The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi
/The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi
Available Now
This book was so much fun! Not only is it fun, it combines a wide range of real life experiences allowing every kid who reads it to connect to it in some way. There’s a younger brother with ADHD who requires extra patience and empathy and parents who expect you to provide said patience and empathy. A move to a new town, far away from friends. A new school full of children with completely different backgrounds and life experiences than you. The awkwardness of reconnecting with old friends after a separation. It’s all here and it’s wonderfully written.
When Farah finds herself spending her birthday party playing with her younger brother instead of hanging out with her childhood friends, she is torn between being a good big sister and wanting to spend time with her friends. Her family is known for loving games of all kinds, so when Aunt Zohra gifts Farah a beautifully detailed antique board game, Farah and her friends are instantly intrigued. The game, and their lives, is turned upside down when Ahmed is sucked into the game leaving Farah and her friends no choice but to play the game in order to save Ahmed’s life. Now Farah and her two best friends Essie and Alex must solve puzzles engineered by the mysterious Architect in order to save themselves and Ahmed. But can anything the Architect say be trusted? Is the game working against the children?
Karuna Riaz gives us beautifully detailed descriptions of the city found within the game. Sandy and hot, filled with busy markets and towering buildings, the children are quickly swept up in their search for Ahmed. The story is very fast paced and packed with enough adventure to keep the most reluctant reader glued to the story. I loved Farah’s character and how incredibly relatable she is. She’s smart, tough, and loves her brother and friends dearly. She’s also terrified and doing her best to keep it together and there are points where you couldn’t blame her for choosing to give up-she’s only 12!
And the food! This is the first book to inspire an entire evening researching recipes and drooling at the thought of chenna murki and a home that smelled of curries and samosas. Farah and her friends spend the book solving puzzles and running for their lives, but it seems they always have amazing food at the end. Seems like an ok trade off? Maybe not, but I really want to eat everything described in the book.
I loved this story. It was a fun, action-packed, puzzle-filled thriller that will be great for kids 8-12 and even older. I recently purchased The Battle by Karuna Riazi for the Library and I’m eager to dive into another adventure.
You can get your copy here:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
More from Karuna Riazi:
More like this:
