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Skeleton Creek #3
The Crossbones
Strange things happen in Skeleton Creek — and when they do, Ryan writes them down and Sarah captures them on video. Now, the spookiness is spreading, and the mystery is going to take them far beyond Skeleton Creek — into places both unexpectedly sinister and spine-chillingly haunted.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Patrick Carman
74 books1,605 followersI have been a lifelong writer and storyteller. Salem, Oregon is where I spent my formative years and I graduated from Willamette University. After college, I spent a decade living in Portland, Oregon where I worked in advertising, game design, and technology.
I've written young adult and children's books for Scholastic, Little Brown Books For Young Readers and Katherine Tegen Books/ HarperCollins Publishers.
I've been fortunate enough to have had some bestselling series work: The Land of Elyon, Atherton, Elliot’s Park, 39 Clues, and Skeleton Creek. Here's a fun note...the books have been translated into approximately two dozen languages. Currently I'm developing a few new-media projects. Check out DARK EDEN to experience this type of cross-platform project.
When I'm not writing or creating a story, I spend my free time supporting literacy campaigns and community organizations, fly fishing, playing basketball and tennis, doing crosswords, watching movies, dabbling in video games, reading (lots), and (more than anything else) spending time with my wife and two daughters.
I've written young adult and children's books for Scholastic, Little Brown Books For Young Readers and Katherine Tegen Books/ HarperCollins Publishers.
I've been fortunate enough to have had some bestselling series work: The Land of Elyon, Atherton, Elliot’s Park, 39 Clues, and Skeleton Creek. Here's a fun note...the books have been translated into approximately two dozen languages. Currently I'm developing a few new-media projects. Check out DARK EDEN to experience this type of cross-platform project.
When I'm not writing or creating a story, I spend my free time supporting literacy campaigns and community organizations, fly fishing, playing basketball and tennis, doing crosswords, watching movies, dabbling in video games, reading (lots), and (more than anything else) spending time with my wife and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews
September 9, 2019
El libro que más deseaba leer, con solo el título te das una idea de como estará la cosa.
Podría haber sido genial, pero no resultó ser la lectura que esperaba.
Al fin conocimos la historia detrás de las tibias cruzadas, un grupo que se encarga de mantener ciertos secretos, sobre cierta cuidad llamada Skeleton Creek.
Otro recorrido demasiado similar al del libro anterior le restó puntos, ya que me dio la impresión de que volvíamos a leer lo mismo. A pesar de que eso fue, de hecho lo que más me gustó de Ghost in the machine hizo aburrida la lectura de esta tercera parte.
Las respuestas no fueron tan interesantes, y el misterio se desmoronó con cada página, debido a que la resolución fue demasiado simple, que apenas quedó en unos párrafos.
Podría haber sido genial, pero no resultó ser la lectura que esperaba.
Al fin conocimos la historia detrás de las tibias cruzadas, un grupo que se encarga de mantener ciertos secretos, sobre cierta cuidad llamada Skeleton Creek.
Otro recorrido demasiado similar al del libro anterior le restó puntos, ya que me dio la impresión de que volvíamos a leer lo mismo. A pesar de que eso fue, de hecho lo que más me gustó de Ghost in the machine hizo aburrida la lectura de esta tercera parte.
Las respuestas no fueron tan interesantes, y el misterio se desmoronó con cada página, debido a que la resolución fue demasiado simple, que apenas quedó en unos párrafos.
February 10, 2022
This is the point in this series where you can tell Carman is just extending this thing as far as he can go. The first two fit really well together and end cohesively. It could totally have been a solid duology. This installment is interesting in its own ways, but absolutely unnecessary! And so much of the action boils down to bullet points. I don’t know how, but this book made Ryan feel more stagnant and helpless than he was when he was literally bedridden with a shattered leg. He doesn’t really do much, so a lot of this book is him vaguely talking about what Sarah discovered/showed in her videos.
I was trying to figure out why it felt like I had so many memories of the first two books and none of the last two (and also apparently the final fifth book which I had no idea existed because it was published years after the final book and I was already in high school. It is supposedly terrible). And I’m realizing it’s probably because these final two aren’t that compelling!! I remember the series ending well so I’m hoping The Raven is better than this one. I still feel a pang of nostalgia over these characters and this town/mystery. So I’m happy I re read them, even if this one isn’t nearly as good as I remember.
I was trying to figure out why it felt like I had so many memories of the first two books and none of the last two (and also apparently the final fifth book which I had no idea existed because it was published years after the final book and I was already in high school. It is supposedly terrible). And I’m realizing it’s probably because these final two aren’t that compelling!! I remember the series ending well so I’m hoping The Raven is better than this one. I still feel a pang of nostalgia over these characters and this town/mystery. So I’m happy I re read them, even if this one isn’t nearly as good as I remember.
September 28, 2023
I really enjoyed reading this interactive mystery with it's video links for clues and background information. Book 3 (I haven't read the other 6 books, but I will) has Ryan and his best friend Sarah on the hunt across country to find out about an organization calling itself The Crossbones and it's 3 main leaders The Raven, The Apostle and The Ghost.
The story is intriguing and engages the reader from start to finish on a well paced adventure filled with danger and mystery.
The characters are enjoyable and really well fleshed and one even surprised me. They all have a sense of familiarity which makes the reader invested in what happens to them.
A great read that for this reader did not disappoint and offered a fun time from start to finish.
The story is intriguing and engages the reader from start to finish on a well paced adventure filled with danger and mystery.
The characters are enjoyable and really well fleshed and one even surprised me. They all have a sense of familiarity which makes the reader invested in what happens to them.
A great read that for this reader did not disappoint and offered a fun time from start to finish.
November 10, 2013
Patrick Carman is a genius for discovering a new way for kids to be hooked into reading. That being said, of the Skeleton Creek series, this is so far the weakest offering.
Plot-wise, there's very little development done from Ryan's perspective. It's kind of shocking that the author of an adventure and mystery story decided to write from the perspective of someone who's not adventuring or exploring a mystery. So, until Sarah's video updates, the reader is just as oblivious as Ryan is...and it's frustrating. Why have all of the action take place outside of the main character's point of view? In the meantime, as we wait for Sarah's videos, Carman just rehashes the same character traits that already developed in the first two books. Except now I guess I know more about fly fishing. Yay?
The ending (when Carman shockingly allows the main character to do more than just sit around and talk about fishing) is very satisfying...but seriously...could they have gotten someone other than that guy to play The Apostle? I bet his community theater is super proud of him, but unfortunately nobody else is.
Plot-wise, there's very little development done from Ryan's perspective. It's kind of shocking that the author of an adventure and mystery story decided to write from the perspective of someone who's not adventuring or exploring a mystery. So, until Sarah's video updates, the reader is just as oblivious as Ryan is...and it's frustrating. Why have all of the action take place outside of the main character's point of view? In the meantime, as we wait for Sarah's videos, Carman just rehashes the same character traits that already developed in the first two books. Except now I guess I know more about fly fishing. Yay?
The ending (when Carman shockingly allows the main character to do more than just sit around and talk about fishing) is very satisfying...but seriously...could they have gotten someone other than that guy to play The Apostle? I bet his community theater is super proud of him, but unfortunately nobody else is.
January 17, 2024
Just in case the spoiler tagging thing doesn't work, FULL SPOILERS FOR THE BOOK IN THIS REVIEW
I'm disappointed. I was originally going to give it 3 stars. It wouldn't be a 3.8 or 3.5 (not that I could give the book those ratings since GoodReads likes to only give users the ability to rate books whole numbers) like I gave the first two books but rather a 3.0. That was before I read the last 10 pages of the book. I mean, jesus christ Patrick Carman. The moment the Raven was brought up I thought 'oh haha wouldn't it be funny if the new character Fitz was connected to the Raven or he was him? That sure would be a laugh, wouldn't it?'. Yeah, that joke isn't funny now, is it? What could have possibly convinced Patrick Carman to pull the same reveal he did with Henry again? I know this book isn't meant for an older audience but my god man try not to make it that predictable.
I made notes along the way about my problems with the book so I'll list them now.
-Sarah was annoying with the whole 'you didn't call me while I was in the graveyard'. Sarah, he left you a voicemail telling you his dad forced him into fishing and couldn't talk. You know his dad is a tight ass about this stuff and was in a secret club for years. He would go with you and talk to you during the thing if he could. You know this!
-Speaking of Ryan's dad, he seems like a massive fucking hypocrite. He's on his son's ass about him going and doing stuff he doesn't approve of when he's in a secret club! Or at least he was before it was disbanded but you get my point. He hasn't even told his wife about this and yet he has the fucking gall to lecture Ryan about potentially doing stuff behind his back. And I know he hasn't told his wife anything about the club because she didn't even know where he was in book 2 when he went out into that meeting he had with Gladys (you know, the one Sarah recorded and got the code from)!
-I have to say, I am not a fan of the direction Carman is taking the series. I'll stick with it to the end since I bought all the books but I have the feeling I won't enjoy the final two. From what I see the 4th book is the highest rated and the final book is the lowest rated (besides the extra book but who cares about that?). Let's hope the 4th book is better than this garbage. I doubt it though.
-My main problem with this book is how tacked on it feels. It's like Carman didn't plan for anything past book 2 and just started adding in new stuff. The extension of the Crossbones into this long running secret club that has been around since the days of the FOUNDING FATHERS and the sudden importance of the Apostle feels like stuff he shoved in so he could make more books. Besides there being a few loose threads from book 2 you could easily end the series there. Just tweak the final few videos and you're good. That's what should have happened imo.
-Now, I have zero evidence supporting this but to me I think books 1 and 2 were originally one thing. They both came out the same year (can't figure out what dates since every site seems to want to hide it) and the cliffhanger at the end of book 1 results in nothing but a mild inconvenience that isn't even worth mentioning. There was a solid story there in both books that could be told and never expanded on. Just think, you have Henry killing the members of the Crossbones because he wants the gold Old Joe Bush hid. He pretends to be him while also interrogating and accidentally killing the members. Then he gets caught and boom, story ended and everything is wrapped up. No, seriously, tell me why this wouldn't work. Patrick Carman could make it so Henry is caught in whichever video it was that he was defeated in and every image of Joe Bush being a ghost could be wiped. Have the other stuff that's obviously Henry in a mask left in but get rid of the ghostly Joe dragging his leg in front of the camera. I'll admit that the paranormal stuff is interesting but other than that it's a grounded story for the most part (except for the alchemy, that's fictional).
-Henry is changed from a guy who works for this company that got greedy to a guy who works for this secret club that, let me remind you again, HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE FOUNDING FATHERS. Why change it? Why make him a high member of the Crossbones? Why even add any of this useless shit in the first place besides continuing a series that should've ended? He killed the apostle, not on accident anymore, but because the apostle got greedy. Because he was a threat. I hate this change so so much. It reeks of a last minute writing change to keep a story going.
-Touching on the new additions and reveals here, the Apostle. He gets an increased amount of importance and now he's a pillar or whatever of the Crossbones. Every apostle before him kept note of the history of the Crossbones and now this guy's greedy......for what reason exactly? I think he said something about him being owed? Owed for what? This dude was going to expose the Crossbones to everyone and we don't even know the full reason why. An author should establish that.
-Alright, the Crossbones. Gotta be the dumbest fucking thing in this series. This book changes the meaning of what we thought the Crossbones meant. It is no longer a club that Joe Bush started to protect the Dredge (kind of still is but that's a whole other thing) and now we know the "real" Crossbones are a secret club that protects democracy and gets rid of their enemies? Huh? This is such a baffling writing decision to me. I guess if Patrick wanted the story to go on he needed more secret clubs and a big bad guy Ryan and Sarah could fight against. I just.....god, man. I'm so frustrated with this book.
-I have to touch on Henry again because there's a lot with him. Why would he lie to the others and say Joe Bush founded the Crossbones? He could've told them the truth and said that it was the Apostle. There's no reason not to. The dude is dead and gone. There's nothing to find since he has the skull puzzle now. Speaking of which, why was he carrying it on his person? He's not stupid. He fooled Ryan's dad and the others for years while maintaining the Joe Bush ghost stuff. He's smart and while I could buy that he was desperate to get to the gold in the Dredge before it was burned to the ground I don't buy him having such important info like the Skull Puzzle on him instead of in his New York apartment. He could have it there and then when he was done finding the gold he could go back there, grab it, and then do whatever he was planning next. Even if he was lying about Joe Bush being the founder to mislead them it doesn't make sense because HE HAD THE EVIDENCE PROVING THE OPPOSITE ON HIM. It just all feels like a plot convenience to get it in the hands of Ryan.
-How the hell does a secret club like the Crossbones that has existed since America was created get reduced down to three people? For fucks sake this club was known by the presidents! If it was that important then how did it dwindle down this low??? Does the current president know about it? Does the government know about it? I would assume so but I can't even tell anymore! Again, this feels like a symptom of Carman not thinking things through fully before writing them. There is no fucking way I can believe this group was reduced down to 3 people who all coincidentally ended up in either Skeleton Creek or close to it.
Okay, just a few more and then I'm done. This review is already massive enough.
-Ryan describes Sarah's video documentary bits she films better than they actually are. He says she could be a Hollywood director someday and that if he didn't know better he would think the docu footage was real. For as much shit as I've given the guy in this review I do have to thank him for going the extra mile and making the videos a part of the story. It's cool and all but sorry, these videos blow. Big time too. Maybe it's because these were filmed in 2010 but the editing is terrible. How anyone could think this is okay stuff is beyond me. I'm not a film guy but the class had to have bullied the fuck out of her when they saw these clips.
-The Apostle's weird Kubrick stare he does in every either every video or nearly every video is goofy. It looks so silly and I can't take it seriously. Does Patrick think this is intimidating or creepy?
-I'm not sure if Carman forgot to upload the correct copy of the a couple of the videos but Ryan describes things that don't happen. He's got info that doesn't appear in the videos at all. He mentions New York Gold and Silver belonging to the Crossbones which is a pretty big deal that isn't told to us until Ryan points it out and the Portland map shows up out of nowhere. The Apostle doesn't show it at the end of that one video. At all. Ryan straight up spawns it out of nowhere.
Alright, that's it. I'm done with the review. I fully expect the revelations and plot twists that are to come and the actual ending won't be as satisfying at all. Guess I'll find out soon though.
TLDR: This book is not only worse than the original but also a waste of time imo. If you really really REALLY love the series than go for it and read it but otherwise just make up your own ending.
I'm disappointed. I was originally going to give it 3 stars. It wouldn't be a 3.8 or 3.5 (not that I could give the book those ratings since GoodReads likes to only give users the ability to rate books whole numbers) like I gave the first two books but rather a 3.0. That was before I read the last 10 pages of the book. I mean, jesus christ Patrick Carman. The moment the Raven was brought up I thought 'oh haha wouldn't it be funny if the new character Fitz was connected to the Raven or he was him? That sure would be a laugh, wouldn't it?'. Yeah, that joke isn't funny now, is it? What could have possibly convinced Patrick Carman to pull the same reveal he did with Henry again? I know this book isn't meant for an older audience but my god man try not to make it that predictable.
I made notes along the way about my problems with the book so I'll list them now.
-Sarah was annoying with the whole 'you didn't call me while I was in the graveyard'. Sarah, he left you a voicemail telling you his dad forced him into fishing and couldn't talk. You know his dad is a tight ass about this stuff and was in a secret club for years. He would go with you and talk to you during the thing if he could. You know this!
-Speaking of Ryan's dad, he seems like a massive fucking hypocrite. He's on his son's ass about him going and doing stuff he doesn't approve of when he's in a secret club! Or at least he was before it was disbanded but you get my point. He hasn't even told his wife about this and yet he has the fucking gall to lecture Ryan about potentially doing stuff behind his back. And I know he hasn't told his wife anything about the club because she didn't even know where he was in book 2 when he went out into that meeting he had with Gladys (you know, the one Sarah recorded and got the code from)!
-I have to say, I am not a fan of the direction Carman is taking the series. I'll stick with it to the end since I bought all the books but I have the feeling I won't enjoy the final two. From what I see the 4th book is the highest rated and the final book is the lowest rated (besides the extra book but who cares about that?). Let's hope the 4th book is better than this garbage. I doubt it though.
-My main problem with this book is how tacked on it feels. It's like Carman didn't plan for anything past book 2 and just started adding in new stuff. The extension of the Crossbones into this long running secret club that has been around since the days of the FOUNDING FATHERS and the sudden importance of the Apostle feels like stuff he shoved in so he could make more books. Besides there being a few loose threads from book 2 you could easily end the series there. Just tweak the final few videos and you're good. That's what should have happened imo.
-Now, I have zero evidence supporting this but to me I think books 1 and 2 were originally one thing. They both came out the same year (can't figure out what dates since every site seems to want to hide it) and the cliffhanger at the end of book 1 results in nothing but a mild inconvenience that isn't even worth mentioning. There was a solid story there in both books that could be told and never expanded on. Just think, you have Henry killing the members of the Crossbones because he wants the gold Old Joe Bush hid. He pretends to be him while also interrogating and accidentally killing the members. Then he gets caught and boom, story ended and everything is wrapped up. No, seriously, tell me why this wouldn't work. Patrick Carman could make it so Henry is caught in whichever video it was that he was defeated in and every image of Joe Bush being a ghost could be wiped. Have the other stuff that's obviously Henry in a mask left in but get rid of the ghostly Joe dragging his leg in front of the camera. I'll admit that the paranormal stuff is interesting but other than that it's a grounded story for the most part (except for the alchemy, that's fictional).
