Review: The Egypt Game

5 stars. Could not have enjoyed this more - it had me staying up late, "one more chapter" and all that! I wonder if this book kickstarted my Egypt phase, back in the day? Regardless, I highly, highly recommend this for readers of all ages - it's a timeless classic, an important story, and a ridiculously fun, good time. I cried at the end (pregnant). 

When young April Hall moves to town, she quickly befriends Melanie Ross, discovering a mutual love for all things Ancient Egypt. Together with Melanie's younger brother Marshall they invent The Egypt Game, adopting an old storage shed behind a junk shop for their rituals and ceremonies. But as the Game grows, strange things happen, and the players start to wonder if they've conjured the magic of Ancient Egypt after all...

I actually cannot believe how well-written and clever this is. The author really channels - successfully - the quirks and voices of the kids, infusing some really important and powerful lessons into the narrative. The representation - for a book published in 1967 - is incredible, and I nearly dropped the book when I realized there's a MURDER SUBPLOT?! What do you mean? Could this book be any further up my alley?

There's plenty for adults. It's a throwback to the joy of immersive, imaginative play, and there are clever references to the tensions of its time: the Civil Rights movement, for example. I don't think it's an accident that the murderer turned out to be a white ginger from a well-respected family. It's funny, and insightful without knocking you over the head, and don't even get me started on Mr. Ross calling April "the cruelest month...." 

I loved this book as a kid, and I love it now. There's so much to read, out there, but let this be a sign: revisit the good ones, occasionally. It's very rewarding.

The Egypt Game on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph