The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
Review by Matthew Y., Youth Reviewer
“The Red Pyramid” by Rick Riordan is the first of three books in the series, “The Kane Chronicles”. The book follows siblings Carter and Sadie Kane. While on a family trip to the museum, their father (who - unbeknownst to them, is a magician), unintentionally releases Set, the Egyption god of chaos. Carter and Sadie quickly discover that they are descendants of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, and begin to develop their new powers. With the help of Amos, their uncle and fellow magician, Carter and Sadie must prevent Set from unleashing destruction and chaos upon the world.
Personally, I loved reading this book. Carter and Sadie, the main characters, are very unalike in their personalities and actions, which only addsto their dynamic. Carter is not very social, and is extremely knowledgeable about ancient Egypt and its mythology, while Sadie is confident, sarcastic, and a bit of a rebel. The book very successfully created a large variety of characters and personalities for readers to relate with.
In addition, The Red Pyramid is delivered in the form of a recording, where Carter and Sadie take turns narrating the story. I found this format both unique and refreshing. Moreover, the pacing of the plot in this book is on the faster side, and can be difficult to follow for more inexperienced readers. During my reading, I learned (and retained) a lot of information about Egyptian mythology and history. The book does a great job of keeping readers engaged and curious, while also being very informative and offering something new to learn.
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone above the age of 11 or 12. I was not a fan of Egyptian mythology when I first picked it up, but now I am. 9/10!
Find “The Red Pyramid” at the Kitchener Public Library!