jlynnelseauthor's review
4.0
I received an advance review copy from publisher via NetGalley. A HUGE thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this opportunity to read and review. My opinions are unbiased.
3.5 stars
A very enjoyable time slip novel in which three teens are transported to ancient Egypt for mysterious reasons. The characters were enjoyable and offered varied points of view. The twins, particularly, went through a lot of challenging experiences, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
NAMES/TERMINOLOGY USED:
There are a few ancient Egyptian references that I felt were not completely accurate. The first thing I noticed was the name Tasherit. Tasherit is the female form of "junior." Typically it was used as part of a name. If Tasherit is living in the temple without her family, she would probably not be going by that reference. I don't know too many men who call themselves "junior" in their daily life instead of by their first names. Unless there's a secret to come, I was not a fan of the author's choice in this regard.
Another incorrect term used was "edubba," which references Sumerian schooling (in Mesopotamia). In ancient Egypt, schools for higher levels of society were called "The House of Life."
There is not a Pharaoh Anen that I know of, which is the current pharaoh during this story, though there have been advisers named Anen. While there have been pharaohs named Seti (who is the prince during this story), none of these pharaohs' fathers were named Anen (both Seti fathers were named Ramses). There IS a Princess Neferure in the historical record, who's father is commonly believed to be Thutmose (also referenced in the book) and who had a brother named Thutmose, but Thutmose's successor was Amenhotep who's son was Ahkenaten, the ruler who proposed monotheism, and then Tutankhamun. So I'm not sure if Josey was just picking names out of a hat to use in her book, but the dynasty lineage is not historically accurate.
Josey uses the term "Iteru" as reference to the Nile, however, she does not use the correct term for Egypt, which is Kemet. Instead, she uses the modern name for the country. I found this a bit inconsistent. While she probably used "Egypt" as the shock-reveal to for her main character, I still was not a fan of this words use. In terms of "iteru," this is typically used in reference to a unit of measure during river travel. So when characters called the Nile "iteru," I was confused especially since Josey did not use the correct term for the name of the country. There were a few other words I could not find reference to include "rekhet" (hinted via context that this means the lowest class of people) and "kalasiris" which was noted as a form of clothing. This does not mean the words are incorrectly used, but as someone who has researched ancient Egypt extensively, if I couldn't find definitions for these words, others might have a more difficult time understanding them.
WRITING STYLE:
The author has a few repetitive references that needed to be re-written, particularly sucking air through a person's teeth. Everyone seemed to suck air through their teeth in every chapter. Editors should be catching this, so hopefully the repetitiveness was fixed before the book was released.
Josey has a great sense of humor. I loved the sarcasm of her MC, Portia. However, there were a few times that modern references were used in ancient Egypt that made me cringe. I mean, Portia should know better when to use modern terms to ancient peoples. Most people seem to shake off her odd references, but when she keeps referencing "we have to meet this guy," "do you trust this guy," it gets a little annoying and completely takes a reader out of the time period. However, Josey also has some great lines that I delighted in, like when an ancient person responds to Portia's sigh: "Blowing your air like a hippopotamus is unbecoming."
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I did enjoy the book. While the setting was only mildly brought to life for me (again, I read as many books set in ancient Egypt as I can, so I found the details in this book sparse compared to other books I've read), but the characters and the magic surrounding them captivated me. I would not recommend the book on its historical accuracy, but it does have goo character moments and "magical" intrigue. Josey is a talented author, and I look forward to more.
3.5 stars
A very enjoyable time slip novel in which three teens are transported to ancient Egypt for mysterious reasons. The characters were enjoyable and offered varied points of view. The twins, particularly, went through a lot of challenging experiences, and I look forward to reading more from this author
Spoiler
particularly since this book ended with a cliffhangerNAMES/TERMINOLOGY USED:
There are a few ancient Egyptian references that I felt were not completely accurate. The first thing I noticed was the name Tasherit. Tasherit is the female form of "junior." Typically it was used as part of a name. If Tasherit is living in the temple without her family, she would probably not be going by that reference. I don't know too many men who call themselves "junior" in their daily life instead of by their first names. Unless there's a secret to come, I was not a fan of the author's choice in this regard.
Another incorrect term used was "edubba," which references Sumerian schooling (in Mesopotamia). In ancient Egypt, schools for higher levels of society were called "The House of Life."