-Henry is changed from a guy who works for this company that got greedy to a guy who works for this secret club that, let me remind you again, HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE FOUNDING FATHERS. Why change it? Why make him a high member of the Crossbones? Why even add any of this useless shit in the first place besides continuing a series that should've ended? He killed the apostle, not on accident anymore, but because the apostle got greedy. Because he was a threat. I hate this change so so much. It reeks of a last minute writing change to keep a story going.
-Touching on the new additions and reveals here, the Apostle. He gets an increased amount of importance and now he's a pillar or whatever of the Crossbones. Every apostle before him kept note of the history of the Crossbones and now this guy's greedy......for what reason exactly? I think he said something about him being owed? Owed for what? This dude was going to expose the Crossbones to everyone and we don't even know the full reason why. An author should establish that.
-Alright, the Crossbones. Gotta be the dumbest fucking thing in this series. This book changes the meaning of what we thought the Crossbones meant. It is no longer a club that Joe Bush started to protect the Dredge (kind of still is but that's a whole other thing) and now we know the "real" Crossbones are a secret club that protects democracy and gets rid of their enemies? Huh? This is such a baffling writing decision to me. I guess if Patrick wanted the story to go on he needed more secret clubs and a big bad guy Ryan and Sarah could fight against. I just.....god, man. I'm so frustrated with this book.
-I have to touch on Henry again because there's a lot with him. Why would he lie to the others and say Joe Bush founded the Crossbones? He could've told them the truth and said that it was the Apostle. There's no reason not to. The dude is dead and gone. There's nothing to find since he has the skull puzzle now. Speaking of which, why was he carrying it on his person? He's not stupid. He fooled Ryan's dad and the others for years while maintaining the Joe Bush ghost stuff. He's smart and while I could buy that he was desperate to get to the gold in the Dredge before it was burned to the ground I don't buy him having such important info like the Skull Puzzle on him instead of in his New York apartment. He could have it there and then when he was done finding the gold he could go back there, grab it, and then do whatever he was planning next. Even if he was lying about Joe Bush being the founder to mislead them it doesn't make sense because HE HAD THE EVIDENCE PROVING THE OPPOSITE ON HIM. It just all feels like a plot convenience to get it in the hands of Ryan.
-How the hell does a secret club like the Crossbones that has existed since America was created get reduced down to three people? For fucks sake this club was known by the presidents! If it was that important then how did it dwindle down this low??? Does the current president know about it? Does the government know about it? I would assume so but I can't even tell anymore! Again, this feels like a symptom of Carman not thinking things through fully before writing them. There is no fucking way I can believe this group was reduced down to 3 people who all coincidentally ended up in either Skeleton Creek or close to it.
Okay, just a few more and then I'm done. This review is already massive enough.
-Ryan describes Sarah's video documentary bits she films better than they actually are. He says she could be a Hollywood director someday and that if he didn't know better he would think the docu footage was real. For as much shit as I've given the guy in this review I do have to thank him for going the extra mile and making the videos a part of the story. It's cool and all but sorry, these videos blow. Big time too. Maybe it's because these were filmed in 2010 but the editing is terrible. How anyone could think this is okay stuff is beyond me. I'm not a film guy but the class had to have bullied the fuck out of her when they saw these clips.
-The Apostle's weird Kubrick stare he does in every either every video or nearly every video is goofy. It looks so silly and I can't take it seriously. Does Patrick think this is intimidating or creepy?
-I'm not sure if Carman forgot to upload the correct copy of the a couple of the videos but Ryan describes things that don't happen. He's got info that doesn't appear in the videos at all. He mentions New York Gold and Silver belonging to the Crossbones which is a pretty big deal that isn't told to us until Ryan points it out and the Portland map shows up out of nowhere. The Apostle doesn't show it at the end of that one video. At all. Ryan straight up spawns it out of nowhere.
Alright, that's it. I'm done with the review. I fully expect the revelations and plot twists that are to come and the actual ending won't be as satisfying at all. Guess I'll find out soon though.
TLDR: This book is not only worse than the original but also a waste of time imo. If you really really REALLY love the series than go for it and read it but otherwise just make up your own ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2016
***Spoiler Alert*** Do you like scary stories? If you do then this is a series you would enjoy. Skeleton Creek The Crossbones #3 is a horror and adventure book that is very strange. I really enjoyed reading this because I read it at night so it got to me. I had chills and as I read I became more interested. The main thing I liked about this book was that there is a website that you can go on and it gives you a different password each time to show you a video of what happened in the part of the book. This is basically a visual example and more information of the past events. Sarah a girl from the book video tapes the strange things they discover and Ryan writes them down in his journal.
In the third book there is a guy named Ryan who is a teenager. Him and his best friend, Sarah a year older, discover ghosts and hidden secrets in their town. In the previous book they discovered gold hidden in a place but they almost got killed so their parents separated them. Now Sarah lives in Boston and Ryan in Skeleton Creek. Ryan found an envelope from the ghost Old Joe Bush that he didn't tell anyone about. This one day he decides to open it and there are 4 clues that lead to places that finally lead to another envelope. Ryan and Sarah team up and they go through difficult times to keep everything a secret from their parents and discover the truth. They end up finding the missing 287 books that were from the Thomas Jefferson Library. There used to be a secret organization, called The Crossbones, in Skeleton Creek that have many dirty secrets and only one of their leaders is still healthy and alive, The Raven, who is furious. Ryan and Sarah must find The Raven and find the mystery behind the next clues in the next book. The conflict is person vs supernatural/mysteries. The theme is curiosity and bravery because Ryan and Sarah won't stop at anything to discover the mystery. For example, multiple times Sarah wanted to go back because she was afraid but with Ryan's support they were able to stay with their plan. Also, Ryan spent days before he finally decided to open up the envelope out of curiosity.
The setting adds to this book because it takes place in Skeleton Creek (The same as the title) where several strange things happen. This setting makes the story even creepier since you don't know when you will see a ghost. In the previous book Old Joe Bush was haunting people so Sarah and Ryan began to investigate him to figure what he was. It ended up being Henry who was one of the leaders of Crossbones until he went crazy and insane. They believed he was being possessed by Old Joe Bush. After that Ryan felt like he was always being stalked by the ghost of Old Joe Bush. Sometimes he would even see him through his windows and Sarah would say she sees him sometimes as well. Sarah even captures a video of the ghost following her. According to the book, "A light breeze blew my curtain away from the window, and I saw him. He was there. It was no shadow or tree limb. The ghost of Old Joe Bush was watching me..." Another example would be, "...look at what Sarah recorded. There's more about the Crossbones--but most important, he's following her. The ghost of Old Joe Bush was there." Since in Skeleton Creek has ghost it makes the story even more scarier. The characters' motivation is curiosity and interest in ghosts. I believe that if the characters didn't have this motivation then they may have been too terrified to do what they did. They had to go face to face with their worst fears. Another one of their motivations was boredom. This is mentioned multiple times how Sarah and Ryan want to do something exciting. According to the book, "What I want more than anything in the world is to be out there with her, or even out there going in a different direction--anything that will get me out of this town and into something exciting." The author's tone is suspenseful and anxious. The author creates this tone by making you feel like you are living the events with the characters yourself. As I read this book I began feeling like ghost were around me and that I had to be all alone with them. According to the book, "I was lost in a Labyrinth of underground tunnels, alone in the dark. Or so I thought...The ghost of Old Joe Bush really was there. My paranoid brain didn't make that up....There was a certain man of the woods, a loner, a woodcutter. The dad of my only friend I had in town. A guy who called himself The Raven. The last three Crossbones members at war: the Apostle, Henry, The Raven. One of them dead, one of them gone off his rocker, one of them after me."
My favorite part was when Ryan discovers that his friend was ordered by his dad, The Raven, to follow him and keep track of what he was doing. Fitz is the guys name and I swear I had goosebumps as Ryan connected the dots and past events to discover that Fitz was behind most of the time. I also enjoyed reading how Ryan and Sarah discover what the 4 clues mean and Sarah travels from state to state to discover them. According to the article, "Could it have been Fitz outside my window that last night before I left, watching me, wondering where I might go the next day? All I could think of the second Dad told me about Fitz was that smell. The smell of burning oil all the way to Portland. And when I knew: It was Fitz who had put the GPS phone in the glove box...He'd followed me all the way out of town..." I liked the way the author wrote this entire story in Ryan's point of view like a journal. To me this makes the story sound like something that happened in reality and I can relate more to everything. The author would write like Ryan would use all of his free time to either talk to Sarah or write in his journal explaining everything that is happening. Ryan believed that someone had to write about because then there will be no proof and he kept just in case he and Sarah end up dying from what they do so people can know their stories. I was satisfied with the ending because it made me excited and want to get the next book and read it. I am interested in figuring out what happens with The Raven and the new clues they found. According to the book, "Get out or get dead?...Three hidden treasures: the gold, the Jefferson books, and what? I wish I could say I knew all the answers, but I don't. I rode my bike into Skeleton Creek, Fitz's old fly box in my shirt pocket,. and thought about how far I was from safe. My journey wasn't over yet."
