I skipped March's book for The Monster Goddess Book Club, but I came back for April. The Monster Goddess Book Club is run by Tash at The Bookie Monsters and The Book Goddess.

April Review: Read a childhood classic/favorite

I don't remember exactly how old I was when I first read Nancy Drew and The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene, but I certainly enjoyed it enough to read as many books from the series I could get my hands on while I was growing up. While this book will always hold a special place in my heart for shaping me as a reader when I was a child, reading it again now as an adult, my perspective of the book has changed considerably. 

Perhaps the biggest shift in how I viewed the book as a child versus as an adult resides with the main character Nancy. It was interesting to read the book as an adult because I now realize what a privileged life Nancy leads. She doesn't really have any problems. She just stumbles across a mystery and decides to solve it. In my opinion, her character would need a serious update in order to be successful amongst the modern YA heroines of today. 

Overall, I'm glad I chose to reread the first Nancy Drew book because it highlights how important it is for writers to make their characters struggle. If everything falls into the character's lap, it's less interesting. I will definitely keep this in mind as I write my own books.