There is not a Pharaoh Anen that I know of, which is the current pharaoh during this story, though there have been advisers named Anen. While there have been pharaohs named Seti (who is the prince during this story), none of these pharaohs' fathers were named Anen (both Seti fathers were named Ramses). There IS a Princess Neferure in the historical record, who's father is commonly believed to be Thutmose (also referenced in the book) and who had a brother named Thutmose, but Thutmose's successor was Amenhotep who's son was Ahkenaten, the ruler who proposed monotheism, and then Tutankhamun. So I'm not sure if Josey was just picking names out of a hat to use in her book, but the dynasty lineage is not historically accurate.
Josey uses the term "Iteru" as reference to the Nile, however, she does not use the correct term for Egypt, which is Kemet. Instead, she uses the modern name for the country. I found this a bit inconsistent. While she probably used "Egypt" as the shock-reveal to for her main character, I still was not a fan of this words use. In terms of "iteru," this is typically used in reference to a unit of measure during river travel. So when characters called the Nile "iteru," I was confused especially since Josey did not use the correct term for the name of the country. There were a few other words I could not find reference to include "rekhet" (hinted via context that this means the lowest class of people) and "kalasiris" which was noted as a form of clothing. This does not mean the words are incorrectly used, but as someone who has researched ancient Egypt extensively, if I couldn't find definitions for these words, others might have a more difficult time understanding them.
WRITING STYLE:
The author has a few repetitive references that needed to be re-written, particularly sucking air through a person's teeth. Everyone seemed to suck air through their teeth in every chapter. Editors should be catching this, so hopefully the repetitiveness was fixed before the book was released.
Josey has a great sense of humor. I loved the sarcasm of her MC, Portia. However, there were a few times that modern references were used in ancient Egypt that made me cringe. I mean, Portia should know better when to use modern terms to ancient peoples. Most people seem to shake off her odd references, but when she keeps referencing "we have to meet this guy," "do you trust this guy," it gets a little annoying and completely takes a reader out of the time period. However, Josey also has some great lines that I delighted in, like when an ancient person responds to Portia's sigh: "Blowing your air like a hippopotamus is unbecoming."
Spoiler
A couple questions, particularly Portia's and Alex's father, were left unsatisfyingly unanswered. I hope more questions about the twin's mom and dad are answered in a subsequent book.FINAL THOUGHTS:
I did enjoy the book. While the setting was only mildly brought to life for me (again, I read as many books set in ancient Egypt as I can, so I found the details in this book sparse compared to other books I've read), but the characters and the magic surrounding them captivated me. I would not recommend the book on its historical accuracy, but it does have goo character moments and "magical" intrigue. Josey is a talented author, and I look forward to more.
booksenvogue's review
4.0
Favorite quote:
“Though stripped of my lightening, I was a deadly warrior. But the goddess gave talent, not control. I would have to discover that for myself.”
✨This is the origins story of my new favorite shero! Portia White is a twin and underdog of her Sister-Sister existence. Once she stumbles upon an ancient scarab beetle necklace in school, her life changes. From powers to time travel and Egyptian lore, this was one intoxicating read. I ❤️ the ancient Egyptian setting! I found the main protagonist relatable and downright admirable as she developed throughout the book. Her sister, Alex was also interesting until she was out of her element. That’s when the action hit. It was swift and didn’t let up! My only complaint is the one person point of view, as I would have loved to get into the other twin’s,Alex’s head too! The plot twists and secrets kelp me turning the pages. The ending had me scrambling to get to the sequel! If you love epic YA Historical Fantasy & Time Travel, then this book is for you!
✨ Please tell me this is on your radar!
“Though stripped of my lightening, I was a deadly warrior. But the goddess gave talent, not control. I would have to discover that for myself.”
✨This is the origins story of my new favorite shero! Portia White is a twin and underdog of her Sister-Sister existence. Once she stumbles upon an ancient scarab beetle necklace in school, her life changes. From powers to time travel and Egyptian lore, this was one intoxicating read. I ❤️ the ancient Egyptian setting! I found the main protagonist relatable and downright admirable as she developed throughout the book. Her sister, Alex was also interesting until she was out of her element. That’s when the action hit. It was swift and didn’t let up! My only complaint is the one person point of view, as I would have loved to get into the other twin’s,Alex’s head too! The plot twists and secrets kelp me turning the pages. The ending had me scrambling to get to the sequel! If you love epic YA Historical Fantasy & Time Travel, then this book is for you!
✨ Please tell me this is on your radar!
aweichenlaub's review
4.0
The Blazing Star by Imani Josey is the Egyptian portal fantasy that you probably didn't even know you should be reading. It's light, fairly uplifting, and really a pretty fun read.
