The Secret Of The Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

This is a young adult book that is over eighty years old, though it's my first time to read a Nancy Drew book, and I felt inquisitive to see what all the hype was that made these books so popular. As I compare this story to a new YA book, such as the Hunger Games, the contrast is so large that I wonder how this series ever became popular.

At the time, women didn't have the freedom they have today, and there was a terrible depression hurting so many in the world. A young woman with her own car, driving around and having the freedom to do whatever she pleased must have been a dream for many young women. Plus, she lived in a large house with an understanding father, a housekeeper, and there were food and money at her disposal, so this must have accounted for a big reason these books were popular.

The surprising part of the book was that Nancy broke into a house and a truck (though it was the truck of thieves), and she was a thief and a terrible eavesdropper. I had always thought that she would be too good and righteous to attempt such felonies, but the book seems to think that if it's done for the good of mankind, then it's perfectly fine to break the law.

The entire story centers around Nancy trying to find a will that a man she never met left that was written later than the will that the Tophams have, and cause their will to be null and void.

Oh, if only we had the old man's money that he said he would leave us then I could take singing lessons. Please pity me! This was the part of the book that was so frustrating--the reasons she wanted to find the new will--to bring up a child and help the poor old woman are understandable, but to help with singing lessons or to help the older brothers to travel--this is absurd.
Plus, add the fact that Nancy has  passive/aggressive feelings toward the Topham sisters, and after a while I started to feel great pity for them.

Overall, I wasn't that happy with the story, and young adult books have come a long way in over the years, and for the most part, that's a positive statement.