Philosophical Musings of a Book Nerd

Well, I've just discovered that I have been reading the Secret Seven books completely out of order. Oh well, that doesn't matter all that much considering you don't actually need to know what happened in the earlier books to be able to enjoy the later ones. Anyway, I mentioned that in Good Work, Secret Seven that this one seems to also deal with fireworks, and I have also noticed that inside the front cover are a list of instructions that basically say DON'T PLAY WITH FIREWORKS. Also, the story itself has one of the father's handling all of the fireworks, so it seems as Blyton was just as concerned about kids blowing themselves up as the publishers are today. Oh, she also points out that it is illegal for children to buy fireworks (which is why their Dad goes and purchases them).

Anyway, at first I thought I may have already read this one because both this one and Good Work, Secret Seven are both set around Guy Fawkes day, and they also are building a bonfire with a guy to sit on top of it. However it became pretty clear that it wasn't the same book, though I did wonder why Blyton had to use the same setting in another of her books. Mind you, this is book number 11, and one of the many, many books that Blyton had written so it is not surprising that she would go back on some old ground – especially since children love fireworks.

Anyway, I have to say that this really wasn't one of her best works. In fact it was down right annoying. Sure, there were some crooks in here, and some pretty nasty ones at that, but they tended to hover in the background while the Secret Seven prepared another bonfire. However one of the crooks ends up causing them a bit of trouble, though the Secret Seven don't realise that it is him – they think it is little Susie, so they spend the entire book picking on the poor girl and accusing her of stealing.

Which reminds me that once again Blyton has gone over some old ground – Susie starts her own secret society; this time it is the tiresome three. Last time it was the Famous Five, however in this book they simply exist to cause trouble (though I am sure that was also the case in Secret Seven on the Trail, so it seems as if Blyton may have started running out of fresh ideas by the time she got to this book. Anyway, as with all of her books, it was a quick read, but there have certainly been a lot better.