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Egypt Rising
Egypt Rising by Stan Schatt
ISBN 9781629290218
Ratings: Heat - 1
Genre: Young Adult Sub Genre: Paranormal
Blurb: Some ancient secrets should remain buried.
An American teenager in Cairo finds herself in the middle of the Egyptian revolution fleeing militant Islamic extremists. She leads her worst enemy and the boy she thinks about much too often on the adventure of a lifetime. When she discovers an ancient artifact that was buried for thousands of years, she learns that very powerful people will stop at nothing, including murder, to learn the secrets of a long-dead civilization.
ISBN 9781629290218
Ratings: Heat - 1
Genre: Young Adult Sub Genre: Paranormal
Blurb: Some ancient secrets should remain buried.
An American teenager in Cairo finds herself in the middle of the Egyptian revolution fleeing militant Islamic extremists. She leads her worst enemy and the boy she thinks about much too often on the adventure of a lifetime. When she discovers an ancient artifact that was buried for thousands of years, she learns that very powerful people will stop at nothing, including murder, to learn the secrets of a long-dead civilization.
- GenresYoung Adult
ebook
First published August 1, 2013
311 people want to read
About the author
Stan Schatt
51 books22 followersStan Schatt has written forty books on a wide variety of topics including science fiction, mysteries, a chapter book for children, a YA novel, biographies of Michael Connelly and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., and books on technology and career changing. His love for teaching is reflected in outstanding teaching awards he received from the University of Southern California and DeVry Institute of Technology.
Rather than having one career, Schatt has had several. He has worked as an autopsy assistant, an English professor, a software trainer, a law enforcement administrator, a market research executive, and a sales manager. He spent the last two decades as a technology analyst or 'futurist" trying to figure out what future technologies will be successful.
Rather than having one career, Schatt has had several. He has worked as an autopsy assistant, an English professor, a software trainer, a law enforcement administrator, a market research executive, and a sales manager. He spent the last two decades as a technology analyst or 'futurist" trying to figure out what future technologies will be successful.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 25, 2018
Egypt Rising is a very cool YA book. The action and the plot moved quickly and smoothly. I love the government unrest that flows throughout the novel. It makes for a really interesting plot. As I was reading, I could really feel my imagination churning. What would it be like to live in a country with so much unrest? Where you need to go into hiding just to keep secrets safe?
The characters in the book were interesting and easy to get a feel for. Olivia's father is the Indiana Jones of Egypt, but she feels a little bit like a misfit. She isn't a skinny blonde preppy girl like some of the girls in her international school, and some of the girls are mean to her. Her father is a teacher at her school, but he's also come up with some very strange ideas about Atlantis and Egypt intertwining. He's ridiculed for this though Olivia never loses faith in him.
When the unrest in the city rises to a dangerous height, Olivia and two other students must go into hiding at her father's latest dig site. Instead of just waiting around, the teens go exploring in the tunnels and discover some amazing things.
I liked a lot of aspects in this book. The only thing I would change would be the length. I would have liked for there to be some more detail before the teens have to go into hiding. And I'm not crazy about the cover because I feel like it looks nothing like the character of Olivia. I would definitely read a sequel to this book if one is written!
The characters in the book were interesting and easy to get a feel for. Olivia's father is the Indiana Jones of Egypt, but she feels a little bit like a misfit. She isn't a skinny blonde preppy girl like some of the girls in her international school, and some of the girls are mean to her. Her father is a teacher at her school, but he's also come up with some very strange ideas about Atlantis and Egypt intertwining. He's ridiculed for this though Olivia never loses faith in him.
When the unrest in the city rises to a dangerous height, Olivia and two other students must go into hiding at her father's latest dig site. Instead of just waiting around, the teens go exploring in the tunnels and discover some amazing things.
I liked a lot of aspects in this book. The only thing I would change would be the length. I would have liked for there to be some more detail before the teens have to go into hiding. And I'm not crazy about the cover because I feel like it looks nothing like the character of Olivia. I would definitely read a sequel to this book if one is written!
