Into Thin Air

So, I had actually thought that this book was finally headed in the right direction. There was more danger, more peril, more adventure. (Even the somewhat exaggerated cover comes from a scene where the boys brakes are cut.)Also, there was a lot of emotion, specifically from Joe, in this book. I liked that and I want to say I am very happy with the narrator of this series.

There's just this feel to the book that something bad might happen to the kidnap victim - when, really, there was never that feel from the previous book. Likely because in the previous book we barely spent any time around people that actually loved or cared for those that were kidnapped. In this book we see a boyfriend and a dad both come a little unglued. (Okay, to be fair, the dad more than a little.)

However, then we get to the denouement, and it was just straight up, so disappointing.

Huge spoilers to follow as to who the culprit was and why they did it.

Once again, it was another teenager as the bad guy. Once again, it was one of the Hardy's love interest that was the bad guy. UGH! She had kind of weaved a Moriarty web and, really, managed a shocking amount. That, however, doesn't change the fact that she is a teen and is less than threatening. I mean, sure, she threatens the boys with a taser, but there is no solid reason why they didn't just jump her. Look, even on the off chance that she's some kind of judo prodigy (which, she's not. It would have been mentioned.) they are supposed to be capable and there are two of them. They could have at least tried to fight back.What's especially awful is that this whole thing - two entire books - are just this girl throwing a temper tantrum 'because daddy spent money on something I didn't want'. Seriously, that's really the motive.I don't remember if it was ever mentioned what kind of job her dad did - I don't think it was - but he quit his job and invested in the purchase and running of an amusement park. Then her mom (his wife) lost her job. Which means that now this girl won't get to go to the elite private school - unlike what her plan had been - this year and will have to slum it at the public school. Still. Because of this, she won't ever be able to get into Princeton and will probably not even be able to afford community college. Because we've certainly never heard of student loans or scholarships. No! Daddy had to pay for everything.Well, pay he does, because she destroys his investment, makes him loose money and has to be sent to a reform school for girls - which! Interesting to note, is NOT the 'bad news' reform school that has been dangled over Frank and Joe's collective heads.

You know what, I've talked this book into loosing a star.

Yeah, some of it was good, just about any other culprit - for literally any other reason - would have netted a two or three star instead of this mess.