Review: Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R.L Lafevers

Published by Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Hardcover, 344 pages


SUMMARY:
It is London, 1906, when Theodosia Throckmorton roams the halls of The Museum of Legends and Antiquities. Her father is the head curator, and she is busy banishing ancient Egyptian curses from artifacts with her beloved cat, Isis. Her archnemesis, Clive Fagenbush, "smells of boiled cabbage and pickled onions", and often sneaks around thwarting her plans with his spying. In this first installment, the Heart of Egypt goes missing and Theo uses her skills in Egyptology (aided by her parents inattention) to investigate before the world is doomed!

WRITING:
R.L Lafevers did a good job describing things from an eleven year old girl's perspective. Her annoyances, interests, and observations were appropriate for the time period and her uncommon living situation. I don't know of another kid who sleeps in a sarcophagus regularly. I loved her trusty feline companion and their deep bond. Also, we don't use the word "muttonhead" enough in our culture. I also want to perform the exorcism cleverly outlined on page 78 for my own evil orange tabby, Cat Deeley.

PLOT:
The plot is quite fantastical as Theo is left to her own devices and gets in life and death situations, travels great distances, and is allowed to do things that children just wouldn't be able to do unnoticed today. However, this is before helicopter parenting and the rise of Child Protective Services. Plus, this is a fun adventure for children and requires suspension of belief.

PACING: Everything moved well towards the conclusion. I loved hearing about the staff at the museum and also the secret society members. It was fun to hear about Egyptian Gods and rituals, and I'm glad Lafevers took the time to include them and create the necessary spooky atmosphere for the story.

CHARACTERS:  Theodosia, her grandmother, Henry, and Will were the most developed. I also liked Wigmere and hope he will continue to feature in the series. While her parents rushed in and out of the story, the father was still interesting in his nutty-professor aloofness.

FINAL RATING: 4 STARS
This book is eerily reminiscent of another one of my favorite children's/Young Adult series...Alan Bradley's Flavia De Luce character from The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (book one). The similarities are startlling: both are young girls in England in the 1900's (Flavia is later in the 1950's), have mothers who have been away on expeditions, and are often left alone to explore and learn about their environment. The Fathers love them as best they can, and often underestimate them since they are children. Theo's dad states "a mere child wouldn't understand" and other condescending remarks quite often throughout the story. Theo also references how her parents "get annoyed when she's underfoot".

This was a library copy but I will be buying the entire series for future reading to my children. I highly recommend this as an imaginative, delightful, and engrossing read!