Carolyn Keene

Micol Ostow

Based on the TV series Nancy Drew, the most-watched new show on the CW! In this prequel novel, the beloved teen sleuth investigates a sinister, once-dormant curse that may be threatening her town once more. This is Nancy Drew for today, perfect for fans of Riverdale, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Stranger Things! A curse is just a mystery dressed up in a sharp, stern warning. And everyone knows that I love a mystery. Nancy Drew isn’t one for ghost stories. So when the annual Horseshoe Bay Naming Day celebration is threatened by eerie warnings of an old curse, Nancy is sure someone—someone human—is behind them. And no way is she letting this person stand in the way of her best friend, Daisy, finally getting her day in the spotlight as the lead in the much-anticipated Naming Day reenactment. But as Nancy begins investigating, the so-called marks of the curse become bolder…and more sinister. A vandalized locker and ominous notes are one thing, but soon enough lives—including Nancy’s own—are at stake. Though the dreams and eerie visions plaguing Nancy are certainly just products of her own mind…right? All old towns have their traditions and histories, but as Nancy will soon discover, they don’t always tell the whole story.

The Curse

Nancy Drew

Lacey Feigl

Nancy Drew is at it again! When mysterious events take place (including a girl from her high school disappearing) in preparation for Nancy’s hometown’s Naming Day Celebration, the small-time sleuth is on the case!

Nancy Drew The Curse is 263 pages long and took me 5 days to read.

I had a lot of fun reading this book! I’m giving it a 3 out of 5! Fans of ”Truly Devious” will enjoy this mystery. I can’t wait for it’s the sequel to come out to find out even more about the curse!

Thank you, Simon & Schuster, for sending me this copy!

Here’s to the adventure of finding a novel novel!

Lacey

The world’s favorite teen detective is back, and she’s on the case. Keep up with Nancy Drew in this thrilling collection of mysteries full of intrigue, boys, and murder. In Smile and Say Murder, a series of death threats send Nancy undercover at a magazine whose coowner has a talent for making enemies. Nancy calls in her boyfriend Ned to help, but when he seems to fall in love with the lead suspect’s sister, Nancy is on her own—and she’s the killer’s next target. In Hit and Run Holiday, a friend’s near-murder plunges Nancy down a path of darkness on Florida’s seemingly sunny beaches. With a whispered name as her only clue, Nancy combs the coast for the would-be killer, desperate to find him…before he strikes again. In White Water Terror, Nancy is on a Montana adventure that soon becomes a deadly game of cat and mouse when a sinister phone call and two near-fatal “accidents” put the fun on hold. It’s clear Nancy and her friends are being stalked by a ruthless murderer, and everyone is a suspect. Can she find some answers before more than relaxation is lost?

Smile and Say Murder; Hit and Run Holiday; White Water Terror

Nancy Drew Files Vol. II

soph

The world’s favorite teen detective is back, and she’s on the case. Keep up with Nancy Drew in this thrilling collection of mysteries full of intrigue, boys, and murder. In Secrets Can Kill, Nancy goes undercover to investigate the elusive thief stalking the nighttime halls of Bedford High. With her inside contact, gorgeous senior Daryl Gray, Nancy attempts to uncover the dangerous secrets that run deep at Bedford, but soon it’s a whole new game—a game called murder. And Nancy is the killer’s next target. In Deadly Intent, Nancy is ready to rock out at a concert in New York City—but the band’s lead guitarist vanishes minutes before they’re set to go on stage. Nancy and her on-again-off-again boyfriend Ned investigate, and their list of suspects leads them to a conspiracy that threatens to shake the entire music industry. In Murder on Ice, Nancy and Ned head to a ski resort to rekindle their romance. But instead of love, they find deadly peril. Can Nancy find the killer, before an avalanche of murder buries them all?

Secrets Can Kill; Deadly Intent; Murder on Ice

Nancy Drew Files Vol. I

Caitlyn DeRouin

As someone who has loved Nancy Drew her entire life, if it involves Nancy, I'm definitely checking it out. I am a big fan of the new CW series actually, I appreciate that they took these characters that we love and tried something new. They're not a carbon copy of the original, but there are still pieces of the original characters there. 