August 17, 2013
Being a teen has its moments, right? Being a teenaged girl living in Egypt, whose father has been called “Egypt’s own Indiana Jones” can be a mixed blessing. Olivia isn’t part of the popular, rich crowd at the school she attends (her father is a professor there), but she thrives on the history of Egypt, learning all she can from her father while on his digs. Not the kind of thing that makes you a hit with your classmates, but Olivia will soon find that all that knowledge will take her on an adventure into a world that was thought most likely to be more myth than fact when she and two classmates must run for their lives as civil unrest devastates the streets of Cairo and foreigners become targets for death! How has Olivia unlocked the secrets of the underground tunnels from long ago priests? Who else is after this knowledge? Will it be up to her to save the people she loves or will she die trying?
Egypt Rising by Stan Schatt pulled into the land of Egypt, where the sun beats down, tension runs hot on the streets and the mysteries of what lies below the sand and pyramids have teased and taunted Egyptologists for eons. Skillfully, Mr. Schatt has created an enticing young adult story that subtly weaves the convoluted life of his heroine with detailed scenes of life in Cairo, its religious customs and political unrest of the region. His heroine, Olivia, is completely likable, understandable and her thoughts are true to those of any teenager, although she did display a remarkable sense of maturity through the many assaults on what she had believed her life to be! Quite bravely, Mr. Schatt has given the story's voice to Olivia, who tells this tale, complete with her often snarky inner thoughts, occasional sense of insecurity, and lack of fear in speaking her mind when needed!
From the first page, and quite possibly the first sentence, I was hooked on this refreshingly different YA read that is suitable and enjoyable for all ages! My only warning: If you have MAJOR spider issues, you might scratch at your skin a little! A review copy was provided by Stan Schatt in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: August 1, 2013
Publisher: Eternal Press
ISBN: 97816290225
ASIN: B00EDTRZ2U
Number of Pages: 217
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Action & Adventure/YA Paranormal
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Available from: Amazon
CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR: Author's Twitter Page
Author's Web Page
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
Egypt Rising by Stan Schatt pulled into the land of Egypt, where the sun beats down, tension runs hot on the streets and the mysteries of what lies below the sand and pyramids have teased and taunted Egyptologists for eons. Skillfully, Mr. Schatt has created an enticing young adult story that subtly weaves the convoluted life of his heroine with detailed scenes of life in Cairo, its religious customs and political unrest of the region. His heroine, Olivia, is completely likable, understandable and her thoughts are true to those of any teenager, although she did display a remarkable sense of maturity through the many assaults on what she had believed her life to be! Quite bravely, Mr. Schatt has given the story's voice to Olivia, who tells this tale, complete with her often snarky inner thoughts, occasional sense of insecurity, and lack of fear in speaking her mind when needed!
From the first page, and quite possibly the first sentence, I was hooked on this refreshingly different YA read that is suitable and enjoyable for all ages! My only warning: If you have MAJOR spider issues, you might scratch at your skin a little! A review copy was provided by Stan Schatt in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: August 1, 2013
Publisher: Eternal Press
ISBN: 97816290225
ASIN: B00EDTRZ2U
Number of Pages: 217
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Action & Adventure/YA Paranormal
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Available from: Amazon
CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR: Author's Twitter Page
Author's Web Page
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
October 17, 2013
Oh Egypt...a land that I hope to visit one day when it's safe. My love for Egypt was what captivated me to this book. The premise sounded very promising: ancient secrets, Egyptian revolution, and a girl whose life was in danger. The story was very well told and had me flipping (or scrolling on my Nook) the pages. I found myself quite enjoying this book.
I was fascinated about the plots that Egypt Rising concentrated on: the Egyptian revolution and the secrets behind the Hall of Records. The story took place during the last year of President Mubarak's reign, which began the endless violent demonstrations. The story was filled with facts as to the going-ons in Egypt and how life was (and is) like for non-Egyptian people living there. None of the information that was presented seemed boring; in fact, it was quite engrossing. Next, I was hooked with the theories behind the Hall of Records. Here, it was said that the Hall would be underneath the Sphinx and that it held many great secrets. To be honest, I was a little thrown off about the fantasy elements that surrounded the search for the Hall. The story was told very realistically until the last few chapters that magical powers were introduced. This did not deter me though because the story-telling was intriguing.
