Marshmallow reviews You Have To Stop This by Pseudonymous Bosch (Book 5 of the Secret Series)

Marshmallow found the first couple volumes of the Secret series by Pseudonymous Bosch at her school library and then wanted to read all of them. Today she reviews for the book bunnies blog the fifth and last book of the series: You Have To Stop This.

Marshmallow’s quick take: If you like books about mysteries, then this might be the book for you. 

The Secret series by Pseudonymous Bosch is about three kids named Cassandra (Cass), Yo-Yogi, and Max-Ernest. Cass makes predictions all the time and no one believes her, just like in Greek mythology, but then again, her predictions don’t really come true. Yo-Yoji’s real name is Yoji, and he has a collection of shoes. When Max-Ernest was born, one of his parents wanted to name him Max, but the other wanted to name him Ernest, so they named him Max-Ernest.

In the first book titled The Name Of This Book Is Secret, the children learn about the Midnight Sun, an organization of alchemists who are trying to become immortal. They are all really really old (over two hundred years!) even though they all look very young. All members of the Midnight Sun wear gloves and they do not hesitate to hurt people if it means that they will be closer to immortality. 

Each book is organized around one of the five senses: taste, touch, sight, sound, and smell. The first book, The Name Of This Book Is Secret, is about smell. The second, If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late, is about sound. The third book is called This Book Is Not Good For You, and is about taste. The fourth is called This Isn’t What It Looks Like, and it involves sight. 

This review is about the fifth and last book of the series, You Have To Stop This, which is about touch. 

Marshmallow’s summary (with spoilers):  While on a school field trip to a museum, Cass accidentally breaks off the finger of a mummy. Then Cass, Yo-Yoji, and Max-Ernest have to work at the museum overnight to redeem themselves. When they go to look at the mummy, it is not there. But then they are found next to a missing mummy, so they are blamed for its disappearance. 

The friends soon realize that the mummy was taken by the Midnight Sun. Things get a lot more dangerous after that. 

Marshmallow’s review: I enjoyed reading this book. One thing I liked about it is that the narrator speaks to the reader and he is very funny. And the author picks titles that seem to want to discourage you from reading it. This is probably because when children are told not to do something, they do it anyways. 

This is a confusing book, so I would say that it would be more appropriate for 8 and up. Even then, you might need to reread this book a few times to understand everything, but in the end everything fits in and the author neatly ties every loose string. For one example (spoiler alert!), in the end the author reveals himself as Max-Ernest.

This is a funny book: the narrator is crazy about chocolate and keeps trying to make the reader stop reading the book. 

Marshmallow’s rating: 100%.