused of stealing an Ancient Egyptian mummy from the local museum, get trapped in a crate with a mummified cat, and unwittingly find themselves on their way to the great pyramids of...Las Vegas. As they draw ever closer to uncovering the Secret, so too do their arch-enemies, the Masters of the Midnight Sun.
The Name of This Book is Secret: Book 1 (The "Secret" Series)
When intrepid friends Cass and Max-Ernest set out to discover the history behind the mysterious Symphony of Smells, they become embroiled in an experiment to discover the secret of eternal youth. Together they must come up with a plan to rescue their classmate from a hideous fate and escape the eerie pyramid of dastardly villains The Midnight Sun.
If You're Reading This, it's Too Late: Book 2 (Secret 2) (The "Secret" Series)
Cass and Max-Ernest are proud new members of the top-secret Terces Society, and can't wait for their first mission. Soon they are kidnapped by their dastardly enemies, discover the powerful and mysterious Sound Prism, and find themselves in a race against time to track down
Paperback
First published November 8, 2011
77 people are currently reading
1663 people want to read
About the author
Pseudonymous Bosch
41 books3,268 followersPseudonymous Bosch is the infamously anonymous author of the New York Times bestselling Secret Series and the Bad Books. Despite rumors to the contrary, his books are not actually written by his pet rabbit, Quiche; the rabbit is merely his typist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
September 7, 2014
I don't know what to say about this series.
Seriously.
The narrator is so hilarious. The formatting is unique. The storyline is perfection. The ending is satisfying. The characters are lovable. The villains detestable. I don't know what else to say, other than, READ IT.
Definitely for fans of:
Lemony Snicket
Trenton Lee Stewart
Seriously.
The narrator is so hilarious. The formatting is unique. The storyline is perfection. The ending is satisfying. The characters are lovable. The villains detestable. I don't know what else to say, other than, READ IT.
Definitely for fans of:
Lemony Snicket
Trenton Lee Stewart
January 21, 2012
I've read and own all the series except for Book 5.
This book is filled with thrills and suspense. It tells about the story of Cass, a survivalist who's always predicting danger even if it never happens. She met her one and only friend, Max-Earnest at school. Max-Earnest is a very intelligent boy who knows everything and is allergic to anything! He's a fast talker too. Together, they on a very, very exciting and thrilling adventure including black magic, two very strange people and gloves. I recommend this book to all kids out there who loves a good adventure and thrill.
This book is filled with thrills and suspense. It tells about the story of Cass, a survivalist who's always predicting danger even if it never happens. She met her one and only friend, Max-Earnest at school. Max-Earnest is a very intelligent boy who knows everything and is allergic to anything! He's a fast talker too. Together, they on a very, very exciting and thrilling adventure including black magic, two very strange people and gloves. I recommend this book to all kids out there who loves a good adventure and thrill.
November 20, 2013
I love the Secret Series! I have read all the books in one week! I couldn't put them down. They were amazing. Just reading the title made me want to read it. I loved the adventures Max-Ernest and Cass has been through and Yo-Yoij. The books are amazing, wonderful, thrilling, perfect, awesome, and the Secret Series is the best series I have ever read considering i have read over 30 series and read over 8 million books. i am only nine and I love these splenderific books. I want to thank Pseudonymous Bosch for creating these wonderful books and making me love reading more than I did before. I wish the series would go on forever and I wish I could live forever, so I could read all the books. They are just so amazing! If the books haven't existed I would've died. The books are the most amazing and perfect things I have encountered or should I say read in my whole entire life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I recommend this to every person in the world. I LOVE THE SECRET SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Pseudonymous BoschThe Name of This Book Is SecretIf You're Reading This, It's Too LateThis Book Is Not Good for YouThis Isn't What It Looks LikeYou Have to Stop This
July 24, 2020
This series gets worse as it goes on, sorry to anyone who loves this series but the whole secret was a let down, I thought the secret was going to be something big! But it did not live up to the suspense, the first book was great! But again, it gets worse as you keep reading the books
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2024
Reread the whole series to feel like a kid again.
May 14, 2015
The middle grades Secret Series by Psuedonymous Bosch: The Name of This Book is Secret (2008); If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late (2009); This Book is Not Good for You (2010); This Isn’t What It Looks Like (2011); and You Have to Stop This (2012), in order. Illustrated by Gilbert Ford. Published by Little, Brown. We bought this popular series in a set, otherwise we probably would have stopped reading after the first one. As it was, I read it out loud to my kids and it took us several months. There is a new series, The Bad Books series, which just began with Bad Magic and is about one of the main characters from The Secret Series’s younger brothers when he is older. They are not completely connected; more like a spin-off.