Though this was a pretty quick read, I did enjoy how developed the characters were. The main character, Alina, was an outcast in her school. She was white and poor who was going to school surrounded by rich, white (and some Egyptian) students. Her self-confidence and her love of archeology was believable. What I appreciated most about Alina's character was how she changed into a stronger woman. Another character that went through some changes was Taylor. She was Alina's nemesis in school. Taylor was white, rich, and popular. She always resented Alina for the attention that Taylor's dad gave to Alina. Taylor started off as a spoiled brat but soon changed into a caring person. There were other great characters in this book, but Alina and Taylor stood out to me the most.
To sum up, this was a riveting read. I quite enjoyed reading the facts and realistic aspects of modern day Egypt as well as the theories behind the Hall of Records and the fantasy elements behind it. Yes, I was thrown off a small bit when reading the fantasy stuff. I even scratched my head a few times because of it, but I still found myself captivated.
I was fascinated about the plots that Egypt Rising concentrated on: the Egyptian revolution and the secrets behind the Hall of Records. The story took place during the last year of President Mubarak's reign, which began the endless violent demonstrations. The story was filled with facts as to the going-ons in Egypt and how life was (and is) like for non-Egyptian people living there. None of the information that was presented seemed boring; in fact, it was quite engrossing. Next, I was hooked with the theories behind the Hall of Records. Here, it was said that the Hall would be underneath the Sphinx and that it held many great secrets. To be honest, I was a little thrown off about the fantasy elements that surrounded the search for the Hall. The story was told very realistically until the last few chapters that magical powers were introduced. This did not deter me though because the story-telling was intriguing.
Though this was a pretty quick read, I did enjoy how developed the characters were. The main character, Alina, was an outcast in her school. She was white and poor who was going to school surrounded by rich, white (and some Egyptian) students. Her self-confidence and her love of archeology was believable. What I appreciated most about Alina's character was how she changed into a stronger woman. Another character that went through some changes was Taylor. She was Alina's nemesis in school. Taylor was white, rich, and popular. She always resented Alina for the attention that Taylor's dad gave to Alina. Taylor started off as a spoiled brat but soon changed into a caring person. There were other great characters in this book, but Alina and Taylor stood out to me the most.
To sum up, this was a riveting read. I quite enjoyed reading the facts and realistic aspects of modern day Egypt as well as the theories behind the Hall of Records and the fantasy elements behind it. Yes, I was thrown off a small bit when reading the fantasy stuff. I even scratched my head a few times because of it, but I still found myself captivated.
October 23, 2013
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Egypt Rising is a high energy YA adventure with an ancient Egyptian mystery and a touch of the paranormal. I love Egyptology, so picking up this book was a no-brainer. While so many people insist that everything has been discovered already on the Giza Plateau, I prefer to think otherwise. The Sphinx is a great mystery and has been the subject of interesting controversy of late in regards to its age. I love that author Stan Schatt wove this into his story.
Olivia has been immersed in Egyptology her entire life, her father being a modern day Indiana Jones. She wants nothing more than to become an Egyptologist in her own right, working with her father. But her father's ideas are considered outlandish by many and dangerous by others. When she finds herself alone at the dig site with two friends due to civil unrest in Cairo, she jumps at the chance to explore.
This novel is a fast-paced read with constant action or information. At times it read like a textbook when it came to some of the Egyptian history, but I really didn't mind since I find the subject so fascinating. I also loved how the story dealt with the Muslim uprising and demonstrations. It offered an interesting view point from a person who, though born and raised in Cairo, was considered a foreigner. The action scenes were odd; Olivia's thoughts during them were in italics breaking up the scene. She thinks all of her actions through as a result of her martial arts training. This pulled me from the action even though it was somewhat interesting to see her mind churn.
While I enjoyed the story and the plot, I never felt invested in the characters. It finally dawned on me toward the end that all of the information was told to the reader rather than shown. This created an emotional distance between the characters and my mind since I never felt immersed in the story. Be that as it may, the story itself was interesting enough to hold my interest.
