I love mythology, but my knowledge of Egyptian mythology has always lacked in comparison to that of Greek. Now, after reading Kiersten White's THE CHAOS OF STARS I am more interested in the Egyptians than ever. Spun with snark, depth, and humor, this book engrosses you from the first chapter. Isadora is a character with a deep soul—one that screams off the page. She is sarcastic and hurt, and she knows how to tell her story. I felt an immediate connection to her when reading her first person narration.

My favorite fantasy/mythological books almost always have one thing in common: no matter how out there or crazy the situation is, like a teen Egyptian goddess trying to be a normal modern day American, the story is still full of a real heart that surpasses any reality barriers. Kiersten White put that heart in THE CHAOS OF THE STARS, and I love her for it. Isadora is a young woman who can be rash and hurtful. She can be loving and generous, though those moments are sometimes rare. But best of all, she can be just as confused as any "normal" person who be in a family that drives her crazy or to tears. She can grow and struggle to find her own role in that family.

For myself, that is what I took from this story: the power of a family to shape and define who you are, as well as the power of your individual self to define them and your own self. The pacing of the story does have its slow points, and I'm not over the moon about some of the plot twists, but both of those things pale in comparison to the enjoyment that can come from CHAOS OF STARS.

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