Pandora Gets Vain by Carolyn Hennesy

From the Publisher

The craziest field trip ever continues as Pandora and her BFFs, Alcie and Iole, are on the hunt for the next evil, vanity, which is hiding in Egypt. But, as usual, the goddess Hera is so not helping and throws as many obstacles as she can in their way. It’s totally distracting (not to mention life-threatening!), and they keep getting pulled off course. Fortunately the other gods and goddesses aren’t nearly as nasty as Hera, and they secretly help out the gang whenever they can. Pandy and her friends (including a new, totally adorable boy-slash-bodyguard) see it all, from a wild thunderstorm at sea and a group of talking dolphins to an . . . um . . . eye-thingy monster that’s just really, really scary. It sounds crazy, but don’t worry: Pandy can handle it . . . right?

Children's Literature

This book is, like, soooo surprisingly good you really must recommend it to your local action-loving ‘tween. Although I was skeptical at the outset, this book eventually won me over. An adventure-fantasy set in ancient Egypt, this second in a series features 13-year-old Pandora—yes, that Pandora—attempting to find and rein in the second of the seven vices she released after opening up her father Prometheus's forbidden box. Accompanied by her faithful friends Iole and Alcie and protected by a young Homer, Pandora finds herself overcoming one madcap series of adventures after another, despite the obstacles thrown her way by the goddess Hera. Young readers will no doubt relish the page-turning exploits of Pandy and her sidekicks. Educators may well appreciate the historic references to both Egyptian and Greek mythological gods and goddess. Purists will need to turn a blind eye to the girls' irreverent, toned-down, Valley-speak and the book's completely fantastical occurrences—talking rescue dolphins, shell-phone worried dads, transporting crystals, and invisible tents to name but a few. Still, one has to appreciate Pandy's determination to set things right, her loyalty and appreciation of her friends, and her bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. The book includes a glossary of gods, goddesses, and various things unique to ancient Egyptian culture. Although pure fantasy, this is a good read that young readers will no doubt enjoy, and if it gets them interested in mythology in the process, who will complain? Reviewer: Kris Sauer

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7

Pandora and her friends continue their quest to recover the evils that were accidentally released from her box. Here, the young protagonists travel to Egypt to track down vanity. Along the way, they encounter sea storms, helpful dolphins, ancient tombs, and a caravan of wonders, all the while being threatened by the plotting goddess Hera. Although set in classical times, this fantasy reads more like a current-day adolescent adventure. The characters use contemporary teenage idioms, making the text accessible to readers, and a glossary of gods, historical figures, and other relevant terms is provided. Classical Greek and Egyptian religion and history tread lightly in the story's background, and certain elements have been modernized (Pandy uses a conch shell much like a cell phone). Action is balanced with dialogue and description, and a tongue-in-cheek tone casts a whimsical light upon the overall events. Less successful are brief scenes depicting sword-wielding Arab men who spout sexist remarks, seemingly reinforcing negative stereotypes. Still, the smoothly written narrative makes this a suitable choice for larger libraries serving fans of fantasy and mythology.-Jeff Meyer, Slater Public Library, IA

Kirkus Reviews

The chick-lit quest tale kicked off in Pandora Gets Jealous (1/08) loses humor and steam in this second episode. Having loosed Evils into the world and been ordered by Zeus to get them back into the famous box, Pandy (Pandora) and her friends Alcie and Iole-joined by a hunky young Gladiator School dropout named Homer-set off for Alexandria to retrieve Vanity. Thanks to plenty of surreptitious help from the gods and Pandy's knack with fire, the teens weather all manner of burns, broken bones and bad wounds on the way to a violent climax. The teen banter and behavior that animated the previous adventure seems labored, though, and a poorly conceived encounter with a circus staffed by multicultural stereotypes serves more to pad the page count than lighten the tone. Once Vanity's under wraps again, the Egyptian god who had been masquerading as the circus's inscrutable Chinese magician steps in to clean up the mess, and the young folk are off to the Atlas Mountains to collar Laziness. One might argue that they've already found it. (glossary) (Fantasy. 11-14)

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