I would rate this book a 4 out 5 because it was a very good book that made me more nervous as I read. I would recommend this book to people who like to read horror books and mysteries. Especially people who enjoy stories about ghosts and treasure hidden away that must be found. I recommend that you start by reading the first book. Skeleton Creek is a great series that gives you a written and visual example about the events. It makes you look forward to the results of each story.
In the third book there is a guy named Ryan who is a teenager. Him and his best friend, Sarah a year older, discover ghosts and hidden secrets in their town. In the previous book they discovered gold hidden in a place but they almost got killed so their parents separated them. Now Sarah lives in Boston and Ryan in Skeleton Creek. Ryan found an envelope from the ghost Old Joe Bush that he didn't tell anyone about. This one day he decides to open it and there are 4 clues that lead to places that finally lead to another envelope. Ryan and Sarah team up and they go through difficult times to keep everything a secret from their parents and discover the truth. They end up finding the missing 287 books that were from the Thomas Jefferson Library. There used to be a secret organization, called The Crossbones, in Skeleton Creek that have many dirty secrets and only one of their leaders is still healthy and alive, The Raven, who is furious. Ryan and Sarah must find The Raven and find the mystery behind the next clues in the next book. The conflict is person vs supernatural/mysteries. The theme is curiosity and bravery because Ryan and Sarah won't stop at anything to discover the mystery. For example, multiple times Sarah wanted to go back because she was afraid but with Ryan's support they were able to stay with their plan. Also, Ryan spent days before he finally decided to open up the envelope out of curiosity.
The setting adds to this book because it takes place in Skeleton Creek (The same as the title) where several strange things happen. This setting makes the story even creepier since you don't know when you will see a ghost. In the previous book Old Joe Bush was haunting people so Sarah and Ryan began to investigate him to figure what he was. It ended up being Henry who was one of the leaders of Crossbones until he went crazy and insane. They believed he was being possessed by Old Joe Bush. After that Ryan felt like he was always being stalked by the ghost of Old Joe Bush. Sometimes he would even see him through his windows and Sarah would say she sees him sometimes as well. Sarah even captures a video of the ghost following her. According to the book, "A light breeze blew my curtain away from the window, and I saw him. He was there. It was no shadow or tree limb. The ghost of Old Joe Bush was watching me..." Another example would be, "...look at what Sarah recorded. There's more about the Crossbones--but most important, he's following her. The ghost of Old Joe Bush was there." Since in Skeleton Creek has ghost it makes the story even more scarier. The characters' motivation is curiosity and interest in ghosts. I believe that if the characters didn't have this motivation then they may have been too terrified to do what they did. They had to go face to face with their worst fears. Another one of their motivations was boredom. This is mentioned multiple times how Sarah and Ryan want to do something exciting. According to the book, "What I want more than anything in the world is to be out there with her, or even out there going in a different direction--anything that will get me out of this town and into something exciting." The author's tone is suspenseful and anxious. The author creates this tone by making you feel like you are living the events with the characters yourself. As I read this book I began feeling like ghost were around me and that I had to be all alone with them. According to the book, "I was lost in a Labyrinth of underground tunnels, alone in the dark. Or so I thought...The ghost of Old Joe Bush really was there. My paranoid brain didn't make that up....There was a certain man of the woods, a loner, a woodcutter. The dad of my only friend I had in town. A guy who called himself The Raven. The last three Crossbones members at war: the Apostle, Henry, The Raven. One of them dead, one of them gone off his rocker, one of them after me."
My favorite part was when Ryan discovers that his friend was ordered by his dad, The Raven, to follow him and keep track of what he was doing. Fitz is the guys name and I swear I had goosebumps as Ryan connected the dots and past events to discover that Fitz was behind most of the time. I also enjoyed reading how Ryan and Sarah discover what the 4 clues mean and Sarah travels from state to state to discover them. According to the article, "Could it have been Fitz outside my window that last night before I left, watching me, wondering where I might go the next day? All I could think of the second Dad told me about Fitz was that smell. The smell of burning oil all the way to Portland. And when I knew: It was Fitz who had put the GPS phone in the glove box...He'd followed me all the way out of town..." I liked the way the author wrote this entire story in Ryan's point of view like a journal. To me this makes the story sound like something that happened in reality and I can relate more to everything. The author would write like Ryan would use all of his free time to either talk to Sarah or write in his journal explaining everything that is happening. Ryan believed that someone had to write about because then there will be no proof and he kept just in case he and Sarah end up dying from what they do so people can know their stories. I was satisfied with the ending because it made me excited and want to get the next book and read it. I am interested in figuring out what happens with The Raven and the new clues they found. According to the book, "Get out or get dead?...Three hidden treasures: the gold, the Jefferson books, and what? I wish I could say I knew all the answers, but I don't. I rode my bike into Skeleton Creek, Fitz's old fly box in my shirt pocket,. and thought about how far I was from safe. My journey wasn't over yet."
I would rate this book a 4 out 5 because it was a very good book that made me more nervous as I read. I would recommend this book to people who like to read horror books and mysteries. Especially people who enjoy stories about ghosts and treasure hidden away that must be found. I recommend that you start by reading the first book. Skeleton Creek is a great series that gives you a written and visual example about the events. It makes you look forward to the results of each story.
October 19, 2011
My Book Reveiw
The Crossbones, by Patrick Carman, is a mysttery book about a teenage kid named Ryan, who recently discoverd millions in gold along with is best friend Sarah. In the previous book, the fake ghost of old joe bush dropped an envelope containing a puzzle. As Sarah drives to film camp she makes stops at the places indicated by the puzzles and finds hidden information about The mysterious secret society called the crossbones. The main Character Ryan is jumpy, and kind of wimpy, but he does what he needs to do, even if it is kind of scary. The theme of this book is not to meddle in stuff thats not your business. I think this book was amazing because it was a very scary, thrilling page turner.
A Short Biography of Patrick Carman, the author of the skeleton creek series.
Patrick Carman, the author of some of my favorite books, was born February 27, 1966. He attended college at Willamette University, where he got a degree in Economics. Carman writes for toung adults and children and has many series of books out including, The Land Of Elyon, Atherton, Elliot's Park, Skeleton Creek, The 39 clues, and The Trackers series. Before he was a writer, Carman worked on Advertising, Technology and Game design. After he was done with being a more businesslike person, he became a writer. According to his FAQ page, the rights have been purchased to make CGI movies with The Land of Elyon.
The Crossbones, by Patrick Carman, is a mysttery book about a teenage kid named Ryan, who recently discoverd millions in gold along with is best friend Sarah. In the previous book, the fake ghost of old joe bush dropped an envelope containing a puzzle. As Sarah drives to film camp she makes stops at the places indicated by the puzzles and finds hidden information about The mysterious secret society called the crossbones. The main Character Ryan is jumpy, and kind of wimpy, but he does what he needs to do, even if it is kind of scary. The theme of this book is not to meddle in stuff thats not your business. I think this book was amazing because it was a very scary, thrilling page turner.
A Short Biography of Patrick Carman, the author of the skeleton creek series.
Patrick Carman, the author of some of my favorite books, was born February 27, 1966. He attended college at Willamette University, where he got a degree in Economics. Carman writes for toung adults and children and has many series of books out including, The Land Of Elyon, Atherton, Elliot's Park, Skeleton Creek, The 39 clues, and The Trackers series. Before he was a writer, Carman worked on Advertising, Technology and Game design. After he was done with being a more businesslike person, he became a writer. According to his FAQ page, the rights have been purchased to make CGI movies with The Land of Elyon.
December 1, 2010
In my review of Ghost in the Machine, I rejoiced in the fact that the Skeleton Creek series was resolved and happily finished. I loved those books, don't get me wrong, but I hate reaching the end of a novel to find a cliffhanger, especially when a sequel is not yet published. So imagine my surprise to find a third book in this seemingly finished series. Every loose end was neatly tied up, so how could there be another book? If one could ignore the obvious back-stepping and stumbling around that the author had to do to justify another installment to an already resolved plot, this book was sufficiently engrossing. If one isn't an adult, this book is probably worthy of five stars. Its problems, I suspect, are only a result of my critical adult eye. While not as frightening and suspenseful as the first 2, this one was a pretty good young adult mystery story that I was able to read in 3 hours. The lack of nail-biting suspense may be due, again, to my adult skepticism. So if you're a teen, don't accept my 3 stars; jump in. And if you try to avoid novels that end in cliffhangers, this one's safe. The author seems to have realized that he may want to continue on with the exploits of Sarah and Ryan but has chosen to give this novel a satisfactory resolution just in case he doesn't want to. This strategy is laudable and I appreciate it! Young Adult authors, take note!
May 6, 2012
Oh my god, I started reading this in the beginning of the school year but than I stopped like at the 40 page to give it to my friend. I got it back Friday and I've already finished with it!!!
