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mrsbear's review against another edition
I am sad to say I could not get into this book. I love all the books the Gears write but something about this one felt off to me. I couldn't finish it so it's unfair to rate it.
left_unsupervised's review against another edition
**DNF**
I am marking this as finished. I have too many books already checked out to finish a book that I struggled to complete one chapter. There is nothing wrong with the writing- it is just not my normal genre and I was not getting interested.
I am marking this as finished. I have too many books already checked out to finish a book that I struggled to complete one chapter. There is nothing wrong with the writing- it is just not my normal genre and I was not getting interested.
meganh123's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
hadiqa01's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars for Roberto man!!! By far the best and hilariously funny character I have ever come across. He was the one keeping it together for me because I didn’t enjoy the book much but he made me laugh so much like hell! He would say some darn things and all of a sudden I would burst out laughing lol!
This would’ve been a fun read but I have more complaints than compliments. First,
1. This was in the adult fiction section whereas it could’ve been a YA book. It actually could’ve been a middle grade but oh lord! the things Roberto says smh and LOL! I was reading mostly his parts and I wish there was a book just the things Roberto said in the book. :D
Enough about Roberto. Now, I did enjoy the beginning of the book but those excerpts from the past or whatever that was was super annoying!! I do not know much about the chemistry between Cleopatra and Ceasar (I do know the historical bits but not in supreme details) so it was not making sense at all and was really boring :( I wish there were less of that and more of the story progress and Roberto :D
This would’ve been a fun read but I have more complaints than compliments. First,
1. This was in the adult fiction section whereas it could’ve been a YA book. It actually could’ve been a middle grade but oh lord! the things Roberto says smh and LOL! I was reading mostly his parts and I wish there was a book just the things Roberto said in the book. :D
Enough about Roberto. Now, I did enjoy the beginning of the book but those excerpts from the past or whatever that was was super annoying!! I do not know much about the chemistry between Cleopatra and Ceasar (I do know the historical bits but not in supreme details) so it was not making sense at all and was really boring :( I wish there were less of that and more of the story progress and Roberto :D
chiaraogan's review against another edition
3.0
I gave this 3 stars (2.5 is more like it) because if you don't pay attention to the details and don't think too much about it, it's a fine way to pass the time. But OMG. The consistently wrong details, or in probable (or just plain weird details) was a real problem for me. It felt lazy.
For example... there's no way someone would live in Georgetown, CO, and commute to Fort Collins to teach. It's too far and the weather is too unpredictable. Plus... CSU Ft Collins may have an archaeology program, but they don't specialize in Egyptology. The Uncle wouldn't switch dig sites from Pelusium to Karnak in a season. They'd have at least one layover flying from Denver to Port Said. And who is paying for these boys to go to Egypt? I don't think archaeology digs are known for having big budgets. Robert needed surgery on his bullet wound, yet only 3 weeks later he's hiking in the desert for hours and hours, a hike that nearly wiped both boys out at the beginning? And carrying a 2000-year-old mummy to boot? WHAT? That made no sense at all.
Weird detail example... when a character was introduced the first time, you always got a description of their nose shape - hooked, button, upturned. Once you realized it, it was everywhere.
I really didn't like how other than the boys, the characters weren't developed. The parents were mean and it wasn't clear why they acted how they did. Same with the aunt and uncle. What was their motivation? The students at the dig site - totally cardboard stereotypes.
For example... there's no way someone would live in Georgetown, CO, and commute to Fort Collins to teach. It's too far and the weather is too unpredictable. Plus... CSU Ft Collins may have an archaeology program, but they don't specialize in Egyptology. The Uncle wouldn't switch dig sites from Pelusium to Karnak in a season. They'd have at least one layover flying from Denver to Port Said. And who is paying for these boys to go to Egypt? I don't think archaeology digs are known for having big budgets. Robert needed surgery on his bullet wound, yet only 3 weeks later he's hiking in the desert for hours and hours, a hike that nearly wiped both boys out at the beginning? And carrying a 2000-year-old mummy to boot? WHAT? That made no sense at all.