I was surprised that in the end, the kids and I wanted to know what happened. In fact, most nights they were all like, “Read to us!” But then they didn’t pay the best of attention. I don’t know how much of this had to do with the particular series. Most of the time, we were (all) slightly bored (as opposed to when we read The Chronicles of Narnia).
The author obviously goes by a pseudonym, like Lemony Snicket, and it is widely accepted that he is Raphael Simon. The pseudonym is not only a clever one, but it fits the whole idea of the series: that he is a participant in the story revealing the details of a top secret organization through the use of fake names and false places, and that because of his revelations, his life (and ours!) is in danger.
I’m going to generously start with the best part about this series: the idea. What I shared above: that this is a secret person revealing the secrets of a secret society and putting everyone’s lives in danger… great idea! Love it! And Bosch really carries the idea through every single book, bringing the reader back to the “reality” behind the story over and over and in such clever ways. And with the new addition of Write This Book, he loops the reader in even more. (We have not read/written that one, but I think it’s super clever, especially as related to the series.)
The other best part of this series: the extras. It’s not just a novel. There are many footnotes (which are not great for read-aloud, but otherwise…), asides, blanked-out information, codes, illustrations, a few forms, nontraditional pages, and (except for in book 5) long, interactive appendices. Again, this all works especially well with the idea of the series and how strong the narrator is a part of the experience, himself. Plus, this is where the humor comes in. And plenty of actual education with the humor.
But here’s where it all starts to head south. While the cover illustrations are eye-catching and acceptable, the illustrations inside are terrible. Perhaps you would argue that it’s some sort of style, but even my kids would often look at the drawings out of the corners of their eyes, as if to say, “Mom, I draw hands better than that!” It was not uncommon for one of us to ask, “Is that supposed to be Cass?” or even, “What is that supposed to be?”
Let’s just come right out and say that the writing is so-so. There are definitely glimmers of imagination, but the actual writing has moments of real stink and long swaths of mediocrity. Let me drag Rowling into this for the first of three times in this review: Harry Potter is also only so-so in the writing department. But Harry Potter has amazing characters and impeccable plotting. I can not say that for The Secret Series, and you will see what I mean, below.
We’ll just keep wading into my complaints, then. Because, despite the popularity of the series and the great reviews, I just can not say I enjoyed these books, and neither can my ten- or seven-year-old. Let’s start with fact that Bosch picked the hardest names ever to read (aloud or in your head). It gets super annoying to always be reading “Cass asked” this and “Cass asked” that, and oh-my-goodness Max-Ernest couldn’t have a nickname? And how many times do you want to say Yo-Yogi in one conversation? Try maybe once.
So maybe that’s a nit-picky thing, but this is standard: Bosch loves those adverbs a LOT too much. Now, I can take some adverbs–unlike some writing and reading snobs–when they are well-placed and sorta rare. But I got so irritated with the repetition of sentence structure coupled with unnecessary adverbs that I read a page out to my husband after the kids were in bed and I was practically in tears over the state of popular fiction. (Sorry, I don’t know where it is anymore but I think it was in book four). For two pages, almost every paragraph was “Whatever, something, yadda yadda” whomever spoke/said/asked/yelled blah-blah-blah-ly. In the words of Stephen King, “While to write adverbs is human, to write ‘he said’ or ‘she said’ is divine.” Thank you!
In fact, I just opened the last book up to a random page to find some inspiration for the review, and that one random page included this gem (sarcasm) of a conversation:
“‘…It’s not for sale!’ said Grandpa Larry automatically.
“‘Then what’s it doing here?” the customer asked angrily.
“‘Fine, twist my arm, five dollars,’ said Grandpa Larry grumpily.”
And tacked on later, just for kicks:
“‘Well, I didn’t know you were moving!’ said Cass accusatorially.”
(which is not even a word).
And as a reader, I am forever noticing writers’ pet words. One of Rowling’s is “pant.” I recently read a book where everything was “superfluous.” I have these words, myself. One of them is “gaze.” If my characters would just quit gazing here and gazing there and gazing everywhere! Unfortunately, Bosch’s pet words are like ten-dollar words that become obnoxious because they are so obvious. But once again, I find myself being a bit nit-picky. Here’s something a little more substantial: Bosch falls pray to the over-realistic conversation. What I mean is, readers don’t really want to know every time a character hesitates, stutters, or “um”s. It’s tempting to write that way, I know, but it, too, is obnoxious.
