Chloe, Queen of Denial

Rating:
Summary: A nice book
Review: I read this book after its companion book, Eyeliner of the Gods, by Katie Maxwell. As an adult, I found them both a tiny bit dull, but I think a teenage girl would like this book. The main character, Chloe, is a self-proclaimed chicken. She fears anything new and adventurous. When it is discovered that Chloe is interested in Egyptian culture, her parents decide to send her to Egypt to work as an amateur archaeologist with a group called DigEgypt! It's a month-long program for teens interested in archaeology to get some hands-on experience. Chloe's father thinks it will look great on her college applications, but the thought of going makes Chloe sick. She's afraid of the whole thing, starting with the flight. Since no one will know her in Egypt, Chloe decides to use the month to re-invent herself. She's going to be brave and outgoing. One thing threatens to ruin her plan, though, and that's Connor, an older boy from her school back home. But Connor is under the mistaken impression that Chloe hangs out with the cool crowd back home, and Chloe lets him think that. During the dig, Chloe becomes a leader for the other teens. She even leads a mini-revolt to get them more water for baths and laundry. Chloe and Connor grow close, and there's some nice teen romance. The rest of the plot involves an ancient bracelet from the tombs that Chloe can't seem to get rid of. This is the part of the book that is intertwined with Eyeliner of the Gods, by Katie Maxwell. In that book, Jan James is having a similar problem with a bracelet. Chloe thinks Jan is stuck-up because she's on the restoration team, and Jan thinks Chloe is a shallow, lip gloss-obsessed girl. I recommend reading EOTG first. When you read each book, you get to know Jan and Chloe more intimately and you find they're both wrong about each other. I think teenagers would enjoy both books.

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious Accompaniment to 'Eyeliner of the Gods'
Review: Sixteen-year-old high school sophomore, Chloe Bryce, is absolutely dreading going on this archaeological dig in the middle of the desert. You see, it wasn't her who wanted to go, but rather her Father (Mr. this will look good on your college application), who forced her to pack up her lip gloss and head out to the Sahara Desert, where she will spend a month at the Tombs of Tekhen and Tekhnet. Little did she know that she would have to spend the entire month smelling gross (seeing as you only get to bathe every ten days), and taking the kind of crazy risks that only Indiana Jones would take willingly. Sure, Chloe got to kiss the absolute hottest guy on the dig, but she also had to put up with snotty January James digging through her belongings. Obviously, this is going to be one very long month.

Naomi Nash has a wonderful, fresh new writing style that makes the reader feel as if they are reading about their best friend, or even themselves. Her vivid descriptions, and hilarious character commentary keep the story moving quickly, while at the same time forcing the reader to pick up the pace, so as to see what will happen next. Chloe is a brazen, bold character, who easily captures the heart and attention of the reader on the opening page when she defeats a killer scorpion who has slipped into her cot uninvited; and her problems and wonky situations just get better, and more exciting, from there. Overall this is a must-read book for all teenagers. Especially those who enjoyed the prequel EYELINER OF THE GODS, written by Katie Maxwell.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper