Karuna Riazi

I agree that we need diverse books, and this Bangladeshi take on Jumanji has a lot to recommend it, and a few areas that fall short. The characters are good, the puzzle solving/board game aspects are solid and interesting, and it's certainly fast paced. Also, the imaginary world of the gauntlet is quite beautiful, and I lurved the lizard resistance corps. As first books go, this is an impressive debut.

Things I didn't love so much/ my nitpicky adult brain got stuck on:

Welp, it's basically show more Jumanji.

Also, Farah's younger brother, Ahmad, is a badly behaved brat that tantrums whenever anything doesn't go his way. Apparently this is due to ADHD? Apparently, that should excuse him from anything other than drooling love from his family and especially his big sister? That felt like the perpetuation of a cultural norm in which precious boy children should always be deferred to and spoiled by their less important sisters. I feel pretty strongly that that particular cultural norm leads to men with no self-control and a culture of rape of the abuse of women, and I want it to go away with all the fire of my heart, so even though I'm not 100% sure that's what's going on here, it made me deeply uncomfortable to see Farah defer in all ways to her dearly beloved and completely unrestrained younger brother.

There were also several moments which came across as a glorification of not eating/ despising Essie for enjoying eating, and I really don't appreciate that point of view. Essie clearly has other qualities and evens out as a beloved friend as the adventure continues, but it felt perilously close to fat-shaming.

Finally, sometimes the plot was so fast paced/ the descriptions were so vibrant but shallow that it stopped making sense. It almost felt like leaping from one crumbling sand block to another before anything was fully formed. That works, on the whole, with the theme of illusion, but neither the message nor the line of the plot ever really clicked in for me as well as I wanted them to. It felt unfinished, or perhaps unpolished, and let me say again that I think it's an impressive place to start from, if polishing is all it needs.

This review may sound super negative, and I'm sorry for that -- I think this book is a strong choice for the audience it's intended for, I'm just not convinced that it has the literary strength to become a beloved classic -- please understand that that is the very high bar I am reading for -- and if you are looking for nonstop adventure in a fantastically imaginative new world, this is definitely a great book to pick up. show less

This is the first book I've read from Simon and Schuster's new imprint, Salaam Reads. It. Was. AWESOME.

Farah's twelfth birthday is not going well. Even though her best friends Essie and Alex are there, she's uncomfortable with all the strangers her parents have invited and feels almost a stranger with her friends, now that her family has moved to a new home. She's also exasperated with her little brother, Ahmad. Usually, Farah is patient with him, knowing that his ADHD makes it hard for him show more to control himself, but today she just wants something for herself.

Something like her strange aunt's present, a mysterious board game with unexpected powers. But Farah quickly discovers some things you can't handle on your own. Like it or not, Farah must lead her friends into the Gauntlet of Blood and Sand if she wants to save her brother - and all the other creatures and people trapped there.

Farah is an amazing character - tough, determined, knowledgeable, but willing to ask for help and dealing with everyday issues in the midst of her fantastical adventure. Her friends are fully realized, with their own quirks and personalities, but never overpower Farah's place as the central character. The game world is almost a character itself, with evocative descriptions of the souk, the palaces, and the sand that flows everywhere. Throughout the story, the thread of games is woven; Farah's family loves to play board games and this knowledge helps her meet the challenges and solve the clues that will hopefully allow them to survive the dangerous world of the Gauntlet of Blood and Sand.

Verdict: A riveting adventure with plenty of peril, excitement, and a series of great clues and games paired with a stellar set of diverse characters, this book is a must-have for your libraries and a top choice for book clubs and recommendations. Strongly recommended.

ISBN: 9781481486965; Published 2017 by Salaam Reads/Simon and Schuster; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library show less

I love the cover, the culture, the representation -- Bangledeshi/Muslim/Black -- the Sinbad heritage is interesting, the magic is original, and I like that this isn't a direct retelling. I'm not the intended audience, so I don't know that it matters much that this didn't draw me in as much as I'd hoped it would. It's solid, and the right reader will get a lot out of it.

I didn't love it, but I'm not the target audience for it. Unfortunately, the children didn't love it, either. Yes, they're great readers and yes, they're picky. They wanted more. And I don't blame them! We needed more words explaining what was going on and less about the setting.

Honestly, here's what I think happened: I think this was originally written for older kids, or it was longer, or something. And someone in publishing land was like, quick, you have to cut this in half. And the show more author, bless her, did, but she cut the half the kids cared about. I wish she'd had room to expand and say what she really wanted to say, because I don't feel like this was it. I could totally be projecting, but something felt off. Contrived. Square peg, round hole.

Also, every single kid in my group was gobsmacked that the main character didn't just leave her brother in the game to die. They're merciless. show less