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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
I remember being obsessed with Zilpha Keatley Snyder's books as a kid (especially the Headless Cupid) so a chance to listen to this audiobook was hard to pass up. I was less obsessed with this one as a child, but I loved rereading it. As a kid, I could spend an entire day playing with two sticks, so the Egypt Game would have been right up my alley. This book has diverse characters, it's well-written, and it has this dark, gritty plot underneath the simple, easy-to-read language. And I looove Marshall.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
April's mom, an aspiring actress, sends April off to live with her grandma. April is not very happy about it, suspecting her mom dumped her there. April meets Melanie and Marshall, and girl and boy who live in her building. Melanie is very imaginative, just like April, and the girls soon invent a role-playing game where they pretend to be characters from ancient Egypt. Soon classmates learn about the game and want in on it. Meanwhile, a young girl in the neighborhood is found murdered and everyone is on edge.
Very cute plot. It would be fun to watch kids role-playing like this.
Grades 5-6.
Very cute plot. It would be fun to watch kids role-playing like this.
Grades 5-6.
As a child, I adored this book (and devoured it and everything else on my local library’s shelves by Zilpha Keatley Snyder). And as an adult it is still wonderful - the imagination, the way other kids become part of the game, the idea of a wonderful secret hideout…I just didn’t remember that there was a subplot involving children in the neighborhood being murdered - while it is well-handled and not in any way graphic (which is why I probably didn’t remember it from when I read the book as a child), it unfortunately makes the book too dark for me to share with Violet right now. But someday, she will love it!
Still one of the best books I've ever read. Diverse cast of characters and a finely crafted story.
It was interesting reading this as an adult. First of all, my how times have changed. So much playtime after school, with no grownups anywhere to be found. Also, it was kind of scary - like, realistic scary, and it was almost too much. It also dragged a bit, I thought it was nearly over 4 or 5 times before it finally ended. Overall, probably a 3.5, but barely.
I remembered liking this book as a child--I think my mom read it to me--and I was delighted that I still liked it so much as an adult. The story is exciting, magical, and touching. I find the characters and their friendships really beautiful.
one of my favorite books of all time. i reread this religiously as a kid. recommended to anyone with a good imagination who's ever found solace in his or her fellow outcasts.