And what the heck is up with Max-Ernest’s family?!? It’s sort of interesting even while it’s seriously uncomfortable, but why they heck bring them together and then rip them apart again!? Weirdest plot decision ever.
I am going to guess that part of what happened to this series is what happens to plenty of series. I bet that Bosch wrote the first book with the rest of the series in his head, but that his publisher hung some deadlines over him. Therefore each subsequent book got less-seriously edited and was rushed to press. Around the third book in a series like this, you start to see ever-more glaring typos at an alarming rate. It’s sad. Plot pieces start to unravel. You wind up with scenes where you are unclear if a character has left or what the new guy’s name is, and then you spot some contradictory information. It’s just a matter of rushed editing and it happens all the time. It even happened with Harry Potter (and there’s the third and final mention).
Honestly, though, Bosch never does a great job with characters. It’s like he has great ideas, but he doesn’t have that natural ability to make a reader love a character or to ease into them without much work. I can’t say the kids or I cared about a single character by the end of the series. In fact, I was more interested in a few of the villains, and we didn’t really see that much of them. I found Cass, Max-Ernest, and Yo-Yogi to be basically flat. Sorry, but I am a character writer and a character reader, so this is a big deal for me.
The plot, on the other hand, is okay. You get it. The senses thing might be a bit unnecessary, but something’s always happening and it has something to do with friendship, the pre-teen years, or the Terces Society and their nemeses the Midnight Sun. Then again, I didn’t find the plot to flow very well, especially in the over-arching department. Specifically, the plot doesn’t ratchet up over time or build toward one big crescendo. It’s like a number of small denouements, which, I bet you can guess, is not tremendously fulfilling.
And while we are on the topic, the ending pretty much sucked. I won’t include any spoilers, but the Big Secret–the whole crux of the series–is super anti-climactic. If you can even figure out what it is. Because, honestly, my kids were like, “What, Mom?” And you know, the whole time you’re reading, that the revelation of the Secret better be darn near perfect, and the Secret itself, amazing. But… that never happened. The bad guys never really got what was coming to them. There was no final confrontation. And in trying to cleverly not wrap anything up cuz that’s like real life, Bosch really didn’t wrap up anything.
The moral of this review? Your kids might want to read it because every one else is reading it. It wouldn’t be the worst thing for them to read. They might get a kick out of parts of it. But I can’t justify recommending the series to anyone, young or old. It’s a great idea that just falls flat in a number of ways. It’s not awful, it’s just not great, wrote Devon emphatically.
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE DEVON TREVARROW FLAHERTY BLOG.***
I was surprised that in the end, the kids and I wanted to know what happened. In fact, most nights they were all like, “Read to us!” But then they didn’t pay the best of attention. I don’t know how much of this had to do with the particular series. Most of the time, we were (all) slightly bored (as opposed to when we read The Chronicles of Narnia).
The author obviously goes by a pseudonym, like Lemony Snicket, and it is widely accepted that he is Raphael Simon. The pseudonym is not only a clever one, but it fits the whole idea of the series: that he is a participant in the story revealing the details of a top secret organization through the use of fake names and false places, and that because of his revelations, his life (and ours!) is in danger.
I’m going to generously start with the best part about this series: the idea. What I shared above: that this is a secret person revealing the secrets of a secret society and putting everyone’s lives in danger… great idea! Love it! And Bosch really carries the idea through every single book, bringing the reader back to the “reality” behind the story over and over and in such clever ways. And with the new addition of Write This Book, he loops the reader in even more. (We have not read/written that one, but I think it’s super clever, especially as related to the series.)
The other best part of this series: the extras. It’s not just a novel. There are many footnotes (which are not great for read-aloud, but otherwise…), asides, blanked-out information, codes, illustrations, a few forms, nontraditional pages, and (except for in book 5) long, interactive appendices. Again, this all works especially well with the idea of the series and how strong the narrator is a part of the experience, himself. Plus, this is where the humor comes in. And plenty of actual education with the humor.
But here’s where it all starts to head south. While the cover illustrations are eye-catching and acceptable, the illustrations inside are terrible. Perhaps you would argue that it’s some sort of style, but even my kids would often look at the drawings out of the corners of their eyes, as if to say, “Mom, I draw hands better than that!” It was not uncommon for one of us to ask, “Is that supposed to be Cass?” or even, “What is that supposed to be?”
