The Chaos of Stars

July 29, 2013
Sixteen-year-old Isadora talks a bit like a spoiled California teen, but she doesn’t actually become one until her mother sends her to San Diego to keep her safe. Until that point, Isadora lives in an ancient temple complex in the Egyptian desert—this is because her mother is the goddess Isis, and her father is Osiris. What the danger is and why it apparently follows Isadora to America is unclear, hinted at only in dreams. Isadora would rather think about how much she wants to spite her mother, redecorate every room she enters (she’s an aspiring interior designer), and not fall in love with the beautiful Greek boy, Ry, who’s hanging around. As a character, Isadora is (by design) fairly arrogant and self-absorbed, but she also has a point: it’s hard to understand why immortal parents would purposely give their child mortality. White (Mind Games) uses her technical prowess with narrative forms to break up the story, and she brings an irreverent sense of humor to Egyptian myth. Parents you’re literally supposed to worship? Gross. Ages 13–up. Agent: Michelle Wolfson, Wolfson Literary.

September 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-Life is lonely when you're the 16-year-old mortal daughter of Egyptian gods. Isadora has been constantly reminded of her mortality ever since her parents, Isis and Osiris, showed her her own tomb as a young girl. Tired of her family's long history of feuding and scheming, she is counting the days until she is old enough to get away and live a normal life. That opportunity arrives when some bad dreams and an unexpected visitor cause Isis to send the teen to live with relatives in San Diego because home is no longer safe. Thinking that she is finally out of her parents' reach, Isadora is quickly proven wrong when she learns that her mother wants her to volunteer at a local museum to earn her allowance. Although she is wary of relationships, she can't resist befriending Tyler, a feisty girl and fellow volunteer. And despite her belief that love leads to chaos and disaster, Isadora gets close to Tyler's gorgeous poet friend, Ry. The strong bonds she forms help her appreciate her parents and embrace love for the sake of loving. White cleverly uses Egyptian mythology to depict teenage angst and generational conflict in a light, witty style. Although the characters are simplistic, the themes are clear and well executed. Readers looking for a fresh take on paranormal stories will find a lot to love in this romance.-Joy Piedmont, LREI, New York City

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2013
The relationship between a teen and her parents is complicated--especially if that family is full of Egyptian gods. Despite the promising premise, this latest from White achieves only demigod status at best. Isadora is the daughter of Isis and Osiris, who are unusual parents, and she's not your typical teen either. Her days are an odd combination of interior design and god worship. But although her parents are immortal Egyptian gods, they will let her die instead of keeping her with them forever. This discovery launches Isadora on a petulant, stubborn journey. When Isis gets pregnant ahead of the normal schedule, Isadora won't tell her mother about her dark prophetic dreams. Sent to San Diego to stay with her older brother, Isadora tries to get some distance from her mother while struggling with her feelings for the beautiful, much-too-perfect Ry, a boy who writes epic poetry. Meanwhile, Isadora doesn't pay attention to the signs that someone is after her, not until it's nearly too late and her mother is in danger. It's never clear just who Isadora is; her voice never fully jells into her own, neither modern girl nor ancient child of the gods. Supporting characters such as Ry are flat and two-dimensional, and the danger to Isis is not compelling enough to catch readers up. This novel won't gain the Egyptian gods many new worshippers. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

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January 1, 2014
Ominous dreams prompt Egyptian goddess Isis to send Isadora (her modern-day human daughter) to safety in California. Isadora meets gorgeous Orion while designing an ancient Egyptian exhibit; attempted thefts of the artifacts suggest she may not be out of harm's way. Isadora's interactions with her immortal family border on childish, but satisfying romance and light suspense wholly make up for flaws in characterization.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

August 1, 2013
Grades 7-10 Isadora can't wait to leave her stifling family life in Egypt and join her brother Sirus in California. Her parentsOsiris and Isisare gods, and she is merely human, and bitter about it, too. Her parents could gift her with immortality, but she believes they don't love her enough to keep her forever. Now that Isis is pregnant again, Isadora knows she's being replaced. Sirus is welcoming, and eventually, through her museum job, she makes friends, finds interior-design projects, and even falls for a strange, beautiful boy (who, readers will realize long before Isadora, is also descendant of godsGreek ones). But when her ill-omened dreams keep telling her to return home, she ignores them until it's almost too late. Self-pitying Isadora is hard to like, though she redeems herself by saving her family once she learns how badly she's misunderstood everything. Unfortunately, most of the excitement happens at the end, with the rest dominated by romantic angst, dream sequences, and Isadora's flippant mythology lessons. Readers enamored of Egyptian mythology may still like this contemporary perspective. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: White's Paranormalcy trilogy brought her tons of attention, and a sweepstakes, mobile campaign, and more should keep the spotlight focused.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)