Full review: http://eichenblog.org/the-blazing-star-by-imani-josey/
Full review: http://eichenblog.org/the-blazing-star-by-imani-josey/
jesunflower's review
4.0
Review in Italian: coming soon!
I requested a copy of NetGalley for this book and they graciously accepted!
I saw the cover: fantastic! Really, congratulations to everyone who has worked on that cover because it left me speechless.
Then I read the plot: meh. Do not get me wrong, the whole question of Egypt, of the sisters, it's all great. The thing with the plot that bothered me is that there isn't a love story. Here, this is a typical example of a deceptive plot. The love story is there. It is not at the center of the events but there is and to me that is enough.
But let's get to the plot. It is not easy. We talk about the present, about ancient history, about the past and further on and I must be honest I understood little. The main character is the strength to cling to not end up drowning in information and details.
Portia is also the only one that I can stand because I still don't know why Selene is there or her real importance and don't get me started with Alex.
I understand the importance they have but I remain nevertheless of my opinion: I don't like them. Especially Alex who as Portia's twin does everything to make her life "impossible": these two sisters are very united and Alex has always been the little genius school between the two so that Portia has always felt put aside, always with that feeling of never being enough. And Alex makes it worse because it's always her who decide what to do, how and when and where to do it, never giving room to her sister. Not with bad intentions, but always with the idea that twins have to do everything the same way.
The whole question of the ancient egypt escapes me. It is explained but I still don't get everything so I'm pretty sure I'll read the next installment.
Mine are not all criticisms. Not the first time I read a book about twins protagonists and I like it very much, especially because this time the book is centered on black girls (never read anything like this until now). I like that Portia is not the most gifted (although the magic flowing in her blood), as well as the romance with Seti is not the usual (the final speaks for itself).
Recommended? Yes. Beautiful reading, a convoluted plot thread but all in all the world where we dive is well built and we all have at least a minimum of basic knowledge.
I requested a copy of NetGalley for this book and they graciously accepted!
I saw the cover: fantastic! Really, congratulations to everyone who has worked on that cover because it left me speechless.
Then I read the plot: meh. Do not get me wrong, the whole question of Egypt, of the sisters, it's all great. The thing with the plot that bothered me is that there isn't a love story. Here, this is a typical example of a deceptive plot. The love story is there. It is not at the center of the events but there is and to me that is enough.
But let's get to the plot. It is not easy. We talk about the present, about ancient history, about the past and further on and I must be honest I understood little. The main character is the strength to cling to not end up drowning in information and details.
Portia is also the only one that I can stand because I still don't know why Selene is there or her real importance and don't get me started with Alex.
I understand the importance they have but I remain nevertheless of my opinion: I don't like them. Especially Alex who as Portia's twin does everything to make her life "impossible": these two sisters are very united and Alex has always been the little genius school between the two so that Portia has always felt put aside, always with that feeling of never being enough. And Alex makes it worse because it's always her who decide what to do, how and when and where to do it, never giving room to her sister. Not with bad intentions, but always with the idea that twins have to do everything the same way.
The whole question of the ancient egypt escapes me. It is explained but I still don't get everything so I'm pretty sure I'll read the next installment.
Mine are not all criticisms. Not the first time I read a book about twins protagonists and I like it very much, especially because this time the book is centered on black girls (never read anything like this until now). I like that Portia is not the most gifted (although the magic flowing in her blood), as well as the romance with Seti is not the usual (the final speaks for itself).
Recommended? Yes. Beautiful reading, a convoluted plot thread but all in all the world where we dive is well built and we all have at least a minimum of basic knowledge.
krfanthony's review
4.0
3.5/5
Date Reviewed: 31 December 2016
This Review was first posted on Keep Reading Forward. If you want to see more, check out our other locations as well as here.
Thank You Wise Ink Creative Publishing and NetGalley for giving an eARC for an honest review.
When I came across this book from another reviewer and when I saw that this book was set in ancient Egypt, I was sold. I needed to have it. I was so happy when I finally got my hands on an eARC from the publisher and NetGalley, I read it as soon as I got it and it only took me two days to finish.
From what I can say, I thought this book was perfection and interesting. So why did I give it 3.5 stars? I'll explain why in just a little bit.
What I enjoyed the most where the diversity in the characters and the difference among them. Each character had it's own different part to the story and as the story progressed, each character added to the story. Although I would have wished some characters were more interesting and some, a bigger part of the story. There wasn't much of a background in some of the characters, but most still stood out on the own in their progression towards the end of the story.
Next, I enjoyed the plot. I know that time-travel is a common story to give, and ancient Egypt would be a common setting to go to in most stories. However, I felt that this was different. The setting should have been more specific at some points, but I was able to follow smoothly throughout the entire story as I could tell where everything was taking place.
However, in the beginning of the book, I felt like it was slow. It needed an introductory somewhere to begin with, but I believe the beginning could have been faster and more to the point. Throughout the entire story, I kept finding myself wanting for more. I wanted more action. The story kept pointing out that a war was coming, and I expected battles and thrilling scenes. It almost seems that I got nothing. There was a scene in the half way point and at the very end. It was catching my attention, but the ending seem to stopped suddenly in which didn't make sense to me at all. It made me think there is going to be a possible sequence, but I wasn't sure at the same time.
Overall, if you're looking for a quick and simple book with Egyptian stuff in it, this may be the book for you. It was a good quick read for me, but I felt there was definitely room for improvement.
Date Reviewed: 31 December 2016
This Review was first posted on Keep Reading Forward. If you want to see more, check out our other locations as well as here.
Thank You Wise Ink Creative Publishing and NetGalley for giving an eARC for an honest review.
When I came across this book from another reviewer and when I saw that this book was set in ancient Egypt, I was sold. I needed to have it. I was so happy when I finally got my hands on an eARC from the publisher and NetGalley, I read it as soon as I got it and it only took me two days to finish.
From what I can say, I thought this book was perfection and interesting. So why did I give it 3.5 stars? I'll explain why in just a little bit.
What I enjoyed the most where the diversity in the characters and the difference among them. Each character had it's own different part to the story and as the story progressed, each character added to the story. Although I would have wished some characters were more interesting and some, a bigger part of the story. There wasn't much of a background in some of the characters, but most still stood out on the own in their progression towards the end of the story.
Next, I enjoyed the plot. I know that time-travel is a common story to give, and ancient Egypt would be a common setting to go to in most stories. However, I felt that this was different. The setting should have been more specific at some points, but I was able to follow smoothly throughout the entire story as I could tell where everything was taking place.
However, in the beginning of the book, I felt like it was slow. It needed an introductory somewhere to begin with, but I believe the beginning could have been faster and more to the point. Throughout the entire story, I kept finding myself wanting for more. I wanted more action. The story kept pointing out that a war was coming, and I expected battles and thrilling scenes. It almost seems that I got nothing. There was a scene in the half way point and at the very end. It was catching my attention, but the ending seem to stopped suddenly in which didn't make sense to me at all. It made me think there is going to be a possible sequence, but I wasn't sure at the same time.
Overall, if you're looking for a quick and simple book with Egyptian stuff in it, this may be the book for you. It was a good quick read for me, but I felt there was definitely room for improvement.
kate_readingthroughinfinity's review
1.0
1.5 stars
*I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I normally like to start my reviews with a quote, but I honestly couldn't find a single line in this book that I wanted to include.
The plot of The Blazing Star follows Portia White, whose biggest worries in life are her high school prom and going to a different university to her twin. That is, until she touches an Egyptian scarab during a class history trip and gets sent back in time to ancient Egypt.
What first drew me to the book was its diverse cast of characters and the time travel elements that were promised, but I ended up being disappointed by almost every aspect of this novel.
From start to finish the plot was monotonous and too simplistic. We're jerked through sequences of events that don't hold any cohesion and left jarred and dissatisfied. Many of the key moments had no consistency with what had come previously and, somehow, even the time travelling was boring.
The writing style was dull and the narrative was poorly executed; half of the reason the plot was so calamitous was the fact that the narrative often just didn't make any sense. There were also grammatical and editorial errors which didn't make reading easier. Words were missed out, the wrong punctuation was used in the wrong places, random extra spaces were included, and there was even a semi-colon in the middle of a word.
I was hoping (wishing/praying/doing an exorcism) for some good characterisation to make up for the other flaws, but no. It never came. Portia, the main character, is one-dimensional and spends the majority of the novel being completely obtuse. It takes her an entire chapter to work out she's no longer in a modern-day American museum, despite being outside and surrounded by different people, who are speaking another language. Presumably, the author made her oblivious for the sake of plot advancement, but from experience, this strategy never works. It only serves to frustrate the reader (especially when we already know what they don't) and alienate them from the character.
Sadly, the other characters also fell flat. Portia's twin, Alex, offered childish complaints every time her 'famed' intelligence wasn't useful, and the prince had no defining personality traits at all. I couldn't invest in any of these characters and they just hold my interest.
