The Maze of Bones

39 Clues Graphic Novel #1

by Ethan Young (Adapter), Rick Riordan

The graphic novel adaptation of the mega-bestseller that launched a global phenomenon! Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her descendants an impossible decision: "You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue." Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Marie Curie to Harry Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 Clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what's hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Mystery, Adventure, Childrens, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2023

About the author

Ethan Young was born Yi Feng Huang, to Chinese immigrant parents in NYC. Young's books include: NANJING: The Burning City (winner of the 2016 Reuben Award for Best Graphic Novel, The Dragon Path, Space Bear, and Life Between Panels.

Reviews

[Kaatje · Rating 4 out of 5]

my favourite childhood book series is getting turned into graphic novels? say no more. :')

[Cass (whatcassreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great illustrations, but I like the OG novels better. It felt like it was just jumping from one scene to the next.

[Nicole Bourque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute story, I now want to read the original books.

[Heaven Adore · Rating 3 out of 5]

The series is getting revived! I need this like ASAP.


***Actual Review***

Rating - 3.5 stars

✨ The art was absolutely AMAZING! There were some pages where I just started at them for a minute. However, I will say that I didn't like all the character designs. Either they didn't match with previous descriptions from the original book, or they merely didn't fit with the characters.

✨ Things that made certain characters unique were taken out. This kind of made none of the characters really stand out from each other, except for Amy; her bookish self was exactly the same.

✨ I was surprised at how, um, violent it was, particularly with threats. I mean, the original book had some, but they went pretty far in this. I mean, what eleven-year-old has a gun? And an older cousin threating to kill her young cousins with a knife? Yeah, pretty interesting stuff. It's things like this that I feel makes it less of a MG.

I'm really hoping that they continue through with the rest of the series. I'm curious to see what else they might do with it!

[Pascale · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great adaptation!!

[Rachael Fryman · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Sentence Summary: After a favorite relative's death, two siblings must decide to accept a 1 million dollar inheritance or the first of 39 clues to learn the truth about their notorious family.

Reminds Me Of:
Westing Game, Knives Out vibes

Three Reasons You Should Read This:
1. Inheritance books are so good!
2. The clues are so smart and I learned a lot from the information the main characters use!
3. So many twists!!

One Thing You Should Know Before You Pick This Up:
This is a middle grade graphic novel adaptation of the first book in the original chapter book series. I haven't read the chapter book, so I cannot speak to changes and updates. BUT if you finish this GN, and can't wait for the second GN, you could switch over to the chapter books where the series is already finished!

Content Warnings:
1 use of the word "pissed"/ violence/ deception/ unkind family members/ death of loved ones/ death of parents/ orphaned/ social services

Soundtrack:
Nothing Else Matters - Metallica

[Heather Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well done graphic version of the first book in the series. Moves along quickly but certainly gives the reader enough details to follow the story and feel the excitement and challenges to the siblings.
Am looking forward to learning more of their quest.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read the book in a while, but from what I remember they changed so many things 😭

This was a book series I really enjoyed as a child, but the graphic novel was pretty mid :/

[kavya ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY ENTIRE CHILDHOOD IM GOING TO CRY

[Autumn O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly adapted. That's EXACTLY how I pictured nellie in my mind. Art is beautiful 😍

