The Chaos of Stars

September 11, 2013 Uncategorized 0

The Chaos of Stars

Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: Sept. 10, 2013
Pages: 288
Source: ARC from Edelweiss

About the Book: Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.

Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.

Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all.

My Thoughts: Kiersten White blends ancient mythology and the life of a modern day teen in a way I’ve never seen before. I’ve read modern day retellings of myths and continuations but never anything quite like this.  I simply could not get enough!

Isadora is the mortal daughter of Egyptian gods. However, she didn’t always know she was mortal. Talk about a rude awakening! I was so fascinated by her life and how her heritage affected her. Seeing her family and their actions through her eyes was a treat. I have to admit, I’m not nearly as “up” on the Egyptian pantheon of gods as the Greek or Roman. The made the excerpts at the beginning of the chapters really helpful. Also, Isadora “tells” them and, as White bestowed her signature humor and wit upon Isadora, each one had me laughing. 

The story itself kept me engaged and trying to figure out some of the more mysterious aspects of the plot. Having some familiarity with mythology helped me pick up on a couple things but others took me by surprise. Part of it was I just kept getting so distracted by the endearing characters that I forgot I was trying to piece something together! This is certainly not a complaint. I loved the characters and their idiosyncrasies. I was also impressed with how easily I was able to relate to a character who was raised by deities. The overarching theme of family (and trying to find ones place in their own) is something readers can connect with.  

In the case of The Chaos of Stars, the pleasure you get from the gorgeous cover only hints at the enjoyment to be found in the story it contains. A fun and delightful book. I can’t wait to get the library copy in to share with my students! 

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