One False Note is the second installment of the 39 Clues series. The series itself is a collaboration between several 
authors (and, from what I can tell, several different series within the series). It tells the story of two siblings—Amy and Dan Cahill —who find out that their family has had a hand in, not just some, but all of history’s great events; a tradition that they still carry into the present day.
The story sees our sibling duo, the cat Saladin, and their au pair Nellie Gomez en route to Vienna to find the second of the 39 clues. But this treasure hunt has a ticking time bomb—Amy, Dan, and Nellie are going up against a number of other distant relatives who are much more experienced in clue-finding and much more familiar with the lore of the Cahill Family (unlike myself).
I typically have a structure when I write these reviews. Ordinarily, I would be talking about the art here, but I want to break out of it for this one and just say that I had zero context for the larger story of this series and although that didn’t affect my comprehension of the plot of this book, it definitely left me a little baffled about why some things were significant. Readers going in blind might trouble understanding the stakes in full – the front page with all the expository information mentions that whoever assembles all 39 clues will “become the most powerful Cahill of all,” but never explains how or why or what that might even mean to the world at large. Perhaps I’m not supposed to know at this point.
There is something a little nostalgic and amusing about the narrative and how the characters move and scheme – it reminds me of the original Hanna-Barbera Scooby-Doo cartoon, or maybe Johnny Quest; exotic locations, historical artifacts, animal companions, shadowy legions of enemies, unlikely day-saving coincidences, etc. The art style is functional and reads easily; blocky shapes with minimal highlights and shadows. I would not say it’s visually dynamic. The overall color pallet is muted, which is an interesting choice for a children’s book (in my opinion), but the pallet does change between sets of characters to better express their intentions in relation to the heroes. Historical architecture and buildings are lovingly, if simply, recreated in illustrations. The artwork all seems to have the same weight and visual hierarchy from page-to-page; no high contrast or colors, no large empty spaces to let moments have their impact on the reader, and no high-detail renders of anything.
Young fans of history will be pleased to know that each clue highlights a location and person of historical significance, so there is definitely some potential to foster intellectual curiosity. This specific volume highlights the life and work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
I think this series has a very specific audience; the narrative relies on a lot of heist storytelling tropes – newcomers to the genre will likely be entertained (as folks familiar with it will likely sigh and roll their eyes) – and makes use of puzzles, codes, and ciphers. Younger readers will be able to follow along and solve, if they are so inclined, along with the protagonists. The story is written simply, with a little bit of humor, and makes for a fully cohesive narrative.
If you’re adding this to your collection, I would recommend that you ensure you have all the other 39 Clues books (not necessarily the graphic novels) so that readers who are curious about the overall story are able to access it and fully piece together just what’s going on. But you’re probably just as good giving this one a miss. Much like its distant cousin, The DaVinci Code, with its historical conspiracies, I personally found this book very middle of the road. The best I can say for it, and I hope that this review has conveyed, is that it’s a competent graphic novel.
39 Clues: One False Note
By Gordon Korman?I
Art by by Hannah Temple
Graphix, 2024
ISBN: 9781339026473
Publisher Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11)
Company Age Rating: 8-12
Related media: Book to Comic
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11)