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

From my memory, it's a pretty good adaptation of the first of the 39 clues, with all the pros and cons that implies. On the plus side, there's a bunch of action, the historical information is interesting and seamlessly incorporated, and there's a wish fulfillment element. You, too, are a Cahill! And you can be sorted into one of four houses branches and engage in the story on the miraculously still functioning website! But believe it or not, this is actually way less plausible than Percy Jackson's demigods. I find it way more plausible that a bunch of famous historical figures were the children of an assortment of gods than the notion that they were all part of the same huge, immeasurably wealthy and always famous and influential family. I don't think that will make it any less appealing to the middle grade target audience, but I do think it won't find a big high school or adult audience without the aid of nostalgia.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Dan and Amy Cahill were very fond of their grandmother, Grace, especially since their parents are dead and they are being raised by their evil great aunt Beatrice and a sympathetic nanny, Nellie. When Grace dies, the extended family gathers for the reading of the will only to find that Grace is offering two options for inheritance: accept a million dollars, or enter a competition with 39 clues for a bigger payoff. There are seven teams that accept the challenge, including Dan and Amy, although Beatrice says she won't have anything to do with them. The other family members range from really evil (Irina, Matalie and Ian Kabra) to buffoonish (the Holts) to potentially helpful (Alistair). Amy finds some clues in the house, only to almost die when the house burns down. One team is out of the competition already, but with the help of Grace's lawyer Mr. McIntyre as well as Nellie, Dan and Amy take off on an adventure that leads them to the catacombs of Paris. They have a variety of run ins with other family members who have no qualms about stealing from them. There's something dark going on, and a mysterious man in black is following them. What is the great mystery involving all of the branches of the Cahill family and their nemeses, the Madrigals? Spoiler: the original prose series (2008) has over 12 books, so there is definitely more to come!
Strengths: Riordan's Lightning Thief graphic novels circulate like mad, and are a good introduction to students who find the originals a bit challenging. This is a great adventure story, and the pictures do help tell the characters apart and give a better picture of Paris sites, especially the catacombs. Nellie is a great character, and Dan and Amy are able to gain a lot of skills and grow up quite a bit as they jet around the world. Also, I loved the pictures of Grace. I need to make sure that I have a broach or a corsage on MY death bed! It's interesting how cell phones became a part of the story. Makes it a bit different.
Weaknesses: There are a lot of characters to keep straight. I am really amazed that the authors who continued this series were able to keep all of them portrayed consistently AND were able to execute the complicated plots in a consistent writing style! Whew.
What I really think: My original paper over board books are quite worn out, so this will be a way to refresh them without having to buy new copies. Throw some more tape on the prose ones, so they are there if any of the graphic novel fans want to take a look. The 39 Clues web site is still running.

[Kryssy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are aspects that were either added in completely or i missed them in the original book. After getting used to the characters not looking like their pictures on the cards, i really enjoyed seeing all the details

-what’s different with amy’s hair
- Everyone looks different but also the same of what i pictured
- I forgot about dan’s gravestone rubbings
- This really shows how villainous aunt beatrice is
- Aunt beatrice hinted at knowing what is at the end of the clues
- Amy and dan have a sort of telepathic sibling bond when making their inheritance choice
- Cheating to form an alliance??
- The drawing makes graces necklace look like the ekaterina logo
- Natalie kabra always has the same smug look on her face
- They actually told nellie what they’re traveling for/to find
- Find trip by finding money in alostair’a coat instead of jewelry box
- Airport scene between alistair and the kabras is cool
- Jonah meets up with amy and dan and is actually helpful. Got saladin through customs without long quarantine period
- Holts were arrested after crashing a stolen truck into jonah’s car. Amy and dan were taken
- Irina takes them to lucian stronghold
- Nellie uses saladin to get into the stronghold
- Columbus bust to break the window (nellie: “i’ve always wanted to give this guy what he deserves”) 😂😂
- We get a glimpse at one of the other pathways to the next clue: a painting with the crest and paris on it
- catacomb scene went differently
- When a story has hidden doors and explosions, it’s so much cooler to see it in pictures than just words
- Wrote down wrong part of Clue because Nellie stashed the music page
- Tracking device was from irina on Jade necklace
- mr mcintire gave then an envelope of money
- Nellie has an iphone instead if ipod so she can help with research. She figures out what sheet music is
- We still don’t learn what mr mcintyre is up to

I love how much more involved nellie is than in the original book. This also made some aspects more clear to the reader.

I wish the graphic novels either continue or just had a large book to cover the whole series

[Jerry Aguirre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is awesome. Childhood series adapted 10+ years later as a graphic novel. The characters, the story, the colors, the art, it is all pretty good. I’d say the only thing they missed, which was really important, was Nellie’s nose ring.

I didn’t realize that the first clue they received was actually the first clue of the 39 clues. Like the actual ingredient. And the vial they found was all the ingredients the Lucian branch have that creates their part of the master serum which gives them their evilness. It’s also a clue to the next clue to the ingredient, the sheet music.

BRO, Mr. McIntyre saying he heard everything because NELLIE! Awesome series. Giving them money too.

What a heart string puller “we’re family” only for them to have a fallout with Nellie in book 9-10. What a heartbreak.

For book 2, who did he call? And what “mistakes” are they talking about.

Dan and Amy survived: fire, explosion, car crash, kidnapping, poison dart, almost killed by train, almost stabbed, almost thrown off church. Wow.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars
Amy and Dan Cahill are offered a million dollars or a clue to a mystery as an inheritance from their grandmother upon her death. When they choose the clue, they don't realize how difficult it will be to compete against their ruthless relatives or how much danger they will be in. With their Au pair, Nellie and their cat, Saladin, the Cahills take off on a perilous adventure that will lead them all around the world.

The graphic novel version of The Maze of Bones is a fun way of reading this story of mystery and unpredictable hazards. Amy and Dan are developed to a point, but I assume there will be more to their character arcs as the series continues, however, the villains are fairly one dimensional. The action scenes are entertaining and the clues help the reader follow along with the mystery. Overall, the Maze of Bones is a good beginning for this interconnected series.

[Mary Hanna Wilson | Celebrate a Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace Cahill, the matriarch of the powerful Cahill family, has died, and instead of a will, she left a game for her relatives to play to win their inheritance. Now the Cahill family members are battling one another to compete for the millions and the secret to the Cahill family fortune. Most will stop at nothing to win the prize, including trying to hurt their competition.

Fans of the 39 Clues series will enjoy this graphic version of the first book. This exciting adventure story is a great read full of twists and turns. The story is told through the eyes of Amy and Dan Cahill, seemingly Grace's favorite grandchildren and the most innocent members of the Cahill family. One of the most surprising aspects of the book is how cutthroat some family members are, but if your child is familiar with the novel, they will know what is coming.

NOTE: Be careful giving this one to sensitive readers. It might be hard for them to read about cousins trying to kill one another for prize money.

[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: car accident, bombing/fire, threat of gun violence, threat of fatal fall
3.5

This feels like a series I would've gotten into when I was 10 or so and trying to have the room in my brain to truly obsess over Artemis Fowl. I like a good scavenger hunt as much as anybody else, and the danger element keeps you on your twos. The large cast of extended family AKA antagonists are also fun. The clues themselves feel like a bit of a stretch to me, and Amy & Dan's specialness only really reads correctly if you're at a place in your life where you're really able to use them as sort of a placeholder for yourself. But as an adult, I'm with Nellie- confused, suspicious, and not really behind tiny children running around the world and getting bombed but along for the ride anyway because I can't exactly back out now.

[Kellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

God the nostalgia. 39 Clues was my favorite childhood book series and this sent me right back into that obsession. It's not a super faithful adaptation - a lot is understandably streamlined, but some of the changes felt arbitrary and I found several annoying (scroll down). I did like Nellie's new look and the panel with the Columbus bust. Can't wait to read book 2!



Spoilers below

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The biggest changes I found most frustrating were:

Dan's photo of their parents doesn't get destroyed in the subway tunnels. This helped establish stakes for the series and without it the scene loses its emotion.

Amy's stammer is completely gone and her anxiety is largely glossed over. This was the main reason I identified with her as a kid and without it she doesn't have much personality.

Why is Dan's arm broken? It adds nothing to the story.

[Reah N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most graphic novels don't live up to the original. This one, though, was just as exciting and fun to read as I remember the original being. And, of course, with the same cliffhanger ending.

If you're debating whether to read The Maze of Bones or this comic edition, I'd recommend reading the original version first, before trying out this one

Content:
Many scary, dangerous scenes, including walking into hidden chambers underneath graves, numerous murder attempts, and backstabbing relatives.
There are also a few scenes next to a church with a big cross on the top.

[Lara Vehar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect for this adaptation to be this dark - and I loved it. The original books had a lot of violence - this one ramps it up to a new level. And I love the changes that they made - like them taking money from Alistar and McIntyre helping them with money instead of them being without it, I loved that Jonah is slightly nicer in this one and so is Alistar and I love that Saladin plays a bigger role than just tagging along and that Nellie is both briefed sooner and that she is in on the action instead of waiting around in the car whilst the kids find the clues. I hope that the graphic novels keep this up.

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the Graphic Novel adaptation of the first book in the wildly popular 39 clues series.

It was fun revisiting this chaotic chase across the globe. But seeing the characters drawn out, makes it even weirder that this one family is so racially diverse. Also reading this as an adult I find it even stranger that Grace was so close to family that was so far removed from her. Why include many generations removed cousins in the inheritance rather than leave it all to your own grandchildren?

I might have to finish the series again, I think it answered it, but it's a kind of logic that only children can overlook.

Anyway the art was nice colorful and fun to look at.

[Aster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, it was interesting to see what the artists thought they looked like, and it was also enjoyable to see the words I read turn into colorful drawings. Amy and Dan escaped from their grandmother's mansion and went on a hunt for a mysterious and influential treasure. They enter the catacombs to look for the next clue, all the while trying to stay away from their relatives in the Lucian branch.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Middle grade graphic novel, adventure. It has been years since I read any of the 39 clues books, but I listened to a lot of them on audiobook. So when I saw the graphic novel adaptation I had to check it out. It was fun to see visual representations of the characters though of course some of them were very different than I had imagined. Loved the pace and the clue solving, it made me remember how much I loved the original series.

[Gwen :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

✰✰✰✰✰ / 5

THIS WAS SO CUTE!!! The original book was one of my childhood favorites, and a recent reread proved it’s still amazing. This graphic novel adaptation was just so perfect — it captured the characters and humor so well, I loved the art style, and it was a quick read to get you into the world! Wonderfully well done!! 100% recommend.

my instagram // my book tiktok

[BookZebra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 39 clues was my favorite series as a kid and the one that got me into reading, so revisiting it as a graphic novel was so cool!

Sometimes the drawing style of the characters isn’t my favorite and I end up feeling like they look weird, but not with this book! I loved the drawings and the characters look just how I pictured them!

Overall, this was an amazing read and I would recommend to anyone who loves the 39 clues or graphic novels!

[STU JACK · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was 3-4 my parents would read really hard books we wouldn't know otherwise like Percy Jackson and 39 clues. Now that I read the book I finally understand what the book was about. trigger warning: some of the people in this book have absolutely no morals and do crime throughout the book. These include: assault and battery, destruction of historical objects, attempted murder, arson and kidnapping all in one happy package.

[Corina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have not read the original series, so can't say how well of an adaptation this was. On it's own, it's a pretty exciting and interesting premise (always love a good rich heir/ess dying and leaving behind a big scavenger hunt mystery story). I like the random bits of history mixed in as the kids race around the globe. However, and this might be unique to the graphic novel, the story seems to jump around a whole lot, which made it feel a bit disjointed.

[Mila G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book for a lot of different reasons. I thought that the art was very detailed and dramatic when it needed to be, and the idea for this whole book series is so mysterious/captivating. One thing that I thought this book could work on was the facial expressions of the characters, and I though a few of them were off. Overall, I love this book.

[Abby J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abby Feb 28, 2023

I really liked this book because it was shrouded in mystery.
It was also a fantastic graphic novel. One thing I would improve
is that the character's facial expressions could be more defining.
Another thing that could be improved is when you switch from
character to character, maybe telling the readers where they are.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful graphic novel of Rick Riordan's The Maze of Bones. The art work does a great job illustrating Amy and Dan's search for the Cahill treasure and makes it easy for the reader to follow the clues and assess the threats. This book captures all the excitement of the original novel and can be enjoyed by readers who've already read the novel or those readers new to the series.