The Glittering Eye by LJ Adlington

Amy's been sent off to Egypt to join her archaeologist father for Christmas. Her mother and pregnant sister Claire aren't coming - the baby's due any time soon. Spikey Amy isn't too happy about being sent away but she knows it's all because of Owen, and she knows it's all her own fault. Soon, though, she's plunged into the mystery of a newly-discovered tomb, and the cat hieroglyph on a rock that she's found, a cat that seems to be trying to tell her something.

Meanwhile, Shabti awakes in a dream-like world full of strange slaves who need neither to sleep nor eat. He's quite sure he doesn't belong there, but he can't remember exactly who he is or where he belongs. Master Hob the overseer has no such doubts though, and he's free with his whip on Shabti's back. The boy's only hope of escape is the strange hole suspended in mid-air, but something, some idea of a task uncompleted, holds him back from taking it.

Egypt, past and present, comes vividly to life in this intriguing and slightly supernatural novel. It's mysterious and forbidding but it's also full of colour. Life and death exist together in the kind of balance both the protagonists are lacking. Both Shabti and Amy have past deeds to confront. Neither wish to face up to their sins but ultimately, both know that they'll never be able to move on unless they do. And as the worlds gradually begin to collide, the moment when they will be judged comes inexorably closer.

It's quite a claustrophic read - set in dream worlds and in tombs in the dark and stifling heat. But it's very absorbing. Neither Amy's nor Shabti's dreadful secret is too much of a mystery although it takes a goodly few pages for the reveals. This mirrors real life, doesn't it? So often what we seek to hide, the things of which we are ashamed, are obvious to others anyway, and they judge us much less harshly than we judge ourselves.

Recommended as an ideal summer read for teens interested in both history and the kitchen sink dramas that are a feature of every life, no matter when it was lived.

My thanks to the nice people at Hodder for sending the book.

They might also enjoy past and present worlds colliding in The Truth Sayer by Sally Prue. Ghost Chamber by Celia Rees has a touch more of the Da Vinci Code about it, but is a superlative read. Orphan of the Sun by Gill Harvey is a straightforward historical adventure set in Ancient Egypt.

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You can read more book reviews or buy The Glittering Eye by LJ Adlington at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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