Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Ratings Explanation

Language: Exclamations involving deity are frequent.  Sadie is raised in England and often uses the word “bloody”.   There is some name calling like dense, stupid and some potty humor.

Violence: Carter tells about gunmen in a hotel and shots being fired.  There are many, many instances of monsters, creatures, demons and various “things” chasing and attacking Carter, Sadie and others.  There are explosions and sword fights, stabbings and blood.  The “land of the dead” is described.  Magic is used to fight; chaos versus order.  Carter is almost drowned by the Crocodile God.  One creature is described as “bare-chested and hairy with purplish skin.  A rope belt was tied around his waist, festooned with leather pouches, severed demon heads, and other charming bits and bobs.  His head was a strange combination of lion and human, with gold eyes and a black mane done in dreadlocks.  His blood-spattered mouth was feline, with bristly whiskers and razor-sharp fangs.”

Adult Themes: Carter’s dad tells him, “You are an African American man.  People will judge you more harshly, and so you must always look impeccable.”  Carter describes racism and an encounter with police.  The Egyptian Gods use human bodies as “hosts”.  Terrorism is mentioned.  Carter is raised with his dad while Sadie is raised with her grandparents.  Sadie feels abandoned.  She only sees her dad and brother twice a year.

Synopsis

Carter and Sadie Kane, brother and sister, have been living separately since their mother died.  Carter lives and travels with their father, an Egyptologist.  Everything he owns in life can fit in a suitcase.  Sadie lives with her grandparents in London, England where she attends school and lives a fairly “normal” life.  Each wishes for what the other has.  On Christmas Eve, Carter and his dad pick Sadie up for the semi-annual visitation.  The kids are taken to the British Museum where their dad promises that he is going to make everything right.  Before they know it, the Rosetta Stone explodes, their dad is entombed and a scary, fiery figure is released.  Carter and Sadie embark on a dangerous journey to save their dad, the Egyptian Gods and the world.  Along the way they discover many truths about their family, Egyptian history and themselves.

I originally started out reading this book out loud to my 8 year old.  I soon realized that this was not age appropriate for her.  This is a good, thick book and a well written story.  I really got a good picture of characters by their descriptions.  There is a lot of action and many fighting scenes.  I enjoyed the stories of the Egyptian Gods, and the history behind some of the beliefs of the Egyptians.  Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from the book.  “Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same.  Fairness means everyone gets what they need.  And the only way to get what you need is to make it happen yourself.”  “Far, far below, red liquid bubbled.  Blood?  Lava?  Evil ketchup?  None of the possibilities were good.”  I’m not sure I would recommend this book for ages below 6^th grade.  There are a lot of words and concepts that might be hard for younger readers to understand fully.