Egypt Rising is suitable for everyone middle school and up. If you like archaeology, and especially Egyptology, add this one to your to-read list. On a side note, the cover isn't a good representation of Olivia. The girl in the photo is thin and fit, while Olivia is constantly described as overweight. Perhaps her weight issues were all in her mind; the result of the cruel jokes of classmates.
Egypt Rising is a high energy YA adventure with an ancient Egyptian mystery and a touch of the paranormal. I love Egyptology, so picking up this book was a no-brainer. While so many people insist that everything has been discovered already on the Giza Plateau, I prefer to think otherwise. The Sphinx is a great mystery and has been the subject of interesting controversy of late in regards to its age. I love that author Stan Schatt wove this into his story.
Olivia has been immersed in Egyptology her entire life, her father being a modern day Indiana Jones. She wants nothing more than to become an Egyptologist in her own right, working with her father. But her father's ideas are considered outlandish by many and dangerous by others. When she finds herself alone at the dig site with two friends due to civil unrest in Cairo, she jumps at the chance to explore.
This novel is a fast-paced read with constant action or information. At times it read like a textbook when it came to some of the Egyptian history, but I really didn't mind since I find the subject so fascinating. I also loved how the story dealt with the Muslim uprising and demonstrations. It offered an interesting view point from a person who, though born and raised in Cairo, was considered a foreigner. The action scenes were odd; Olivia's thoughts during them were in italics breaking up the scene. She thinks all of her actions through as a result of her martial arts training. This pulled me from the action even though it was somewhat interesting to see her mind churn.
While I enjoyed the story and the plot, I never felt invested in the characters. It finally dawned on me toward the end that all of the information was told to the reader rather than shown. This created an emotional distance between the characters and my mind since I never felt immersed in the story. Be that as it may, the story itself was interesting enough to hold my interest.
Egypt Rising is suitable for everyone middle school and up. If you like archaeology, and especially Egyptology, add this one to your to-read list. On a side note, the cover isn't a good representation of Olivia. The girl in the photo is thin and fit, while Olivia is constantly described as overweight. Perhaps her weight issues were all in her mind; the result of the cruel jokes of classmates.
October 22, 2013
I wish to thank the author for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is an ingenious YA novel that will pull at the reader’s imagination and keep them entranced throughout. Even when there is a moment of inaction, there’s descriptions of things going on, definition of character development and more that fills in the gaps seamlessly. And even though the main character is a girl, there’s enough going on that will have both genders enthralled.
This book brings alive the mystical mysteries of the Egyptian culture, past and present. A revolution, spiders, secret passages, paranormal happenings, knowledge of the ancients and adventure awaits the reader. I found myself wishing there was some good Egypt shows on cable to keep my curiosity piqued.
The main character, Olivia, finds herself faced with new discoveries not just underground but right there in her life. Things that she thought were black and white turn out to be a bit different and one of her social enemies turns out to be much closer to her than either every knew. Other people in her life, that she trusted, are also found to be covering up the truth of themselves until the time is right for them to strike. So many changes she goes through in such a short time.
I felt that some of the actions were a bit disconnected from the actual moments involved. There wasn’t a direct flow that was needed and made some of the story a bit harder to actually envision. There were also some grammatical errors here and there that sidetracked me enough to distract me from the story itself. Other than that, this story is one that wraps the reader up and doesn’t let go until way after the last page.
This is definitely a good YA book that will attract any reader of Egyptian lore. I also feel that this touches bases well for anyone who has an interest in social unrest stories and anyone who is just looking for a good, action filled read. I will be recommending this to my own children, who range in the ages of 15-20 and would recommend this to voracious readers as young as 12.
This book is an ingenious YA novel that will pull at the reader’s imagination and keep them entranced throughout. Even when there is a moment of inaction, there’s descriptions of things going on, definition of character development and more that fills in the gaps seamlessly. And even though the main character is a girl, there’s enough going on that will have both genders enthralled.
