cxdiggy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kristinasshelves's review against another edition
5.0
Anything published by Rick Riordan's imprint catches my attention and this certainly lived up to my high expectations! Sikander Aziz works in his family's deli and has an average life for a New Yorker, until he is met with demons from Mesopotamian mythology one night. He quickly finds himself immersed in the world of goddesses, ancient heroes, a plauge and a battle for good and evil. Sikander is also dealing with the loss of his older brother, who frequently travelled to Iraq to retain a sense of their culture and homeland.
Chadda deals with the themes of this story in a very approachable way, while still staying true to the culture being represented by Sikander and his family. Arabic phrases are used by the characters frequently, with an included glossary. I appreciate that there was mention of xenophobia and stereotyping, which were both handled well for the target audience. The introduction written by Riordan and the acknowledgments section both serve to highlight that this book was authored prior to the 2020 pandemic, but editing was certainly done to make subtle references to current events.
I enjoyed learning about Mesopotamia's early civilization back in middle school, but was never exposed to the mythology of this time. I wish that were the case, as there had been no shortage about information about Greek and Roman mythology, even outside of Latin courses. Prior to reading this, I was familiar with The Epic of Gilgamesh in name only, but will now certainly add it to my list of must read books. I'll also be on the lookout for more books from this author. Unfortunately, this seems to be a stand alone within the Riordan universe, and although it is ended nicely and more is not needed, I would gladly read a companion novel or sequel.
Chadda deals with the themes of this story in a very approachable way, while still staying true to the culture being represented by Sikander and his family. Arabic phrases are used by the characters frequently, with an included glossary. I appreciate that there was mention of xenophobia and stereotyping, which were both handled well for the target audience. The introduction written by Riordan and the acknowledgments section both serve to highlight that this book was authored prior to the 2020 pandemic, but editing was certainly done to make subtle references to current events.
I enjoyed learning about Mesopotamia's early civilization back in middle school, but was never exposed to the mythology of this time. I wish that were the case, as there had been no shortage about information about Greek and Roman mythology, even outside of Latin courses. Prior to reading this, I was familiar with The Epic of Gilgamesh in name only, but will now certainly add it to my list of must read books. I'll also be on the lookout for more books from this author. Unfortunately, this seems to be a stand alone within the Riordan universe, and although it is ended nicely and more is not needed, I would gladly read a companion novel or sequel.
toloveisdestroy's review against another edition
4.0
Growing up, I adored the Percy Jackson novels, and this book delivered the same feelings I had back then as a young pre-teen. I was inquired to read this novel by my coworker who works in kids books, and I can truly express this is a great novel! I loved the realism the book brought, such as not being afraid to comment on how many Arabs/Muslims are type-casted in Hollywood. ~~ While I know the plague part might seem a bit concerning with everything happening right now, the description of the plague is very different from Covid. I found this to be a bit comforting. The plague is a pivotal point of the plot, however there is very little interaction with actually infected citizens, so I believe that children could read this novel without any issues. If inquired about any concerns, my only comment would be regarding the train scenes and watching one’s kids around railroad tracks. ~~ Overall, I highly suggest this book as it is a spectacular read filled with diversity and enjoyment!
bookbragger's review against another edition
5.0
City of the Plague God is a roller coaster of a read with lots of emotional moments as well as heart felt ones. 13-year-old Sikander helps run his parents’ deli after school and on weekends. Ever since his brother Mo died in a motorbike accident he’s been grieving from his loss. One night whilst locking up Sik hears a noise and goes to investigate, soon he finds himself face to face with Sidana and Idiptu who claim to be demons from Kurnugi and are intent on finding a treasure their boss claims Sik’s brother Mo stole on a trip to Iraq. Sik has no idea what they’re talking about and refuses to give them any treasure whatsoever, all this results in Nergal releasing a mysterious plague upon Manhattan that causes everyone including Sik’s parents to fall ill, now Sik must find a way to stop this treacherous plague from turning its inhabitants into zombies. Before long Sik teams up with Belet the adopted daughter of Ishtar and bad-ass ninja sidekick who offers to help Sik track down Nergal and bring the plague to a close. Fast paced book with lots or action this is a quick read with relatively short chapters.
City of the Plague God shows us there is “light at the end of the tunnel” and we too can get over this.
Sarwat Chadda has done a brilliant job of combining Mesopotamian mythology with the modern era, I have never read anything quite like this before. I will definitely be checking out his other books.
City of the Plague God shows us there is “light at the end of the tunnel” and we too can get over this.
Sarwat Chadda has done a brilliant job of combining Mesopotamian mythology with the modern era, I have never read anything quite like this before. I will definitely be checking out his other books.
lyra_ann's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
I admit, books set in NYC that get small things wrong make me cranky: the location for this deli was one such oops. Beyond that, however, this is a great way to introduce readers to the Gilgamesh story - taking the mythology, gods and goddesses of Mesopotamia and bringing them into our day and age via Sik, the remaining son of the deli owners. Sik's older brother was a botanist, killed in Iran a few years before the story; Sik, sadly, hasn't taken over the community garden and tended the seeds sent back from abroad. Then the deli is destroyed... and Sik, self-adopted brother Daoud and Belet, a girl that insists on getting involved have to save the world from a plague.
The mingling of Islam, older beliefs and American culture is done so well, a trademark of the Rick Riordan imprint. This isn't the start of a series, but it certainly could be.
eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
The mingling of Islam, older beliefs and American culture is done so well, a trademark of the Rick Riordan imprint. This isn't the start of a series, but it certainly could be.
eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
marasword's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
leahsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am providing my honest opinion voluntarily.
