Read: September 9-13, 2015Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Synopsis from Goodreads:
"Some tombs should never be opened...
Fluorine uranium carbon potassium. Jane’s experiment really went wrong this time. After a fatal accident, teen scientist Jane becomes the first modern-day...mummy. Waking up in the Egyptian underworld without a heart certainly isn’t the best—especially when it means Anubis, god of embalming, has to devour her soul. Yuck. But when Jane meets the drop-dead gorgeous god, suddenly she's thinking this might not be the worst thing to happen. And then she is pushed to do the impossible—just time-travel and kill King Tut. Well, every experiment has variables which can end in disaster... Jane just wishes she could decide whether she wants to strangle Anubis or kiss him."
My Review
Peoples! Guess what?! This is the first book where I was required to leave a review in exchange for getting my hands on this copy! I usually don't read books that require a review because I'm too insecure about reviewing, but this book was way too interesting to let the opportunity pass. Thank you so much Entangled Publishing for providing me with this wonderful book. I'm so excited to share my review with you!Oh. My. Goodness....this book was freaking fantastic! I don't even know where to start...I'm still too starstruck to gather my emotions and coordinate them with coherent words...let me try anyway...
Jane Ezrael died while on a trip to Skutz Falls with her brother, and awakes to find herself in the Duat, without a heart (at first I don't understand why she is without a heart, but all will be revealed once you read this book). This proves to be a problem because without a heart, she has nothing to weigh against the feather of truth. And if she doesn't pass the test of the scales, she won't be able to pass into the Field of Reeds, a.k.a. Paradise. And so begins the journey of Jane Ezrael.
While in the Duat, Jane meets Anubis, the god of embalming. Because she is heartless, Anubis must devour her, but Jane bargains with Anubis to give her one more day before he does, he accepts. While wandering around in the Duat, she meets Aten, the Sun god. Aten strikes a deal with Jane: steal a pharaoh's heart to be weighed against the feather of truth. Ta-da! Problem=solved. Jane is then sent to ancient Egypt, back to King Tut's time.
After reading the synopsis, I couldn't wait to read the book, to see how the authors would execute such an interesting plot. And to say I was not disappointed would be an understatement.
I LIKED...
Besides the entire story? Ha. OK, to be more specific...
THE EGYPTIAN STUFF. I absolutely loved reading about all the Egyptian aspects of this book, from the god/goddesses, to the afterlife and mummification, to the general Egyptian-like feelings that surround it.
THE ALTERNATING PoV's. In most stories I read with alternating PoV's, I easily become confused as to who's narrating if I'm not paying close attention. This book however, I had no problem with it. Getting to read about Anubis' side was awesome and completely amazing.
JANE & ANUBIS' REALTIONSHIP. Gosh, how I loved the scenes when Jane and Anubis had their "moments". It was so beautiful. To see how each event impacted their relationship and made them grow closer together...*swoons* When they weren't bantering back and forth, they truly were a breathtaking couple.
THE FEELS! I love it when a book makes me feel intense emotions such as pain, hurt, happiness, or sadness. And this book definitely did that to me. I found myself crying, and squirming and writhing in agony when harsh words were exchanged between Jane and Anubis because of some silly misunderstanding.
THE THEMES. Throughout the book, Jane feels like she's wasted her life. She's spent almost every waking moment trying to reach her goal: getting into The University of Cambridge. Only to die before reading the letter from Cambridge. But as the story progresses, Jane realises that she's finally living. She discovers the joys and importance of living for the present instead of dwelling in the past, or worrying about the future. Jane also realises that a letter from Cambridge is not as important as she initially thought. That letter does not dictate her life and how she should live it.
Spoiler: Near the end of the book, Jane goes back home to see that her death had caused the salvation of thousands. Her heart was donated to a patient with heart failure, and her body was donated to a research project to help cure malaria!
I DISLIKED...
JANE'S INDECISIVENESS. I feel that the majority of the book was Jane debating her moral ethnics on taking Tut's heart. I understand that the synopsis did state that Jane would be having trouble deciding, but it revolved around this more than I'd liked.
Jane: I must get Tut's heart.
Tut: You're my best friend.
Jane: Ahh! I can't do it! He's the only friend I have!
*Time passes*
Jane: Ahh! I'm wasting time, I need a heat from a pharaoh, and-oh look! King Tut! He's a pharaoh!
Tut: *smiles*
Jane: How could I be so selfish!? He's just a boy and I have no right to take his heart. What was I thinking!?
*More time passes*
Jane: Grr. That. Heart. Is. Mine. King Tut is evil! He takes food from the poor, and celebrates when everyone is suffering.
Tut: I'm sorry for being cruel...I just feel so insecure, and I'd like to ask for your apology...
Jane: Aww, of course I'll forgive you.
*Time passes*
Jane: Heart=Mine.
Jane: Nevermind...it's not right...
Of course I'm exaggerating and poling fun a whole lot, but...this really is a great story. Don't let this deter you from reading it!
THE ENDING. This could just be me, but I thought then ending was a bit abrupt, not to mention ambiguous. I'd would have liked to read more on how Anubis and Jane fared after they got back to the Duat. I wasn't quite satisfied with how it ended. I WANT MOOOOOOOOORE!!! Oh well, that's just me being picky.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book (as if you didn't already get that from my previous excitement). I was in the much dreaded reading slump for a long time, and this delightful book made me rediscover my love of reading again. I am forever indebted to this book...I do hope to read more books by these authors soon. I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about Egyptian mythology, or just about anything. Because this book is just that marvelous.
***After reading my review, I have realized that my review does this book no justice. The feelings I've had associated to this book are just to great to be explained with mere words, and this book will forever hold a special place in my heart.
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