Lucinda's Secret

By Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the international bestselling Spiderwick Chronicles and get ready for the series soon to be streaming on Disney+ with the third installment in the adventures of the Grace children. 

Things at the Spiderwick estate are out of control. As if being attacked by goblins and a bridge troll weren’t enough, Jared is now being targeted by the house boggart, Thimbletack. Simon is keeping an injured and very hungry griffin hidden in the carriage house. And Mallory is convinced the only way to get things back to normal is to get rid of the Guide – but that doesn’t seem to be an option. 

With more creatures from Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You popping up, the Guide seems to be the only protection the Grace kids have. But why do the faeries want it so badly? There’s only one person to go to for answers – their fragile and confused Aunt Lucinda. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Sep 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781471121432

Holly Black

Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of speculative and fantasy novels, short stories, and comics. She has been a finalist for an Eisner and a Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic and Nebula Awards and a Newbery Honor. She has sold over twenty-six million books worldwide, and her work has been translated into over thirty languages and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library. Visit her at BlackHolly.com.

Reviews for Lucinda's Secret

[angelarenea-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I felt like I flew through this boo. I t really kept the quality of the series up whild maintainint it's own plot. I liked meeting the children's Aunt Lucinda.

[leslitgs · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In this, the third and middle of the series, the kids begin to try to put things together a little more completely. Mallory says to give them the book back because Thimbletack--the house brownie--is wreaking havoc for their intrusions. Jared has, however, grown attached to the book and this new world. He refuses, citing that they don't even know why or who would want it, specifically. They must search for their answers, first by visiting Aunt Lucinda and then by following a map they discover in Arthur Spiderwick's secret library. But Jared is worried. He grows increasingly uncertain of whether or not he wants the answers he is likely to recieve.... Again, I've already talked end on end about the writing in these books...I still don't have much to add, though it is beginning to bother me that they are sold as separate books. Yes, they can stand alone--to a point--but this is ridiculous. They're all published 2003, at least the first three are, and that puts this largely up to a marketing ploy. I am saddened. Especially since they could have had multiple books to sell with the guide published separately. Or something.

[wanderlustlover_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

These three are short, but they were so woven to be one story, that I'm giving them only one review. They are beyond adorable. I adore them and I want to have them for my kids.

And I love how all the races are done, the words in each of them, and how they connect. And the art! How can I not tell you about the art! Half of the fun of moving on through any of the stories is the art that's everywhere, brightening everything.

I love Mallory, Jared and Simon in their own ways, and I love how completely un-cliche they each are really. I'm looking forward to getting the rest of Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles one day too!

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The three Grace siblings, who discovered their great-great uncle's field guide to faeries in the first volume of The Spiderwick Chronicles, and confronted kidnapping goblins in the second, are faced with less-than benevolent elves in this third installment of the series. When Mallory suggests that they should rid themselves of the field guide because possessing it will involve them in too much danger, Jared is almost beside himself with anger and fear. He convinces Mallory and Simon to join him in asking the advice of the only other person who understands the significance of the field guide: their great-aunt Lucinda, daughter of the guide's creator, Arthur Spiderwick. But their visit to the psychiatric institution where Aunt Lucy now lives brings its own questions, and new heartache. Did Arthur Spiderwick really abandon his family, as Aunt Lucy believes? Or did something else, something mysterious and magical, happen to him? The children set out to discover the truth when they find one of his old maps, climbing into the hills near the Spiderwick Estate. Here they encounter three majestic elves, led by the stately Lorengorm, and discover that there are good reasons that the creatures of the woods - including a beautiful unicorn - don't trust humans...Every bit as engaging a book as its predecessors, Lucinda's Secret continues to build on the story of the Grace children, as already set out in the earlier volumes. Although aimed at younger children who are just getting going with longer chapter-book fiction - we shelve it in the '7-9 Fiction' section in the bookstore where I work - there is an intelligence and complexity to this series that sets it apart from some of the other books available for this age-group, and makes it an engaging selection for readers of all ages. I myself found this third installment of the series the best so far, as it drew in a number of back-stories - Aunt Lucinda's knowledge of and interactions with faery, and how this translated into madness, in the eyes of those around her; Jared's feelings of abandonment, and the parallels he draws between his own absent father and Arthur Spiderwick - and connected them in emotionally resonant ways. It's impressive that Holly Black manages to tell so captivating a story - both as a family drama and as a fantastic journey of discovery - in such a brief text. The artwork by Tony DiTerlizzi - like the other volumes, there is a color frontispiece, and then profuse black and white illustrations throughout - is absolutely gorgeous, capturing the appeal, whether domestic or fey, of all the people and creatures depicted, and adding greatly to the pleasures of reading and perusal.All in all, a strong third entry in a five-volume work of fantasy that is really meant to be read as one story, rather than as a series with discrete individual entries. Recommended to anyone who has read the first two titles in The Spiderwick Chronicles

[carebear36 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The third book is a nice continuation of the Spiderwick series. In this book, the plot really starts moving and the Grace children uncover some very important clues.The one thing I didn't like in this book was the chapter dedicated to the children visiting Lucinda in the hospital/asylum. The descriptions of residents in the hospital were a little dehumanizing by only focusing on their 'madness'. It seemed like a cheap attempt at making the whole situation seem scary, when really the residents are just people and should be viewed as such. Even the fact that Jared still views Lucinda as 'not sane' is a little irksome given that he knows everything she believes is actually true. I don't like that there is a character who is considered 'crazy' for the purpose of the plot (especially since we know she's right). This is especially problematic given that the terms 'mad' and 'crazy' are thrown about in such a flippant manner that it seems normalized and excusable. Given that this is a children's book written in the 21st century, I think there are more appropriate ways to incorporate mental health into literature. This is still a good work, but I wish the language had been chosen with a little more care. Besides that, this is a very good installment. I cannot wait to finish the series.

[arkhamreviews · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As with the previous instalments, this book is simply beautiful. It is presented so nicely and contains gorgeous illustrations and so looks great as part of any fantasy collection, for adults or children.While I am still really enjoying this series, I did think that this was the weakest story so far. It started well but just seemed to peter out towards the end, concluding in a very abrupt and somewhat dull climax. Yet it did start to broaden the story, revealing a little more about Arthur and Lucinda Spiderwick and introduce the key fey who are intent on taking the book.I also like the fact that the authors are starting to use some more unusual fey. The books to date have introduced Goblins, Brownies, Griffins and Trolls - all of which are heavily used in fantasy fiction. The use of a phouka in this one was rather cool. He was an entertaining character and a bit more unusual than the others that have appeared so far. I hope we see him again.The kids are still the highlight of the book - still showing their individuality but starting to come together in their desire to use the book to help Arthur. I'm really looking forward to what comes next as I'm dying to know how this series is going to conclude.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What a horrible family. Not a single decent role model in the book. The story line is a bit stale and cliched; I didn't care for these books at all.

[toxicmasquerade · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Close to finishing the series. This one is probably my favorite so far. They get to meet their Aunt Lucy. They also get to ask her about the book. There are a couple more creatures to meet. I like the Elfs and Phooka. The Phooka reminds me of the Caterpillar from 'Alice in Wonderland'. He speaks in riddles. The series is getting better the closer it gets to the end. More things happen and it makes it more interesting.

