This book disappeared off my classroom library shelf last year. I tell my students that the book is really boring until about chapter 13 (really it's closer to 17, but anything to keep them reading), then it gets really edge of your seat exciting. Then I watch. It generally takes them 1 week to read the 1st book then 1 week to read the next 5. Some will even read the next series "Kidnapped" that continues the story one year later.