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x_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
Fabulous! I loved the Egyptian background details. It was a delight to read and left me craving a cup of tea.
jillelice's review against another edition
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
cathybruce208's review against another edition
3.0
This was a cute story about a resourceful 11-year-old girl named Theodosia who more or less lives in a British Museum around 1905. Her shockingly neglectful parents are Egyptologists, her father runs the museum and her mother combs Egyptian tombs for artifacts. Theodosia can see and sense magic, which is a good thing, since most of the artifacts that her mother brings back are cursed. Theo identifies the cursed items and attempts to "cure" them. Naturally, her parents and the other adults at the museum are oblivious to her efforts. Then her mother comes home with a prize find: the Heart of Egypt. Of course it's cursed. And of course it disappears. Theo must figure out what happened to the Heart, break the curse, and save Britain!
Considering that this is a kid's book, I won't grade it too hard on the prose. It's well written, though Theo seems a little too modern in her speech and actions. I would also like to have seen more description, but my memories of spooky museums from the movies filled in nicely. (I was thinking of the museum scene in "Hellboy" or the three "Mummy" movies with Rachel Weiss and Brendan Frasier.) The two things that bothered me were 1)Theo's parents constant neglect and 2)the idea that Wigmere would task our heroine with returning the Heart of Egypt to the tomb, by herself with no aid. Really? That plot point was so ridiculous that I expected him to be a double-agent or something. But no, the fate of Britain was left to an 11-year-old who has to convince her parents to return to Egypt, stow away on the ship, find her way to the tomb, and dodge German bad guys, all on her own. Good plan, guys. Maybe Theo should've joined the Serpents of Chaos. At least they seemed better staffed.
Oh well. I think kids will like this book. It's a fun idea.
Considering that this is a kid's book, I won't grade it too hard on the prose. It's well written, though Theo seems a little too modern in her speech and actions. I would also like to have seen more description, but my memories of spooky museums from the movies filled in nicely. (I was thinking of the museum scene in "Hellboy" or the three "Mummy" movies with Rachel Weiss and Brendan Frasier.) The two things that bothered me were 1)Theo's parents constant neglect and 2)the idea that Wigmere would task our heroine with returning the Heart of Egypt to the tomb, by herself with no aid. Really? That plot point was so ridiculous that I expected him to be a double-agent or something. But no, the fate of Britain was left to an 11-year-old who has to convince her parents to return to Egypt, stow away on the ship, find her way to the tomb, and dodge German bad guys, all on her own. Good plan, guys. Maybe Theo should've joined the Serpents of Chaos. At least they seemed better staffed.
Oh well. I think kids will like this book. It's a fun idea.
septembrea's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. A quick, fun read (though there was a bit of gross fetishization of the other).
michellehenriereads's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book and the voice used for Theo, recognizing that most children want to be more intelligent than their parents (and as they become teenagers are certain that they are the only reasonable and intelligent people on the face of the planet). I also loved the introduction to Egyptian mythology, there are some unusual words for the young reader to learn.
I would highly recommend this book for children who like mystery and adventure.
To read the full review go to http://talesuntangled.wordpress.com
I would highly recommend this book for children who like mystery and adventure.
To read the full review go to http://talesuntangled.wordpress.com
gyoung121's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
inkstndfngrs's review against another edition
4.0
A likeable main character who fancies herself an expert in Egyptian mystics and more. She reminded me a little bit of Flavia deLuce, ala-Alan Bradley (replace poisons with curses...). Very good, fluid story. Looking forward to more.
hkg27's review against another edition
4.0
This book was great fun. The ending especially had me on the edge of my seat. I loved Theodosia and her quiet resolve to save the day. I connected with her a lot and I know that if I had read this as a kid I would've connected with her even more. I will be continuing this series!