Wrapped

by Jennifer Bradbury

An adventurous debutante refuses to settle for society’s expectations—and unleashes international intrigue (and possibly an ancient curse) along the way.

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. She sees herself wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her. She sees herself as a young Egyptologist who has arrived in Cairo on camelback.
     She sees herself dreaming. Because reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust even. No, Agnes’s encounter with a mummy is happening on Lord Showalter’s verdant green lawn, where butlers abound and strolling sitar players strain to create an exotic “atmosphere” for the first party of the season. An unwrapping.
     And a beginning. Not just of Agnes’s debut season and the ever-shrinking scope of her future—home, husband, and high society. No, something else begins as well, because the mummy Agnes unwraps is more than a mummy: It’s a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny—unleashing a mystery, an international intrigue—and possibly a curse.

• ISBN10: 1439159025
• ISBN13: 9781439159026
• Publish Date: 24 May 2011
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[inlibrisveritas]

Wrapped was a random pick of mine when I found myself in a rare mood where nothing was interesting. I really enjoy anything having to do with Egyptian things and based on the instant cover love I knew I had to read it. As it turned out it was an excellent choice for a down day where only comfort reading was possible.

Wrapped is set in 1815 in London where high society struggles to continue onward like there is no war with Napoleon. In an attempt to make a stirring start to the new season Lord Showalter sets up a mummy unwrapping for his guests, and when it seems the wrong mummy was given to the Lord things start to become increasingly dangerous for Agnes.

One of the things I hated about this time period (though there are not many) is the fact that people thought having a party centered around desecrating a mummy was a good idea. Never the less the set up is great for this Amelia Peabody-like mystery, because it’s not something you normally see in YA and that really is a shame because it’s a great atmosphere for strong women and great clothes. Agnes is suddenly thrust into something that is way bigger than her or her debut season and I enjoyed seeing how she dealt with each new turn. She’s one of those lovely resourceful Victorian ladies, who when put in a pinch will do what they deem necessary to get what needs to be done, done. Of course some of her decisions are a bit fool-hardy but she’s incredibly brave and when she’s flustered she handles things with her intellect and wit. Any girl who loves to read AND knows how to speak ten different languages has my approval. Caedmon works at the museum and spends much of his time within the dusty collections from Egypt. Like Agnes he finds the ancient culture fascinating and when she comes to him with a mystery of her own he can’t help but get involved. I really like these two together, they make a really good team and I loved their over all dynamic.

Overall the book isn’t anything mind-blowing but for me it had such a nice flow and pace, and I really enjoyed the mystery presented. It’s definitely something I would define as a comfort read and I really look forward to the sequel, even though it seems to be two years away from being published.

[rakesandrogues]

Review Overview:

Agnes is a marvelous protagonist; witty, intelligent, and so much more
Intriguing mystery behind Egyptian artifacts
I was sold with Bradbury’s beautiful descriptions and the many Austen references throughout the book

From the moment I started this book, I knew I would love it. Jennifer Bradbury is a master a crafting beautiful descriptions. I actually had to pause on the second page to read a line out loud at a friend: “The dress wrapped itself around me in tucks and folds of silk the color of cream as it stands on top of a cup of tea, waiting to be stirred in.” But the actual selling point for me, was when the main character, Agnes, recited the opening lines of Pride and Prejudice not only in English but four other languages. I was hooked.

I loved Agnes. I loved her drive to be more than just a silly debutante and her thirst for knowledge. I applauded that she was just more than a girl making her debut who cared for nothing but securing a husband, ribbons, dresses, and gossip. I found most impressive was her ability to learn so many languages. Learning ten languages is an accomplishment like no other.

The romance was subtle in WRAPPED but it was a highlight in the book. Of course there’s a love triangle, but it’s not the focus of the book nor is it cheese and forced. Lord Thomas Showalter is an eligible bachelor who has taken a liking to Agnes just when she is about to debut in London society. On the other hand, there’s Caedmon, an apprentice at the museum whom Agnes seeks out to help her with the mystery. The romance in WRAPPED is sweet, not passionate. While I did hope for a little more, I had to remind myself: hey, this is YA.

After reading countless historicals set in the regency era, it never occurred to me until now that I really didn’t know a single thing about the war with Napoleon that was always mentioned. The war is always mentioned in a sentence or two in novels set in this era, but other than the fact that it was acknowledged, nothing more was said of it. I loved that Bradbury gave me a historical context about this time period. While it aided my understanding of Agnes’s patriotism, it’s also nice to finally have learned something about this time period.

The mystery behind the standard was fascinating, but I admit that the actual process of using the Rosetta Stone and deciphering the messages tended to be a little confusing. But I really appreciated the fact that it took Agnes and Caedmon a while to figure out. The answers didn’t just magically click together the first time. They relied heavily on their intellect to solve the mystery and very little on luck. The resolution of the mystery wasn’t as shocking as it turned out to be, but I was satisfied as a reader because getting to that point had been an adventure.

I honestly wish that there are more historical young adult novels like WRAPPED. WRAPPED is a combination of all of my favorite genres, and I was sad to have reached the end of the book. While the story wraps (haha, yeah pun intended) itself up nicely, there is room for another adventure with Agnes and Caedmon. WRAPPED is a fantastic novel and if a sequel were to come out, all I could say to that is: yes, please!