Book Title: The Gauntlet
Author:     Karuna Riazi
Number of pages:  298

Synopsis:

When twelve-year-old Farah and her two best friends get sucked into a mechanical board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand—a puzzle game akin to a large Rubik’s cube—they know it’s up to them to defeat the game’s diabolical architect in order to save themselves and those who are trapped inside, including her baby brother Ahmed. But first they have to figure out how.?

(re: Goodreads @ The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr review:

– Middle Eastern Jumanji; board game with puzzles although present in third person re: readers may find difficulty in participating in the game too
– The culture and heritage of the characters just are and are not trivialized
– Challenges lack urgency and reads as though failure is rarely a possibility; some plot holes left unresolved
– Protagonist/heroine is one to look up to; a role model of wit and resourcefulness
– Lots of inclusion of food

Initial Thoughts

I had so much excitement for this book yo.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of The Gauntlet from Simon and Schuster Canada.

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