The Gauntlet

February 15, 2017
A young hijabi finds herself, her brother, and her friends trapped in a very dangerous game.Upper East Side Bangladeshi-American Farah's having a hard time clicking with her old friends from Queens when they come to her 12th birthday party. But when her trying-but-adorable little brother--he has ADHD--vanishes into a mysterious board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand, white Essie and brown-skinned Alex don't hesitate to join Farah in jumping in to rescue him. Once in the game, they are given three challenges--and failure to win all three will trap them there. Farah's desperation to find Ahmad heightens these deadly stakes. In her debut, Riazi gives readers a Muslim protagonist who resists genre cliches: she's resolute rather than feisty, smart but aware of her weaknesses. Secondary characterization is not so strong; Essie and Alex seem more types than people. The superb worldbuilding offers an ever shifting topography, rather like an Escher vision of the East. Riazi's lush descriptions reject exoticization, Farah's cultural familiarity positioning readers within her perspective: a "sweet sunset pink mosque, beautifully domed and proudly placed," reminds her of buildings she's seen in Bangladesh and India, "sharing a linked history of wide arches and rounded roofs." Riazi combines such tropes as a magic map with the winningly original lizard Resistance corps, offering just the right mix of familiarity and newness. A solid middle-grade fantasy and an auspicious debut. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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March 1, 2017

Gr 3-6-At Farah's 12th birthday party, she mistakenly receives an odd mechanical board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand from her aunt. Despite Aunt Zohra's warnings, Farah and her friends Essie and Alex are sucked into the game and must battle the evil Lord Amari and win in order to save themselves and retrieve Farah's seven-year-old brother, Ahmad. The fast-paced game is structured with three challenges and a timed race from location to location, complete with a map and magical timepiece. The challenges are innovative and based on classic games such as mancala and Scrabble. Although the book is accessible to younger middle grade readers, the characters feel rather formulaic and don't develop much over the course of the story. Readers may find Ahmad's spoiled cheekiness grating (as well as the family tradition of always letting him win at games), but fortunately he is absent for the majority of the work. However, Riazi skillfully incorporates elements of Farah's Bangladeshi culture into the landscape of Farah's real-world New York City home and the magical realm of Paheli, where the game takes place. VERDICT Though die-hard fantasy fans may be a bit underwhelmed with the characterization and world-building, most middle grade readers will appreciate the adventure and embrace a tale with a strong protagonist of color.-Erin Reilly-Sanders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

congen1718 - THE GAUNTLET Book Review By: Connor William Gentley What if you had to be super worried for days knowing that a family member Is sad and alone in a game made by a child who made it specifically to lure other children in to play it. And then their trapped. This book is called The Gauntlet by Author: Karuna Riazi This story is about three fourteen year old children who are friends that go into the game to save a family member. So it all started with Farah’s birthday and confusing a board game with books that her grandma said was her surprise gift that traps fourteen year olds in it. They got trapped in the game it's a board game that is constantly changing the kids that got trapped in the game there names are Farah, Essie and Alex these characters are the three protagonists it has people who have been there forever it's very sad but it’s a very good book. Its very heart wrenching and the plot all fits together I could go on and on but I don't want to spoil it it’s too good of a book to spoil so if you want to hear more than your gonna have to read it!