Title: Wrapped
Author: Jennifer Bradbury
Publisher: Atheneum
Publication Date: May 24, 2011
Genre: YA, Mystery, Historical Fiction
How I Got It: I purchased it
Summary from book:
Agnes Wilkins is standing in front of an Egyptian mummy, about to make the first cut into the wrappings, about to unlock ancient (and not-so-ancient) history.
Maybe you think this girl is wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her.
Maybe you think she is a young Egyptologist who has arrived in cairo on camelback.
Maybe she would like to think that too. Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels - or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lwns of Lord Showalter's esate, with cahperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic "atmosphere" for the first pary of the season. An unwrapping.
This is the start of it all, Agnes's debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband, and high society. It's also the start of something else, becuse the mummy Agnes unwraps isn't just a mummy. It's a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny - unleashing mystery, an international intrigue, and possibly a cuse in the bargain.
Get wrapped up in the adventure, but keep your wits about you, dear Agnes.
Maybe you think this girl is wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her.
Maybe you think she is a young Egyptologist who has arrived in cairo on camelback.
Maybe she would like to think that too. Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels - or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lwns of Lord Showalter's esate, with cahperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic "atmosphere" for the first pary of the season. An unwrapping.
This is the start of it all, Agnes's debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband, and high society. It's also the start of something else, becuse the mummy Agnes unwraps isn't just a mummy. It's a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny - unleashing mystery, an international intrigue, and possibly a cuse in the bargain.
Get wrapped up in the adventure, but keep your wits about you, dear Agnes.
Agnes is an intelligent girl as well as an exceptionally gifted linguist (she's very fond of quote Jane Austin in different languages). Unfortunately her intellect and talents are of no use to a young woman in Regency era England. Her only real role is to be a dutiful daughter, go to dress fittings and society functions, and be a lovely little decoration. Her mother has decided that it's time for 17 year old Agnes to get married. Agnes isn't quite sure what to feel about this, other than overwhelmed. She wants to travel, learn, and use her mind but she also understands that she is supposed to get married, raise a family, and run a household. She's understandable scared about being married and in charge of a home; she has no such experience and shouldn't hope for a socially appropriate love match like her parents had. The handsome Lord Showalter seems quite taken with her, which is quite exciting, but Agnes still feels a bit unsettled. He's pleasant enough but there is something missing that nags at her. She stumbles upon a mystery, maybe a curse or possibly spies, during Showalter's unwrapping party. Events bring Caedmon to her attention. He's a brilliant young man born in the wrong class and will never get credit for his achievements. Together they try to find out what's behind the mummy's curse.
Wrapped is a fun and fast read and Agnes is a great character. She is so intelligent but never allowed to live up to her potential because of her gender. Life is coming at her a bit faster than she can deal with and then it's topped off with the mummy mystery that both intrigues and frightens her. I especially liked that she had every intention of telling her father and getting help but then gets angry with her family and decides to "show them"/punish them by haring off on her own. While a fluffy read, Agnes came across as a relatable and realistic 17 year old. The romance was light and moved quickly but Caedmon was a great match for her. He's also held back by society and his intelligence and abilities are hindered by his low social status. While they seem so different, they are actually very similar. Bradbury peppers her story with Agnes' witty observations, entertaining Jane Austin references, and society's irritating views of "the weaker sex". This last, in particularl, underscores just how much of herself Agnes must deny because of women's place in society. Bradbury also does an excellent job of introducing and explaining the ancient Egyptian aspect of the story without overloading the reader. She tries to convey the large scale of the Egyptian temples and statues which I don't think is something most people realize. We all know that the pyramids are huge, but the ancient Egyptians did everything big. The ending leaves room for sequels but I don't believe this is the start of a new series. It's a shame, though, I would love to read more about Agnes and Caedmon.
Wrapped is a fun and fast read and Agnes is a great character. She is so intelligent but never allowed to live up to her potential because of her gender. Life is coming at her a bit faster than she can deal with and then it's topped off with the mummy mystery that both intrigues and frightens her. I especially liked that she had every intention of telling her father and getting help but then gets angry with her family and decides to "show them"/punish them by haring off on her own. While a fluffy read, Agnes came across as a relatable and realistic 17 year old. The romance was light and moved quickly but Caedmon was a great match for her. He's also held back by society and his intelligence and abilities are hindered by his low social status. While they seem so different, they are actually very similar. Bradbury peppers her story with Agnes' witty observations, entertaining Jane Austin references, and society's irritating views of "the weaker sex". This last, in particularl, underscores just how much of herself Agnes must deny because of women's place in society. Bradbury also does an excellent job of introducing and explaining the ancient Egyptian aspect of the story without overloading the reader. She tries to convey the large scale of the Egyptian temples and statues which I don't think is something most people realize. We all know that the pyramids are huge, but the ancient Egyptians did everything big. The ending leaves room for sequels but I don't believe this is the start of a new series. It's a shame, though, I would love to read more about Agnes and Caedmon.
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| Top left to right: Ramses' colossal feet and head mentioned in Wrapped, the Ramesseum in Luxor. Bottom: Just for a sense of scale, statues in the Karanak temple complex in Luxor. |
Some parts I liked:
"It just doesn't seem right somehow," I said, "disregarding the last wishes of a human being."
He shrugged. "It's just a body, Agnes. Don't let your imagination get the better of you. Though I fear those novels you are so fond of have made you afraid of the real world."
I felt it unwise to point out that a horde of London's wealthiest and most fashionable citizens preparing to pillage a centuries-old Egyptian mummy like a Christmas pudding was perhaps as far from the real world as I could imagine.
……….
While I was brave enough to flout convention with my appetite for education and my penchant for shirking a chaperone, I confess that even in my most rebellious of moods I had not conceived of spending time alone with a young man… So going to meet Caedmon - though an indiscretion born of necessity - was all the more unsettling. An indiscretion complicated by how very attractive and very irritating he managed to be at the same time.
This book reminded me a lot of Zylpha Keatley Snider's The Egypt Game, an old favorite of mine, and might be why I enjoyed Wrapped so much. The mix of British and Egyptian history, curses and spies, and an relatable heroin sucked me right in. It's not a story that will stick with you forever, but every time you see it on the shelf you'll think, "Oh, that was a fun story." Wrapped is a good choice for those days when you want something a little bit different, fun, fast, and engrossing.
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6 comments:
Based on the review, I think the main character is interesting (her being a linguist made me want to know more about the book). I'd still want to know the mystery, which is not elaborated in the review (a reason for me to get one). Post appreciated :-). Happy Holidays
December 26, 2011 at 1:33 AM@TheBookFormatter - I was afraid elaborating on the mystery would be a spoiler.
December 26, 2011 at 2:56 AMI've read a lot of mixed reviews on this one, but I adore Egyptian history, so I'm thinking I'll be partial to the story based on that fact alone. I like the sound of Agnes and the romance with Caedmon as well, so I'm looking forward to picking it up:) Hope you had a wonderful holiday Jennifer!
December 27, 2011 at 12:13 PM@ Jenny - It was a pretty fluffy book and not the paranormal story that readers are expecting. A few bloggers couldn't get over Agnes's ability with languages, many saying that it was unbelievable that she spoke 7 languages fluently. I never had a problems with this since one of the moms that drove in our carpool for nine years also spoke 7 languages fluently, so I know it's in the realm of possibility.
December 27, 2011 at 12:28 PMI read about unwrapping a mummy parties for the first time in Gail Carrigers book, Blameless I believe. No idea that it was really done in those times! I for sure would never attempt such a thing! But still, the book is calling my name, so on the wishlist it goes.
December 27, 2011 at 3:07 PM@ Aurian - Yes, the unwrapping parties were mentioned in Blameless as well. It's an enjoyable story and has such a gorgeous cover!
December 28, 2011 at 11:08 AMPost a Comment