Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lively Nancy Drew homage/friendship tale has history, heart.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
As SISTERHOOD OF SLEUTHS opens, 11-year-old Maizy is facing changes. Her older brother Max, with whom she's close, is soon off to college. Her best friend Izzy now wants to be called "Isabelle" and seems to be turning into someone else -- someone who lets boys hijack her and Maizy's class project because she likes them. But when a big box lands with a thump on the porch of her mom's thrift store, and proves to contain not only dozens of old Nancy Drew books but an old photo of Maizy's grandmother with two unknown women, there's a mystery to be solved. Maizy, along with friends Cam and Nell, are determined to solve it. As in the original Nancy stories, unlikely but satisfying adventures of girl power ensue.
Is It Any Good?
Friendships lost, found, and rekindled intertwine across generations in a lively, relatable tale that's also an ode to Nancy Drew, a deep dive into history, and a fun adventure. As a new generation of 11-year-olds discover the iconic girl detective and delve into a mystery of their own, there are lots of wildly unlikely coincidences, ridiculous situations, and remarkable emergence of specialized talents and big reveals at just the right moment -- just like in the original. And that's part of the charm. As protagonist Maizy muses, "There's something about all the twists and turns in Nancy's story that has me hooked. No matter what happens, Nancy can handle it.
"Injured pigeon falls at your feet? Nancy takes care of it.
"Sinister man who might abduct you? Nancy knows what to do."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Nancy Drew is presented in Sisterhood of Sleuths. The Nancy Drew series has been popular for almost a century. Are you a Nancy fan? Which era do you like best?
Have you ever found an old photo of family members and tried to find out who they were and what the story in the picture was? What did you find out?
Do you agree with the girls, in the story, who say that it's important for people to read -- whatever they like, not just what you think they should be reading?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Vesper Stamper
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Character Strengths : Curiosity , Empathy , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Christy Ottaviano Books
- Publication date : October 4, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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