Charlie Thorne and the Lost City was written by Stuart Gibbs and is book two in the Charlie Thorne series. You do not need to read book one in order to read this book, but I would recommend it for the backstory.

Summary: Charlie Thorne has been hiding out. The last thing she wants is for someone to find her and try to get her to reveal Einstein’s secret formula.

But when clues come to light that could lead her to Charles Darwin’s lost treasure, she decides to go after it. After all-who could find her anyway while she is searching the jungle?

It turns out…..quite a few people.

My Thoughts: I really like the premise of this series. Charlie is a super-smart girl that is one step ahead of everyone, and having her traverse the world to find clues hidden by some of the smartest people in history is a pretty fascinating storyline.

I like the characters in this series, the intricate plot twists and turns, and the overall fun of the bad guy vs. good guy chase scenes. And if you have read my blog at all, you know we are HUGE fans of Stuart Gibbs around here!

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book. It is written from the point of view that evolution is scientific fact. As someone who believes evolution is as far-fetched at they come, I really don’t like that evolution is touted as a fact and not a theory in this book-especially when impressionable children will be reading it.

That being said, the next book sounds really good, we do like Stuart Gibbs a lot, and we will read that one when it comes out. I would just skip this one due to the content.

I would like to thank Simon and Schuster for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

Charlie Thorne is becoming one of my favorite fictional characters. She is brilliant, funny, and clever. This book is action packed, fast-paced, and full of historical detail. That is one of the really cool things about this series. It weaves in all these interesting facts so that you are learning something without realizing it. It is impossible to put down from start to finish. I can’t wait to read what’s in store for Charlie in book 3! I don’t know how Stuart Gibbs keeps writing fabulous books, but keep them coming!

I will definitely be recommending this series to any J or YA reader looking for something really cool.

The Charlie Thorne series is my new favorite for middle grade reads! First, a strong female character - which is something all middle grade girls can benefit from. Second, although Charlie is a female, the boys love her as well. Third, what a FUN mystery/adventure! The historical aspect of Charlie's adventures are an educational experience as well. In book one, it was Einstein's Pandora equation. Book 2 is Darwin's hidden treasure. There are so many cross-curricular ties (history, geography, science, math).

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers for the ARC in return for an honest review.

As always, an adventure with Charlie Thorne is exciting and unpredictable and this book certainly proves that. Gibbs has a knack for knowing just how to tap into this readers' imaginations. as his previous series' portray. I especially enjoyed the introduction of Darwin and his explorations into the unknown. From the very beginning, I was caught up in his mysterious mission. At the same time, I learned so much about history as well as the science of the Amazon. I couldn't stop reading this book and know my elementary school students will not stop until the end either. Hope there are many more to come in this series!

This is such a fun action packed adventure for middle grades. I was impressed with how much wonderful background information is included in this book. I learned a lot about South America and its culture which was great. Charlie is a great strong character that doesn't back down on her smarts and skills and stands up for what she believes is right. This book focuses on Darwin with a secret treasure and lots of science knowledge so be ready for a lot of evolution information. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment and I think middle grade students will really enjoy this adventure of a book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. All spelling and grammar errors are totally my own.

I can safely say that I have never before read a children's book that I couldn't put down. This one, I couldn't put down. I was absolutely pulled into the ending of the book and I had to know what was going to happen more than I had to go to sleep. It took me longer than usual to read the book because I kept having to stop and look up some of the plants and animals in the book to see if they were real. (They were.) I liked the first book in the series a lot, but I probably didn't breathe through the last fifth of this book. Just when you thought maybe things would settle down, they took off again. It was an amazing book.

I fell in love with Stuart Gibbs' writing when I found myself laughing out loud while reading Belly Up. While this book is a far different read, it did not disappoint. As a middle-level teacher, I was tickled at the amount of background knowledge students could pick up as they read. In addition, Charlie Thorne is a strong female character celebrated for her brain, not her appearance. While in the last third the story veers a bit into what some may feel controversial, the fast-paced adventure will keep the most reluctant of readers turning pages.

Charlie Thorne again finds herself following clues left behind by a great mind of the past, this time investigating a hidden treasure discovered by Charles Darwin in the Amazon. Fast-paced, great for kids who like adventure, science, or a good treasure hunt. I love the revelation that there are more famous people that have hidden away their discoveries- I think it has so much potential and is a great famework for a middle-grade series! I can't wait for book #3!

This is fast becoming my new favorite young adult series! It includes a young heroine who is much more capable of taking on the world alone than the CIA agents who she is "assisting." In the first book of the series, we discovered Einstein's secret. (While you don't have to read it first, you'll miss a couple of things here and there by not having read it. But no biggie.) In this second installment, we're tracking down an earth-shattering secret that Darwin hid in South America!

(Spoiler insinuation - The ending tells us that there will definitely be more mysteries to track down.)