This book brings alive the mystical mysteries of the Egyptian culture, past and present. A revolution, spiders, secret passages, paranormal happenings, knowledge of the ancients and adventure awaits the reader. I found myself wishing there was some good Egypt shows on cable to keep my curiosity piqued.
The main character, Olivia, finds herself faced with new discoveries not just underground but right there in her life. Things that she thought were black and white turn out to be a bit different and one of her social enemies turns out to be much closer to her than either every knew. Other people in her life, that she trusted, are also found to be covering up the truth of themselves until the time is right for them to strike. So many changes she goes through in such a short time.
I felt that some of the actions were a bit disconnected from the actual moments involved. There wasn’t a direct flow that was needed and made some of the story a bit harder to actually envision. There were also some grammatical errors here and there that sidetracked me enough to distract me from the story itself. Other than that, this story is one that wraps the reader up and doesn’t let go until way after the last page.
This is definitely a good YA book that will attract any reader of Egyptian lore. I also feel that this touches bases well for anyone who has an interest in social unrest stories and anyone who is just looking for a good, action filled read. I will be recommending this to my own children, who range in the ages of 15-20 and would recommend this to voracious readers as young as 12.
October 7, 2013
Egypt Rising is the first book that I have read from this author and I believe that he did a really great job of spinning this story and bringing it to life. The writing style is smooth and effective and the story will begin to pull you in tightly by the end of the first chapter. The plot line and setting will have your imagination running wild while the characters and their unfolding stories will keep you reading long into the night.
For a young adult book, this story has it all. It is modern day with a very urban yet historical setting while the adventure and paranormal aspects of it will dip into the legends and myths of the magical past of ancient Egypt. The characters must overcome obstacles of the past and present, if they are to reach a successful end to the chaos surrounding them.
In this story we follow Olivia an American teenager, who is the daughter of a professor at the school that she attends. While she does not fit in with the other students there perfectly, she does not try to be part of the “in” crowd because her time is consumed by delving into the lively ancient history of Egypt. She does her best to learn all she can from her father on his digs and is in love with knowledge that she is acquiring.
When social unrest erupts around her and foreign individuals become targets for death, she finds that her finely tuned knowledge could be the one thing that she can use to save her friends and those she loves. She is surprised once her adventure into the past begins, that for some reason the magick of this ancient land has changed things within her and given her the ability to decipher the knowledge from old, but the problem is…who else wants this knowledge and what will they do to get it?
Fall into the world of ancient Egypt as the author twists a tale adventure, magic, paranormal and ancient secrets. The author effectively crosses the lines of modern and past, myth and reality and legend and truth to take you on a wonderful adventure.
For a young adult book, this story has it all. It is modern day with a very urban yet historical setting while the adventure and paranormal aspects of it will dip into the legends and myths of the magical past of ancient Egypt. The characters must overcome obstacles of the past and present, if they are to reach a successful end to the chaos surrounding them.
In this story we follow Olivia an American teenager, who is the daughter of a professor at the school that she attends. While she does not fit in with the other students there perfectly, she does not try to be part of the “in” crowd because her time is consumed by delving into the lively ancient history of Egypt. She does her best to learn all she can from her father on his digs and is in love with knowledge that she is acquiring.
When social unrest erupts around her and foreign individuals become targets for death, she finds that her finely tuned knowledge could be the one thing that she can use to save her friends and those she loves. She is surprised once her adventure into the past begins, that for some reason the magick of this ancient land has changed things within her and given her the ability to decipher the knowledge from old, but the problem is…who else wants this knowledge and what will they do to get it?
Fall into the world of ancient Egypt as the author twists a tale adventure, magic, paranormal and ancient secrets. The author effectively crosses the lines of modern and past, myth and reality and legend and truth to take you on a wonderful adventure.
February 27, 2014
Finishing this book was painful. In fact, if I didn't need it for a challenge, I would've given up about 30 pages in. The concept was intriguing, but between the grammar/sentence structure, and lack of character depth, I thought I was reading something written by a junior high student. I love to read about the impossible, but this novel was just plain ridiculous. The main character was a god-like Mary Sue. I'm just glad it's over.
September 25, 2013
Review to come later
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews