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Charlie Thorne #2

Charlie Thorne and the Lost City

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Charlie searches for Charles Darwin’s hidden treasure in South America.

Charlie Thorne is a genius.
Charlie Thorne is a fugitive.
Charlie Thorne isn’t even thirteen.

After saving the world, Charlie is ready to take it easy in the Galapagos Islands. That is, until she’s approached by the mysterious Esmeralda Castle, who has a code she knows only Charlie can decipher.

In 1835, Charles Darwin diverted his ship’s journey so he could spend ten months in South America on a secret solo expedition. When he returned, he carried a treasure that inspired both awe and terror in his crew. Afterward, it vanished, never to be seen again…

But Darwin left a trail of clues behind for those brave and clever enough to search for it.

Enter Charlie Thorne.

In a daring adventure that takes her across South America, Charlie must crack Darwin’s 200-year-old clues to track down his mysterious discovery—and stay ahead of the formidable lineup of enemies who are hot on her tail.

When an ancient hidden treasure is at stake, people will do anything to find it first. Charlie may be a genius, but is she smart enough to know who she can trust?

375 pages, Hardcover

First published March 2, 2021

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1286 people want to read

About the author

Stuart Gibbs

92 books3,668 followers

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5 stars
1,992 (55%)
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1,150 (31%)
3 stars
389 (10%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
Profile Image for Emily Linacre.
366 reviews17 followers
April 21, 2021
ya know how some authors just can't write new books fast enough?? that's you, stuart gibbs! they're always worth the wait, though. can't wait to explore more with charlie in book 3!
Profile Image for Kyle.
98 reviews63 followers
April 18, 2023
I read this one to one of my kids. We enjoyed the settings and historical references; for me it harkened back to reading The Lost City of Z and The River of Doubt. I appreciate that the books in the Charlie Thorne series refer to historic events and notable individuals; my kid and I have looked up additional information about the events and people. However, I don't feel the premise in this book was as effective as it was "Charlie Thorne and The Last Equation". For instance, why would The CIA and the Russian FSB have interest in a "secret code" by Charles Darwin, something regarding evolutionary biology? In contrast to Einstein's Pandora and doomsday weapons?

There's also more violence than in the first book. The first book had mostly cartoon-type violence; my kid and I don't recall any deaths in it. However, this book had some graphic violence, such as severe skin burns from a fireball of an explosion. There were also deadly encounters with Amazonian wildlife. There were at least four deaths in this book. The book receives a 3 to 3.5 from me. My kid wanted to give it a 5 but she still enjoyed the first book in the series more.

P.s., I noticed that some readers criticized the occasional inclusion of references to Darwin's theories. Not a problem for me and my kid(s) or anyone else in my immediate and extended family. My classmates and I learned about the Scopes "Monkey" Trial in junior high in the *1980s* at an American Department of Defense Dependents school. My kid asked important questions about the Biblical creation story and the theory of evolution. She is welcome to make her own conclusions (everyone should be free to do so). BTW, Charles Darwin didn't state that humans were "monkeys" but that humans and apes evolved (separately) from a common ancestor.
Profile Image for Barb.
103 reviews
April 25, 2021

Seriously Mr. Gibbs, I have to wait until June 2022 for the next Charlie Thorne book? I'm still trying to gather my thoughts. I JUST finished the book and put it down. My next action was to go see when the next Charlie Thorne book was coming out.

As I stated after reading Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation, Stuart Gibbs knows his audience. He is aware that they are sophisticated and intelligent. This is exactly the author that I would have loved to read as a child. However, me being older than Stuart Gibbs, these books weren't around. :(

Charlie is a twelve year old girl who holds information in her mind that could cause world destruction. She doesn't want the "bad guys" to have the information and she doesn't think the "good guys" should really have it either. After all, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely". Trying to fly under the radar and keep her brain out of everyone's hands, she lands on the remote island of Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela, The Gallapagos Islands. She spends her days surfing, reading books left by tourists and hiding away. But she knows about Charles Darwin's secret and so do others. What exactly is the treasure that she'll find along the Amazon River? Just as important, can she keep Pandora safe? That's all I'll say. Read this thriller by Stuart Gibbs.

Profile Image for Brok3n.
1,454 reviews114 followers
July 25, 2025
Charlie in extremis

As Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation ended, twelve-year-old supergenius Charlie Thorne had found Einstein's Pandora equation, which apparently will allow folks to make nuclear weapons in the garage. Einstein, not trusting mankind with this sort of power, had hidden the secret away behind a series of hidden messages with coded clues. The final message, the one containing the equation, was destroyed when Charlie found it, but not before she could glimpse and memorize it. Charlie, having no more faith in humanity than Einstein, is keeping Pandora secret. Charlie managed at the end of The Last Equation to barely escape from a fire, which she allowed everyone to believe had killed her. Her brother CIA agent Dante Garcia and his partner Milana Moon know that Charlie is likely to have escaped. Any number of intelligence agencies now know that Pandora exists. Thus Charlie's brain is the sole repository of the most valuable secret on Earth.

I'm not going to say much about the first 70% of Charlie Thorne and the Lost City. It is a by-the-numbers supergenius child spy book. (Wait, is "supergenius child spy books" now a literary genre? Apparently it is. "Child spy books" are definitely a thing, perhaps thanks to Harriet the Spy, which is, strictly speaking, barely a child spy book at all. Stuart Gibbs himself is a master of the child spy genre with his Spy School series. Many child spy books center on unusually gifted children. For instance, Ben, the hero of the Spy School books, is especially good at calculations. So, yeah, "genius child spy book" is a Thing.) In the first two-thirds of The Lost City Charlie basically runs rings around various adults who are trying to use her. She's always two steps of everyone else, and she is, not to put too fine a point on it, BORING.

Charlie is at her best when she makes mistakes. When she reaches the lost city, (Wait, there's a lost city? The publisher's blurb doesn't mention any such thing. Yup, there's a lost city -- it's right there in the title.) she discovers , and things get interesting. The last few chapters are action-packed and exciting -- by far the best part of the book.

Gibbs finishes up with some world-building. He establishes a foundation for as many future Charlie Thorne books as he feels like writing. He also leaves behind some friends, villains, and not-quite friends who seem likely to be recurring characters in the books. And he hints that the next book is going to involve Cleopatra. (I'm not counting that as a spoiler, because you already know that the third book is called Charlie Thorne and the Curse of Cleopatra.)

Blog review.
Profile Image for Mark Baker.
2,394 reviews204 followers
March 21, 2021
It's been a few months since Charlotte “Charlie” Thorne has gone missing. While she was initially presumed dead, she took advantage of the confusion of the situation to slip away. She’s currently hiding out in the Galapagos Islands, which turns out to be very fortunate. One day, she is approached by Esmerelda, a researcher from the Darwin Institute who thinks she’s found a message left behind by Charles Darwin almost 200 years ago. Unfortunately, it’s in code, and Esmerelda needs Charlie to help her figure it out. Suddenly, Charlie finds herself on another wild ride that will take her deep into the heart of the Amazon pursued by people out to get the treasure first. But what did Darwin leave behind?

When I realized that Charles Darwin was going to be the featured scientist in this book, I was worried. As expected, there are some jabs taken at people like me, Christians who believe in microevolution (which Darwin clearly observed) but not the theory of macroevolution. I realize that will only be an issue for some readers. The rest will be thrilled with the action, danger, and twists that Charlie finds herself caught up in once again. I do struggle a bit with Charlie’s characters since she comes across as too perfect, but there are others in the book who are more realistic. I appreciated the rising tension we got while traveling through the Amazon as well as the humor that helped lighten the mood at times. There are some great seeds planted, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they pay off in future books. Fans of Stuart Gibbs will certainly enjoy this book.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Profile Image for Ella.
117 reviews12 followers
March 11, 2021
Ummm. What in the world.
Ok, this book. It was great and all and first. Charlie is looking for something Charles Darwin discovered. It was very slow at the beginning and I couldn’t just sit down and read the thing. Eventually I start getting into it, and Charlie eventually gets wrapped up into getting forced to find the discovery by the CIA. Which also happens in the first book. Ok? Thanks CIA. Charlie runs into all kinds of people and trouble. Like weird animals, people who want to kill her, and her hilarious half brother. About 65% through I discover what the thing Darwin discovered. (Note this is all fiction.) Turns out its the missing link to evolution! Woah! Not. That’s when this book became the dumbest thing I ever read. Bro, you are never gonna find the missing link. Why? Cause it doesn’t exist. Well, apparently in this book the missing link is some half evolved monkeys. Why does Stuart Gibbs have to ruin the story with putting evolution garbage into it?? I was really disappointed. I love all of Gibbs’s other books. So I was expecting a good story, and I did not get one.

DNF
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Karen.
1,709 reviews13 followers
May 3, 2021
Another page-turner from Gibbs. The sequel to Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation finds Charlie hiding from the world in the Galapagos Islands. When a mysterious message carved into a tortoise shell (allegedly carved by Charles Darwin) is discovered, the search for a long-missing treasure in the Amazon takes off. Is there a treasure and will Charlie find it?
Profile Image for Michelle.
1,197 reviews
April 18, 2021
These are just great books. More violence than expected in a Gibbs book but it didn't seem to bother my teenager. A very "smart" book and fun to read.
Profile Image for a musical kitkat.
3 reviews
March 7, 2021
This was a truly amazing book. It was action-packed and was surprising at times. Though four people (I think four, right?) did die, it wasn't extremely gruesome. This book made me basically glued to it all day, I could not put it down! I would recommend this book to anyone. I liked the part at the beginning, the Charles Darwin part. I also like how it takes place in many different places. The part where she let go of the building and just left Esmeralda there was ✨amazing✨. Overall, this was an amazing book to read. I really don't have any complaints. I can only describe this book with positive things, as there was no part in this book that I disliked. This book was great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sharanya.
182 reviews22 followers
March 8, 2021
Surprisingly, I didn't have to wait too long for this book to come out... so yay!!!!! I think I almost enjoyed it more than the first one, which is even more surprising (since the first one was really, really good)!
7 reviews
February 18, 2021
Love everything about this story. Charlie Thorne is fun, intelligent and adventurous. The story moves quickly and will easily hold the interest of any middle schooler. Once again Stuart Gibbs has intertwined adventure, science and a bit of social justice and created a fabulous read
Profile Image for Erin Mendoza.
1,619 reviews24 followers
February 20, 2021
Wow! This book was an adventure!
Charlie Thorne is surfing in the Galapagos when she discovers another puzzle to solve- this one left by Charles Darwin.
This middle grade novel was a page turner for sure. I can't wait to see what Charlie gets up to next!
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster books for young readers for a chance to read the ARC.
41 reviews1 follower
June 10, 2021
This book just might've been the coolest book I've ever read. I won't go into details, but... it was just incredible. It was creative, and Stuart Gibbs obviously did a LOT of research for this. I couldn't recommend it more, though you should read the first one first.
Profile Image for Tova Stolovitsky.
30 reviews
June 3, 2021
This book was AMAZING I absolutely loved it. It was a book of adventure and mystery. It is one of my top 20 favourite books. No matter the type of book you are into you will enjoy this book with all your heart. Amazing Book!
Profile Image for Bekah Hubstenberger.
535 reviews8 followers
November 30, 2025
In this book Charlie is all over South America following a clue left behind by Darwin on a Galapagos tortoise. Is there a certain suspension of disbelief concerning Charlie’s athletic prowess? Yes, but this book is so much fun it doesn’t matter. As an adult I really enjoyed some of the new things I learned and areas of the world I was able to explore. I think kids will be equally captivated by the changing settings that Gibbs always makes you feel fully immersed in.

Highly recommend for the adventure lover- for fans of Mr Lemoncello’s library and The Mysterious Benedict Society.
Profile Image for Yapha.
3,281 reviews106 followers
August 21, 2020
Another stellar book about Charlie Thorne! I love this new series from Stuart Gibbs. The combination of science and adventure is fabulous. I raced through this book, unable to put it down. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
4 reviews
July 4, 2021
I loved the way how it fits perfectly as a sequel. Amazing story, again lots of action and great characters. Excited to see what the rest of the series will bring.
Profile Image for Neal DenHartog.
Author 5 books64 followers
March 6, 2021
A worthy successor to one of my favorite middle grade books from 2020. Charlie is unraveling more mysteries this time, with Darwin being the famous scientist at the center of this one. Child geniuses as a concept, seems overdone and often unbelievable, but I like Charlie a bunch, and love how this book seemed to set up more to come.
82 reviews
July 28, 2021
Another Stuart Gibbs' win. . . Did Darwin leave behind a treasure to change the world? Follow the genius Charlie on her adventure. . .
Profile Image for R.J. Shea.
8 reviews
June 27, 2024
Just as good as the first book! Lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing till the end! Can’t wait to read the 3rd book!
Profile Image for Karen Arendt.
2,809 reviews14 followers
February 22, 2021
I have enjoyed Stuart Gibbs’ books since I discovered his Three Musketeers series. Charlie is a genius (obviously) but she is also very creative. For this the credit must go to the author, though. The story is fast with just a mildly gruesome scene. The banter between Charlie and Dante is spot on for siblings. I will be exciTed to share this second book with my students.
690 reviews
July 21, 2021
Absolutely adored this book. Yes, a 12 year old being in this situation is absurd. Its also super fun to read and imagine. She's brilliant and rebellious and fantastic. I cannot wait to read more about her adventures!
Profile Image for Beth.
164 reviews
July 22, 2021
Amazing

I could not put this book down. Every page was like a different adventure! It was so entertaining and fun to read.
Profile Image for Lina .
3 reviews
September 6, 2021
It was amazing , you always want to now what’s going to happen next and the ending is no let down to all the build up😄
Profile Image for Hope Hunter.
543 reviews6 followers
June 6, 2021
With the Pandora code safely stored in her genius brain, Charlie is hiding out on an island in the Galapagos chain. Powerful people from powerful governments are actively searching for her, including her half-brother, Dante who is a CIA agent. Charlie is found by a scientist from one of the neighboring island's tortoise sanctuaries who had found a cipher carved on one of the tortoise's shells. The cipher was believed to be from Charles Darwin and was the first clue in leading Charlie to 'the world's greatest treasure' as discovered by Darwin. The subsequent clues led Charlie, Dante and Milana deep into the Amazon rain forest, followed by several teams of 'bad guys" eager to get their hands on the treasure, too.

I am a huge Stuart Gibbs fan, and this newest series to his line-up does not disappoint. Charlie is a very bright and precocious 12-year-old who reminds me of Sherlock Holmes in how quickly she can decipher clues. The action and adventure in the Charlie Thorne books keeps the pages turning quickly and I find myself flying through the books to see what happens.

This second book was just as good, if not better than the first Charlie Thorne book. The descriptions and details about the Amazon rainforest show Gibbs clearly does his homework in order to create a setting that opens a new world to his readers. The endnotes are also very informative regarding the research he did in regard to Darwin and his studies and theories. I was surprised to see the topic of evolution broached in a middle grade children's book and was wondering how he was going to pull it off without immediately throwing this book on a challenged books list, but the author's notes also clearly indicate which parts of his books are based on information from primary source documents and what is derived from the author's creative license. This book inspired me to not only look up images an information on the Amazon, but to skim other resources and sites about Darwin and his studies as well. That, in itself, is the mark a of a great author: one who inspires readers to wonder and research more.

Again, I liked this book better than the first one (which was great!) and the teaser at the end that Charlie's next trip would be following Cleopatra's clues to Egypt makes me eager for the next Charlie Thorne book. Stuart, if you're out there - write fast!
Profile Image for Emma.
107 reviews
December 24, 2021
This book disappointed me.

*WARNING: This review may have spoilers.*

I read Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation. 5 stars. Loved it. Recommended it to like 10 people. Even set it as my favorite book of the month. So, naturally, I couldn't wait to read the sequel. Let's just say my high hopes were dashed against The Rocks of Disappointment.

The first half of the book was amazing. The second half was not. Because there's a lot about Charles Darwin supposedly discovering the missing link between monkeys and humans. Charlie, Dante and Milana don't even question anything, they don't research more facts, they're just like "Oh. Monkey human combination links coming out of a city of gold to attack us? Cool." Yes, this is fiction. I get that. But STILL.

Why I didn't like this book:
1. Evolution is untrue.
2. Humans are made in the likeness of Jesus.
3. Monkeys don't look like Jesus. You do.
4. Seriously, a city of pure gold with living monkey/human links who lived there millions of years coming out to attack people?!
5. Also why is Dante such a fraidy cat? Yes, I have to admit I would be quite a bit more scared than him if we were in the middle of the Amazon with poisonous everything around us but he's a literal CIA agent--and he doesn't know anything about survival!

Why I liked some of this book:
1. Charlie is awesome
2. The random facts about killer Amazon animals are actually super interesting
3. THE NAME MILANA MOON FOR A SPY ACK
4. The whole spy vibes are *chefs kiss*
5. Gibbs' style of writing is really good.

Bottom line: Read this if you want to. Personally I don't have a strong opinion about you reading this.

Overall rating: 3 stars.
Profile Image for ethansbooks.
74 reviews14 followers
April 27, 2021
This book was an okay book. I've read almost all of Stuart Gibbs books. And i love most all of them. There's only been a few that had parts i didn't like much, but other then that i loved the book.
This one on the other hand, I wasn't a huge fan of it. There were parts i liked but most of it was a little dull.
There were some really good parts but here are the two things i wasn't a big fan of.

One: Okay, this whole book was about Charles Darwin. Ugh. This is like one of my least favorite guys in history. I do not believe in evolution. And this whole book was about it which was a little annoying. But again this is more of a biased view. (Also i didn't like how Mr. Gibbs made some jabs at Christianity, and people who don't believe in evolution.)

Two: I'm not the hugest fan of Charlie in general. The first book was pretty awesome. But this one, she just seems so, just perfect. Like she's good at everything, which is a little annoying.
I feel like possibly in the future books people might get tired of this character.

I mean i know this seems like a lot of bad things. But i really did enjoy this book, and I'm sad to give it three stars. I hope the next one is better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews

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