Let’s just come right out and say that the writing is so-so. There are definitely glimmers of imagination, but the actual writing has moments of real stink and long swaths of mediocrity. Let me drag Rowling into this for the first of three times in this review: Harry Potter is also only so-so in the writing department. But Harry Potter has amazing characters and impeccable plotting. I can not say that for The Secret Series, and you will see what I mean, below.
We’ll just keep wading into my complaints, then. Because, despite the popularity of the series and the great reviews, I just can not say I enjoyed these books, and neither can my ten- or seven-year-old. Let’s start with fact that Bosch picked the hardest names ever to read (aloud or in your head). It gets super annoying to always be reading “Cass asked” this and “Cass asked” that, and oh-my-goodness Max-Ernest couldn’t have a nickname? And how many times do you want to say Yo-Yogi in one conversation? Try maybe once.
So maybe that’s a nit-picky thing, but this is standard: Bosch loves those adverbs a LOT too much. Now, I can take some adverbs–unlike some writing and reading snobs–when they are well-placed and sorta rare. But I got so irritated with the repetition of sentence structure coupled with unnecessary adverbs that I read a page out to my husband after the kids were in bed and I was practically in tears over the state of popular fiction. (Sorry, I don’t know where it is anymore but I think it was in book four). For two pages, almost every paragraph was “Whatever, something, yadda yadda” whomever spoke/said/asked/yelled blah-blah-blah-ly. In the words of Stephen King, “While to write adverbs is human, to write ‘he said’ or ‘she said’ is divine.” Thank you!
In fact, I just opened the last book up to a random page to find some inspiration for the review, and that one random page included this gem (sarcasm) of a conversation:
“‘…It’s not for sale!’ said Grandpa Larry automatically.
“‘Then what’s it doing here?” the customer asked angrily.
“‘Fine, twist my arm, five dollars,’ said Grandpa Larry grumpily.”
And tacked on later, just for kicks:
“‘Well, I didn’t know you were moving!’ said Cass accusatorially.”
(which is not even a word).
And as a reader, I am forever noticing writers’ pet words. One of Rowling’s is “pant.” I recently read a book where everything was “superfluous.” I have these words, myself. One of them is “gaze.” If my characters would just quit gazing here and gazing there and gazing everywhere! Unfortunately, Bosch’s pet words are like ten-dollar words that become obnoxious because they are so obvious. But once again, I find myself being a bit nit-picky. Here’s something a little more substantial: Bosch falls pray to the over-realistic conversation. What I mean is, readers don’t really want to know every time a character hesitates, stutters, or “um”s. It’s tempting to write that way, I know, but it, too, is obnoxious.
And what the heck is up with Max-Ernest’s family?!? It’s sort of interesting even while it’s seriously uncomfortable, but why they heck bring them together and then rip them apart again!? Weirdest plot decision ever.
I am going to guess that part of what happened to this series is what happens to plenty of series. I bet that Bosch wrote the first book with the rest of the series in his head, but that his publisher hung some deadlines over him. Therefore each subsequent book got less-seriously edited and was rushed to press. Around the third book in a series like this, you start to see ever-more glaring typos at an alarming rate. It’s sad. Plot pieces start to unravel. You wind up with scenes where you are unclear if a character has left or what the new guy’s name is, and then you spot some contradictory information. It’s just a matter of rushed editing and it happens all the time. It even happened with Harry Potter (and there’s the third and final mention).
Honestly, though, Bosch never does a great job with characters. It’s like he has great ideas, but he doesn’t have that natural ability to make a reader love a character or to ease into them without much work. I can’t say the kids or I cared about a single character by the end of the series. In fact, I was more interested in a few of the villains, and we didn’t really see that much of them. I found Cass, Max-Ernest, and Yo-Yogi to be basically flat. Sorry, but I am a character writer and a character reader, so this is a big deal for me.
The plot, on the other hand, is okay. You get it. The senses thing might be a bit unnecessary, but something’s always happening and it has something to do with friendship, the pre-teen years, or the Terces Society and their nemeses the Midnight Sun. Then again, I didn’t find the plot to flow very well, especially in the over-arching department. Specifically, the plot doesn’t ratchet up over time or build toward one big crescendo. It’s like a number of small denouements, which, I bet you can guess, is not tremendously fulfilling.