For my full review of this book, visit: https://leahs-books.com/2021/01/11/city-of-the-plague-god/
City of the Plague God reminds me of the Percy Jackson series, but with an Iraqi Muslim main character, and instead of pulling from Greek mythology, it draws from Mesopotamian mythology. This is an area that I don’t know much about, but my interest is piqued and I’m definitely going to be looking into more of this.
Sik is the son of refugees who have settled in Manhattan and opened a thriving deli. His older brother has passed away, and Sik has taken on a lot of responsibility helping his parents at their deli after school. My heart broke seeing him deal with his grief while also struggling with his unresolved emotions about his brother. I think this was really well portrayed — a sudden death often leaves people with conflicting emotions, and Sik isn’t quite sure how to deal with these.
Sik is unapologetically Muslim, and I love that about him. He is sweet, funny, and kind, and has no idea how to fight demons or Nergal, the plague god who comes to find him. I love seeing the way that a kid like Sik is portrayed in this story, and placing characters like him front and center as a hero makes him relatable to young people who see themselves in him. Even as he believes in him faith so strongly, he readily accepts the existence of the Mesopotamian gods and goddesses. I loved seeing his character arc, and he experiences such a great change throughout the story.
Belet is the trusty sidekick in this story. As Ishtar’s adopted daughter, she fills in the gaps in Sik’s skills — where he is a smart-aleck that relies on his brains to get him out of tough spots, she’s the brawn that leans on her fighting skills and her awareness of mythology. She complements Sik very well, and they work great as a team. She’s not as in touch with her emotions, and she undergoes a major transformation during the book.
The story is full of action, and moved quickly. I enjoyed reading this way more than I expected to, and there were parts that made me laugh as well. It definitely brought back Percy Jackson vibes. There were some simple Arabic words interspersed into the text (and a glossary to explain the words at the end), and I loved how it changed the perspective around some commonly vilified words associated with Muslims. Several times in the story, Sik relates his quest to a jihad, which is explained as a righteous cause. In this case, it is saving Manhattan from the ravages of the plague god. I loved how that word was reclaimed from how it has come to be viewed. This isn’t a book to be missed!
For my full review of this book, visit: https://leahs-books.com/2021/01/11/city-of-the-plague-god/
City of the Plague God reminds me of the Percy Jackson series, but with an Iraqi Muslim main character, and instead of pulling from Greek mythology, it draws from Mesopotamian mythology. This is an area that I don’t know much about, but my interest is piqued and I’m definitely going to be looking into more of this.
Sik is the son of refugees who have settled in Manhattan and opened a thriving deli. His older brother has passed away, and Sik has taken on a lot of responsibility helping his parents at their deli after school. My heart broke seeing him deal with his grief while also struggling with his unresolved emotions about his brother. I think this was really well portrayed — a sudden death often leaves people with conflicting emotions, and Sik isn’t quite sure how to deal with these.
Sik is unapologetically Muslim, and I love that about him. He is sweet, funny, and kind, and has no idea how to fight demons or Nergal, the plague god who comes to find him. I love seeing the way that a kid like Sik is portrayed in this story, and placing characters like him front and center as a hero makes him relatable to young people who see themselves in him. Even as he believes in him faith so strongly, he readily accepts the existence of the Mesopotamian gods and goddesses. I loved seeing his character arc, and he experiences such a great change throughout the story.
Belet is the trusty sidekick in this story. As Ishtar’s adopted daughter, she fills in the gaps in Sik’s skills — where he is a smart-aleck that relies on his brains to get him out of tough spots, she’s the brawn that leans on her fighting skills and her awareness of mythology. She complements Sik very well, and they work great as a team. She’s not as in touch with her emotions, and she undergoes a major transformation during the book.
The story is full of action, and moved quickly. I enjoyed reading this way more than I expected to, and there were parts that made me laugh as well. It definitely brought back Percy Jackson vibes. There were some simple Arabic words interspersed into the text (and a glossary to explain the words at the end), and I loved how it changed the perspective around some commonly vilified words associated with Muslims. Several times in the story, Sik relates his quest to a jihad, which is explained as a righteous cause. In this case, it is saving Manhattan from the ravages of the plague god. I loved how that word was reclaimed from how it has come to be viewed. This isn’t a book to be missed!
riverlasol's review against another edition
4.0
I was so ecstatic when I got this review copy from Disney!! Rick Riordan Presents is the coolest thing and so far I have really enjoyed all of the books from the line that I’ve read. It started out in a way that almost felt familiar to me. It was easy to sympathise with the main character, Sik, and his voice stood out at once. It had that lovely mix of action and comedy that I’ve often seen in middle grade books and the plot was always on the move. It’s a book I would consider to be easy to binge! I also loved learning about mesopotamian mythology. It was all introduced in a way that was easy to understand for the reader and I would love to see more in this universe, though I think this was a standalone.
One thing I do want to mention is if you get queasy easily or don’t like books with a gross factor (I just made this term up) then this might not be the best fit for you. I personally don’t like any sort of gore and there were a few scenes where I had to stop reading and distract myself from the vivid descriptions. Besides from that, this was another fantastic title from Rick Riordan Presents and if you like mythology you should add it to your tbr!
One thing I do want to mention is if you get queasy easily or don’t like books with a gross factor (I just made this term up) then this might not be the best fit for you. I personally don’t like any sort of gore and there were a few scenes where I had to stop reading and distract myself from the vivid descriptions. Besides from that, this was another fantastic title from Rick Riordan Presents and if you like mythology you should add it to your tbr!