[nmhale_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the third in a five part series, and the plot of the series as a whole takes some interesting turns in this segment. Having escaped an actual attack by the fairy world, goblins to be precise, the Grace children decide they need more answers. They visit Aunt Lucinda, residing in a mental institution, since she was Arthur's daughter, and they learn that her insanity consists of believing that little fairies feed her forbidden fruit. After what they've experienced, the Grace children know that she may not be as crazy as other people think.Although she can only offer them warnings, the meeting does resolve the children to try and take back the field guide, using the map Arthur Spiderwick drew of the fairy dwellings surrounding their homes. This attempt leads them to make a shocking discovery about what actually happened to some of their relatives in the past. The series continues to keep me engrossed. I love the story - imagine discovering a field guide that is all about fairies, instead of birds or trees! I love the illustrations, which are black and white but so finely detailed and exquisite, they fully capture the exotic world of faerie and the mundane world of reality, and bring to life the distinctive characteristics of each sibling. I love the series as a whole, how Black reveals a little more of the whole picture as the novels progress, while still managing to encapsulate one complete adventure in every book. Black continues to blend the fantastical developments with character growth - we not only meet new creatures, we see the children still struggling to accept their parent's divorce, and the issues each child has faced personally in response to that trauma. It is a beautiful blending of reality and fantasy. My only criticism is that I wish there were more books, because I love this series so much.

[drebbles · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There's been nothing but trouble for the Grace children (Jared, Simon, and Mallory) since they found the book "Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You". More than one monster wants the Guide and Simon and Mallory are eager to destroy it, but Jared isn't so sure that's a good idea, so they go to their Great Aunt Lucinda to see what she can tell them about the Guide. Lucinda will tell them some of her secrets and they will discover even more as they try to solve the mystery of the Field Guide. "Lucinda's Secret" is the third book (of five) in "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and picks up where the first two The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles) and The Seeing Stone (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 2) left off. Authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black have already filled the books with magical creatures such as goblins, griffins, trolls, and boggarts and add even more in this book - fairies, elves, ogres, a unicorn, and more. Not all of these characters are benevolent and there is a delicious underlying sense of danger throughout the book and series. Some of the best creatures in this book include the unicorn, the shape shifting and cryptic speaking Phooka, the fairies, and the elves. The three children continue to grow as characters throughout the series, especially Jared who is maturing as the adventures continue. The addition of Lucinda in the book adds much to the story as she can explain at least some of what is going on, although her character isn't in the book nearly enough. Since "Lucinda's Secret" is the third book in the series, it sometimes feels a bit like filler with only a little plot development. Still, it is a charming book in a charming series.

[burningtodd · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good. But not as good as the first 2 in the series. This is definitely a middle book and has the issues of a middle book. However, it is a good story and the authors are talented. In this book, the Grace children set out to discover what happened to their great uncle Arthur. They discover that he has been captured by elves and they almost become prisoners themselves, only to escape by their wits. I continue to look forward to the next in the series.

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story keeps progressing at breakneck speed! The book is too short and too plot driven to give a synapses without giving away any spoilers. I have to say that each book gets better and better. More secrets about Arthur and Lucinda Spiderwick are revealed and mention is made of the evil Mulgarath. These are perfect read aloud books and the 7yo is clamouring for more, as am I.

[brandie_14 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My children LOVED this book. (as with the first two).I wish we owned it and didn't have to return it to the library.

[cleverusername2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My only complaint about this series is they end too quickly; but this is common for early reader-type books, and keeps you interested in what is happening in the next installment. Ms. Black has an innate understanding of fairy tales and knows how to portray the fae quite well. The Grace siblings' encounter with elves was riveting, as was the trick they played to earn Jared's freedom. I suspect their next encoutner with the sidhe will not go well.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Book 3 in the series and the children are finding that the Boggard/Brownie Thimbletack is still annoyed at them, they go to visit their Aunt Lucinda in the asylum and find that she's being sustained by fairy food. The book goes missing and they have to try to find out more about what's going on and why all of fairy want the book.A fun read that's really not taxing. The illustrations are amazing and in some cases hilarious. A series that adults will find depth in and children will enjoy.

[heidialice · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Mallory, Jared and Simon have lost their great-uncle’s Guide to Faerie and must outsmart elves and talk with their great-aunt to figure out what happened to their great-uncle.An interesting continuation to the series, same complaint that each installment is too short and not really whole in and of itself. I’m still having trouble getting the personalities of the characters, and it’s just about over.