And while we are on the topic, the ending pretty much sucked. I won’t include any spoilers, but the Big Secret–the whole crux of the series–is super anti-climactic. If you can even figure out what it is. Because, honestly, my kids were like, “What, Mom?” And you know, the whole time you’re reading, that the revelation of the Secret better be darn near perfect, and the Secret itself, amazing. But… that never happened. The bad guys never really got what was coming to them. There was no final confrontation. And in trying to cleverly not wrap anything up cuz that’s like real life, Bosch really didn’t wrap up anything.
The moral of this review? Your kids might want to read it because every one else is reading it. It wouldn’t be the worst thing for them to read. They might get a kick out of parts of it. But I can’t justify recommending the series to anyone, young or old. It’s a great idea that just falls flat in a number of ways. It’s not awful, it’s just not great, wrote Devon emphatically.
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE DEVON TREVARROW FLAHERTY BLOG.***
September 23, 2016
The Secret series, by Pseudonymous Bosch, is a mystery series. These books are about the adventures of Cass and Max - Ernest, who are two partners that are both members of the Terces society. This society fight against the Midnight Sun and evil organization that uses alchemy to stay young forever and wants to find out the Secret. Throughout the books you follow Cass and Max - Ernest through their journeys together trying to stop the Midnight Sun from figuring out the Secret and concurring the world. Cass and Max - Ernest have to face lots of challenges along the way.
Each of the 5 books focuses on one of the 5 senses, the first book is smell, the second is sound, the third is taste, the fourth is sight and the fifth is touch. Overall the book series is very interesting and the way the author connects the books to alchemy and the Egyptian gods and many other things. He puts lot of work and does lots of research to make everything accurate. Sometimes at the bottom of the pages he adds notes that explain somethings so it helps the reader understand thing better or states interesting facts about things in the text. He teaches you through his books in a fun and interesting way.
I absolutely recommend this book series because I loved it and it incorporated lots of different things that I enjoy learning and reading about. For example Egyptian gods, the Middle ages, alchemy and lots of other interesting things that you might enjoy. These books have mystery elements like riddles and codes. They have adventure and magic. This series can appeal to lots of readers because it incorporates lots of different cool features. I recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries, adventure or secrets, magic, riddles, codes and learning about cool and mysterious thing like alchemy and the Egyptian gods. Over all the books were great and I loved how he put it all together and made a wonderful series.
Each of the 5 books focuses on one of the 5 senses, the first book is smell, the second is sound, the third is taste, the fourth is sight and the fifth is touch. Overall the book series is very interesting and the way the author connects the books to alchemy and the Egyptian gods and many other things. He puts lot of work and does lots of research to make everything accurate. Sometimes at the bottom of the pages he adds notes that explain somethings so it helps the reader understand thing better or states interesting facts about things in the text. He teaches you through his books in a fun and interesting way.
I absolutely recommend this book series because I loved it and it incorporated lots of different things that I enjoy learning and reading about. For example Egyptian gods, the Middle ages, alchemy and lots of other interesting things that you might enjoy. These books have mystery elements like riddles and codes. They have adventure and magic. This series can appeal to lots of readers because it incorporates lots of different cool features. I recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries, adventure or secrets, magic, riddles, codes and learning about cool and mysterious thing like alchemy and the Egyptian gods. Over all the books were great and I loved how he put it all together and made a wonderful series.
July 8, 2013
I bought The Secret Series because of its author. I mean, who DOESN'T want to read books by someone called Pseudonymous Bosch?
These books are for kids. I think an advanced 7-year-old could read these, but he/she might need some help with the more uncommon words. They appear to be aimed at the 9 to 11 age group, though.
These books follow three kids trying to work out the details of a ginormous conspiracy. It starts out with Cass, a survivalist. She meets Max-Earnest, a brain - the kid remembers the oddest stuff. They're joined later by Yo-Yoji, a wild child. They're being chased hither, thither and yon by a bunch of eternal-youth-seeking crazies called The Midnight Sun. The members of the Midnight Sun actually creep me right out; I think it's the gloves they all wear.
This is a great series. Bosch (whomever he really is) did a wonderful job of putting together a series of books that is pretty interactive (one of the books actually has a waiver at the beginning). Occasionally, he departs from the main plot to speak directly to the reader, describing a feeling or experience or a taste, as though carrying on a conversation with the reader. It's quite creative.