When I first starting reading it I remember feeling that it was boring. And it was, just in the beginning though. I think that's why I stopped so early. But I should have made myself keep reading farther before stopping. The book itself is basically a documentary of Ryan's life in Skeleton Creek, while his best friend, Sarah, is out of Skeleton Creek driving across the nation to a Film Camp in California. They plan for Sarah ,as she drives across the country, to stop at destinations that Ryan, back at home, figures out with the clues they have from the Crossbones.
Btw, I have read the first 2 books prior to reading this. And I STRONGLY suggest you read the first 2 books FIRST! So that's why I was so excited to hear that my teacher had the last 2 books. I really love this series because it combines 2 of my favorites things: technology(you have to stop at certain points and go online to watch a video before reading on)and scary/action stories! PLZ GO OUT AND READ THESE!!!!!!!!!
When I first starting reading it I remember feeling that it was boring. And it was, just in the beginning though. I think that's why I stopped so early. But I should have made myself keep reading farther before stopping. The book itself is basically a documentary of Ryan's life in Skeleton Creek, while his best friend, Sarah, is out of Skeleton Creek driving across the nation to a Film Camp in California. They plan for Sarah ,as she drives across the country, to stop at destinations that Ryan, back at home, figures out with the clues they have from the Crossbones.
Btw, I have read the first 2 books prior to reading this. And I STRONGLY suggest you read the first 2 books FIRST! So that's why I was so excited to hear that my teacher had the last 2 books. I really love this series because it combines 2 of my favorites things: technology(you have to stop at certain points and go online to watch a video before reading on)and scary/action stories! PLZ GO OUT AND READ THESE!!!!!!!!!
December 20, 2010
I have major issues with how Patrick Carman has broken up the story line, honestly it would have made more sense to put the first two books into one volume in two parts. The same concept can be applied here. I feel like the ending was neither much of a cliffhanger nor much of an ending. There were too many loose ends and not enough suspense, which even the first book, Skeleton Creek, succeeded in.
When you come to the end of a novel knowing that there is going to be a sequel but not anticipating it, there's definitely a problem with the story line, but this does really make me appreciate cliffhanger endings in other series I love.
The Crossbones was an interesting addition to the series, even if it was a little uncalled for. Just like the last two novels, this one was spooky, interesting and fun to read. Nonetheless, the unique story telling through both video and writing is really what makes this tale unique and fascinating. There really isn't much to say otherwise (honestly there is not much of a story here).
When you come to the end of a novel knowing that there is going to be a sequel but not anticipating it, there's definitely a problem with the story line, but this does really make me appreciate cliffhanger endings in other series I love.
The Crossbones was an interesting addition to the series, even if it was a little uncalled for. Just like the last two novels, this one was spooky, interesting and fun to read. Nonetheless, the unique story telling through both video and writing is really what makes this tale unique and fascinating. There really isn't much to say otherwise (honestly there is not much of a story here).
November 17, 2011
The Skeleton Creek series has a gimmick: the story is told partly in the actual books and partly as a series of web videos. The first two, which I read when they were first released, were pretty good for teen horror-lite, and seemed complete. Obviously, they must have been pretty successful, because now there are two more that continue with a series that seemed over.
Now the story has moved beyond the town of Skeleton Creek. Sarah, the adventurous half of our slightly-less-than-dynamic duo, is following a scavenger hunt from one famously haunted place to the next, lead on by weird videos. The ghost of Joe Bush shows up again, but is far less creepy this time than in the first two books. In fact, this book as a whole is far less creepy. I'm hoping the next installment picks up, because this one just didn't live it up to the first book.
Now the story has moved beyond the town of Skeleton Creek. Sarah, the adventurous half of our slightly-less-than-dynamic duo, is following a scavenger hunt from one famously haunted place to the next, lead on by weird videos. The ghost of Joe Bush shows up again, but is far less creepy this time than in the first two books. In fact, this book as a whole is far less creepy. I'm hoping the next installment picks up, because this one just didn't live it up to the first book.
August 29, 2016
I'm pretty sure this book was shorter than the last two. I flew through it , read it in a car ride back home. I actually liked it better then the first two. the pacing seemed better.
I am 80% sure I read part, if not all, of this book before as it seemed very familiar at certain parts. but, it still suprised(surprised? this word looks wrong) me at parts, especially the ending. I LOVED IT. gonna start the next one as soon as I can ...
I am 80% sure I read part, if not all, of this book before as it seemed very familiar at certain parts. but, it still suprised(surprised? this word looks wrong) me at parts, especially the ending. I LOVED IT. gonna start the next one as soon as I can ...
December 9, 2016
With the help of Sarah, Ryan figures out who the crossbones are, but not without difficulty. The clues that are left send the two teenagers on a wild scavenger hunt to get answers as to exactly who the Crossbones are. Ryan discovers a deep dark secret that he could never believe! As with the other Skeleton Creek books, Ryan continues writing in his journal and Sarah keeps uploading videos of the trip she is on.
October 14, 2010
Not as good as the other two. Sarah and Ryan are able to make some pretty amazing deductions based on very little - frustrating sometimes. Also too unrealistic - no parents would let their 17 year old DAUGHTER drive all the way across the USA by herself. It didn't make any sense to have Sarah leave Skeleton Creek.
December 15, 2016
Kong Yang
October 13, 2016
PAP English 10
1. Author’s Background
The author of Skeleton Creek The Crossbones is Patrick Carman. Patrick Carman is the award-winning author of many books for young adults and children. Since Patrick Carman writes young adult books, this probably influenced him to write the Skeleton Creek series, which is a series directed more towards the young adult category.
2. Literary Time Period
The novel Skeleton Creek The Crossbones was published in 2010. This novel can relate to movies that released in 2010 which fall in the thriller/mystery genre.
3. Setting
The setting of this book is mainly Skeleton Creek, where Ryan lives, and a few other cities in which Sarah stopped by to find clues about the envelope. Another major setting of this novel is Portland, Oregon. Portland was where Ryan found the final clue to the whereabouts of the missing books.
4. Characters
Ryan- Ryan is a teenager who live in Skeleton Creek. His life consists of fishing and make flies for fishing. The only thing that interests him is find clues about the envelope that he found at the dredge and talking to Sarah. Unlike Sarah, Ryan isn’t as brave when it comes to the clues from the envelope.
Sarah- Sarah is a teenager who used to live in Skeleton Creek. She is a close friend of Ryan and also knows about the envelope. She was traveling across the U.S and stopped at the certain locations that hid clues that were on the note in the envelope. Unlike Ryan, she isn’t as scared when it came to visiting haunted sites by herself and finding clues.
Fitz- Fitz played football with Ryan during the school year, but none of them really excelled at it. They both loved fishing so Ryan got a job for Fitz at Ryan’s father’s fly shop. Fitz is pretty much an expert fly maker and Ryan’s only friend in Skeleton Creek while Sarah was gone. At the end of the book, Ryan found out that Fitz’s father was the Raven.
5. Theme
A possible theme of this book is that some people aren’t who they really seem to be. An example of this is Fitz was Ryan’s friend and they worked together throughout the whole summer and were very good friends. In the end, Ryan finds out that Fitz’s father was the Raven who is the leader of the Crossbones. Fitz warns Ryan about what he has done by completing the clues and disappears.
6. Plot Summary
Ryan lives an average life in Skeleton Creek. His best friend Sarah has moved out of Skeleton Creek so he is now alone in Skeleton Creek. He spend his time making flies at his father’s shop. One day Ryan decides to open up an envelope that he found at the dredge and this opens up a whole new world for him. He contacted Sarah and told her about the news and about how the envelope has clues about the locations where they must travel to to solve the puzzle on the note. Sarah starts her journey from the eastern side of the U.S. to California where she will be going to film school. On her way she stops at multiple sites where the note had said the clues would be at. After visiting multiple haunted sites alone, she found out that one of the last site was only seven hours away from where Skeleton Creek was located. Also, along Sarah’s journey, she had found out that her and Ryan had made enemies with someone named the Raven. It was now Ryan’s turn to go to a creepy site and find the next clue. Since his mother was going to a Bon Jovi concert and his father and Fitz were going on a two day fishing trip, this was the perfect opportunity. He travelled to Portland, where the next clue was hidden, and despite Ryan being scared out of his mind, he was able to find the final clue and left. Once Ryan got back home, his father and mother were already back from their plans. Ryan didn’t get in trouble because his mother and father were more glad about him being ok. The final clue let Ryan, his mother, and his father to the town library where they had the mayor come and open the library door for them. Once inside they cracked open and underneath the floor were many books. At first they didn’t think much of the books. That was until Gladys, the librarian, noticed that the books were the 287 missing books from Thomas Jefferson’s precious collections of books. So, in the end Sarah and Ryan had found the rarest collection of books in the country - the missing books from the Thomas Jefferson Library.
7. Literary Devices
Foreshadow- There was foreshadowing when Ryan decided to open the envelope that he found at the dredge. This foreshadowed that he was get himself involved in more trouble and danger, which he did.
