What the River Knows- A Novel by Isabel Ibanez
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Web ID: 17337339In mood for Egyptian read? Try this!
I was in mood to read something set in Egypt and this book would pop up in recommendation. "The Mummy" x "Death on the Nile" caught my attention and this would be my first enemies-to-lovers trope so I wanted to give it a shot. Slow start at the beginning, but then things started to get interesting after meeting the uncle and his employee and I started to have questions of my own that the protagonist didn't think of. Even when I got to the end, I still have questions that I hope will be answered in Book 2 Slow burn romance with a guy who tends to keep his wall up and a knack for whistling. There is a chase scene that I found entertaining to read through that makes me wish I could see it on screen. And this is the first book I've own with illustrations added that the protagonist draws in her sketchbook during her journey in Egypt. My heart breaks for her near the end
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Intriguing, Historical, Magical, Mysterious
I enjoyed this book so much! I think this is the author's best writing yet. There is Egyptian history at the center of the storyline with magic woven into it. The witty banter and slow-burn romance between Inez and Whit is fun to follow along with, while trying to figure out the mystery of who he is. Speaking of mystery, just when you think you have something figured out and which characters to trust, a major plot twist happens; and you wonder again who Inez can really trust. The ending will leave readers excited for the sequel.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
This Book Was Disappointing
The characters don't have a real arc. The love story feels insincere. The setting is great and the idea is fun and riveting but the follow-through was poor.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
I couldn't predict what was next... so refreshing!
I have never read a book that I couldn't predict what was coming next. There was at least 3 different times I was completely shocked and amazed! Love the world, the characters, and the story as a whole! I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE NEXT ONE!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Mystery with Twists
This was a decent read. Think The Mummy (1999) meets proper romance. The story sets a leisurely intro pace without sacrificing interest; There is enough to entertain until getting to the real “meat” of the adventure about halfway into the book. The sprinkle of Spanish and Arabic terminology is just enough to remind the reader of the FMC’s background and current situation without coming off as pretentious. The dialogue between characters sometimes leaves more to be desired. Unfortunately, the last quarter of the story was slapdash and rushed, and was very obviously inconsistent with the writing and character behavior seen earlier on. Still looking forward to the sequel.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A page-turning YA adventure
Raised half the year by her strict aunt, Inez chafed at the expectations and restrictions imposed on her life. Bored with proper society functions in Buenos Aires she longed to join her parents on their expeditions to Egypt. Spurred by unanswered questions about their deaths, she runs off alone - traveling under the guise of a young widow - to find her uncle in Cairo. She finds herself to be quite unwelcome in Egypt - a distraction to her uncle who pushes her off on his dark and dashing assistant, Whitford Hayes. Discovering more secrets and mysteries than answers, the determined Inez holds her ground and proves to be a strong opponent in her uncle’s battle of wills. I love a YA adventure story! And I adored the spunky Inez as I followed her from Argentina to Egypt to learn the truth about her parents’ deaths. Filled with engaging banter, magical objects, and gasp-worthy moments, What the River Knows was a fun page-turner. Read this book if you enjoy: 🐊Historical fiction with a touch of magic 🐊Smart and determined (yet sometimes foolish) young female characters 🐊Morally grey men as love interests 🐊High stakes adventure 🐊Anti-colonialism
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Epic Egyptian Adventure
Out main character Inez goes on an amazing Egyptian adventure after learning about the death of her parents while they were exploring Egypt. She immediately sets off on her own to the desert to find out what truly became of her parents. There she meets a boy named Whit who knows more than he says he does and together aim to solve the mystery behind her parents while simultaneously uncovering an ancient tomb. I loved the setting and all of the details the author added of Egypt and made me feel as if I was really there. The mystery was very interesting but some details were skipped over or forgotten completely towards the end that I was still expecting answers to. Waiting for the second book to perhaps reveal more
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Adventure, Set in Egypt, Plot Twist, Magic
Rating: 4.5 An adventure filled story with a young girl who finds herself traveling to Egypt to solve the mystery behind her parents disappearance, the legend behind Cleopatra, and elements of magic too. Inez Olivera was the daughter of respectable people who often spent majority of the year in Egypt excavating dig sites and uncovering artifacts. When Inez is told her parents were presumably dead, she found herself wanting answers and decided she would go to their last known location, Egypt. This story was a mixed of adventure, intellect, myths, magic, and a determined young woman who found herself in the middle of a grand mystery waiting to be discovered. Right away, I liked Inez! Inez was so intelligent, artistic, and knowledgeable on all things pertaining to Egyptian mythology, culture, and more. Inez wanted so badly to join her parents on their trips to Egypt, but for some reason they never took her with them. In a way, Inez felt left out because, she too longed for the freedom to explore and unearth artifacts like the ones her parents were part of. Ideally, people such as Inez’s aunt, wanted her to behave like a proper lady fit to be in society, and while Inez was well mannered, she much preferred to be free and be put in the world exploring. As the story progressed, I grew to like Inez more and found her to be quick witted, sassy, and quick on her feet as seen through the times she tried to evade Whit on some occasions. Whit or more formally known as, Whitford Hayes was an interesting character as well. From the moment Whit was introduced, I had a good feeling about him. Whit was also quick on his feet much to Inez’s dismay, but he was also very observant and aware of his surroundings which proved to be one of his many skills that he utilized at any given moment. When Whit wasn’t focused on his job, since he worked for Inez’s uncle, Whit was a mix of snarky, guarded, and in rare occasions flirtatious. Just as with Inez, Whit became more of an intriguing character the more deeper the story got, and I could see that there was more to him behind his guarded walls. Whit was just as much of a mystery to me, and I was enjoying seeing more of him as well learning more about his backstory. This book gave me, “The Mummy” vibes! I really loved the way the story combined the Egyptian mythology with the mystery behind what happened to Inez’s parents as well as the significance of the artifacts. Most notably, in my opinion was the dynamic between Inez and Whit. Inez and Whit kind of reminded me of Evelyn and Rick from, “The Mummy” from the way they were at odds in the beginning with each other to gradually developing a friendship and dare I say…a sense of romantic feelings?! Inez resembled Evelyn in the sense that they both were knowledgeable on Egyptian mythology and Whit was much like Rick in how he was quick to any given situation and was known to work in the gray area. So if you liked, “The Mummy”, I think you’ll like this book and most importantly both Inez and Whit. Wow! This book caught me off guard and I loved it even more than I initially anticipated. Something about this book drew me in, with the way Isabel Ibañez crafted this wonderful storyline it was just smooth sailing for me all the way through. I was invested in Inez and Whit, I adored them, and seeing them at times clash but also come together really showed the differences between them, but also how they came together when it counted. The mythology of Cleopatra and the history of Egypt was also fascinating, which added a great part to the overall story. The sense of adventure mixed in with danger really progressed nicely from beginning to end, and especially towards the end! While this story mainly focused on the discovering Cleopatra’s tomb, it also focused on Inez’s growth as a young woman, and how she found herself thrusted in the middle of a bigger scheme. In addition, I LOVED the romance between Inez and Whit, or at least the way it slowly built up to in this story. I was eating up any and every moment between Whit and Inez! Whit might have been guarded, and tried to keep his attraction from Inez growing, but that man couldn’t take his eyes off her. As a whole, I throughly enjoyed reading this book, I was surprised, caught off guard with some plot twists, and it made me realize that throughout the story, you never really knew who you could trust. The way this book ended on that SPECIFIC NOTE I HAVE QUESTIONS LIKE, “HELLO?! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!” Regardless, this was a fun book, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next book to see what happens with Inez and Whit!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com