Jennifer Bradbury

Part historical fiction, part broken/ rebuilding romance, and part thriller, this is a great read about a girl whose father has a mental illness that has stressed and frustrated her most of her life. When he disappears instead of going to work the one job he's performed every summer, she begins to worry. The only person she can trust to help her figure out what's going on thanks to a mysterious display of maps and post-it noted on the wall at her father's home, is the guy who dumped her the show more year before.
It turns out Dad has gone to climb a peak, allegedly the only one a famous hiker/climber never summited in their part of the country. If Cara is going to find her father, she needs Nat's help. Their detective work is blended with entries from a diary beginning just before World War Two that gradually reveal part of the mystery that has her father trying to summit the peak. The author's knowledge of technical climbing, the gradual revelations about what happened many years ago, and the way Cara and Nat slowly open back up to each other are combined to create a real page turner that subtly opens readers' eyes to how devastating the internment of Japanese Americans was during the war. Terrific read all the way around. show less

Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lawns of Lord Showalter's estate, with chaperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic "atmosphere" for the first party of the season. An unwrapping.

This is the start of it all, Agnes's show more debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband, and high society. It's also the start of something else, because the mummy Agnes unwraps isn't just a mummy. It's a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny—unleashing mystery, an international intrigue, and possibly a curse in the bargain. show less

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Agnes is an intelligent girl as well as an exceptionally gifted linguist (she's very fond of quote Jane Austin in different languages). Unfortunately her intellect and talents are of no use to a young woman in Regency era England. Her only real role is to be a dutiful daughter, go to dress fittings and society functions, and be a lovely little decoration. Her mother has decided that it's time for 17 year old Agnes to get married. Agnes isn't quite sure what show more to feel about this, other than overwhelmed. She wants to travel, learn, and use her mind but she also understands that she is supposed to get married, raise a family, and run a household. She's understandable scared about being married and in charge of a home; she has no such experience and shouldn't hope for a socially appropriate love match like her parents had. The handsome Lord Showalter seems quite taken with her, which is quite exciting, but Agnes still feels a bit unsettled. He's pleasant enough but there is something missing that nags at her. She stumbles upon a mystery, maybe a curse or possibly spies, during Showalter's unwrapping party. Events bring Caedmon to her attention. He's a brilliant young man born in the wrong class and will never get credit for his achievements. Together they try to find out what's behind the mummy's curse.

Wrapped is a fun and fast read and Agnes is a great character. She is so intelligent but never allowed to live up to her potential because of her gender. Life is coming at her a bit faster than she can deal with and then it's topped off with the mummy mystery that both intrigues and frightens her. I especially liked that she had every intention of telling her father and getting help but then gets angry with her family and decides to "show them"/punish them by haring off on her own. While a fluffy read, Agnes came across as a relatable and realistic 17 year old. The romance was light and moved quickly but Caedmon was a great match for her. He's also held back by society and his intelligence and abilities are hindered by his low social status. While they seem so different, they are actually very similar. Bradbury peppers her story with Agnes' witty observations, entertaining Jane Austin references, and society's irritating views of "the weaker sex". This last, in particularl, underscores just how much of herself Agnes must deny because of women's place in society. Bradbury also does an excellent job of introducing and explaining the ancient Egyptian aspect of the story without overloading the reader. She tries to convey the large scale of the Egyptian temples and statues which I don't think is something most people realize. We all know that the pyramids are huge, but the ancient Egyptians did everything big. The ending leaves room for sequels but I don't believe this is the start of a new series. It's a shame, though, I would love to read more about Agnes and Caedmon.

This book reminded me a lot of Zylpha Keatley Snider's The Egypt Game, an old favorite of mine, and might be why I enjoyed Wrapped so much. The mix of British and Egyptian history, curses and spies, and an relatable heroin sucked me right in. It's not a story that will stick with you forever, but every time you see it on the shelf you'll think, "Oh, that was a fun story." Wrapped is a good choice for those days when you want something a little bit different, fun, fast, and engrossing.

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When an older brother is confronted in line for ice cream about letting his younger brother cut the line to join him, he thinks of all the ways they are alike, even though they have different skin colors and hair types. In the end, he doesn't say anything to the white kid who confronted him - but they all find something in common: their love for sugar cones. (The white boy wears glasses, as does his younger brother, who is also using crutches.) A sweet story about family.