City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda - ESSENTIAL

 City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda, 390 pages. Disney Hyperion. 2022. $17

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Sikander Aziz works at his parents’ deli in Manhattan with Daoud, an aspiring actor who seems to be only concerned with his looks. Sikander has an unwelcome and unexpected run in with Nergal, the ancient god of disease. Sik has to fight demons who believe he has something his late brother, Mo, stole from Iraq. Sik has to work quickly before the city is torn apart by plague. 

A Mesopotamian myth from Rick Riordan presents, this one deals with the legend of Gilgamesh. In the forward, Rick Riordan states that the book was ready to be published before the Covid-19 outbreak and in no way was meant to capitalize on the pandemic. The story does hit close to home because of the that, but is an exciting adventure as Sik makes his journey not just to find answers and save loved ones, but also to begin his own journey of growth and understanding. A great look into an overlooked mythology, this makes for an intriguing story line that the protagonist makes relatable. 

Michelle in the Middle