These books are for kids. I think an advanced 7-year-old could read these, but he/she might need some help with the more uncommon words. They appear to be aimed at the 9 to 11 age group, though.
These books follow three kids trying to work out the details of a ginormous conspiracy. It starts out with Cass, a survivalist. She meets Max-Earnest, a brain - the kid remembers the oddest stuff. They're joined later by Yo-Yoji, a wild child. They're being chased hither, thither and yon by a bunch of eternal-youth-seeking crazies called The Midnight Sun. The members of the Midnight Sun actually creep me right out; I think it's the gloves they all wear.
This is a great series. Bosch (whomever he really is) did a wonderful job of putting together a series of books that is pretty interactive (one of the books actually has a waiver at the beginning). Occasionally, he departs from the main plot to speak directly to the reader, describing a feeling or experience or a taste, as though carrying on a conversation with the reader. It's quite creative.
Read
August 17, 2016I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 10, 2016
*Plays video*
Hello, i'm a secret keeper and a secret reader and i cannot resist of keeping secrets for myself, so instead, i'll put my secret review here in my good reads.
but i warning you, this secret would be deadly so i advised you to not read this. i'm begging you for your own safety
(oh well, i'm a good at imitating P. Bosch *cries*)
For Special Series like this, i will never have a rename of the chapter titles, instead, i will make a very very very brief Summary (so for everyone's sake, i'll keep it ending-spoiler free) with small reactions of each books. as courtesy of Team of Emergency Agents, Specialists and Engineers or T.E.A.S.E.
Book 1 : The Name of This Book is SECRET
Full review : The name of this book is SECRET
Rate : 4.8/5
Book 2 : If You're Reading this, It's Too Late
Full review : If You're Reading this, It's too Late
Rate : 4.2/5
Book 3 : This Book is Not Good for You
Full review : This book is NOT Good for You
Rate : 3.5/5
Book 4 : This isn't What it Looks like
Full review : This Isn't What it Looks like
Rate : 3.9/5
Book 5 : You Have to Stop This
Full review :You Have To STOP This
Rate : 4.7/5
I cannot keep the secret more, so i'll tell you overall impression and how i calculated the total rate of this book series
1 = 4.8
2 = 4.2
3 = 3.5
4 = 3.9
5 = 4.7
Final Rating : 4.22
I believe the Third Book was the weakest book because it was bit long for a Children fiction. also the book 3 at the middle snores me (just like how the middle part of Finders Keepers of Stephen King's Bill Hodges Trilogy Snores me), but overall, this series was the best series i've ever read. P. Bosch did a very great job. The idea was Clever, Whimsical and Beautiful. and that's the way i love the series. I. . .i. . . i couldn't explain about how this series fascinated me like my words were speechless . . . . Maybe Max-Ernest could, M-E? Could you? huh?
Max-Ernest?
Max?
M-E?
Max-Ernest suddenly disappear at my side, wai t, a mi ni t e i'll gonan ch ase him. . .
*POOF*
subtitle of the video : i'm going to re-edit this to add my review. i feel i want to mention something but i need to rewrite it so i could insert it :)
Another subtitle : i'll try to add a separate review of each of the books, a much deeper review of the books. My laptop is making me insane and i'm busy reading my tons of to be read. huhuhuhuhuhu
Another Another subtitle : This review was sponsored by the Magical Ghosts of the Reality with partnership of my own savings. thank you my wallet for a money to buy this amazing series lolololol
Another Another Another subtitle : i made a small fan art of this book and you can see it here in my Instagram : The name of this Fan Art is SECRET (that's my IG, promise)
*Video ends*
Hello, i'm a secret keeper and a secret reader and i cannot resist of keeping secrets for myself, so instead, i'll put my secret review here in my good reads.
but i warning you, this secret would be deadly so i advised you to not read this. i'm begging you for your own safety
(oh well, i'm a good at imitating P. Bosch *cries*)
For Special Series like this, i will never have a rename of the chapter titles, instead, i will make a very very very brief Summary (so for everyone's sake, i'll keep it ending-spoiler free) with small reactions of each books. as courtesy of Team of Emergency Agents, Specialists and Engineers or T.E.A.S.E.
