Review Detail

The Red Pyramid 

By RickRiordan

Fantasy/Mythology

5 out of 5 stars

Review by Katie Coggins

After their mother passes, main characters, Carter and Sadie Kane must separate. Sadie goes to their grandparents house in England and Carter goes with their father, an Egyptologist traveling the world. The two grow up only meeting two awkward times a year in London. One of their family reunions goes wrong. By wrong I mean very wrong. Her father blows up the rosetta stone, releases five Egyptian Gods, and somehow manages to get trapped in a golden coffin sunk deep into the ground. What a beginning! The two are forced to work together, with their cat Muffin, now Bast the Egyptian cat goddess, and Kufu a basket ball loving baboon, on something unimaginable and unpredictable. They later find out that they are magicians with gods stuck inside them, (at least they are not imagining the voices in their heads). They embark on a journey to save their dad, learn to use their powers, not get caught by the House Of Life (other magicians who dont think kindly of the god hosting siblings), and save the world from the chaos created by the gods release. Sadie and her friendly neighborhood goddess Isis can read hieroglyphics, while Carter and his new buddy Horus play with swords. They can both use magic, shape shift, and pull things out of the Duat, not quite the same as pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The kids fight monsters like Leroy, meet a cute god of the dead, and jump from place to place in a matter of days. They must defeat Set the strongest of the gods and his demons or the world will be destroyed. Can they do it or will they go up in the ashes of civilization?

This exciting 528 page adventure by Rick Riordan teaches you things about the Egyptian gods and goddesses in interesting ways. It weaves in mythology and modern day things, as well as magic that might make you think you are in the future. Action is present on every page and exciting events chase each other like cars in a street race. You get to know the characters throughout the book and the way they feel. The book is written as audio voice recordings by Carter and Sadie so you really get inside their heads. The book is filled with comedy, heart-felt moments, as well as heart racing terror. The Los Angeles Times said Once again, Riordan masterfully meshes modern life with mythology and history, reinvigorating dusty artifacts such as the Rosetta Stone... I would suggest this book for ages 11 and up, even for reluctant readers. It is a New York Times bestseller. Must I say more? If you enjoy this book I would suggest reading Riordans other books. All are fantastic. Warning: Side affects of reading this book: may cause awesome fun dreams, wanting to read it during class, fantasizing on who your god/goddess would be, and possibly, trying out magic in the hall ways. I hope you enjoy the book!