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maplebear79's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
ofpagesandparagraphs's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
alexbthelibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I think this book is a fun ride. Amira and Hamza are well written siblings where they love each other but constantly bicker. I think this is a good middle grade book for those who like to read books like the Percy Jackson series or Tristan Strong series. The only thing I will say is I was a little disappointed by the BBEG (big bad evil guy). I mean, the whole book is building up to them fighting the BBEG, and then it just kind of petters out with the finale of how they defeat him. Maybe that is just me, but I felt kind of taken a back by how easily these two kids defeated him. I also think some of the writing, while cool for me who is a seasoned nerd, may go over some childrens' heads. There were a lot of geek culture references that I am not sure most twelve year olds would know them all. Some for sure! Just not all of them.
As for the narrator, as I listened to the audiobook, I think they did a phenomenal job. To me, middle grade and children's audiobooks should have narrators that intrigue the listener, not just tell the story to them. I think this narrator did a fantastic job of not only giving the narration voice, but also keeping all of the character voices different inflections.
I think this book is a fun ride. Amira and Hamza are well written siblings where they love each other but constantly bicker. I think this is a good middle grade book for those who like to read books like the Percy Jackson series or Tristan Strong series. The only thing I will say is I was a little disappointed by the BBEG (big bad evil guy). I mean, the whole book is building up to them fighting the BBEG, and then it just kind of petters out with the finale of how they defeat him. Maybe that is just me, but I felt kind of taken a back by how easily these two kids defeated him. I also think some of the writing, while cool for me who is a seasoned nerd, may go over some childrens' heads. There were a lot of geek culture references that I am not sure most twelve year olds would know them all. Some for sure! Just not all of them.
As for the narrator, as I listened to the audiobook, I think they did a phenomenal job. To me, middle grade and children's audiobooks should have narrators that intrigue the listener, not just tell the story to them. I think this narrator did a fantastic job of not only giving the narration voice, but also keeping all of the character voices different inflections.
ekimball's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tine9625's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kalynwebb's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
strawbibble's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-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? No
3.0
littlecozyreaderr's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
libr4416's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
xandra_lyn's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I really wanted to like this book, as it deals with fascinating tales from a non-western culture. However, I found the Amira's steam of consciousness incredibly annoying. The author also threw in random things about how horrible humans are for polluting the oceans and space. She's not wrong, but it came off poorly . The book had nothing to do with that, and if she felt so strongly about it, she should have incorporated it more than having a mythical creature complain about it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death