Imagery- There was imagery when Ryan was describing the old van he drove to Portland. He said that the van was constantly leaking and the oil was giving off a horrible stench. Ryan also said that the would constantly need more oil because it was constantly leaking. This gives the reader a image of how bad of condition that the van was in.
8. Memorable Quotes
Quote- When I got home, my parents freaked out, but not in the way that I expected them to. They didn’t yell at me or start taking my things- they did the opposite. My mom hugged me, hard, for a long time. She kept saying how sorry she was that she’d left me home alone. My dad touched me on the shoulder, and when I looked at him there were tears in his eyes.
Speaker- Ryan
Situation- Ryan had just got back from Portland which his parents had no idea about. Ryan was shocked at their reactions, instead of getting on to him for what he had done, they were extremely worried about him.
Quote- It was the first time in my life that I felt something deeper than guilt. I felt remorse. Remorse for making my parents feel as if they might lose me at and moment. They’d done a good job raising me, but I had to imagine that I was making them feel like they were the lamest parents on Earth
Speaker- Ryan
Situation- Ryan was telling readers how horrible he felt after his parents felt that it was their fault that Ryan had done what he did which was making the long drive to Portland by himself without telling his parents.
Quote- Look, Ryan, you don’t know my dad. He’s not a nice guy. I think you might have set him off. Be careful. If I can swing a little help, I will. I’ll find a way to get in touch.
Speaker- Fitz
Situation- Fitz and his dad has left Skeleton Creek. Before leaving Fitz left Ryan a note telling him that Ryan had angered Fitz’s father who isn’t somebody that he wanted to anger. Fitz tried to warn Ryan in attempt to keep him safe from Fitz father who is the Raven, the leader of the Crossbones.
October 13, 2016
PAP English 10
1. Author’s Background
The author of Skeleton Creek The Crossbones is Patrick Carman. Patrick Carman is the award-winning author of many books for young adults and children. Since Patrick Carman writes young adult books, this probably influenced him to write the Skeleton Creek series, which is a series directed more towards the young adult category.
2. Literary Time Period
The novel Skeleton Creek The Crossbones was published in 2010. This novel can relate to movies that released in 2010 which fall in the thriller/mystery genre.
3. Setting
The setting of this book is mainly Skeleton Creek, where Ryan lives, and a few other cities in which Sarah stopped by to find clues about the envelope. Another major setting of this novel is Portland, Oregon. Portland was where Ryan found the final clue to the whereabouts of the missing books.
4. Characters
Ryan- Ryan is a teenager who live in Skeleton Creek. His life consists of fishing and make flies for fishing. The only thing that interests him is find clues about the envelope that he found at the dredge and talking to Sarah. Unlike Sarah, Ryan isn’t as brave when it comes to the clues from the envelope.
Sarah- Sarah is a teenager who used to live in Skeleton Creek. She is a close friend of Ryan and also knows about the envelope. She was traveling across the U.S and stopped at the certain locations that hid clues that were on the note in the envelope. Unlike Ryan, she isn’t as scared when it came to visiting haunted sites by herself and finding clues.
Fitz- Fitz played football with Ryan during the school year, but none of them really excelled at it. They both loved fishing so Ryan got a job for Fitz at Ryan’s father’s fly shop. Fitz is pretty much an expert fly maker and Ryan’s only friend in Skeleton Creek while Sarah was gone. At the end of the book, Ryan found out that Fitz’s father was the Raven.
5. Theme
A possible theme of this book is that some people aren’t who they really seem to be. An example of this is Fitz was Ryan’s friend and they worked together throughout the whole summer and were very good friends. In the end, Ryan finds out that Fitz’s father was the Raven who is the leader of the Crossbones. Fitz warns Ryan about what he has done by completing the clues and disappears.
6. Plot Summary
Ryan lives an average life in Skeleton Creek. His best friend Sarah has moved out of Skeleton Creek so he is now alone in Skeleton Creek. He spend his time making flies at his father’s shop. One day Ryan decides to open up an envelope that he found at the dredge and this opens up a whole new world for him. He contacted Sarah and told her about the news and about how the envelope has clues about the locations where they must travel to to solve the puzzle on the note. Sarah starts her journey from the eastern side of the U.S. to California where she will be going to film school. On her way she stops at multiple sites where the note had said the clues would be at. After visiting multiple haunted sites alone, she found out that one of the last site was only seven hours away from where Skeleton Creek was located. Also, along Sarah’s journey, she had found out that her and Ryan had made enemies with someone named the Raven. It was now Ryan’s turn to go to a creepy site and find the next clue. Since his mother was going to a Bon Jovi concert and his father and Fitz were going on a two day fishing trip, this was the perfect opportunity. He travelled to Portland, where the next clue was hidden, and despite Ryan being scared out of his mind, he was able to find the final clue and left. Once Ryan got back home, his father and mother were already back from their plans. Ryan didn’t get in trouble because his mother and father were more glad about him being ok. The final clue let Ryan, his mother, and his father to the town library where they had the mayor come and open the library door for them. Once inside they cracked open and underneath the floor were many books. At first they didn’t think much of the books. That was until Gladys, the librarian, noticed that the books were the 287 missing books from Thomas Jefferson’s precious collections of books. So, in the end Sarah and Ryan had found the rarest collection of books in the country - the missing books from the Thomas Jefferson Library.
7. Literary Devices
Foreshadow- There was foreshadowing when Ryan decided to open the envelope that he found at the dredge. This foreshadowed that he was get himself involved in more trouble and danger, which he did.
Imagery- There was imagery when Ryan was describing the old van he drove to Portland. He said that the van was constantly leaking and the oil was giving off a horrible stench. Ryan also said that the would constantly need more oil because it was constantly leaking. This gives the reader a image of how bad of condition that the van was in.
8. Memorable Quotes
Quote- When I got home, my parents freaked out, but not in the way that I expected them to. They didn’t yell at me or start taking my things- they did the opposite. My mom hugged me, hard, for a long time. She kept saying how sorry she was that she’d left me home alone. My dad touched me on the shoulder, and when I looked at him there were tears in his eyes.
Speaker- Ryan
Situation- Ryan had just got back from Portland which his parents had no idea about. Ryan was shocked at their reactions, instead of getting on to him for what he had done, they were extremely worried about him.
Quote- It was the first time in my life that I felt something deeper than guilt. I felt remorse. Remorse for making my parents feel as if they might lose me at and moment. They’d done a good job raising me, but I had to imagine that I was making them feel like they were the lamest parents on Earth
Speaker- Ryan
Situation- Ryan was telling readers how horrible he felt after his parents felt that it was their fault that Ryan had done what he did which was making the long drive to Portland by himself without telling his parents.
Quote- Look, Ryan, you don’t know my dad. He’s not a nice guy. I think you might have set him off. Be careful. If I can swing a little help, I will. I’ll find a way to get in touch.
Speaker- Fitz
Situation- Fitz and his dad has left Skeleton Creek. Before leaving Fitz left Ryan a note telling him that Ryan had angered Fitz’s father who isn’t somebody that he wanted to anger. Fitz tried to warn Ryan in attempt to keep him safe from Fitz father who is the Raven, the leader of the Crossbones.
June 10, 2017
To me, this feels like the first two Skeleton Creek books did really well, and someone decided that it needed to be extended. The story wrapped up nicely in book 2, so what is going on in book 3 that requires Ryan and Sarah to continue putting themselves in danger?
Also, you're going to need book 4 again, because even though this one ends more satisfactorily than book 1, it still has a cliffhanger edge to it.
My students had strong reactions to this book, so I'll let them speak for themselves:
I love how Ryan and Sarah both have strengths and have to work together as a team.
This book is boring because all Ryan does is research stuff.
Sarah visits real haunted places! I love real ghost stories, and this made me want to see what ghosts Sarah might visit in my town!
It feels to me like the author is stretching the story. Everything we thought we knew about the Crossbones is actually fake. But that's only because the author had to change a bunch of stuff to make a new story.
I like the videos. The Sarah girl in this one is way less annoying.
Ryan's journals make me want to start a journal of my own. I never thought about drawing in mine.
I wish Ryan was with Sarah and not stuck in his house. It made sense before because his leg was broken, but now it's just annoying.
Ok, enough with the student testimonials--it's me again. This book is really where I started to lose the majority of my class. It was just too much of "the same" from the previous two books. They still liked the videos, but were clearly ready to move on. I won't read it as a class again, but I'll have copies for the true fans to use to continue the story on their own.
Also, you're going to need book 4 again, because even though this one ends more satisfactorily than book 1, it still has a cliffhanger edge to it.
My students had strong reactions to this book, so I'll let them speak for themselves:
I love how Ryan and Sarah both have strengths and have to work together as a team.
This book is boring because all Ryan does is research stuff.
Sarah visits real haunted places! I love real ghost stories, and this made me want to see what ghosts Sarah might visit in my town!
It feels to me like the author is stretching the story. Everything we thought we knew about the Crossbones is actually fake. But that's only because the author had to change a bunch of stuff to make a new story.
I like the videos. The Sarah girl in this one is way less annoying.
