Annie Tillery is on a mission to save an archeological dig from theft and corruption. While travelling to Turkey, she’s threatened, flirted with, and nearly kidnapped, and she must confront all these obstacles in order to save Ty, her romantic and supportive boyfriend, and the rest of his archaeologist friends.
Secrets In The Fairy Chimneys is full of mystery, suspense, and wonder. The fairy chimneys hold secrets undiscovered by any but the mischievous Ahmet and Yeshva, the twin troublemakers of the camp. However, without these two, some mysteries would never be uncovered. The cast of characters is diverse and suspicious. Everyone is a suspect when important artifacts start to go missing. Annie takes it upon herself, with the help of the twins, to scope out these characters and decide who is costing the dig its prestige. The story is full of danger, violence, romance, and humor.
Young adult readers can enjoy short chapters packed with action. Annie is constantly on the trail of one mysterious character or another. There are even some moments when vocabulary is explored, which is a nice touch for younger readers. The idea of claustrophobia is explored briefly, then brought back again later in the book to reinforce the concept. It’s always nice to see authors trying to educate young readers.
Unfortunately for the reader, author Linda Maria Frank fails to take a few important factors into consideration. She’s decided that Turkey is a country filled with deserts and camels, which even the smallest amount of research could have told her is simply not true. While there may be camels in certain areas for tourist consumption, there are no camels native to Turkey. In addition, there are no deserts in Turkey. While this can be skimmed over as an annoying act of ignorance for adult readers, the stereotypes portrayed in this book are harmful for young readers who do not have fully developed background knowledge of the area. While Frank may be well-meaning in having her characters travel the world, she might want to check her facts.
Nikki Toner
Apex Reviews
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