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The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown will be loved as much as it did by fans of Angles and Demons, Deception Point, The Lost Symbol, and countless others written by Dan Brown. Personally, I think Brown's detailed fictional novel is unpredictable in a pleasing way and includes so much history and conspiracies that you'll find yourself getting caught up in the action, mystery, puzzles and codes, and drama involved. I would recommend this book to those who love thrillers and action mixed with plenty of interesting facts and history. The genius of the book is difficult to comprehend in some parts and has challenging vocabulary but that contributes to the overall, fast paced writing style. Through I had no idea what many things the characters talked about, Dan Brown did an amazing job at breaking it down for a wide variety of ages to read. The main character, Professor Robert Langdon, is caught up in another hot spot. Giving a lecture in Paris, he receives a late night phone call informing him of the death of the curator of the Louvre Museum with a cipher found near the body. Proceeding to the crime scene, Langdon is questioned to see if he can decipher the code when he meets Sophie Neveu, the curator's granddaughter and one of team working on the code. Little does Langdon know that he's the major suspect on the case and Sophie helps him escape his name that was written near the body was to help them and not the name of the criminal. The two set off together and try to find the mysteries of Sophie's grandfather and his connection with a secret society who once included Da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, and many others. Now only being chased by the police, Langdon and Sophie try to find the curators real killer who seems to be looking for them as well in order to get a key he believes Sophie has. Full of artistic conspiracies and finding out more about the secret society, this book is amazing starting off with a murder and ending with a ending that'll blow your mind.

-Reviewed by Nikki, grade 8.
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Teen Speak said…
The Da Vinci Code is a mystery-detective thriller novel written by Dan Brown and this bestseller has become an international buzz and a controversy ever since its release. The story follows Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu after a murder of an infamous curator in Paris. Hints and messages are left behind in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci and other great minds of the Renaissance. Thus the race begins as the church, Opus Dei, Priory of Sion, and the Holy Grail are all tangled together in this great brouhaha.

After reading The Da Vinci Code I now understand why it received so much attention and even became a controversy across the nation and even globally. Dan Brown’s way of telling a story is absolutely magnificent and so vivid that without a doubt the book was very hard to put down. The story itself is cleverly crafted and the suspense was astonishingly realistic. I enjoyed every single part of this book and I would definitely recommend it to everyone, especially those who are craving a beautifully vivid suspense novel.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 12
Glendale Central Library
October 16, 2016 at 2:58 PM
Teen Speak said…
One night, Catholic monk Silas murders the curator of the Louvre museum, Jacques Sauniere, who was the grand-master of the Priory of Scion, in the hopes of attaining the key to the location of the Holy Grail. Sauniere’s body is discovered in a pose exactly like that of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. Sauniere left a very cryptic message at the scene, so Director of the Direction Centrale de la Police Judiciare (DCPJ), Bezu Fache, summons Robert Langdon, professor of symbology at Harvard University. Sophie Neveu, a cryptographer for the DCPJ, explains to Langdon that Sauniere was her grandfather, and that Fache thinks he is the murderer. She tells him that Sauniere also left the message of “P.S. find Robert Langdon,” but Fache erased it prior to Langdon’s arrival. However, the message was not intended for the police, rather for Sophie, who her grandfather used to call Princess Sophie, thus the abbreviation “P.S.” Langdon, now working alongside Sophie, is able to decipher Sauniere’s message, which leads them to flee from the police and escape to a safe at the Paris division of the Depository Bank of Zurich. Here, they attain a cryptex, a cylindrical vault with that can be opened by rotating its parts into the correct order. The cryptex can only be opened with its combination. Any forceful entry results in the destruction of the papyrus, which contains Sauniere’s message. Langdon and Sophie go to Sir Leigh Teabing, Langdon’s friend and expert on the history of the Holy Grail. They find that Sauniere's riddles will all lead to the final location of the Holy Grail, which is not a cup, but rather Mary Magdalene's tomb. Together, they all flee the country to England, hoping to find the remains of the Holy Grail.

I enjoyed reading “The Da Vinci Code” because of what an action packed read it was and how easy everything was to understand. I believe that Dan Brown created this novel with the goal of constantly having something happening in the plot, whether major or of only somewhat importance. This may make it seem like Brown bounces from one aspect of the plot to another, but he always maintains the overall conflict and goal of solving Sauniere’s riddle while having the DCPJ, and later Interpol, chasing them at the top of the c character's priorities. He simply adds smaller objectives that flow very well with each other and lead to the climax of the story and the resolution of the conflict. Another aspect of the story that makes it a very enjoyable read is that even though this is Brown’s second book to feature Robert Langdon, he still makes it easy to follow the story and feel contextualized. This book followed his previous Langdon novel, Angels and Demons, yet the story was separated and was completely new, allowing anyone to pick up the book and not feel like they were constantly missing details. Overall, the novel is an amazing read for those who like historical mysteries.

Reviewed by Markus Leonardo, Grade 9
Chevy Chase Library
April 25, 2020 at 4:19 PM
Melissa said…
This book is a mystery/action meant for adults and is all about finding the holy grail, a lost artifact that people have been trying to find for centuries. Robert Langdon, the story’s protagonist and a professor of symbiology, was asked to come and look at a body in the Louvre with strange markings on and around the body. He was not called for his expertise however he was called since he was a suspect. Sophie Neveu the grandchild of the body on the ground an agent tells Langdon that he's being tracked, takes the tracker and throws it out the window onto a moving truck causing the police to think he's running away allowing the two to exist agate the crime scene alone. Now on the run from the police he uncovers clues and secrets in order to find the grandfather's secret.

This book is a great page turner that I have read multiple times since it's so good. there is always pondering and incredibly interesting. I would recommend this to adults since it is an advanced read and has some profanity and violence that may not be suitable to younger readers. This book is very well made and even though its fiction has many real world mentions and facts. The book is filled with action and after all the adventure the characters go through you really start to love them.

Reviewed by Emil, Grade 9
Glendale Central Library
May 10, 2022 at 6:53 PM
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