Horn Book Review
Cahill siblings Amy and Dan continue their dangerous mission to stop evil media mogul Pierce from world domination in the spinoff series' second and third books. Relationships are tested and loyalties questioned when Amy takes matters into her own hands in Breakaway and makes a rash decision in Countdown. Plot development feels a little sluggish, but action-heavy moments raise the stakes. [Review covers these 39 Clues: Unstoppable titles: Breakaway and Countdown.] (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
The 39 Clues brand churns forward with this third volume in the Unstoppable series. With J. Rutherford Pierce getting closer to a presidential bid (and then world destruction, natch), siblings Dan and Amy Cahill continue their mission to create a serum to strip him of his powers, this time heading to Guatemala for the next ingredient, riven crystal, which looks to be hidden somewhere in the Mayan ruins of Tika. Standiford, the series' latest helmer, tamps down the snark a welcome change as things get serious upon Amy's deadly ingestion of the serum. But there's only so much Standiford can do with the usual grind of black-suited bad guys and loud, action-packed set pieces (runaway choppers, zip lines, etc.). Still, fans will be fans, and, as always, the book comes with collectible cards and links to an online game.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist
