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shubba's review against another edition
4.0
read it in one day. great action adventure. very reminiscent of percy Jackson and the 39 clues.
abbyloves_you's review
3.0
The concept of this book is so interesting.
When you start reading it their is some lame mediocre action and “scary” parts.
This book is great if your a younger kid just getting into scary and/or action movies.
Their were certain parts that made me smile. And I think some suspense
When you start reading it their is some lame mediocre action and “scary” parts.
This book is great if your a younger kid just getting into scary and/or action movies.
Their were certain parts that made me smile. And I think some suspense
thebrownbookloft's review
4.0
Comments: I don’t usually mention children’s books on my site, but when my nine-year-old grandson, Orion, told me it was his “favorite book ever” and was very exited about doing a book report on it, I just had to read it. (Book reports apparently aren’t just writing stilted paragraphs anymore. This one included designing and making a t-shirt with the book title and his name in hieroglyphics.)
Tombquest: Book of the Dead is the first in a five book series. Orion discovered book 5 at his karate camp after school program, devoured it, then asked for the rest of them. Considering that he’d rather be computer gaming than reading, I decided to find out what piqued his interest. The book mostly takes place in the Egyptology section of a museum. Orion said he loved the setting and the facts about mummies. (My father, his great grandfather, used to hang out for hours in the Egyptology section of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. as a kid. Gotta love genetics.)
The setting is real but the book is definitely in the fantasy genre. The book is about a boy whose mother works in the museum. The boy has a mysterious fatal illness. After he dies his mother brings him back to life using spells from The Lost Spells of the Book of the Dead. There are serious consequences and evil must be conquered sometime in the next four books.
I admit that despite my rather cliche plot summary, the book had me hooked. Aimed at 10-12 year olds, this book is designed to capture the imagination. Kids don’t get caught up in details the way adults do and forgive plot flaws to just enjoy the ride. I’m glad I’m still enough of a kid to have had fun reading this one.
Tombquest: Book of the Dead is the first in a five book series. Orion discovered book 5 at his karate camp after school program, devoured it, then asked for the rest of them. Considering that he’d rather be computer gaming than reading, I decided to find out what piqued his interest. The book mostly takes place in the Egyptology section of a museum. Orion said he loved the setting and the facts about mummies. (My father, his great grandfather, used to hang out for hours in the Egyptology section of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. as a kid. Gotta love genetics.)
The setting is real but the book is definitely in the fantasy genre. The book is about a boy whose mother works in the museum. The boy has a mysterious fatal illness. After he dies his mother brings him back to life using spells from The Lost Spells of the Book of the Dead. There are serious consequences and evil must be conquered sometime in the next four books.
I admit that despite my rather cliche plot summary, the book had me hooked. Aimed at 10-12 year olds, this book is designed to capture the imagination. Kids don’t get caught up in details the way adults do and forgive plot flaws to just enjoy the ride. I’m glad I’m still enough of a kid to have had fun reading this one.
carriereads's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
Pretty good book. I felt like maybe more could've happened but good for a middle grade.
Pretty good book. I felt like maybe more could've happened but good for a middle grade.
daylafm's review against another edition
4.0
Review also appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a copy via my job in exchange for an honest review
Book of the Dead by Michael Northrop is a fun middle grade novel set in New York City. Though definitely not a mind-twister or a head scratcher, Northrop's latest novel (and first novel in a soon-to-be series) is a lot of fun and slightly reminiscent of other adventurous books that deal with mythology, yet with a unique and curious twist.
Alex, the protagonist, is a sickly child and though we aren't really told what he has (I'm guessing this becomes more clear as the series progresses), we feel for him. Here's a kid who should be running around and being a kid, but is almost crippled by a mysterious illness that basically kills him. The fun of the novel begins when his mother, an egyptologist, takes the situation into her own hands. From the moment Alex wakes up, the world he knows is completely changed and our adventure begins.
