If You're Reading This, It's Too Late (novel) facts for kids
First edition (US)
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| Author | Pseudonymous Bosch |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Secret Series |
| Genre | Mystery / Adventure |
| Publisher | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
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Publication date
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2008 |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 385 |
| ISBN | 0-7460-9740-9 |
| Preceded by | The Name of This Book is Secret |
| Followed by | This Book Is Not Good for You |
If You're Reading This, It's Too Late is an exciting mystery and adventure novel. It is the second book in The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch. This book continues the story of Cass and Max-Ernest, who first appeared in The Name of this Book is Secret. It was released in October 2008 and takes readers on another thrilling journey.
Contents
The Secret Adventure Continues
This book dives deeper into the world of secret societies. For 500 years, a group called the Midnight Sun has been waiting. They want to find a special man-made person, known as the homunculus. Now, the sneaky Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais are trying to force Cass and Max-Ernest to reveal where this person is.
A Tricky Trap
Cass and Max-Ernest go on a trip with their science teacher. They get a note from someone named Pietro, asking them to meet on a ship. But it's a trick by Dr. L! Our heroes barely escape the ship. They soon learn their teacher is actually Owen, a member of the good Terces Society. Owen can change his accent easily.
A New Mission
Owen introduces Cass and Max-Ernest to Pietro, a great magician. Pietro gives them a very important mission. They must find the homunculus before the Midnight Sun does. Max-Ernest also discovers a cool secret: 'Terces' is "secret" spelled backwards! When Cass gets home, she is grounded for being gone too long.
Mysterious Discoveries
While on the Midnight Sun's ship, Cass finds a strange ball. It's called a sound prism. If she holds it to her ear, she can hear all kinds of sounds. When she throws it carefully, it makes beautiful music. Cass also finds a birth certificate. The name on it is unfamiliar, making her wonder if she is the right person the Terces Society wants. She tries to ignore this feeling and focus on her mission. Later, Cass learns she was adopted and arrived at her grandparents' house in a box.
Teaming Up for the Quest
Cass and Max-Ernest team up with a new classmate named Yoji, who likes to be called Yo-Yoji. Together, they need to escape their parents' watch. Their goal is to find the grave of an ancient alchemist. Cass convinces her grandparents to take her, Max-Ernest, and Yo-Yoji camping. This camping trip is actually a secret mission to find the homunculus.
The Homunculus and the Sound Prism
They find the homunculus, who they call Mr. Cabbage Face. They take him back to the Terces Society. But he runs away because he doesn't like their food! Meanwhile, a girl named Amber meets the Skelton Sisters. These sisters work with the Midnight Sun. They ask Amber to help them.
Later that night, Amber hides in Cass's bushes. Cass hears noises and goes outside. She plays the Sound Prism, thinking it's Mr. Cabbage Face. Amber records the song from the sound prism. This song attracts the homunculus. Amber gives the recording to the Skelton Sisters. They play it at a concert, which traps both the homunculus and Cass.
The Final Battle
Cass and Mr. Cabbage Face end up near Whisper Lake, where they went camping. The Midnight Sun brought them there. This is where Lord Pharaoh, the man who created Mr. Cabbage Face, is buried. His grave holds all his alchemist tools. Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais want these tools to become immortal.
The Midnight Sun and Terces Society members begin to fight. Max-Ernest and Yo-Yoji are on a mountain with the Sound Prism and a whip. Their plan is to create a sonic boom. This will cause an avalanche and seal the coffin in the ground. A huge boulder falls from the mountain because of the sonic boom.
A Heroic Sacrifice
Cass and Mr. Cabbage Face are now free. They try to push the coffin back into the grave. Mr. Cabbage Face screams for Cass to get out of the way. The boulder is heading right for her! He pushes her to safety. Sadly, Mr. Cabbage Face gets crushed into the ground with the coffin. The homunculus dies and is sealed forever with his maker.
The Midnight Sun members scatter. Dr. L even has a surprisingly nice chat with his brother, who is also an old friend. At the end of the adventure, Max-Ernest, Cass, and Yo-Yoji take the Oath of Terces. This oath was created by the Jester, who was the homunculus's only friend 500 years ago. The Jester turns out to be Cass's very, very, very, very, very, very, very great-grandfather!