The novel's one saving grace was it's diversity. Almost all of the characters are POC and it was incredibly refreshing to read a book where the majority of the cast aren't white, and it's the norm.
Overall, The Blazing Star sadly didn't deliver. The author seemed to have a clear idea of the novel in her mind, but it didn't translate well onto the page and could have done with more rigorous copy editing. I ended up having to physically force myself to finish it (I came close to DNFing it at least four times) and am just frustrated that I wasted time on such a poorly-crafted novel.
*I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I normally like to start my reviews with a quote, but I honestly couldn't find a single line in this book that I wanted to include.
The plot of The Blazing Star follows Portia White, whose biggest worries in life are her high school prom and going to a different university to her twin. That is, until she touches an Egyptian scarab during a class history trip and gets sent back in time to ancient Egypt.
What first drew me to the book was its diverse cast of characters and the time travel elements that were promised, but I ended up being disappointed by almost every aspect of this novel.
From start to finish the plot was monotonous and too simplistic. We're jerked through sequences of events that don't hold any cohesion and left jarred and dissatisfied. Many of the key moments had no consistency with what had come previously and, somehow, even the time travelling was boring.
The writing style was dull and the narrative was poorly executed; half of the reason the plot was so calamitous was the fact that the narrative often just didn't make any sense. There were also grammatical and editorial errors which didn't make reading easier. Words were missed out, the wrong punctuation was used in the wrong places, random extra spaces were included, and there was even a semi-colon in the middle of a word.
I was hoping (wishing/praying/doing an exorcism) for some good characterisation to make up for the other flaws, but no. It never came. Portia, the main character, is one-dimensional and spends the majority of the novel being completely obtuse. It takes her an entire chapter to work out she's no longer in a modern-day American museum, despite being outside and surrounded by different people, who are speaking another language. Presumably, the author made her oblivious for the sake of plot advancement, but from experience, this strategy never works. It only serves to frustrate the reader (especially when we already know what they don't) and alienate them from the character.
Sadly, the other characters also fell flat. Portia's twin, Alex, offered childish complaints every time her 'famed' intelligence wasn't useful, and the prince had no defining personality traits at all. I couldn't invest in any of these characters and they just hold my interest.
The novel's one saving grace was it's diversity. Almost all of the characters are POC and it was incredibly refreshing to read a book where the majority of the cast aren't white, and it's the norm.
Overall, The Blazing Star sadly didn't deliver. The author seemed to have a clear idea of the novel in her mind, but it didn't translate well onto the page and could have done with more rigorous copy editing. I ended up having to physically force myself to finish it (I came close to DNFing it at least four times) and am just frustrated that I wasted time on such a poorly-crafted novel.
hanbock's review
2.0
Okay so I started this book with a lot of high expectations. I’ve also been reading a lot of high fantasy recently so I was ready for a bit of a change, and what better way to do that then to read about twin woC geniuses? My original rating on Goodreads for this book was 3 stars, but after reading my review, I’ve decided on 2 hearts.
The beginning was a bit rough for me to get through, with lots of awkward adjectives and middle grade-esque style and even a scavenger hunt with a reward of $50 (and the gift cards never end up as a plot device or anything). I also understand that these girls supposedly go to a prestigious school and that Portia’s sister is insanely smart, but like, that never seemed to actually happen in the book. It was more like the author was telling us that she was smart rather than showing us. I understand the author may have been trying to make a point about the pointlessness of “book smarts” but it didn’t exactly work. This book also took “special snowflake” to a WHOLE new level in a way that I wasn’t much of a fan of.
The story eventually picked up for me about halfway through the book, but purely for plot reasons. I had almost no connection, feelings, or sympathy for these girls that were “stuck” in a world that seems 10 times more interesting than our own. And the INSTALOVE. It was so intolerable I almost deleted this book from my kindle library. I also never really felt as though the characters were actually endangered or under attack.
The redeeming factor was the super unique setting, but I feel like it never really divulged upon or used it to the extent that it could have been. The sheer inclusion of so many female characters (specifically of women in power) was something I really appreciated; as well. All I all, there wasn’t a lot that I hated, but there also wasn’t a lot that I liked.