This book follows that same idea. Nancy in this book is a little rougher around the edges than the original Nancy, but still very compassionate and caring to those that she loves yet not as jaded and closed off as the Nancy in the series can be. This makes sense considering this book takes place at least 2 years before the start of the tv series timeline. I think that it is a good tie-in to the tv series, if you've watched the show you'll catch a few things in here that are directly related to the series but you won't be lost if you haven't watched it. 

Something that was missing for me though, since this is supposed to be a tie-in to the series, was the paranormal aspect. In the tv show I really enjoy the paranormal aspects, it's probably one of my favorite choices that they made, so the lack of it in this book was a little disappointing. There were moments throughout the book that it was there, and the ending definitely left itself open to more paranormal activity in Horseshoe Bay but I was longing for more. I also could've done without the additional romance plot but it wasn't annoying or distracting to me. I think overall it was an enjoyable read especially if you're looking for an easy to read mystery book.

laura

I wanted to rate this higher but non of the mysteries wowed me. I did like them but I did not love them. This book was def aged up in regards to both Nancy age but also technology. I found it hard to grow emotionally connected to anyone in the stories expect for the 3 leads. I did like that this story collection had a bit for a through line, stuff the connected all the stories together. I wish that was stronger. I also felt like story one was super predicable but I did like story two. I felt the romance in this books was not the "best" and that was major focus in all the stories for all the characters. But I did enjoy the collection overall. I did like the music mystery the best and I love the setting of the skiing one the best!

Emma Tickner

As someone who grew up loving Nancy Drew and everything connected to her and her friends I was eager to try this book. But I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. But at least I liked the characters aside from Nancy, even if they weren't the ones I knew from the other stories.

The mystery was a bit of a let down which is why it wasn't higher up on the rating.

I still ranked it a three, because it's Nancy Drew and I can't rank it any lower purely because my love for her is strong.

Jessica 

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Tik Tok | You can find my review here.

Much like with the CW's new take on Nancy Drew: this book won't be for everyone.

Let's face it: this is Nancy Drew like we've not seen her. She's not our mother's, or grandmother's, or even our Nancy Drew. But, honestly? That's what makes it work.

One may argue that it's unnecessary and, frankly, trying to tie into the success of Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

(And other inevitable "edgy" takes on classic properties.) 

But, it's not. I REPEAT: this is what makes it work. It's perfect for lifelong fans of the series who are okay with all the changes that happen when reworking classics. It's perfect for new fans. It's perfect for fans of the series. This spin on Nancy Drew is very much so appropriate for fans of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Veronica Mars--it's essentially a mash-up of the three titles while ultimately forming a new tale.

Nancy Drew: The Curse is one of those quick reads that feels almost like a familiar campfire story. In all its ties to the original books, and the television series that follows, there's this undeniably haunting tone to it. Micol Ostow pens a fast paced, entertaining and subtly chilling tale, that doesn't necessarily rely on jump-scares. It relies on the strength of its teenage sleuth and her friends; with the simple backdrop of high school and family secrets.

Given where the television series picks up--Nancy, reeling from the loss of her mother and being left behind in her hometown while her friends are all away at university--there aren't that many ties to the show's storylines. Obviously, we get nods here and there, but the absence of mostly everyone from the show is fairly apparent. I could definitely feel the lack of the Drew Crew and didn't always find myself connecting to Nancy's high school friends like I do with the others.

Still, the mysterious hum of ghosts and curses within Nancy Drew: The Curse keeps readers on their toes. We see that there's more to the central mysteries and mythology in the town of Horsehoe Bay than what the television series has tackled and it gives us the air of potential for the second season. (Will we be seeing some of these characters? Will we get references to any of them?)

Nancy Drew: The Curse doesn't necessarily offer any huge revelations when it comes to background and development of the show, but it does make for an entertaining read. It's witty, well-written and a little on the indulgent side. I definitely enjoyed this one!

Sarah Selvaratnam 

Nancy Drew visits her cousin in Virginia hoping to locate a missing stained-glass window.

Nancy Drew The Curse

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