Ryan's journals make me want to start a journal of my own. I never thought about drawing in mine.
I wish Ryan was with Sarah and not stuck in his house. It made sense before because his leg was broken, but now it's just annoying.
Ok, enough with the student testimonials--it's me again. This book is really where I started to lose the majority of my class. It was just too much of "the same" from the previous two books. They still liked the videos, but were clearly ready to move on. I won't read it as a class again, but I'll have copies for the true fans to use to continue the story on their own.
August 28, 2023
No puedo decir que sea un mal libro, pero lo he detestado de principio a fin. Lo acabé por resolver dudas y porque se lee rápido, pero me ha costado mucho entender lo que pasaba y el formato ha cambiado demasiado respecto a los dos primeros tomos de la saga.
En los primeros, Ryan habla a un hipotético lector en caso de que algún día encuentren sus diarios, y Sarah le habla a Ryan. Aquí los dos hablan directamente al lector, como si supieran que no van a ser los únicos en conocer la historia. Esto equivale a un empeoramiento en la narración porque se supone que esto son diarios que escribe Ryan a medida que pasan las cosas, pero con intención de crear suspense termina leyendo el futuro, lo cual es estúpido. "Lo que no sabía, es que terminaría por enfrentarme al cuervo y ver de nuevo a Joe", y todo esto sin salir de casa, un chollo. Tampoco me ha gustado que no haya vídeos de Sarah diciendo lo que le ha pasado, ahora son documentales resumen de lo que el lector ya sabe por si no estabas prestando atención.
Iba a calificarlo de dos estrellas porque sigue siendo entretenido, pero cuanto más leía menos entendía. ¿Ahora de repente las Tibias Cruzadas no son las Tibias Cruzadas? Además, he sentido que no ha sido tanto narrativo sino anecdótico. "Sarah ha hecho esto y ha encontrado la cinta" "Le he contado a mi padre estas cosas: 1, 2 y 3" (literalmente, hace listas por puntos de manera constante).
Básicamente han quitado todo lo que hacía a los dos primeros libros tan carismáticos, y me leeré el último porque para algo lo he comprado pero debería haberse quedado en una duología.
En los primeros, Ryan habla a un hipotético lector en caso de que algún día encuentren sus diarios, y Sarah le habla a Ryan. Aquí los dos hablan directamente al lector, como si supieran que no van a ser los únicos en conocer la historia. Esto equivale a un empeoramiento en la narración porque se supone que esto son diarios que escribe Ryan a medida que pasan las cosas, pero con intención de crear suspense termina leyendo el futuro, lo cual es estúpido. "Lo que no sabía, es que terminaría por enfrentarme al cuervo y ver de nuevo a Joe", y todo esto sin salir de casa, un chollo. Tampoco me ha gustado que no haya vídeos de Sarah diciendo lo que le ha pasado, ahora son documentales resumen de lo que el lector ya sabe por si no estabas prestando atención.
Iba a calificarlo de dos estrellas porque sigue siendo entretenido, pero cuanto más leía menos entendía. ¿Ahora de repente las Tibias Cruzadas no son las Tibias Cruzadas? Además, he sentido que no ha sido tanto narrativo sino anecdótico. "Sarah ha hecho esto y ha encontrado la cinta" "Le he contado a mi padre estas cosas: 1, 2 y 3" (literalmente, hace listas por puntos de manera constante).
Básicamente han quitado todo lo que hacía a los dos primeros libros tan carismáticos, y me leeré el último porque para algo lo he comprado pero debería haberse quedado en una duología.
February 23, 2017
I would give the book a 3 1/2 just for the twist of an ending, which I certainly appreciated. I like the air of mystery created with the videos. They didn't rely on jump scares, but more on the sense of dread and the fear of being caught. I thought the videos really captures those elements quite well.
My biggest issue with this book series is the main character's dialogue. The author really should try talking to actual teenagers in order to understand how they speak to one another or how they think or write. There were a few times that I rolled my eyes so hard at the journal passages because it was absurd some of the things the main character would say.
(Minor Spoiler)- My other big issue was the sudden character shift in Sarah. She went from a daring risk-taking person that uncovers the mystery to a paranoid individual that she changes her voice on the videos. Also she was a bit of a rotten friend at the beginning of the book. She left Ryan hanging because it seemed he was of no interest to her anymore. I thought that was a weird transition for her character compared to the last book. I'm going to assume the author was unable to get the same actress for the videos. I think it would have been better if they simply got a new actress to replace the original because the character's attitude change was really out of nowhere and and didn't transition too smoothly.
Overall the book was entertaining despite the hiccups. I like the mystery, the twists, and the cliffhanger and I plan to finish the series!
My biggest issue with this book series is the main character's dialogue. The author really should try talking to actual teenagers in order to understand how they speak to one another or how they think or write. There were a few times that I rolled my eyes so hard at the journal passages because it was absurd some of the things the main character would say.
(Minor Spoiler)- My other big issue was the sudden character shift in Sarah. She went from a daring risk-taking person that uncovers the mystery to a paranoid individual that she changes her voice on the videos. Also she was a bit of a rotten friend at the beginning of the book. She left Ryan hanging because it seemed he was of no interest to her anymore. I thought that was a weird transition for her character compared to the last book. I'm going to assume the author was unable to get the same actress for the videos. I think it would have been better if they simply got a new actress to replace the original because the character's attitude change was really out of nowhere and and didn't transition too smoothly.
Overall the book was entertaining despite the hiccups. I like the mystery, the twists, and the cliffhanger and I plan to finish the series!
November 11, 2016
The Crossbones by Patrick Carman is the captivating novel about the continuation of books Skeleton Creek and Ghost in the Machine. Ryan and Sarah don’t feel safe with Sarah now living in Boston and Ryan still at Skeleton Creek they seem to be drifting apart. If only there was something to bring them back together. Fortunately for them… Or should I say unfortunately for them there was something the envelope. Patrick Carman is a genius for incorporating videos into his books. Every few chapters there's a video which is usually pretty intense about things that are currently happening in the book. This makes the books more real and captivating. Making the reader want more. My main critique for this book would be the mystery. Compared to the first two books this one wasn’t as exciting until the very end. I kept on reading mainly to get answers from book two. My interest in the main plot wasn’t nearly as big as the first two books. That is until the very end when it leaves off on a huge cliff hanger making me really want to read the next book in the series which I plan on doing promptly after this. I would recommend this book because of the unique experience the book takes you through. The theme of this book would be friendship can prevail through difficult trials.
January 28, 2019
REVIEW of Skeleton Creek, The Crossbones, by Patrick Carman, published in 2010, is a mystery/horror fiction novel. In this story it can be a little obsessive because once you start, you don’t want to stop reading. The protagonists Ryan and Sarah are not allowed to talk to each other, so they have to find ways to talk to each other mainly, Ryan. This happens when his dad makes him go on a fishing trip while Sarah is at a graveyard digging a grave. And Ryan has to do this all in a creepy town called Skeleton Creek. Ryan and Sarah go on an adventure to find the treasure but have to go through obstacles like different haunted places. At the end, Ryan has to go to the library and break into the floor with a big case of some sort in the floor with a disappointing result. The librarian comes to the rescue and ends up finding the RARE BOOK of some sorts.In the book they go out and have to find the treasure, but once they start, you just want to keep reading and find out what the treasure is or even what the clue is or even what is going to happen since the ghost of old Joe Bush has returned.
My recommendation would be for no one under seventh grade because of the reading level, but it is an awesome book because of the mystery.
My recommendation would be for no one under seventh grade because of the reading level, but it is an awesome book because of the mystery.
November 4, 2019
In middle school, I probably would have loved this book a lot, especially with its short films and clips. But as an adult, this does read a bit too young, even if the concept is fun and engaging. The only reason I finished it is because it's pretty fast-paced, and the videos are creepy enough that I was engaged. However, the end result of the mystery is pretty disappointing, especially in lieu of how the first two books ended in death or murder (at least from what I can tell from the recaps; I haven’t read the previous volumes, nor do I plan to). Still, the content of the book is pretty boring. Ryan's perspective is taken up by fly-fishing and waiting for Sarah to send him the videos. It gets tedious after awhile and makes me question whether Carman had planned beyond his original premise, or if the other books in the series are just as style-over-substance as this one was.
Still, a fun time for a younger reader. Unfortunately, I missed my opportunity to enjoy them as a kid who could overlook the more lackluster elements.
2.5/5 stars
Still, a fun time for a younger reader. Unfortunately, I missed my opportunity to enjoy them as a kid who could overlook the more lackluster elements.
2.5/5 stars
August 30, 2023
8+/10.
Czas spędzony przy czytaniu: 3 godziny i 58 minut.