Book 1 : The Name of This Book is SECRET
Full review : The name of this book is SECRET
Rate : 4.8/5
Book 2 : If You're Reading this, It's Too Late
Full review : If You're Reading this, It's too Late
Rate : 4.2/5
Book 3 : This Book is Not Good for You
Full review : This book is NOT Good for You
Rate : 3.5/5
Book 4 : This isn't What it Looks like
Full review : This Isn't What it Looks like
Rate : 3.9/5
Book 5 : You Have to Stop This
Full review :You Have To STOP This
Rate : 4.7/5
I cannot keep the secret more, so i'll tell you overall impression and how i calculated the total rate of this book series
1 = 4.8
2 = 4.2
3 = 3.5
4 = 3.9
5 = 4.7
Final Rating : 4.22
I believe the Third Book was the weakest book because it was bit long for a Children fiction. also the book 3 at the middle snores me (just like how the middle part of Finders Keepers of Stephen King's Bill Hodges Trilogy Snores me), but overall, this series was the best series i've ever read. P. Bosch did a very great job. The idea was Clever, Whimsical and Beautiful. and that's the way i love the series. I. . .i. . . i couldn't explain about how this series fascinated me like my words were speechless . . . . Maybe Max-Ernest could, M-E? Could you? huh?
Max-Ernest?
Max?
M-E?
Max-Ernest suddenly disappear at my side, wai t, a mi ni t e i'll gonan ch ase him. . .
*POOF*
subtitle of the video : i'm going to re-edit this to add my review. i feel i want to mention something but i need to rewrite it so i could insert it :)
Another subtitle : i'll try to add a separate review of each of the books, a much deeper review of the books. My laptop is making me insane and i'm busy reading my tons of to be read. huhuhuhuhuhu
Another Another subtitle : This review was sponsored by the Magical Ghosts of the Reality with partnership of my own savings. thank you my wallet for a money to buy this amazing series lolololol
Another Another Another subtitle : i made a small fan art of this book and you can see it here in my Instagram : The name of this Fan Art is SECRET (that's my IG, promise)
*Video ends*
May 31, 2024
This mystery book, The Name of this Book is a Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch, is the journey of an 11-year-old boy named Max-Earnest and a girl named Cass. Cass was clearing out a dead magician's house and found a wooden box labeled the Symphony of Smells, she brought it to school and showed Max-Earnest even though he comes off as annoying they get along and find out about the cult known as the midnight sun. Across the five books in this series, takes Cass and Max-Earnest into near-death situations, chaos, spying, and sometimes almost murder. I loved this series. It's a great read, but the ending is one of the stupidest I have ever read, the entire time the Midnight Sun was chasing this ultimate power a secret, the secret was a ____. You thought I would tell you that if you want to find out, you must read the books. The story is well-written and uses figurative language and solvable mysteries, deception is a constant, and betrayal is due to unknown reasons, but eventually everything makes sense. Overall this series deserves 4 stars because the ending kind of made reading the books seem like a waste of time, I re-read the series recently and enjoyed the journey of Max-Earnest and Cass, instead of focusing on the crappy ending the story absorbs you into the mystery and Max-Earnests millions of fake allergies. Overall, a good read!
April 23, 2020
I don't know what to say about these books.
Like seriously it's the best series I can remember reading.
I didn't read books 1,2 or 3 but the way the book is formated, it caught me up on book 4 and filled me in on everything I missed so I didn't have to read them, THAT'S HOW GOOD THE BOOK IS! IT'S AWESOME!
The storyline is just 5 stars and I would rate it higher if I possibly could; the characters are so well developed! The narrator is funny and the footnotes just make everything even better. Each book has its own problem and it never fails to impress me. I was actually sad when the book series was over, I WANT MORE! I even read the "Bad" series (that's the name of) and that was good too! It's an awesome series and the twists make you feel all sorts of ways. I love it, so much.
This review can't even sum up how I overall feel...we need more books because of this author...is legendary.
And as book 5 said: "As above so below."
I hope you enjoy it!👏👏👏
Like seriously it's the best series I can remember reading.
I didn't read books 1,2 or 3 but the way the book is formated, it caught me up on book 4 and filled me in on everything I missed so I didn't have to read them, THAT'S HOW GOOD THE BOOK IS! IT'S AWESOME!
The storyline is just 5 stars and I would rate it higher if I possibly could; the characters are so well developed! The narrator is funny and the footnotes just make everything even better. Each book has its own problem and it never fails to impress me. I was actually sad when the book series was over, I WANT MORE! I even read the "Bad" series (that's the name of) and that was good too! It's an awesome series and the twists make you feel all sorts of ways. I love it, so much.
This review can't even sum up how I overall feel...we need more books because of this author...is legendary.
And as book 5 said: "As above so below."
