A Novel with Thoughts and Ponderings

EYELINER OF THE GODS

Author: Katie Maxwell ISBN: 0843953780 7/2004 YOUNG ADULT Publisher: Smooch/Dorchester

Eyeliner of the Gods by Katie Maxwell

If you’re reading this note, you’re probably in the middle of the desert pulling it from the vulture-plucked bones of someone who used to be named Chloe Bryce.

Or maybe you're my poor, grieving parents who sent me to die in Egypt. A month at the Tomb of Tekhen and Tekhnet will look really good on your college resume, you said. Satisfied now, guys? Maybe you two didn’t know I’d end up facing risks that would make Indiana Jones think twice -- baths only every ten days, blistering heat, ancient tombs, mummies, a cursed bracelet. . . . Of course, I did manage to kiss the dig’s one hot guy -- so you can console yourselves that I died somewhat happy!

Or you might be that snotty January James, going through my backpack. AGAIN. Jan, I swear, if I catch you with this note, I'm going to kick you right in the King Tut....

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS: 4 Rose Read

January James get the chance of a lifetime when she’s accepted as a member of Dig Egypt!, a program where teens get to work with archaeologists and preservationists at an actual burial site. She’s basically there for one reason – to write articles for the tabloids. Her goal in life is to become a journalist and work for one of the tabloids in the checkout stand. Jan wants desperately to be involved in the dig section, in order to get evidence of the mummy’s curse, but instead she’s sent to work with the preservationists. And, to top it off, Seth, her crush, is giving off mixed-signals. Does he want to be with her or that snotty Chloe?

In EYELINER OF THE GODS, Maxwell has once again given us another teen with which to laugh. Jan’s the quintessential teen – a bit self-conscious, but brazen at the same time. Without meaning to, Jan walks into one mess after another, often with hilarious outcomes. I especially enjoyed the tricks she plays on Chloe (Her point of view is told in Naomi Nash’s CHLOE, QUEEN OF DENIAL.), the girl she doesn’t like, which ends up backfiring on her. EYELINER is a quick and amusing read – one that pulls you in from page one and leaves you wanting more at the end. I think Maxwell has another hit teen girl in Jan, much like Emily Williams from LOO and KILTS fame. This is a not-to-be-missed book for those fans of teen fiction.

Kendra Patterson

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