4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of Potential, October 25, 2009
This review is from: The Pharaoh's Secret (Hardcover)
I read a lot of children's and young adult books, adding my favorites to my home library for my grandchildren to enjoy. I was excited about The Pharaoh's Secret primarily because I find ancient Egypt and the legends swirling around the pharaohs and their burial tombs fascinating. I was also happy to see that the main characters, though American, had an Egyptian heritage. IMO, having protagonists from a variety of cultural backgrounds helps all kids learn about others and provides opportunities for kids who share the protagonists' background to say, "Hey, kids like me can be heroes and heroines, too!"
The Pharaoh's Secret promised "an extraordinary adventure full of intrigue, riddles and endless twists and turns". I chose it for reading on a cross-country flight and while I finished it and though it was 'OK', I felt it never quite delivered on that promise or lived up to its potential.
The book starts out well enough. Almost immediately after Talibah Mahmoud arrives in Egypt with her father and younger brother, Adom, she is given a stone carving by a mysterious woman, starts having dreams and visions and begins hearing a voice urging her to "Find him!" I was quickly drawn in. But almost just as quickly, I found myself being pulled back out and I believe that happened for a couple of reasons.
1) Too much of the history needed to understand and solve the mystery was delivered through lectures from Talibah's father or his old friend Rashid or from books Talibah was reading. I'm not sure how the author could have given us this information in a more interesting manner, but it began to feel like a massive info dump and it started to drag the story down.
2) Every time Talibah needed more information she would either have a vision/dream, feel herself being guided to a certain place or book or some mysterious stranger would show up and hand her something. While I felt the first instances of these elements set an intriguing tone and helped to draw me into the story, their constant repetition began in very short order to make Talibah seem like an almost passive participant in the story and lessened my interest as a reader.
A couple of other quibbles: The villain was very one dimensional and Talibah's habit of "borrowing" things managed to annoy me.
Even though I was left somewhat disappointed by The Pharaoh's Secret overall, there were parts of the book I did like. I very much enjoyed the family story; a father and his children mourning the death of wife and mother and learning to deal with their grief as they adjust their family dynamics and reestablish relationships. The variety of feelings and emotions that can occur in that situation were well presented. I also enjoyed learning more about the Book of the Dead and Egyptian burial rituals and their purposes and thought the story of the woman pharaoh was a great plot choice. Author Marissa Moss did a good job in her descriptions of modern day Egypt and her drawings throughout the book were a wonderful addition. Would I read another book by her? Why yes, I believe I would.
All-in-all, I rate The Pharaoh's Secret as "OK" and I'm glad Amazon has a rating for just that.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic new direction for Moss, October 8, 2009
This review is from: The Pharaoh's Secret (Hardcover)
As a fan of Marissa Moss's outstanding AMELIA'S NOTEBOOK and MAX'S LOGBOOK seriees, as well as her many picture books and historical journals, I was delighted to discover that she has published a first novel! It was wonderful to lose myself in Moss's masterfully created mystery, which weaves together Egyptian history and contemporary life, the inner world of dreams and the everyday family dynamics. I found myself rooting wholeheartedly for Talibah, a smart and sympathetic teenage girl, as she grapples with the absence of her mother, the pressures of being far from home, and the mysteries of an ancient love affair. As usual, Moss's vivid writing brings "exotic" environments, history, and emotions to life. THE PHAROAH'S SECRET would be a fascinating introduction to Egyptian history ( I didn't know much about the female pharoah Hatshepsut before reading it, and came away fromt he book enlightened, as well as moved and entertained! ) In addition, Moss' beautiful ink drawings enliven the text throughout. My two teenage readers loved the book as well, and we all hope to read MORE of Marissa Moss' books!
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