Weird detail example... when a character was introduced the first time, you always got a description of their nose shape - hooked, button, upturned. Once you realized it, it was everywhere.
I really didn't like how other than the boys, the characters weren't developed. The parents were mean and it wasn't clear why they acted how they did. Same with the aunt and uncle. What was their motivation? The students at the dig site - totally cardboard stereotypes.
cacaw253's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. Made me feel a lot of emotions in the best possible way. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
aprilsarah's review against another edition
3.0
*ARC received from #Netgalley in return for an honest review*
Video Review: https://youtu.be/l-tXbpKfNhI
This whole story gave me a little bit of 'The Mummy' vibes and a little bit of Indiana Jones but with a very young adult bent to it. I loved that there was so much history embedded in this book. I was fascinated the whole way through. The little tidbits of Antonius and Cleopatra and their love story captured me in a way I wasn't expecting. Plus you get a lot of Egyptian mythology. You get to see Ammut, you get to see Set, and you also get to see the culture around archaeology, more specifically, in Egypt. It was so intriguing.
I do have to say that the characters in this story were not my favorite. They felt like characters I have seen before. There were instances in which we were following Hal and how he was grieving, where I struggled with how everyone was interacting. See how he was interacting and dealing with his parents and just adults in general. It felt off somehow and his parents' reaction to Cleo did not feel authentic.
And then there was the fact that Hal was very much into Cleo and her thoughts around reincarnation. But when he came up against something that was equally as odd and magical, he instantly wrote it off. He was willing to believe one aspect of magic and this ancient Egyptian culture but not others.
So overall I really enjoyed a lot of aspects of this book, all of the history, all of the mythology, the mystery. I just struggled with how the characters interacted with each other. I found myself reading more into the mystery/Egypt aspect and really, really enjoying that. Loved Egypt. Loved the history. Loved the mythology. Struggled with some of the character interactions. That pretty much sums up my thoughts.
Video Review: https://youtu.be/l-tXbpKfNhI
This whole story gave me a little bit of 'The Mummy' vibes and a little bit of Indiana Jones but with a very young adult bent to it. I loved that there was so much history embedded in this book. I was fascinated the whole way through. The little tidbits of Antonius and Cleopatra and their love story captured me in a way I wasn't expecting. Plus you get a lot of Egyptian mythology. You get to see Ammut, you get to see Set, and you also get to see the culture around archaeology, more specifically, in Egypt. It was so intriguing.
I do have to say that the characters in this story were not my favorite. They felt like characters I have seen before. There were instances in which we were following Hal and how he was grieving, where I struggled with how everyone was interacting. See how he was interacting and dealing with his parents and just adults in general. It felt off somehow and his parents' reaction to Cleo did not feel authentic.
And then there was the fact that Hal was very much into Cleo and her thoughts around reincarnation. But when he came up against something that was equally as odd and magical, he instantly wrote it off. He was willing to believe one aspect of magic and this ancient Egyptian culture but not others.
So overall I really enjoyed a lot of aspects of this book, all of the history, all of the mythology, the mystery. I just struggled with how the characters interacted with each other. I found myself reading more into the mystery/Egypt aspect and really, really enjoying that. Loved Egypt. Loved the history. Loved the mythology. Struggled with some of the character interactions. That pretty much sums up my thoughts.
danallicalhoun's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed reading this book. I love when authors combine anthropology and a little bit of fantasy. I loved that this book was a little bit fantastical, but still had a real world feeling about it. I also appreciate that Kathleen O'Neal Gear did such a good job keeping to a lot of the history from Egypt and Cleopatra. I learned a lot about the history as I read the book and kept pausing to google certain facts and questions. Even with all the pausing to look up the history, I zoomed through this book. I love Kathleen's style of writing, and devour each of her books. I can't wait to read whatever it is that she writes next!