I found myself drawn to this book because it looked like a great, light read full of adventure. I loved the pacing and how the storyline is more action-driven than anything else. Northrop remains true to the story by focusing mainly on the mystery at hand and the creepiness of the situation. For example, there's a passage that shows the darkness of Northrop's prose: "He may not consume your bodies...but he will certainly take your souls" (Northrop). It even made me think of how much middle grade books have changed. It's like the veil between what kids perceive as violence and what adults perceive as violence is slowly being lifted. I'm an adult and I was a bit spooked.
While the action is definitely a huge appeal, I did find myself feeling a bit old while reading this. Yes, I know that this is a 9-12 novel, but sometimes the descriptive tone kind of clashed with the characters' dialogue. The tone felt youngish and out of place in such a dark world. It was like Northrop was taking an older teen story and occasionally remembered that this was actually for a younger demographic.
Other than the occasional slip in tone, I really did enjoy this book. The mystery was fun and light and the conclusion gave us some closure, while still leaving the possibility for a fun sequel.
I would recommend this to readers looking for a light adventure set in NYC. If you liked Rick RIordan, you might like this one, since it's like a light version of Percy Jackson in a much smaller package.
Happy reading!
I received a copy via my job in exchange for an honest review
Book of the Dead by Michael Northrop is a fun middle grade novel set in New York City. Though definitely not a mind-twister or a head scratcher, Northrop's latest novel (and first novel in a soon-to-be series) is a lot of fun and slightly reminiscent of other adventurous books that deal with mythology, yet with a unique and curious twist.
Alex, the protagonist, is a sickly child and though we aren't really told what he has (I'm guessing this becomes more clear as the series progresses), we feel for him. Here's a kid who should be running around and being a kid, but is almost crippled by a mysterious illness that basically kills him. The fun of the novel begins when his mother, an egyptologist, takes the situation into her own hands. From the moment Alex wakes up, the world he knows is completely changed and our adventure begins.
I found myself drawn to this book because it looked like a great, light read full of adventure. I loved the pacing and how the storyline is more action-driven than anything else. Northrop remains true to the story by focusing mainly on the mystery at hand and the creepiness of the situation. For example, there's a passage that shows the darkness of Northrop's prose: "He may not consume your bodies...but he will certainly take your souls" (Northrop). It even made me think of how much middle grade books have changed. It's like the veil between what kids perceive as violence and what adults perceive as violence is slowly being lifted. I'm an adult and I was a bit spooked.
While the action is definitely a huge appeal, I did find myself feeling a bit old while reading this. Yes, I know that this is a 9-12 novel, but sometimes the descriptive tone kind of clashed with the characters' dialogue. The tone felt youngish and out of place in such a dark world. It was like Northrop was taking an older teen story and occasionally remembered that this was actually for a younger demographic.
Other than the occasional slip in tone, I really did enjoy this book. The mystery was fun and light and the conclusion gave us some closure, while still leaving the possibility for a fun sequel.
I would recommend this to readers looking for a light adventure set in NYC. If you liked Rick RIordan, you might like this one, since it's like a light version of Percy Jackson in a much smaller package.
Happy reading!
simsbrarian's review against another edition
4.0
This was quite adorable. The beginning was a bit slow for me but it was setting up the whole series and didn't take so long that I felt the need to put it down. Egyptology, missing Mom mystery, a boy brought back to life, Death Walkers, and creepy secretive cults. This had all the fixin's for a great bit of intrigue and delivers pretty well; weaving in some good friendship building as well. I enjoyed it and will look forward to Book 2!
FTC Disclosure: The Publisher provided me with a copy of this book to provide an honest review. No goody bags, sponsorship, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
FTC Disclosure: The Publisher provided me with a copy of this book to provide an honest review. No goody bags, sponsorship, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
imzadirose's review against another edition
3.0
Similar style of 39 Clues, but this newish series is like The Mummy for kids. It was cute and enjoyable. A good quick read.
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