I hope you enjoy it!👏👏👏
March 6, 2020
This series is awesome, not just the story-line, but the way it is written as well. It gets a bit frustrating at times, but once you've read this series once, you won't just read it once.
That sentence made no sense.
The main characters are Cass, a middle school survivalist, Max-Ernest, myself with spiky hair, and Yo-yoji, the new kid with slick hair, a sneaker collection and a rock band.
It gets deeper the further the series goes on, eventually getting to the meaning of life. It's not 42.
Or is it?
Everyone should read this book. It will get a cult following it. And no, I don't say that for every book.
That sentence made no sense.
The main characters are Cass, a middle school survivalist, Max-Ernest, myself with spiky hair, and Yo-yoji, the new kid with slick hair, a sneaker collection and a rock band.
It gets deeper the further the series goes on, eventually getting to the meaning of life. It's not 42.
Or is it?
Everyone should read this book. It will get a cult following it. And no, I don't say that for every book.
July 20, 2022
i have loved loved loved this series ever since i was in 4th grade and still love it so much.
it is such an underrated series. the narrator is hilarious and had me constantly laughing.
the characters are a little bland (but with reason. [kind of]), except for the best villainous duo: dr. l and ms. mauvais. they are really intricate and have great backstories.
crazy plot twists thrown at you here and there.....go read this series!
it is such an underrated series. the narrator is hilarious and had me constantly laughing.
the characters are a little bland (but with reason. [kind of]), except for the best villainous duo: dr. l and ms. mauvais. they are really intricate and have great backstories.
crazy plot twists thrown at you here and there.....go read this series!
December 22, 2023
Excellent book for Teens and children at heart adults. Very unconventional and wacky enough to crack up an adult.
However, I could but wonder how they could have allowed the kids to enter all sorts of problems saying they believed in them. Then I remembered that it was fiction so I let go.
I would recommend it .
This is my second time reading the whole series but it feels like my first. Excellent writer.
However, I could but wonder how they could have allowed the kids to enter all sorts of problems saying they believed in them. Then I remembered that it was fiction so I let go.
I would recommend it .
This is my second time reading the whole series but it feels like my first. Excellent writer.
March 12, 2018
This book series is so entertaining and captivating to me that I read the whole series in 5 days. The story is unique and dwells in interesting topics, settings, characters, and even includes a child friendly illuminati. This is a middle school level book, it’s a simple read but don’t let that stop you from giving it a chance. Honestly this is my favorite book series.
February 7, 2019
This series was amazing!! The title are really good to, because one time my uncle asked me what book I was currently reading and I said The Name Of This Book Is Secret! It was so hilarious!! He kept asking me what it was called and I just kept repeating myself until he finally got it! 😂
July 7, 2021
Loved this series when I was younger!!! I could never put them down and ended up buying the whole series. I still own them to this day and refuse to let them go. Such a good series for young readers :)
June 6, 2022
I loved this series, I read it when I was a child, and had the pleasure of reading it alongside someone else again in my adulthood. This series is a masterpiece, and if you don't like it, you're just wrong. Sorry!
Read
September 9, 2022The entire series is absolutely phenomenal. A creepy story, crazy setpieces and a conclusion that makes you feel good. All with the most sassy narrator you’ll ever find in a book, on par with The Stanley Parable. Can’t recommend it enough to fans of detective books and thrillers.
May 12, 2024
Books from my childhood that I remember that had a huge impact on me falling in love with reading. Definitely not a classic but a great story and great writing that I still look back at fondly today.
February 28, 2017
I've read ALL of these books and they are just AMAZING. The author made this book so clever and the characters actually seemed like real people. I really recommend this series.
July 25, 2018
Great book few twists and turns and extremely addictive I recommend this for all audience above 10 years of age I haven’t read them all (YET!!!)
August 1, 2018
Fun mystery books filled with decoding and adventure. Good to read.
August 27, 2018
THIS SERIES WAS THE SHIT for real its still cute and funny and it was all so clever I miss these books
March 19, 2019
Welp. I loved it, except for Yo-Yoji. My favorite character is either Max-Ernest or Benjamin. I really want to know the secret, though, it never says it, for the entire series. Any guesses?
April 8, 2019
Love It I read it and loved parts where cass was smarter than max-Ernest I also loved reading parts with yo-yoliy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2019
This series of books is Amazing. I love the way that the author wrote it.
September 2, 2019
It was entertaining to read but the ending was botched.
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