Nowe przygody Ryana i Sarah. Tym razem akcja nie ogranicza się do samego Skeleton Creek, a do całych Stanów Zjednoczonych, co jest ciekawą nowością. Minusem dla mnie jest to, że w filmikach zrezygnowano z wcześniejszych aktorów odgrywających główne role (być może oni sami nie chcieli dalej brać udziału w produkcjach) przez co nieco nie mogłem się aż tak utożsamić z Sarah i Ryanem. Nowe fimiki wzbogacone są jednak o postać Apostoła (którego poznaliśmy w poprzedniej części), co wychodzi bardzo na plus. Sama książka jest podobnych rozmiarów co wcześniejsze, a przygody są tak samo ciekawe. Świetna pozycja dla nastoletniej młodzieży. Idealna także do nauki angielskiego. Wszystkie nieznane mi słowa spisywałem do zeszytu i tłumaczyłem w słowniku. Trochę tego było. :)
Czas spędzony przy czytaniu: 3 godziny i 58 minut.
Nowe przygody Ryana i Sarah. Tym razem akcja nie ogranicza się do samego Skeleton Creek, a do całych Stanów Zjednoczonych, co jest ciekawą nowością. Minusem dla mnie jest to, że w filmikach zrezygnowano z wcześniejszych aktorów odgrywających główne role (być może oni sami nie chcieli dalej brać udziału w produkcjach) przez co nieco nie mogłem się aż tak utożsamić z Sarah i Ryanem. Nowe fimiki wzbogacone są jednak o postać Apostoła (którego poznaliśmy w poprzedniej części), co wychodzi bardzo na plus. Sama książka jest podobnych rozmiarów co wcześniejsze, a przygody są tak samo ciekawe. Świetna pozycja dla nastoletniej młodzieży. Idealna także do nauki angielskiego. Wszystkie nieznane mi słowa spisywałem do zeszytu i tłumaczyłem w słowniku. Trochę tego było. :)
April 4, 2024
It was really fun picking this series back up after reading the first half of it in elementary school. Very light read, which was great. It got me jazzed up about reading more seriously in my free time, especially since I whizzed through this book in 3 days.
The videos were as cool as I remember, and this book had . The plot was a bit frustrating in terms of what the main character could do, but I appreciated the author changing things up for book 3.
There were inconsistencies between what the videos showed and what was mentioned in the book. I respected the effort that must have gone into producing everything though, and I was able to get over the confusion and just let the story play out. Loved the illustrations, emails, and other media that were "printed, cut, and taped" into the book.
The videos were as cool as I remember, and this book had . The plot was a bit frustrating in terms of what the main character could do, but I appreciated the author changing things up for book 3.
There were inconsistencies between what the videos showed and what was mentioned in the book. I respected the effort that must have gone into producing everything though, and I was able to get over the confusion and just let the story play out. Loved the illustrations, emails, and other media that were "printed, cut, and taped" into the book.
March 11, 2019
If your interested in a book about two teenagers going on a trip several miles away from their home this story is about Sarah and Ryan. Strange things happen in Skeleton Creek and when they do, Ryan writes them down and Sarah captures them on video. Ryan and Sarah are kind of town heroes for having discovered what was going on at the old Dredge. Also, everyone is now richer for the gold they found beneath the floorboards of the ghostly building. Ryan unfortunately is still waiting for his riches as it’s all been put in a trust until he turns 18. The worst part is that Sarah’s family has moved to Boston. One little thing to still consider is the envelope. Ryan took the envelope from beneath the floorboards of the Dredge. He didn’t actually mean to keep it but slipped it into his pocket, stuck it in a drawer and forgot about it until now. That envelope has some valuable information from “old Joe Bush". When he opens it there is a message in the form of a two sided card, a hand-drawn kind of map, and obviously filled with clues to solve.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2017
This book was something that could give you a chill up your spine. This is a book that was fantastic and I give it a big thumbs up. I loved this book and I'm sure most people will love it to because this is a book that I can't define in real words. I loved this book mostly because of the mystery and all of the big cliffhanger. You might say that you hate cliffhangers, but you really love them. This is a book that I rate for mostly sixth graders. So what I is that people should read the series because this book had phenomenal work and I'm sure that the other books will have it to.
October 31, 2020
Je ne possède que les 3 premiers tomes.
Le 1er était long, deux adolescents s'amusant à avoir/se faire peur.
Le deuxième , vraiment plus intéressant avec une quête aboutie, comme une chasse aux Trésors..
Le Troisième tome avec le charme du deuxième était plus énigmatique, avec une portée sur l'Histoire.
J'ai aimé ce jeu de piste, les découvertes sur l'histoire des États-Unis, le support journal/vidéo assez ludique. Mais je regrette que le 5ème tome de la série n'ait pas été traduite.
⚠ Les livres se trouvent uniquement en occasion et sur le 5 Tomes, seulement 4 ont été traduit.
Le 1er était long, deux adolescents s'amusant à avoir/se faire peur.
Le deuxième , vraiment plus intéressant avec une quête aboutie, comme une chasse aux Trésors..
Le Troisième tome avec le charme du deuxième était plus énigmatique, avec une portée sur l'Histoire.
J'ai aimé ce jeu de piste, les découvertes sur l'histoire des États-Unis, le support journal/vidéo assez ludique. Mais je regrette que le 5ème tome de la série n'ait pas été traduite.
⚠ Les livres se trouvent uniquement en occasion et sur le 5 Tomes, seulement 4 ont été traduit.
October 7, 2021
This was a fun read, a nice breather from War and Peace and a great introduction to October and another season of spooky reads.
The Crossbones is a juvenile book that I picked up from a little free library because the cover grabbed me. It reminds me of National Treasure or The Da Vinci Code because these 2 kids are trying to solve a mystery. The best thing about this book was the online component. There's an option to visit a website, input a password, and watch videos that tie into the mystery. I thought it was a cool thing.
The Crossbones is a juvenile book that I picked up from a little free library because the cover grabbed me. It reminds me of National Treasure or The Da Vinci Code because these 2 kids are trying to solve a mystery. The best thing about this book was the online component. There's an option to visit a website, input a password, and watch videos that tie into the mystery. I thought it was a cool thing.
November 18, 2022
Skeleton Creek 3 : Le Crâne de Patrick Carman.
Depuis quelques années, nous faisons un projet de lecture et d'écriture avec les élèves et les deux premiers tomes de cette série. J'ai decidé de poursuivre cette saga avec le livre 3. Ce roman est sous la forme d'un journal intime. Nous retrouvons le personnage de Ryan et de son amie Sarah qui continuent leur enquête en lien avec la drague et le fantôme de Joe Bush. Cette fois ci, ils suivront les indices qui les mèneront dans des lieux hantés aux quatre coins des États-Unis. Ils tenteront de trouver ce que la société du Crâne cache.
Ce roman est très intéressant pour les jeunes surtout avec la possibilité de visionner les vidéos fait par Sarah lors des enquêtes. Le élèves ont la chance de voir en image certains bouts de l'enquête. Ces romans se lisent bien et c'est idéal pour en faire la lecture aux élèves.
Depuis quelques années, nous faisons un projet de lecture et d'écriture avec les élèves et les deux premiers tomes de cette série. J'ai decidé de poursuivre cette saga avec le livre 3. Ce roman est sous la forme d'un journal intime. Nous retrouvons le personnage de Ryan et de son amie Sarah qui continuent leur enquête en lien avec la drague et le fantôme de Joe Bush. Cette fois ci, ils suivront les indices qui les mèneront dans des lieux hantés aux quatre coins des États-Unis. Ils tenteront de trouver ce que la société du Crâne cache.
Ce roman est très intéressant pour les jeunes surtout avec la possibilité de visionner les vidéos fait par Sarah lors des enquêtes. Le élèves ont la chance de voir en image certains bouts de l'enquête. Ces romans se lisent bien et c'est idéal pour en faire la lecture aux élèves.
October 16, 2024
Despite some drop in quality of the adjoining videos, this book still grabbed me and wouldn't let go until it was done. It's crazy how much research went into this book in particular. The story was short and sweet, definitely a small part of the final arc of the series. This secret society is super interesting and unique, can't wait to learn more.
The videos have gotten a little hooky, but I don't mind it too much because the change in quality is sort of explained in the story. Excited to read the final two books in time for Halloween!
The videos have gotten a little hooky, but I don't mind it too much because the change in quality is sort of explained in the story. Excited to read the final two books in time for Halloween!
November 14, 2016
Skeleton Creek, book 3.
Ryan and Sarah have discovered another Crossbones mystery, this one involving haunted places around the United States. Conveniently, Sarah is able to arrange a road trip to visit all but one and Ryan is left at home, biting his nails, until he gets his own taste of adventure.
The story is tied up fairly neatly at the end, but leaves a hint to more adventures still to come. I can see middle grade readers enjoying this series.
Ryan and Sarah have discovered another Crossbones mystery, this one involving haunted places around the United States. Conveniently, Sarah is able to arrange a road trip to visit all but one and Ryan is left at home, biting his nails, until he gets his own taste of adventure.
The story is tied up fairly neatly at the end, but leaves a hint to more adventures still to come. I can see middle grade readers enjoying this series.
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