Rating: 1.5/5
❤️
The beginning was a bit rough for me to get through, with lots of awkward adjectives and middle grade-esque style and even a scavenger hunt with a reward of $50 (and the gift cards never end up as a plot device or anything). I also understand that these girls supposedly go to a prestigious school and that Portia’s sister is insanely smart, but like, that never seemed to actually happen in the book. It was more like the author was telling us that she was smart rather than showing us. I understand the author may have been trying to make a point about the pointlessness of “book smarts” but it didn’t exactly work. This book also took “special snowflake” to a WHOLE new level in a way that I wasn’t much of a fan of.
The story eventually picked up for me about halfway through the book, but purely for plot reasons. I had almost no connection, feelings, or sympathy for these girls that were “stuck” in a world that seems 10 times more interesting than our own. And the INSTALOVE. It was so intolerable I almost deleted this book from my kindle library. I also never really felt as though the characters were actually endangered or under attack.
The redeeming factor was the super unique setting, but I feel like it never really divulged upon or used it to the extent that it could have been. The sheer inclusion of so many female characters (specifically of women in power) was something I really appreciated; as well. All I all, there wasn’t a lot that I hated, but there also wasn’t a lot that I liked.
Rating: 1.5/5
❤️
melbsreads's review
4.0
I'm wavering between 3.5 and 4 stars on this one, and I honestly can't decide.
Things I Loved
- It's a fantasy book with an exclusively POC cast
- That cover. Like, OMG GORGEOUS
- It's a fantasy book with an exclusively POC cast THAT INVOLVES MAGIC AND TIME TRAVEL
- The complexities of sibling relationships
- A character who's always been in her twin sister's shadow discovering that she's got hella awesome powers
- Ancient Egypt
Things I Wasn't So Keen On
- It seemed weird that no one in Ancient Egypt ever called Portia on the way she speaks? Like, she's all "UM, HI. I NEED TO GET BACK TO THE FIELD MUSEUM. WHERE'S THE NEAREST EL STATION? HELP ME FIND A PHONE. CAN YOU GOOGLE IT FOR ME?" and not one person is like ".............the fuck are you talking about?". Even later in the book when she uses slang terms they don't understand, they never really ask her to explain, they just brush past them. And that seemed a little peculiar to me.
- It ended quite abruptly? Like, I don't know if it's because there's a sequel in the works or not, but...BOOM ENDING = whut.
- The romantic relationship that pops up is a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle instalove-y. Don't get me wrong, I actually liked the dynamic between them and I thought it was pretty stinking cute. But there were VERY limited interactions between them before it was getting all BIG FUTURE PLANS-y.
- There seemed to be very little consideration for the people they'd left behind? I actually kind of wanted a chapter from the perspective of Portia and Alex's dad, just to know if he was even aware that they were gone and if there was some massive police search going on, or if it was like time in the present was standing still or quite what the deal was. It just seemed a little callous that none of them seemed especially fussed about their relatives.
But honestly, the positives far outweighed the negatives and I did really enjoy it. I just wish I could make up my mind on a rating........
Things I Loved
- It's a fantasy book with an exclusively POC cast
- That cover. Like, OMG GORGEOUS
- It's a fantasy book with an exclusively POC cast THAT INVOLVES MAGIC AND TIME TRAVEL
- The complexities of sibling relationships
- A character who's always been in her twin sister's shadow discovering that she's got hella awesome powers
- Ancient Egypt
Things I Wasn't So Keen On
- It seemed weird that no one in Ancient Egypt ever called Portia on the way she speaks? Like, she's all "UM, HI. I NEED TO GET BACK TO THE FIELD MUSEUM. WHERE'S THE NEAREST EL STATION? HELP ME FIND A PHONE. CAN YOU GOOGLE IT FOR ME?" and not one person is like ".............the fuck are you talking about?". Even later in the book when she uses slang terms they don't understand, they never really ask her to explain, they just brush past them. And that seemed a little peculiar to me.
- It ended quite abruptly? Like, I don't know if it's because there's a sequel in the works or not, but...BOOM ENDING = whut.
- The romantic relationship that pops up is a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle instalove-y. Don't get me wrong, I actually liked the dynamic between them and I thought it was pretty stinking cute. But there were VERY limited interactions between them before it was getting all BIG FUTURE PLANS-y.
- There seemed to be very little consideration for the people they'd left behind? I actually kind of wanted a chapter from the perspective of Portia and Alex's dad, just to know if he was even aware that they were gone and if there was some massive police search going on, or if it was like time in the present was standing still or quite what the deal was. It just seemed a little callous that none of them seemed especially fussed about their relatives.
But honestly, the positives far outweighed the negatives and I did really enjoy it. I just wish I could make up my mind on a rating........